Last updated: 11 April 2026
This Privacy and Cookie Policy explains who we are, what personal data we collect, how we use it, how we protect it, and your rights under data protection law. Please read it carefully.
1. Introduction
Whitegoods Help is a website and digital platform providing information, tools and guidance relating to domestic appliance faults, maintenance and repair.
We are subject to the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We are also subject to the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) in relation to our use of cookies and similar technologies.
Please read this policy alongside our Terms of Use, which also applies to your use of our Services.
2. Who We Are (Data Controller)
For the purposes of data protection law, the data controller is:
NAC (Domestic Appliances) Ltd
Company number: 07531907
4 Calder Close, Calder Park, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF4 3BA
Email: [email protected]
We do not currently have a statutory obligation to appoint a Data Protection Officer. Any queries about this policy or your personal data should be directed to us using the contact details above.
3. Personal Data We Collect
Data you provide to us
We do not require you to create an account or provide personal data to use most of our Services. However, when you interact with us — for example by submitting a query to the Fault Finder or contacting us by email — you may provide:
- Text inputs describing your appliance fault or query
- Your name and email address (if you contact us directly)
We recommend that you do not include personal, sensitive or confidential information in any queries submitted to the Fault Finder.
Data we collect automatically
When you use our website, we automatically collect certain technical data, including:
- IP address
- Browser type and version
- Device type and operating system
- Pages visited, time spent on pages, and navigation paths
- Referring website or search term
This data is collected through cookies and similar technologies. See Section 10 (Cookies) for more detail.
4. How and Why We Use Your Personal Data
The table below summarises our main processing activities, their purposes, and the legal basis we rely on under UK GDPR.
| Purpose | Data Used | Legal Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Providing and operating our website and Services | Technical data, user inputs | Legitimate interests |
| Operating and improving the Fault Finder AI tool | User inputs, usage data | Legitimate interests |
| Improving our content and knowledge base | Anonymised query data | Legitimate interests |
| AI system training and development | Anonymised / aggregated inputs | Legitimate interests (see Section 5) |
| Security, fraud prevention and abuse detection | Technical data, IP address | Legitimate interests / Legal obligation |
| Analytics and performance monitoring | Usage data (via cookies) | Consent (where required by PECR) |
| Responding to direct enquiries | Name, email, message content | Contract / Legitimate interests |
| Repair booking facilitation | Data shared with third-party provider | Contract |
5. AI Systems and Automated Processing
How AI is used
Whitegoods Help uses AI technology, currently provided by OpenAI, to power our Fault Finder tool. When you submit a query:
- Your input is transmitted to OpenAI for processing
- A response is generated automatically and returned to you
- Your input and the response may be retained by us and/or OpenAI in accordance with our respective data processing terms
We have a Data Processing Agreement in place with OpenAI. Where your data is processed outside the UK, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved under UK GDPR to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.
Use of data to train AI systems
We may use anonymised or aggregated data derived from Fault Finder interactions to improve and train AI models. When we do so:
- Data is anonymised before use — we do not use data in a form that could identify you
- We have carried out a Legitimate Interests Assessment (LIA) to ensure this processing is proportionate and does not override your fundamental rights
- You have the right to object to this processing at any time (see Section 12)
Automated decision-making (Article 22, UK GDPR)
The Fault Finder generates automated diagnostic responses. These responses are informational in nature and do not constitute legally significant decisions about you. No automated decision is made that would have a significant legal or similarly significant effect on you.
If you have concerns about how any automated output has affected you, please contact us and we will arrange a human review.
6. Historic and Forum Content
Whitegoods Help contains historical forum content and articles created prior to 24 March 2026 by previous owners of the website. Some of this content may contain user-generated contributions.
If you believe that any historic content contains your personal data and you wish to exercise your rights in relation to it, please contact us using the details in Section 2.
