Who We Are

The Trade & Customs Standards Association (TCSA) is an independent standards and membership body established in 1999, operating across the customs, freight, logistics, and international trade sectors. We are the data controller for the personal information we collect and process.

You can contact us at: members@tcsa.org.uk

What Information We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

  • Contact information: Name, job title, email address, telephone number, company name, and postal address.
  • Application data: Information submitted through membership applications, procurement briefs, tender submissions, or advisory request forms.
  • Payment information: Billing details processed securely through our payment provider (Stripe). We do not store full card details.
  • Communications: Correspondence sent to us by email, enquiry forms, or other means.
  • Usage data: Information about how you use our website, including pages visited, referring URLs, browser type, and IP address.
  • Marketing preferences: Your preferences regarding receiving communications from us.

How We Use Your Information

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

  • Processing and managing membership applications and renewals
  • Administering procurement matching and tender services
  • Providing advisory support and responding to enquiries
  • Processing payments and managing billing records
  • Sending service-related communications (e.g. application updates, renewal reminders)
  • Sending marketing communications where you have consented or where we have a legitimate interest
  • Improving our website and services through analytics
  • Complying with legal obligations

Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data on the following legal bases:

  • Contract: Where processing is necessary to perform or enter into a contract with you (e.g. membership agreement, service provision).
  • Legitimate interests: Where we have a legitimate business interest in processing your data, provided this is not overridden by your rights (e.g. improving our services, fraud prevention).
  • Legal obligation: Where processing is necessary to comply with a legal requirement.
  • Consent: Where you have given us explicit consent to process your data for a specific purpose (e.g. marketing emails).

How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your information with:

  • Service providers: Third-party suppliers who assist with our operations (e.g. payment processing, email delivery, website hosting), bound by confidentiality obligations.
  • Member organisations: Where you have consented or where it is necessary to facilitate procurement matching or tender services on your behalf.
  • Legal authorities: Where required by law, court order, or to protect the rights and safety of TCSA and others.

Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by applicable law. Membership records are retained for the duration of membership and for a period of seven years thereafter. Enquiry and application data is retained for up to three years if no membership is established.

Your Rights

Under the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018, you have the following rights:

  • Right of access: To request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Right to rectification: To request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
  • Right to erasure: To request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances.
  • Right to restrict processing: To request that we limit how we use your data.
  • Right to data portability: To receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
  • Right to object: To object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing.
  • Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at members@tcsa.org.uk. We will respond within 30 days.

Cookies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to improve your experience and analyse website traffic. Essential cookies are required for the website to function. Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors use the site. You may disable non-essential cookies through your browser settings.

Security

We take the security of your personal data seriously and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it against unauthorised access, loss, or disclosure. Payment information is processed via Stripe, which is PCI DSS compliant.

Third-Party Websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to review their privacy policies independently.

Changes to this Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The latest version will always be available on this page with the date of last update. Where changes are significant, we will notify members directly.

Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data and we are unable to resolve them, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

Contact

For any queries relating to this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us at members@tcsa.org.uk.