This Privacy Policy explains how RealTradeGuard collects, uses, and protects your personal information when you visit our website at realtradeguard.co.uk or subscribe to our newsletter.

We're committed to protecting your privacy and complying with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Who we are

RealTradeGuard is a newsletter service operated by Viktorija Skobej, trading as RealTradeGuard, an individual sole trader registered in the United Kingdom.

For the purposes of UK GDPR, the data controller is Viktorija Skobej. This means we are responsible for deciding how we hold and use your personal information.

What information we collect

Information you give us directly

When you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect:

• Your email address
• The date and time you subscribed
• Whether you opened our emails or clicked links within them (engagement data)

If you contact us by email, we'll have a record of that correspondence.

If you become a paying subscriber in the future, we'll also collect:

• Payment information (processed securely by Stripe — we never see your card details)
• Billing email address (which may be different from your subscription email)
• Country of residence (for tax purposes)

Information we collect automatically

When you visit our website, we automatically collect limited technical information:

• Your IP address (anonymised)
• Browser type and version
• Pages you visited and time spent on them
• Referral source (e.g. which website sent you to us)

We collect this through Google Analytics in aggregated form, primarily to understand which content is useful and which isn't. We do not use this data to identify individual visitors.

How we use your information

We use your information for the following purposes:

To send you the newsletter

This is why you signed up. We use your email address to send the weekly Monday newsletter and any related transactional emails (e.g. confirmation when you subscribe, notification when you unsubscribe).

Legal basis: Consent (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(a)). You provided this consent when you subscribed.

To improve the newsletter

We look at aggregated open and click rates to understand what topics are useful. We do not single out individual subscribers.

Legal basis: Legitimate interest (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(f)) — improving the quality of a service you signed up for.

To process payments (paid subscribers only)

If you become a paying subscriber, we use your payment information solely to process the subscription.

Legal basis: Contract performance (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(b)).

To comply with the law

We may need to retain certain information to comply with HMRC tax obligations or respond to legal requests.

Legal basis: Legal obligation (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(c)).

Who we share your information with

We use the following third-party services to operate the newsletter. Each of them processes some of your data on our behalf:

Beehiiv

Beehiiv is our email newsletter platform. They store your email address and send the newsletter on our behalf. Beehiiv is GDPR-compliant and based in the United States. Data is transferred under appropriate safeguards.

Privacy Policy: beehiiv.com/privacy

Stripe (for paid subscribers)

If you become a paying subscriber, Stripe processes your payment. We never see or store your card details — Stripe handles all payment information directly. Stripe is PCI-DSS compliant and GDPR-compliant.

Privacy Policy: stripe.com/privacy

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand website traffic in aggregate. IP addresses are anonymised. Google Analytics may set cookies in your browser.

Privacy Policy: policies.google.com/privacy

Netlify

Our website is hosted on Netlify, which may collect basic server logs (IP addresses, request times) for security and operational purposes.

Privacy Policy: netlify.com/privacy

How long we keep your information

We keep your information only for as long as we need to:

• Subscriber email and engagement data: for as long as you remain subscribed. When you unsubscribe, we delete your record from active mailing lists within 7 days.
• Payment records (paid subscribers): retained for 7 years to comply with UK tax law (HMRC requirement).
• Email correspondence: retained for up to 3 years from the last contact.
• Website analytics: retained for 14 months in Google Analytics, then automatically deleted.

Your rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights:

• Right of access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification: You can ask us to correct inaccurate data.
• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten"): You can ask us to delete your data.
• Right to restrict processing: You can ask us to limit how we use your data.
• Right to data portability: You can ask for your data in a portable format.
• Right to object: You can object to certain types of processing.
• Right to withdraw consent: You can withdraw your consent at any time (e.g. by unsubscribing).

To exercise any of these rights, email us at contact@realtradeguard.co.uk. We'll respond within 30 days.

Cookies

Our website uses a small number of cookies:

• Essential cookies: necessary for the website to function (e.g. session management). These don't require your consent.
• Analytics cookies: set by Google Analytics to help us understand site usage. These require your consent (via the cookie banner when you first visit).

You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but some site features may not work as expected.

Children

Our service is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us so we can delete it.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we'll notify subscribers by email and update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.

How to make a complaint

If you have a concern about how we handle your data, please contact us first at contact@realtradeguard.co.uk — we'll do our best to resolve it.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

Contact us

Questions about this Privacy Policy? Email contact@realtradeguard.co.uk.