Privacy and Payments

The Royal Meteorological Society is firmly committed to protecting your privacy and personal data.

This Privacy Statement will inform you as to how We look after your personal data when you visit Our websites www.rmets.org and www.MetLink.org (the "Websites") and tell you about your privacy rights in accordance with Data Protection Legislation.

If you do not accept this Privacy Statement, please stop using Our Websites and do not make any further use of them. If you continue to access and use Our Websites then this will constitute you accepting and consenting to the practices detailed in this Privacy Statement.

We may revise this Privacy Statement at any time by amending this page. You must check this page from time to time to take notice of any changes We make, as they are binding on you (save that the changes will not apply in respect of personal data already collected about you unless the changes give you extra rights).

In this Privacy Statement, "We", "Us" and "Our" mean the Royal Meteorological Society (RMetS), The RMetS is a registered charity No. 208222 and Our address is 104 Oxford Road, Reading, RG1 7LL.

Online Payments

All of our online payments are taken through a secure payment gateway and no credit card details are ever stored on our servers. We use encryption and a secure SSL connection to connect to our payment provider, Stripe https://stripe.com.

What Personal Data May We Collect From You?

We will not process any personal data collected through Our Websites unless We have first told you that We are going to do so or it is obvious how We will use it.

We will process personal data about you if you join online, update your profile, purchase something, book an event or use online tools. The personal data collected may include but not necessarily limited to your title; name; gender; email address; postal address and post code; date of birth; interests and specialisms; telephone number; employment details; qualifications; details of continuing professional development and other information.

We may collect information about the software on your computer (your browser version etc.) and your IP address (your connection with the internet) or Google analytics, in order to improve your interaction with Our Websites and for Our records. This may happen automatically without your being aware of it.

We may use cookies (small text files which We and other website operators store on your computer when you visit Our websites) to deliver a better and more personalised interaction. They enable Us to recognise you when you return to Our Websites, store information about your preferences, and improve the way your searches are processed. They also enable Us to generate statistics about the number of visitors We have and how they use Our Websites and the internet. You can set your browser to reject Our cookies if you wish (you should consult your browser help section for details), but this might restrict your use of Our Websites and other websites. For more information about cookies, please see Our cookies statement.

If you become a member then We will use your personal data in other ways as well (for example, to provide you with membership services).

For more information relating to the types of personal data We may collect please see Our Code of Practice on Data Protection.

We do not collect any Special Categories of Personal Data about you (this includes details about your race or ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs, sex life, sexual orientation, political opinions, trade union membership, information about your health and genetic and biometric data), nor do We collect any information about criminal convictions and offences.

Where We need to collect personal data by law, or under the terms of a contract We have with you and you fail to provide those data when requested, We may not be able to perform the contract We have or are trying to enter into with you. In this case, We may have to cancel a product or service you have with Us but We will notify you if this is the case at the time.

How Will Your Personal Data Be Used?

We may process your personal data for more than one of the following lawful grounds depending on the specific purpose for which We are using your data:

  • It is necessary to allow Us to deal with your request, enquiry or purchase (contract);
  • Because the processing is necessary for the purposes of Our legitimate interests and your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests;
  • Where We need to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation.

Please contact Us if you need details about the specific legal ground or legitimate interests We are relying on to process your personal data.

We use personal data for the following purposes:

  • To provide you with the services you have requested through Our Websites.
  • For research purposes and to improve the services We offer.
  • To book you on an event or conference.
  • To track attendance at Our events.
  • To collect payment from you.
  • To contact you or send you information directly relating to your order, booking, or use of Our Websites.
  • To send you marketing communications relating to Us, including Our events and services, which We think may be of interest to you and, for those who We don’t have a contractual obligation to contact you, where you have specifically given your consent to, by email or similar technology.
  • To deal with enquiries and complaints made by or about you relating to Our Websites, products or services.
  • In order to comply with Our legal obligations.
  • In order to protect Our contractual and other rights.

We strive to provide you with choices regarding certain personal data uses, particularly in relation to marketing and advertising. We have established the following personal data control mechanisms.

  • Promotional offers from Us. We may use the information We collect (detailed above) to form a view on what We think that you may want or need, or what may be of interest to you. This is how We decide which products, services and offers may be relevant for you. You may receive marketing communications from Us if you have requested information from Us or purchased goods or services from Us or if you provided Us with your details when you entered a competition or registered for a promotion and, in each case, you have opted into receiving that marketing.
  • Third party marketing. We will get your express opt-in consent before We share your personal data with any outside company for marketing purposes.
  • Opting out. You can ask Us or third parties to stop sending you marketing messages at any time by following the opt-out links on any marketing message sent to you or by contacting Us at any time.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which We collected it, unless We reasonably consider that We need to use it for another reason and that reason is compatible with the original purpose. If We need to use your personal data for an unrelated purpose, We will notify you and We will explain the legal basis which allows Us to do so.

Please note that We may process your personal data without your knowledge or consent, in compliance with the above rules, where this is required or permitted by law.

Disclosure of Your Personal Data

We will not sell personal data.

On occasion where We have your consent We may share your personal data with a third party, for example with organisations we collaborate with for events, competitions, reciprocal membership etc. We require all third parties to respect the security of your personal data and to treat it in accordance with the law. We do not allow Our third-party service providers to use your personal data for their own purposes and only permit them to process your personal data for specific purposes and in accordance with Our instructions.

Some of Our external third parties are based outside the European Economic Area (“EEA”). This will involve transferring your data outside the EEA.

Whenever We transfer your personal data out of the EEA, We will ensure a similar degree of protection is afforded to them.

How Will Your Personal Data Be Stored?

All personal data that you supply Us with is stored on Our secured servers. For your protection, any payment details that you provide Us with will be encrypted using SSL technology.

Unfortunately, the transmission of information over the internet is not completely secure. Although We will do Our best to ensure that your personal data is protected, We cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted to Our Websites. Any transmission of your personal data by you is therefore at your own risk. Once We have received your information, We will use strict procedures and security features to try and prevent unauthorised access.

We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected personal data breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a breach where We are legally required to do so.

How Long We Store Your Data

We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes We collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

To determine the appropriate retention period for personal data, We consider the amount, nature, and   sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal data, the purposes for which We process your personal data and whether We can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal requirements.

Your Rights

Under certain circumstances, you have rights under Data Protection Legislation in relation to your personal data.

You have the right to:

  • Be Informed about the collection and use of your personal data.
  • Request access to your personal data.
  • Request correction of the personal data that We hold about you.
  • Request erasure of your personal data. This enables you to ask Us to delete or remove personal data where there is no good reason for Us continuing to process it.
  • Object to processing of your personal data where We are relying on a legitimate interest and there is something about your particular situation which makes you want to object to processing on this ground as you feel it impacts on your fundamental rights and freedoms.
  • Request restriction of processing of your personal data.
  • Request the transfer of your personal data to you or to a third party.
  • Withdraw consent at any time where We are relying on consent to process your personal data.

You will not have to pay a fee to access your personal data (or to exercise any of the other rights) However, We may charge a reasonable fee if your request is clearly unfounded, repetitive or excessive. Alternatively, We may refuse to comply with your request in these circumstances.

We try to respond to all legitimate requests within one month. Occasionally it may take Us longer than a month if your request is particularly complex or you have made a number of requests. In this case, We will notify you and keep you updated.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact Us using the address below.

You can find out more about your rights from the Office of the Information Commissioner, which regulates data protection and privacy. The Information Commissioner's website is www.ico.gov.uk

 

Contact

Please feel free to contact Us with any questions, comments or queries regarding this Privacy Statement.

All questions should be directed to the The Chief Executive Officer, 104 Oxford Road, Reading, RG1 7LL - email chiefexec@rmets.org