1. Introduction
Welcome to DSIDE (“we”, “us”, “our”). We are a London-based price comparison platform accessible at dside.co.uk (also dsid.co.uk). We are committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share your personal information when you use our website and services.
2. What Data We Collect
2.1 Information you provide
- Account information: username, email address, and encrypted password when you register
- Contact information: name, email, and message content when you use our contact form
- Reviews: product reviews and ratings you submit
- Preferences: wishlists, favourites, and comparison lists
2.2 Information collected automatically
- Browsing data: pages visited, search queries, and time spent on pages
- Device information: browser type, operating system, screen resolution
- IP address: used for approximate geolocation (country/city level only)
- Click data: when you click through to a seller, we record the click for affiliate tracking purposes
- Cookies: see our Cookie Policy for full details
3. How We Use Your Data
- Provide our service: display price comparisons, manage your account, process wishlists and comparisons
- Affiliate tracking: record clicks to seller websites for commission purposes
- Analytics: understand how our platform is used to improve the experience
- Communication: respond to contact form enquiries and send price alert notifications (if enabled)
- Security: detect and prevent fraud, abuse, or security threats
4. Legal Basis for Processing
Under UK GDPR, we rely on the following legal bases:
- Consent: for cookies and marketing communications (where applicable)
- Contract: to provide our services when you create an account and use our platform
- Legitimate interest: for analytics, improving our service, affiliate tracking, and fraud prevention
- Legal obligation: to comply with applicable laws and regulations
5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to operate our website and analyse usage. These include essential session cookies, analytics cookies (Google Analytics GA4), and affiliate tracking cookies.
For detailed information about the specific cookies we use and how to manage them, please see our Cookie Policy.
6. Third-Party Sharing
We do not sell your personal data. We share data with third parties only in the following circumstances:
- Affiliate partners: when you click through to a seller, the seller may receive limited referral data (e.g., that you came from DSIDE)
- Analytics providers: we use Google Analytics (GA4) which processes anonymised browsing data
- Geolocation service: we use ip-api.com for approximate location data based on your IP address
- Legal requirements: we may disclose data if required by law, court order, or regulatory authority
7. Data Retention
- Account data: retained for as long as your account is active, then deleted within 30 days of account closure
- Click tracking data: retained for 24 months for affiliate reconciliation, then anonymised
- Analytics data: retained for 14 months (Google Analytics default)
- Contact messages: retained for 12 months, then deleted
- Session data: automatically expires after 24 hours
8. Your Rights Under UK GDPR
You have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Right of access: request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Right to rectification: request correction of inaccurate data
- Right to erasure: request deletion of your personal data (“right to be forgotten”)
- Right to restrict processing: request that we limit how we use your data
- Right to data portability: receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Right to object: object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing
- Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at support@dside.co.uk. We will respond within one month.
9. International Transfers
Our servers are located in the United Kingdom. Some third-party services we use (such as Google Analytics) may process data outside the UK. Where this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the UK Information Commissioner.
10. Children's Privacy
Our service is not directed at children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
11. Security Measures
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including:
- Encrypted password storage using bcrypt hashing
- HTTPS encryption for all data in transit
- Prepared SQL statements to prevent injection attacks
- Session validation and secure cookie handling
- Regular security reviews of our codebase
12. ICO Complaints
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):
- Website: ico.org.uk
- Helpline: 0303 123 1113
- Address: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
13. Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Last updated” date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our website after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
If you have any questions about this privacy policy or our data practices, please contact us:
