Privacy policy

Last updated: 28 September 2026

ACI Model Railways respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you visit acimodelrailways.co.uk, place an order, create an account, contact us or otherwise use our services, why we use that information, who we may share it with, and the rights available to you.

ACI Model Railways operates this website and online store using Shopify. For the purposes of UK data protection law, ACI Model Railways is the data controller for the personal information described in this policy, except where another organisation, such as Shopify or a payment provider, acts as a separate controller for particular processing.

Personal Information We Collect

The personal information we collect depends on how you interact with our website and services. It may include:

  • Contact information, such as your name, billing address, delivery address, telephone number and email address.
  • Order and transaction information, including products ordered, order history, delivery information, returns, refunds and other transaction details.
  • Payment information required to complete a purchase. Payment information is normally processed securely by Shopify and/or the relevant payment provider rather than being stored directly by ACI Model Railways.
  • Account information, where you choose to create a customer account, including account preferences and settings.
  • Communications, including information contained in emails, contact forms, support enquiries, reviews or other communications you send to us.
  • Technical information, such as your IP address, browser type, device type, operating system and network information.
  • Website usage information, including how you interact with our website, pages viewed, products viewed, items placed in your basket and similar activity.
  • Marketing preferences, including whether you have chosen to receive marketing communications from us.

How We Collect Personal Information

We may collect personal information:

  • Directly from you, for example when you place an order, create an account, contact us, subscribe to marketing communications or request support.
  • Automatically when you use our website, through cookies and similar technologies.
  • From service providers that help us operate our website, process payments, fulfil orders, provide analytics, deliver communications or provide other business services.
  • From other third parties where permitted by law and where relevant to the services we provide.

How and Why We Use Your Personal Information

UK data protection law requires us to have a lawful basis for processing personal information. Depending on the circumstances, we may rely on performance of a contract, compliance with a legal obligation, our legitimate interests or your consent.

Processing and Fulfilling Orders

We use your personal information to process payments, confirm orders, arrange delivery, provide order updates, manage returns or refunds and provide products and services you have purchased.

Our lawful basis for this processing is normally performance of a contract with you.

Customer Service and Technical Support

We use information you provide to answer questions, assist with products, investigate problems, provide technical support and maintain our relationship with you.

Our lawful basis is normally performance of our contract with you or our legitimate interest in providing effective customer service and support.

Operating and Improving Our Website and Services

We may use information about how customers use our website to maintain, understand and improve the website, products, services and customer experience.

Where necessary, our lawful basis is our legitimate interest in operating, maintaining and improving our business and website. Where consent is required for particular cookies or technologies, we rely on your consent.

Security and Fraud Prevention

We may process information to protect our website, customers and business, verify transactions, detect or prevent fraud, misuse, unauthorised access or other unlawful activity.

Our lawful basis is normally our legitimate interest in maintaining the security and integrity of our business and services and, where applicable, compliance with a legal obligation.

Legal and Accounting Requirements

We may retain and use information where necessary to meet tax, accounting, consumer protection, regulatory or other legal requirements, or to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

Our lawful basis is normally compliance with a legal obligation or our legitimate interest in protecting our legal rights.

Marketing

Where permitted, we may use your contact details to send information about ACI Model Railways products, services, news, guides or offers.

Where required by law, we rely on your consent. You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe link contained in the message.

Unsubscribing from marketing does not prevent us from sending service communications that are necessary in connection with an order, account, support request or other transaction.

Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies for purposes such as operating the website, remembering preferences, understanding website usage and, where applicable, marketing or personalisation.

Some cookies are necessary for the website and checkout to operate. Other cookies may only be used where you have provided the appropriate consent.

You can manage available cookie choices through the cookie or privacy controls provided on our website. You can also configure your browser to restrict or delete cookies, although doing so may affect some website functions.

How We Share Personal Information

We do not sell customer mailing lists or personal information in the ordinary meaning of the word "sell".

