1. Introduction

ARF Private Investigators (‘ARF’, ‘we’, ‘us’, or ‘our’) is committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share your personal data when you engage our services, visit our website at arf-privateinvestigators.co.uk, or contact us by any means.

We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as a data controller. By using our services or engaging with our website, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this policy.

2. Who We Are

ARF Private Investigators is the data controller responsible for your personal information. Our contact details are:

ARF Private Investigators

Ericsson Building, Weaman Street, Birmingham, B4 6DG

Telephone: 0800 002 9654 /

Email: help.arf.privateinvestigators@gmail.com

Website: arf-privateinvestigators.co.uk

3. What Information We Collect

3.1 Information You Provide to Us

When you contact us or engage our services, we may collect the following types of personal information:

Your full name, address, and contact details (telephone number and email address)
Details of the investigation or service you are requesting
Information about third parties relevant to your case (such as the subject of an investigation)
Payment information and billing address
Correspondence and communications between you and ARF
Any documents, evidence, or materials you provide to us in connection with your case

3.2 Information We Collect Automatically

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain technical information, including:

Your IP address and browser type
Pages visited, time spent on the site, and referring URLs
Device information and operating system
Cookie data (see Section 11 for full details)

3.3 Information Obtained in the Course of an Investigation

In carrying out investigations on your behalf, our operatives may lawfully gather information about third parties (subjects of investigation). This may include observed movements and behaviours, photographs, video footage, and other evidence gathered through professional surveillance and investigative methods. All such activity is conducted strictly within the boundaries of UK law, including the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK GDPR.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

To assess, accept, and carry out the investigation or service you have requested
To communicate with you about your case, including progress updates and evidence delivery
To process payments and maintain financial records
To prepare and deliver reports, evidence packs, and legal documentation
To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations, including ICO registration requirements
To respond to enquiries submitted via our website or by telephone or email
To improve our website and services
To send you relevant information about our services where you have provided consent to do so

5. Legal Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we are required to identify a lawful basis for processing your personal data. Depending on the nature of our interaction, we rely on the following legal bases:

Performance of a contract:

Where processing is necessary to carry out an investigation or service you have engaged us to perform.

Legitimate interests:

Where we process data to support the legitimate interests of our clients in uncovering facts relevant to legal proceedings, fraud prevention, the location of individuals, or the protection of personal safety — provided those interests are not overridden by the rights of the individuals concerned.

Legal obligation:

Where we are required to process data to comply with a legal obligation, such as fraud prevention, anti-money laundering requirements, or a court order.

Consent:

Where you have given us your explicit consent to process your data for a specific purpose, such as marketing communications. You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting us.

6. Special Category Data

Some investigations may involve the processing of special category data as defined under Article 9 of the UK GDPR. This includes information relating to health, criminal convictions, racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation.

We will only process such data where strictly necessary for the purposes of the investigation, where a valid legal basis exists under Article 9(2) UK GDPR, and where it is handled with the highest level of confidentiality and security. We will not process special category data speculatively or beyond what is required for the specific case.

7. Confidentiality and Discretion

Client confidentiality is fundamental to everything we do. All case information, personal data, and communications are treated with the strictest confidence. Our operatives and staff are bound by contractual confidentiality obligations and operate under a professional code of conduct that places discretion above all else.

We do not discuss, disclose, or share any details of a client’s case with third parties unless required to do so by law or with the client’s explicit consent.

8. Who We Share Your Information With

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We will only share your data in the following limited circumstances:

With our trusted investigation operatives and field agents who require access to case information to carry out your instructions
With third-party service providers who assist us in delivering our services (such as secure cloud storage, payment processors, and IT support), all of whom are bound by data processing agreements and UK GDPR obligations
With legal professionals, solicitors, or courts where evidence or reports are required in connection with legal proceedings, and with your express authorisation
With law enforcement agencies where we are legally required or compelled to do so
With our international partner offices where an investigation has a cross-border element — see Section 9 below

9. International Data Transfers

ARF operates a global network of partner offices across France, the USA, Canada, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Switzerland, the UAE, Australia, Mexico, Singapore, South Africa, Argentina, Thailand, Cambodia, and Japan.

Where your case requires us to share personal data with partners located outside the UK or European Economic Area (EEA), we take steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include:

Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the relevant supervisory authority
An adequacy decision recognising the destination country’s data protection standards
Your explicit consent where no other mechanism applies

We will always inform you if your data is to be transferred internationally and the safeguards in place.

10. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy, or as required by law. Our standard retention periods are as follows:

Case files, reports, and investigation materials: retained for six years following the conclusion of a case, in line with standard contractual limitation periods
Financial and payment records: retained for six years in accordance with HMRC requirements
General enquiry and contact data: retained for up to twelve months from the date of last contact
Website usage data and cookies: retained for no longer than twelve months

At the end of each applicable retention period, your data is securely deleted or anonymised in accordance with our internal data destruction procedures.

11. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

You have the following rights in relation to the personal data we hold about you:

Right of access: You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (a Subject Access Request).
Right to rectification: You may ask us to correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
Right to erasure: In certain circumstances, you may request that we delete your personal data (‘the right to be forgotten’).
Right to restriction: You may ask us to restrict how we process your data while a complaint is being investigated.
Right to data portability: Where processing is based on consent or a contract, you may request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
Right to object: You have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests, including direct marketing.
Rights relating to automated decision-making: You have the right not to be subject to decisions made solely by automated means where they produce a significant effect on you.

Please note that some of these rights are subject to legal limitations. For example, we may not be able to delete data where we are legally obliged to retain it, or where deletion would obstruct an ongoing legal matter.

To exercise any of your rights, please contact us using the details in Section 2. We will respond within one calendar month of receiving your request.

12. Cookies

Our website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience and to help us understand how visitors use the site. Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website.

We use the following categories of cookies:

Strictly necessary cookies: Essential to the basic functioning of our website and cannot be disabled.
Analytics cookies: Used to collect anonymised information about how visitors use our site. This data helps us improve the website’s performance and content.
Preference cookies: Allow our website to remember choices you have made, such as your region or language settings.

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings at any time. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website. For more information about cookies and how to manage them, visit www.allaboutcookies.org.

13. Security of Your Information

We take the security of your personal data seriously. We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your information against unauthorised access, accidental loss, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include secure communication channels, access controls, encrypted data storage, and confidentiality obligations for all staff and operatives.

While we take every reasonable precaution, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure. If you believe your data has been compromised, please contact us immediately.

14. Third-Party Websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any external websites you visit.

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or the services we offer. The ‘Last Updated’ date at the top of this document will always reflect the most recent version. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically.

Where changes are significant, we will take reasonable steps to notify you directly.

16. How to Complain

If you have any concerns about how we handle your personal data, please contact us in the first instance using the details in Section 2. We will do our best to resolve your concern promptly and fairly.

If you remain dissatisfied after contacting us, you have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which is the UK’s supervisory authority for data protection:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Website: ico.org.uk

ARF Private Investigators

Ericsson Building, Weaman Street, Birmingham, B4 6DG

0800 002 9654 | help.arf.privateinvestigators@gmail.com

arf-privateinvestigators.co.uk