Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions

Membership of the Chamber of Commerce (“the Chamber”, “we”, “our”, “us”), utilising Chamber services and using the Chamber website are subject to terms and conditions and a code of conduct.

We are committed to protecting and respecting your rights to privacy and data protection and to complying with the provisions of all applicable data protection legislation and regulations.

Membership Code of Conduct

The Chamber offer businesses with advice and support. All businesses who are Chamber members must adhere to the Code of Conduct (Code). This is as follows:

• The Chamber supports businesses in making connections and building relationships. This is not a ‘hard sales’ environment and all participants must embrace this principle.
• Individuals and businesses are encouraged to support each other. We embrace inclusivity and diversity and do not tolerate harassment or bullying in any way. Chamber members must comply with this ethos.
• Information and advice received by being a Chamber member is not to be used by individuals and businesses within the Chamber membership to the detriment of fellow businesses.
• To become a member of the Chamber, you must adhere to the process set out in the Chambers ‘Articles of Association’.
• To join the Chamber as a member, the company you represent must be registered with Companies House.
• The nature of your business must be legal and legitimate. Therefore, its activities must be in accordance with UK law and, if based outside of the UK, the laws of the country in which it is located.
• The Chamber reserves the right to withdraw membership of any member who does not comply with this Code of Conduct.
• The Code of Conduct may be changed by the Chamber at any time. It is the responsibility of each business within the Chamber membership to ensure compliance with the latest version of the Code at all times.

1. Terms of Website Use

1.1
These terms of use (together with the documents referred to in it) tells you the terms of use on which you may make use of our website (www.tekc.co.uk), whether as a guest, member, or a registered user. Use of our site includes accessing, browsing, or registering to use our site.

1.2
Please read these terms of use carefully before you start to use our site, as these will apply to your use of our site. We recommend that you print a copy of this for future reference.

1.3
By using our site, you confirm that you accept these terms of use and that you agree to comply with them. If you do not agree to these terms of use, you must not use our site.

2. Other applicable terms

2.1
These terms of use refer to the following additional terms, which also apply to your use of our site:

2.1.1
Our privacy policy which sets out the terms on which we process any personal data we collect from you, or that you provide to us. By using our site, you consent to such processing and you warrant that all data provided by you is accurate.

2.1.2
Our cookie policy which sets out information about the cookies on our site.

2.1.3
Our Memorandum and Articles of Association and Byelaws.

3. Information about us

www.tekc.co.uk is a site operated by East Kent Chamber of Commerce Limited (“we”, “us”, “our”). We are registered in England and Wales as a private company limited by guarantee and have our registered office at insert here. Our VAT number is insert here.

4. Changes to these terms

We may revise these terms of use at any time by amending this page. Please check this page from time to time to take notice of any changes we made, as they are binding on you.

5. Changes to our site

5.1
We may update our site from time to time, and may change the content at any time. However, please note that any of the content on our site may be out of date at any given time, and we are under no obligation to update it.

5.2
We do not guarantee that our site, or any content on it, will be free from errors or omissions.

6. Accessing our site

6.1
Our site is made available free of charge. Visitors can use our site for free. Non-members can also book (and pay for) some limited events which are open to everyone.

6.2
We do not guarantee that our site, or any content on it, will always be available or be uninterrupted. Access to our site is permitted on a temporary basis. We may suspend, withdraw, discontinue or change all or any part of our site without notice. We will not be liable to you if for any reason our site is unavailable at any time or for any period.

6.3
You are responsible for making all arrangements necessary for you to have access to our site.

6.4
You are also responsible for ensuring that all persons who access our site through your internet connection are aware of these terms of use and other applicable terms and conditions, and that they comply with them.

6.5
Our site is directed to people residing in the United Kingdom. We do not represent that content available on or through our site is appropriate or available in other locations. We may limit the availability of our site or any service or product described on our site to any person or geographic area at any time. If you choose to access our site from outside the United Kingdom, you do so at your own risk.

7. Your account and password

7.1
If you choose, or you are provided with, a user identification code, password or any other piece of information as part of our security procedures, you must treat such information as confidential. You must not disclose it to any third party.

7.2
We have the right to disable any user identification code or password, whether chosen by you or allocated by us, at any time, if in our reasonable opinion you have failed to comply with any of the provisions of these terms of use.

7.3
If you know or suspect that anyone other than you knows your user identification code or password, you must promptly notify us.

8. Intellectual property rights

8.1
We are the owner or the licensee of all intellectual property rights in our site, and in the material published on it.  Those works are protected by copyright laws and treaties around the world. All such rights are reserved.

8.2
You may print off one copy, and may download extracts, of any page(s) from our site for your personal use and you may draw the attention of others within your organisation to content posted on our site.

8.3
You must not modify the paper or digital copies of any materials you have printed off or downloaded in any way, and you must not use any illustrations, photographs, video or audio sequences or any graphics separately from any accompanying text.

8.4
Our status (and that of any identified contributors) as the authors of content on our site must always be acknowledged.

8.5
You must not use any part of the content on our site for commercial purposes without obtaining authority in writing/text.

8.6
If you print off, copy or download any part of our site in breach of these terms of use, your right to use our site will cease immediately and you must, at our option, return or destroy any copies of the materials you have made.

9. No reliance on information

9.1
The content on our site is provided for general information only. It is not intended to amount to legal advice on which you should rely.

9.2
Although we make reasonable efforts to update the information on our site, we make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied, that the content on our site is accurate, complete or up-to-date.

10. Limitation of our liability

10.1
Nothing in these terms of use excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury arising from our negligence, or our fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited by English law.

10.2
To the extent permitted by law, we exclude all conditions, warranties, representations or other terms which may apply to our site or any content on it, whether express or implied.

10.3
We will not be liable to any user of our site for any loss or damage, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, or otherwise, even if foreseeable, arising under or in connection with:

10.3.1
use of, or inability to use, our site; or

10.3.2
use of or reliance on any content displayed on our site.

10.4
Please note that in particular, we will not be liable for:

10.4.1
loss of profits, sales, business, or revenue;

10.4.2
business interruption;

10.4.3
loss of anticipated savings;

10.4.4
loss of business opportunity, goodwill or reputation; or

10.4.5
any indirect or consequential loss or damage.

10.5
You agree not to use our site for commercial purposes, and we have no liability to you for any loss of profit, loss of business, business interruption, or loss of business opportunity.

10.6
We will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by a virus, distributed denial-of-service attack, or other technologically harmful material that may infect your computer equipment, computer programs, data or other proprietary material due to your use of our site or to your downloading of any content on it, or on any website linked to it.

10.7
We assume no responsibility for the content of websites linked on our site. Such links should not be interpreted as endorsement by us of those linked websites. We will not be liable for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of them.

11. Uploading content to our site

11.1
Whenever you make use of a feature that allows you to upload content to our site, or to make contact with other users of our site, your use of our site must be only for lawful purposes and not in a manner that would damage our reputation in any way or be considered inappropriate, offensive or inflammatory.

11.2
You warrant that any such contribution or use of our site does comply with the above standards, and you will be liable to us and indemnify us for any breach of that warranty. If you are a consumer user, this means you will be responsible for any loss or damage we suffer as a result of your breach of warranty.

11.3
Any content you upload to our site will be considered non-confidential and non-proprietary. You retain all of your ownership rights in your content, but you are required to grant us a limited licence to use, store and copy that content and to distribute and make it available to third parties.

11.4
We also have the right to disclose your identity to any third party who is claiming that any content posted or uploaded by you to our site constitutes a violation of their intellectual property rights, or of their right to privacy.

11.5
We will not be responsible, or liable to any third party, for the content or accuracy of any content posted by you or any other user of our site.

11.6
We have the right to remove any posting you make on our site if, in our opinion, your post does not comply with the content standards set out in section 11.1.

11.7
The views expressed by other users on our site do not represent our views or values.

11.8
You are solely responsible for securing and backing up your content.

12. Rights you licence

When you upload or post content to our site, you grant us a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable licence to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, and perform that content for our business purposes including, but not limited to, the services provided by our site and to promote our site and the services we offer.

13. Viruses

13.1
We do not guarantee that our site will be secure or free from bugs or viruses.

13.2
You are responsible for configuring your information technology, computer programmes and platform in order to access our site. You should use your own virus protection software.

13.3
You must not misuse our site by knowingly introducing viruses, trojans, worms, logic bombs or other material which is malicious or technologically harmful. You must not attempt to gain unauthorised access to our site, the server on which our site is stored or any server, computer or database connected to our site. You must not attack our site via a denial-of-service attack or a distributed denial-of service attack. By breaching this provision, you would commit a criminal offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990. We will report any such breach to the relevant law enforcement authorities and we will co-operate with those authorities by disclosing your identity to them. In the event of such a breach, your right to use our site will cease immediately.