7. Sharing Your Personal Data
We may share your personal data with the following categories of recipient:
- Companies within the NAC group, for internal business purposes
- IT infrastructure and hosting providers
- OpenAI (our AI service provider), as a data processor acting on our instructions
- Analytics providers (e.g. Google Analytics), subject to your cookie consent
- Third-party repair service providers, where you request a repair booking
- Professional advisors (legal, accountancy, insurance)
- Regulatory authorities or law enforcement, where we are legally required to do so
All third parties who process personal data on our behalf are required to have appropriate data protection safeguards in place and to act only on our instructions.
8. International Transfers
Some of our service providers, including OpenAI, process personal data outside the UK and European Economic Area (EEA). Where this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and, where applicable, the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA).
You can request a copy of the relevant safeguards by contacting us using the details in Section 2.
9. Data Retention
We retain personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, and in accordance with our legal obligations. Our current retention periods are:
- Technical and usage data (e.g. IP logs, page visit data): up to 26 months, in line with standard analytics practice
- Fault Finder query data: up to 2 years from the date of the interaction, after which it is anonymised or deleted
- Direct email correspondence: up to 3 years from the date of last contact
- Repair booking data: up to 6 years from the date of the booking, to comply with legal and financial record-keeping obligations
- Anonymised or aggregated data: may be retained indefinitely for analysis, content improvement and AI development, as it cannot be linked back to you
When retention periods expire, data is securely deleted or anonymised.
10. Cookies and Similar Technologies
What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. We also use similar technologies such as web beacons and local storage. Some cookies are set by us; others are set by third parties whose services appear on our pages.
Types of cookies we use
- Strictly necessary cookies: Essential for the website to function correctly. These do not require your consent and cannot be turned off. They include session management and security cookies.
- Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our website (e.g. pages visited, time on site). We use Google Analytics for this purpose. These cookies are only set with your consent.
- Functional cookies: Allow us to remember your preferences (e.g. your cookie choices). Set only with your consent.
- AI tool cookies: Used to manage your session when using the Fault Finder. Strictly necessary elements do not require consent; any additional cookies of this type are set only with your consent.
Your cookie choices
When you first visit our website, you will be shown a cookie consent banner. You can accept all cookies, reject all non-essential cookies, or manage your preferences for each category individually.
You can change your cookie preferences at any time by clicking the ‘Manage Cookies’ link in the footer of our website. You can also manage cookies through your browser settings, though disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality. For more information, visit www.allaboutcookies.org.
Third-party cookies
Some third-party services we use (such as Google Analytics and OpenAI) may set their own cookies. We do not control these. Please refer to the relevant third party’s privacy policy for more information.
11. Security
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, destruction or alteration, including encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS) and access controls on our systems.
No online system is entirely secure. You use our Services at your own risk, and we encourage you not to share sensitive personal information through our tools.
In the event of a personal data breach that is likely to result in a high risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify you without undue delay in accordance with our obligations under UK GDPR.
12. Your Rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:
- Right of access: to obtain a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Right to rectification: to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
- Right to erasure: to ask us to delete your personal data in certain circumstances
- Right to restriction: to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances
- Right to object: to object to our processing of your data where we rely on legitimate interests, including the use of your data for AI training. We will stop that processing unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests
- Right to data portability: to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format in certain circumstances
- Right not to be subject to automated decisions: to request human review of any automated output that significantly affects you (see Section 5)
- Right to withdraw consent: where we rely on your consent (e.g. for analytics cookies), you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within one calendar month. We may ask you to verify your identity before responding.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):
Website: www.ico.org.uk | Helpline: 0303 123 1113
13. Children
Our Services are not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
14. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy and Cookie Policy from time to time. Any changes will be published on this page, and the ‘Last updated’ date will be revised accordingly. Where changes are material, we will take reasonable steps to bring them to your attention. Your continued use of our Services following any update constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.
15. Accessibility
If you require this policy in an alternative format, please contact us at [email protected] and we will do our best to assist.
16. Contact
If you have any questions about this policy, or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact us:
Email: [email protected]
Post: Data Protection Manager, NAC (Domestic Appliances) Ltd, 4 Calder Close, Calder Park, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF4 3BA