PRIVACY POLICY

1. Who We Are

PFM Inspections provides independent residential property inspection and surveying services within the United Kingdom. We are the trading name of Schapiro Consulting Ltd. 

For the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, PFM Inspections is the Data Controller responsible for your personal data.

Contact details:
Schapiro Consulting Ltd

Bayside Business Centre

Willis Way, Poole, BH15 3TB
Email: info@pfminspections.co.uk
Telephone: 01202 798754 

2. Scope of This Policy

This policy applies when you:

• Visit our website

• Contact us by telephone, email or social media

• Instruct us to undertake a survey

• Engage with us as a client or professional contact

3. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process:

Identity & Contact Information

• Full name

• Address

• Email address

• Telephone number

Property Information

• Property address

• Transaction-related details relevant to the inspection

Financial Information

• Invoicing records

• Payment confirmation details (processed via secure third-party providers)

Technical Data

When using our website:

• IP address

• Browser type

• Device type

• Usage data

Social Media Information

If you contact us via Facebook or LinkedIn:

• Public profile details

• Messages and correspondence

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless voluntarily provided and necessary for our services.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data under:

• Contractual necessity

• Legitimate interests

• Legal obligation

• Consent (where applicable for marketing)

5. How We Use Your Information

We use personal data to:

• Provide surveying services

• Prepare written reports

• Maintain professional records

• Issue invoices

• Respond to enquiries

• Improve our website and services

• Comply with legal obligations

We do not sell or trade personal data.

6. Professional & Regulatory Compliance

PFM Inspections operates in accordance with the professional standards of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), where applicable.

In line with RICS professional and ethical standards, we:

• Maintain accurate and contemporaneous inspection records

• Retain professional documentation for regulatory and insurance purposes

• Protect client confidentiality

• Implement appropriate data security controls

Survey files may include:

• Inspection notes

• Photographic evidence

• Drone imagery (where applicable)

• Survey reports and working papers

Information may be disclosed, where necessary and proportionate, to:

• Professional indemnity insurers

• Legal advisers

• Courts or tribunals

• RICS in the event of regulatory review

All such disclosures comply with UK data protection law.

7. Professional Indemnity Insurance

PFM Inspections maintains Professional Indemnity Insurance in accordance with RICS requirements.

Survey documentation and associated records may be retained to:

• Comply with insurance policy conditions

• Defend potential claims

• Meet legal limitation periods

In the event of a complaint or claim, relevant personal data may be shared with insurers and legal advisers solely for that purpose.

8. Data Retention

Professional survey files and associated documentation are retained for a minimum of six years from the date of the report and may be retained longer where required by legal or insurance obligations.

General enquiry data and routine correspondence may be retained for up to six years unless deletion is requested and no legal obligation requires continued retention.

9. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures including:

• Secure password-protected systems

• Encrypted storage where appropriate

• Restricted access controls

While reasonable safeguards are in place, no internet transmission is entirely secure.

10. Cookies Policy

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when visiting a website.

Types of Cookies Used

We may use:

• Strictly necessary cookies

• Analytics cookies (e.g. Google Analytics)

• Functionality cookies

Third-party platforms such as Facebook (Meta) and LinkedIn may also place cookies when you interact with embedded content.

Where required, we obtain consent before placing non-essential cookies.

You may manage cookies through your browser settings.

11. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal data

• Request correction

• Request erasure (subject to legal limits)

• Restrict processing

• Object to processing

• Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

ICO website: www.ico.org.uk

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy periodically. The latest version will always be available on our website.