14. Linking to our site

14.1
You may link to our home page, provided you do so in a way that is fair and legal and does not damage our reputation or take advantage of it, but you must not establish a link in such a way as to suggest any form of association, approval or endorsement on our part where none exists.

14.2
You must not establish a link to our site in any website that is not owned by you.

14.3
Our site must not be framed on any other site, nor may you create a link to any part of our site other than the home page.

14.4
We reserve the right to withdraw linking permission without notice.

14.5
If you wish to make any use of content on our site other than that set out above, please contact the Chamber directly.

15. Third party links and resources in our site

15.1
Where our site contains links to other sites and resources provided by third parties, these links are provided for your information only.

15.2
We have no control over the contents of those sites or resources.

16. Applicable law

These terms of use, its subject matter and its formation (and any non-contractual disputes or claims) are governed by English law, and we both agree to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

17. Trade marks

Thanet and East Kent Chamber Limited is  a UK registered trade marks.

18. Contact us

To contact us, please email or contact us at……… (insert existing contact details here)

Thank you for visiting our site.

Cookie Policy

Information about our use of cookies.

Our site uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our site. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our site and also allows us to improve our site. By consenting to our cookies being stored on your device you agree to our Cookie Policy.

A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that we store on your browser or the hard drive of your computer if you agree. Cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer’s hard drive.

We use the following cookies:

Strictly necessary cookies. These are cookies that are required for the operation of our site. They include, for example, cookies that enable you to log into secure areas of our site, use a shopping cart or make use of e-billing services.

Analytical/performance cookies. They allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around our site when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way our site works, for example, by ensuring that users are finding what they are looking for easily.

Functionality cookies. These are used to recognise you when you return to our site. This enables us to personalise our content for you, greet you by name and remember your preferences (for example, your choice of language or region).

Targeting cookies. These cookies record your visit to our site, the pages you have visited and the links you have followed. We will use this information to make our site more relevant to your interests. We may also share this information with third parties for this purpose.

Please note that third parties (including, for example, advertising networks and providers of external services like web traffic analysis services) may also use cookies, over which we have no control. These cookies are likely to be analytical/performance cookies or targeting cookies.

You block cookies by activating the setting on your browser that allows you to refuse the setting of all or some cookies. However, if you use your browser settings to block all cookies (including essential cookies) you may not be able to access all or parts of our site.

You can revoke your consent to cookies at any time via the Manage Your Consents page.

Privacy Policy

The Chamber (“the Chamber”, “we”, “our”, “us”) is committed to protecting and respecting your rights to privacy and data protection and to complying with the provisions of all applicable data protection legislation and regulations.

This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) together with our Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association and Bye-Laws, Terms of Use for the website, Cookie Policy sets out how the Chamber collects, uses, shares and retains personally identifiable information.  It will be continuously assessed against new technologies, business practices, regulatory changes and the evolving needs of the Chamber and the services we provide.

DATA CONTROLLER

The Data Controller for all personal data collected by us is Thanet and East Kent Chamber Limited (company number ——–) whose registered office is at ————.  We are responsible for deciding what data we collect and how we hold and use your personal data.  We will implement appropriate data security measures for protecting the data from unauthorised access and loss as laid out in the Security section of this Policy.

DATA COLLECTION

We collect and maintain a variety of personally identifiable information but only when there is a legitimate business requirement, we are exercising official authority (as in the issuing and processing of export documentation) or when such information is provided on a voluntary basis.

Information you give us may include your name, address, email address and phone number; financial, credit card information; personal description and photograph; interests and preferences; professional information (such as but not limited to your job title and details of your employer) and any other information we may ask for which is relevant to your enquiry or request for information or services.

You may give us information about you by corresponding with us by phone, e-mail or in person, or by filling in forms on our website.  This includes information you provide when you enquire about or book on our events, trade missions or training courses; enquire about or use our export documentation services; enquire about membership benefits, join membership or our community; enter a competition, promotion or survey; provide a case study, testimonial or media comment; request a magazine, report or newsletter; register to use or place an order on our website; participate in discussion boards or other social media functions or apply for a job with us.

We may collect information about you if you use any of the other websites we operate or the other services we provide.  In this case you will be informed when we collect that data that it may be shared internally and combined with data collected on our website.

