Privacy Policy
Last updated: August 2026
This policy explains what personal information is collected when you visit lukerichardsonauthor.com, buy a book, or join the mailing list — and what happens to it. It is written to comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).
Who we are
This website is operated by Richa Creative Limited, Limited Company Number: 12860524. Bridgford Business Centre, 31 Bridgford Rd, West Bridgford, Nottingham, NG2 6AU.`
For the purposes of data protection law, we are the “data controller” — we decide how and why your information is used.
If you have any questions about this policy or about your personal information, contact us at hello@lukerichardsonauthor.com
What information we collect
Information you give us
- Orders. When you buy a book, we collect your name, email address, billing address, delivery address, telephone number (if provided), order contents, and order history.
- Personalisation requests. If you order a signed or personalised copy, we collect the dedication or inscription details you supply. Please only include information you are comfortable sharing.
- Newsletter sign-ups. When you join the Adventure Society Newsletter, or download a free book, we collect your first name and email address.
- Enquiries. If you use a contact form or email us, we collect your name, email address, and whatever you choose to include in your message.
- Reviews and comments. If you leave a comment or review, we collect the name, email address, and content you submit, along with your IP address.
Information collected automatically
- Analytics data. Pages visited, time on site, referring website, approximate location (usually country or city level), device type, browser, and operating system.
- Technical data. IP address and server log data, collected by our web host for security and troubleshooting.
- Cookies. Small files stored on your device. See the cookies section below.
What we do not collect
We do not store your full card details. Payments are handled entirely by our payment providers, who process card data on their own secure systems. We never see or hold your full card number.
We do not run advertising on this website, and we do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to anyone.
Why we use your information, and our legal basis
Data protection law requires us to have a valid reason (a “lawful basis”) for using your information. Ours are set out below.
Performance of a contract
- Processing and fulfilling your order
- Taking payment and issuing receipts and invoices
- Sending order confirmations, dispatch notifications, and delivery updates
- Handling returns, refunds, and customer service queries
Consent
- Sending you the newsletter and news about new releases
- Delivering free books and reader magnets
- Setting non-essential cookies, including analytics cookies
You can withdraw consent at any time. Every marketing email includes an unsubscribe link, and you can change your cookie choices using the link in the site footer.
Legitimate interests
- Keeping the website secure and preventing fraud and spam
- Understanding how the site is used so we can improve it
- Responding to enquiries you send us
Where we rely on legitimate interests, we have considered whether our interests are outweighed by your rights, and we believe they are not. You can object to this processing — see “Your rights” below.
Legal obligation
- Retaining order and transaction records for tax and accounting purposes
- Responding to lawful requests from public authorities
Marketing emails
We will only add you to the mailing list if you ask us to — by signing up on the website, claiming a free book, or opting in at checkout. Ticking a box to buy a book does not sign you up to the newsletter.
The newsletter includes news about new releases, behind-the-scenes writing updates, travel and research notes, and occasional offers. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link at the bottom of any email, or by emailing us directly. Unsubscribing will not affect any order you have placed.
We may still send you service messages relating to an order — such as a dispatch confirmation — even if you have unsubscribed from marketing, as these are necessary to fulfil your purchase.
Cookies and similar technologies
Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website.
Essential cookies
These are required for the site to work and cannot be switched off. They remember the contents of your basket, keep you logged in if you have an account, and secure the checkout process. They are set by WordPress and WooCommerce.
Analytics cookies
These help us understand which pages and books readers are interested in, and where visitors come from. They are only set if you consent to them.
Managing cookies
When you first visit, you will be asked to accept or reject non-essential cookies. You can change your choice at any time via the cookie settings link in the footer. You can also block or delete cookies through your browser settings, though blocking essential cookies may stop the shop working correctly.
Who we share your information with
We use a small number of trusted third-party services to run the website and the shop. Each acts as a “data processor” on our behalf, or as a separate controller in its own right, and each has its own privacy policy.
- Web hosting: [HOSTING PROVIDER] — stores website and order data, and server logs.
- Payment processing: [E.G. STRIPE AND PAYPAL] — processes payments and handles card data.
- Email marketing: [E.G. KIT] — stores subscriber names and email addresses and sends the newsletter.
- Free book delivery: [E.G. BOOKFUNNEL] — delivers reader magnets and free ebooks.
- Analytics: [E.G. GOOGLE ANALYTICS 4] — measures website usage.
- Order fulfilment and postage: Royal Mail and other couriers, and any print or fulfilment partner, receive delivery names and addresses in order to send your books.
- Professional advisers: our accountant and, where necessary, legal advisers.
We may also disclose information where we are legally required to do so, or to protect our rights, property, or safety.
Links to other websites
This website links to retailers and platforms including Amazon, other book retailers, and social media services. We are not responsible for their privacy practices, and this policy does not cover them. Please read their own privacy policies before providing them with personal information.
Where your information is stored
Some of our service providers are based outside the UK, including in the United States. Where personal information is transferred outside the UK, we make sure appropriate safeguards are in place — usually the UK International Data Transfer Agreement, the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses, or the UK Extension to the EU–US Data Privacy Framework.
How long we keep your information
- Order and transaction records: six years from the end of the relevant financial year, as required by HMRC.
- Newsletter subscribers: until you unsubscribe, or until we identify your subscription as inactive.
- Enquiries and correspondence: up to two years after the matter is resolved.
- Analytics data: up to [14] months.
- Comments and reviews: indefinitely, unless you ask us to remove them.
When information is no longer needed, we delete it or anonymise it.
How we protect your information
The website uses an SSL certificate, so data sent between your browser and our server is encrypted. Access to order and subscriber data is restricted and password protected. No system is completely secure, but we take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information, and we will notify you and the Information Commissioner’s Office where we are legally required to do so following a data breach.
Your rights
Under UK data protection law you have the right to:
- Be told how your personal information is used
- Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
- Ask us to correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete
- Ask us to delete your information, where there is no good reason for us to keep it
- Ask us to restrict how we use your information
- Object to processing based on our legitimate interests
- Ask us to transfer your information to another provider, in a portable format
- Withdraw consent at any time, where we rely on consent
- Opt out of direct marketing at any time
To exercise any of these rights, email hello@lukerichardsonauthor.com. We will respond within one month. There is no charge, though we may ask you to verify your identity first.
Please note that we may not be able to delete order records that we are legally required to retain for tax purposes.
Complaints
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal information, please contact us first so we can try to put things right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection.
Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF. Helpline: 0303 123 1113. Website: ico.org.uk
Children
This website is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes to the website, our services, or the law. The date at the top shows when it was last revised. Where changes are significant, we will let subscribers know by email.