Privacy, in plain English.
This page explains what personal information SortaMate collects, why, and what you can do about it. We keep it short because we don't collect much.
Who we are
SortaMate is a trading name of Sarah Wong, a sole trader based in the UK. For data protection law, that makes Sarah Wong the "controller" of your information.
Contact: WhatsApp 07869 507507, email [email protected], or post to St Albans, AL1 3GL.
What this website collects
- Nothing through forms. The site has no sign-up or contact form that sends us data. The "your name" and "your website" boxes in the coffee section stay in your browser; nothing is sent unless you choose to tap through to WhatsApp.
- No cookies and no ad tracking. We don't use advertising or tracking cookies, so there's no cookie banner.
- Basic visit statistics. We may use Cloudflare Web Analytics, which counts visits without cookies and without identifying you.
- Security logs. Our host, Cloudflare, processes your IP address and browser details to deliver the site and protect it from attacks.
- Photos. Some images load from Unsplash, which means Unsplash receives your IP address, as with any website image.
When you message us
If you message us on WhatsApp (or by email or phone), we receive your name, number and anything you tell us, such as details about your business or your website. We use this to reply, to prepare a quote or free sample, and to do the work if you hire us. WhatsApp is run by Meta, under its own privacy policy.
Lawful basis: taking steps at your request before entering a contract, and then performing that contract.
If we contacted you first
We sometimes reach out to businesses we think we could help. We use business contact details that are publicly available, for example on Google Business Profiles, company websites and Companies House: business name, a business email or phone number, the name of an owner or manager, and what the business does.
Lawful basis: legitimate interests (telling a business about a service relevant to it). Every message tells you how to opt out. If you say no, we stop and keep only a note that you don't want to hear from us, so we never contact you again.
Who we share it with
We never sell your data. We only use trusted tools needed to run the business: Cloudflare (website hosting), WhatsApp/Meta (messaging), Google Workspace or similar (email and documents), and accounting software. Some of these may process data outside the UK under recognised safeguards such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement.
How long we keep it
- Enquiries that don't lead to work: deleted within 12 months.
- Client records and invoices: 6 years, because HMRC requires it.
- Opt-out list: kept for as long as we contact businesses, so we honour your request.
Your rights
You can ask to see the information we hold about you, correct it, delete it, restrict or object to how we use it, or take a copy. Just message us; we'll reply within one month. If you're unhappy with how we've handled your data, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.