Users should be aware that non-personal information may be automatically collected through the standard operation of the Chamber’s web servers and by the use of cookie technology and/or Internet Protocol (IP) address tracking including through:

the WiFi service in our offices where we may collect data which shows how often and for how long you are accessing the WiFi services, which will include recording the address of your device that connects to the WiFi network.  To opt out of the collection of your Media Access Control (MAC) or Internet Protocol (IP) address turn off your device and WiFi capabilities.

Our website cookies which distinguish you from other users of our site.  This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our site and also allows us to improve our site.  As described in our website Cookie Policy, if you agree to cookies, on each of your visits to our website we may automatically collect technical information and information about your visit.

For detailed information on the cookies we use and the purposes for which we use them see our Cookie Policy.  You block cookies by activating the setting on your browser that allows you to refuse the setting of all or some cookies.  However, if you use your browser setting to block all cookies you may not be able to access all or parts of our site.  You can revoke your consent to cookies at any time.

PURPOSE OF PROCESSING INFORMATION

The Chamber is a membership organisation connecting and supporting its membership and the wider business community and influencing the environment in which business operates.  To deliver our legitimate business interests, we must maintain contact information on our members and the wider business community.

The activities for which we will process your personal data include:

to carry out our obligations arising from membership and any contracts entered into between you and us

to provide you with information, publications, surveys, event details, benefits, assistance and services

to enquire about whether you would like to join as a member and provide you with information about our services

to provide you with information about other services we offer that are similar to those that you have already purchased or enquired about

to notify you about changes to our service

to deliver relevant marketing information to you

to ensure that content from our website is presented in the most effective manner for you and for your computer

to administer our website and for internal operations, including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, research, statistical and survey purposes

to improve our website to ensure that content is presented in the most effective manner for you and for your computer

to allow you to participate in interactive features of our service, when you choose to do so

and where you consent:

to display it in our members’ publications, including our searchable on-line directory which is available to our members only

to permit selected third parties to provide you with information about services we (or any selected third party) feel may interest you

OPT-OUT

In addition to providing members and the wider business community with information about our services and activities, from time to time, we collaborate with relevant organisations and companies to promote programmes that may be of interest to them and us.  In such cases, we do not provide these organisations with any personally identifiable information, but may distribute the organisation’s information on their behalf to those who may legitimately be benefited from receiving such information or have elected to receive such information.

If you do not wish to receive marketing material, you may opt out.  Every marketing email will include an ‘unsubscribe’ link at the bottom.  You may also notify the Chamber in writing (see below).

If your parent company has nominated you as a relevant contact required to receive information on its behalf, you cannot opt out of important information the Chamber is required to provide to you as per the Chamber’s contractual obligations to its members.  If our processing of personal data is based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw consent for future processing at any time.  Please note, however, that we may still be entitled to process your personal data if we have another lawful basis for doing so.

If you wish to opt out of any marketing we send you, please contact

By email at unsubscribe@tekc.co.uk

By telephone on ————–, Monday to Friday (except public/bank holidays) between 9.00am and 5.00pm); or

By post at Unsubscribe, Member Relationship Team, TEKC Sandwich address inserted.

DATA MINIMISATION AND RETENTION

The personal data collected is stored in the Chamber’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system and other appropriate data management systems, both paper based and electronic.  Personally identifiable information will not be disclosed to any third party except if permission has first been obtained from the individual.

We only collect the minimum amount of personal information necessary.  At regular intervals we will:

Review the length of time we keep your personal data

Consider the purpose or purposes for which we hold your personal data in deciding whether (and for how long) to retain it

Securely delete personal data that is no longer needed for that purpose or those purposes

Update, archive or securely delete personal data if it goes out of date

SECURITY AND PROTECTION OF YOUR INFORMATION

We use reasonable measures – which are appropriate to the type of information and compliant with relevant legislation – to safeguard the confidentiality, integrity and availability of personally identifiable information.  Technical and organisational measures are in place to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed.  In addition, we limit access to your personal data to only those employees, contractors or agents who have a legitimate business need to have access to that data.  They are subject to a duty of confidentiality and due care with respect to handling the personal data.

Where we have given you (or where you have chosen) a password which enables you to access certain parts of our website, you are responsible for keeping that password confidential.  We ask you not to share a password with anyone.

We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected data security breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a suspected breach where we are legally required to do so.  Our employees are trained on data security and information protection.

Relevant areas of the Chamber’s website will employ Secure Socket Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption technology to enhance data privacy and help prevent loss, misuse or alteration of the information collected and retained by us.

The transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure.  Although we will do our best to protect your data, we cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted to our website; any transmission is at your own risk.  Once we have received your information, we will use strict procedures and security features to try to prevent unauthorised access.

DISCLOSURE OF YOUR INFORMATION

We may share your Personal information with any member of our group as defined in section 1159 of the UK Companies Act 2006.

We may share your information with selected third parties including:

business partners, suppliers and sub-contractors (including, but not limited to our professional advisors for the performance of any contract we enter into with them or you, or in relation to any ancillary requirements

advertisers and advertising networks that require the data to select and serve relevant adverts to you and others.  We do not disclose information about identifiable individuals to our advertisers, but we may provide them with aggregate information about our users (for example, we may inform them that 500 men aged under 30 have clicked on their advertisement on any given day).  We may also use such aggregate information to help advertisers reach the kind of audience they want to target.  We may make use of the personal data we have collected from you to enable us to comply with our advertisers’ wishes by displaying their advertisement to that target audience analytics and search engine providers that assist us in the improvement and optimisation of our website

We may disclose your personal data to third parties:

in the event that we sell or buy any business or assets, in which case we may disclose your personal data to the prospective seller or buyer of such business or assets.

if Thanet and East Kent Chamber Ltd are acquired by a third party, in which case personal data held by it about its customers will be one of the transferred assets

if we are under a duty to disclose or share your personal data in order to comply with any legal obligation, or in order to enforce or apply our terms of use and other agreements; or to protect the rights property, or safety of the Chamber, our customers or others.  This includes exchanging information with other companies and organisations for the purposes of fraud protection and credit risk reduction

for marketing purposes if you have given your consent

Surveys. The purpose of carrying out the surveys is to produce reports, which the Chamber can then use in their activities in promoting and protecting the interests of UK businesses; in other words, they are part and parcel of the function and purpose of the Chamber.  There is never any marketing or commercial purpose to the surveys, and the Chamber does not carry out surveys on behalf of any third party.

You can contact us if you do not wish to be contacted by the Chamber in regard to any surveys, and you will have the opportunity to unsubscribe from any mailing list.

LINKS TO THIRD PARTY SITES

Our website may, from time to time, contain links to and from the websites of our partner networks, advertisers and affiliates.  If you follow a link to any of these websites, please note that these websites have their own privacy policies and that we do not accept any responsibility or liability for these policies.  Please check these policies before you submit any personal data to these websites.

SOCIAL MEDIA

We may use third party provided tools to manage our social media interactions.  If you send us a private or direct message via social media the message may be stored on such a tool, but like other personal data, these direct messages will not be shared with any other organisations.

ACCESS, REVIEW AND CORRECTION

You have the right to access your personal data held by us (subject access request).  If you have an established business relationship with us, you may request from us a list of the categories of personal information held about you.  Subject access requests must be made in writing (see below).  We will endeavour to respond to any request within a reasonable period and in any event within one month.

It is important that the personal data we hold about you is accurate and current and we will take all reasonable measures to ensure it is.  For members we have also implemented procedures to enable you to review and correct your personal information, should there be any changes to your circumstances or errors in the gathered data.

PRIVACY RIGHTS AND CONTACT

In addition to the rights of access, review and correction, you have the right to object to your personal data being processed for any particular purpose or to request that we stop using your information.

Questions, comments and requests regarding this Privacy Policy are welcomed.  If you require further information, or wish to exercise any right, please email dataprotection@tekc.co.uk.

We will respond to your request (including providing information on whether the rights apply in the particular circumstances) within the applicable statutory time period.  If we are not sure of your identity, we may require you to provide further information in order for us to confirm who you are.

If you have further concerns about how we use your personal data, you can make a complaint and ask us to have the matter investigated.  If you are not satisfied with our response or believe the way we are processing your personal data is not in accordance with the law you have the right to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the data protection authority for the UK.

CHANGES TO OUR PRIVACY POLICY

This Privacy Policy was last updated on August 2021.  Any changes we may make to our Privacy Policy in the future will be posted on this page and, where appropriate, notified to you by email.  Please check back frequently to see any updates or changes to our Privacy Policy.