We may share personal information where necessary with organisations that help us operate the business and provide our services, including:

  • Shopify, which provides our ecommerce platform and related services.
  • Payment providers used to securely process payments.
  • Delivery and postal services where necessary to fulfil and deliver orders.
  • IT, hosting and technology providers supporting our website and business systems.
  • Analytics and website service providers that help us understand and improve use of our website.
  • Pinterest, where we use Pinterest services such as the Pinterest Tag and conversion measurement to understand how visitors interact with our website, measure the effectiveness of content and marketing, and support relevant product discovery. Where consent is required, these technologies are used only in accordance with your cookie and privacy choices.
  • Marketing and communication providers where they help us deliver communications that you are entitled to receive.
  • Professional advisers, such as accountants or legal advisers, where necessary.
  • Government, regulatory or law-enforcement authorities where disclosure is required or permitted by law.

We may also disclose information where necessary in connection with a business reorganisation, sale or transfer, or where necessary to protect our rights, customers or services.

Shopify

Our online store is hosted by Shopify. Shopify collects and processes certain personal information to provide and improve its ecommerce services, including information relating to your access to and use of our store.

Information you provide through our store may therefore be processed by Shopify and its service providers. In some circumstances Shopify may act as our processor and in others it may process information for its own purposes as a separate data controller.

You can find more information in the Shopify Consumer Privacy Policy and through the Shopify Privacy Portal .

Personalised Advertising and Data Sharing Choices

Depending on the services and privacy settings in use on our Shopify store, Shopify or other service providers may use certain website activity to support personalised advertising or measurement.

We may use services provided by Pinterest for analytics, conversion measurement and product discovery. These services may process information about visits to and interactions with our website. Where required by law, this processing is subject to your consent choices.

Where applicable, you can manage relevant data-sharing choices using our Data Sharing Opt-Out page .

Where supported and legally applicable, Shopify may also recognise a Global Privacy Control preference signal sent by your browser.

Third-Party Websites

Our website may contain links to websites or services operated by third parties. Once you leave our website, the way your personal information is collected or used by those organisations is governed by their own privacy policies.

ACI Model Railways is not responsible for the privacy, security or content of third-party websites that we do not control.

International Transfers

Some of the organisations that provide services to us, including Shopify and some technology providers, may process or store personal information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, we or the relevant service provider will use an appropriate lawful transfer mechanism where required. This may include transferring information to a country covered by UK adequacy regulations or using approved contractual safeguards, such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or an appropriate UK Addendum to standard contractual clauses.

How Long We Keep Personal Information

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected and to meet applicable legal, accounting, tax, warranty, dispute-resolution and record-keeping requirements.

The appropriate retention period depends on the type of information and why we hold it. When deciding how long to retain information we consider factors including:

  • the length of our relationship with you;
  • whether an account, order, warranty or support matter remains active;
  • legal and regulatory record-keeping requirements;
  • the need to resolve complaints or disputes;
  • the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims; and
  • security and fraud-prevention requirements.

When personal information is no longer required, we will delete it, anonymise it or otherwise dispose of it securely where reasonably practicable.

Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration or destruction.

However, no method of transmitting information over the internet or storing information electronically can be guaranteed to be completely secure. You should avoid sending particularly sensitive or confidential information through insecure communication channels.

Children

Our website and services are not specifically directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children where they are not legally able to provide it.

If you believe that a child has provided personal information to us inappropriately, please contact us and we will take appropriate action.

Your Data Protection Rights

Under UK data protection law, depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis on which we process your information, you may have rights including:

  • Right of access – to ask for a copy of personal information we hold about you.
  • Right to rectification – to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
  • Right to erasure – to ask us to delete personal information in certain circumstances.
  • Right to restrict processing – to ask us to restrict the use of your information in certain circumstances.
  • Right to data portability – in certain circumstances, to receive personal information you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable form, or request that it be transferred to another organisation.
  • Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect processing carried out lawfully before consent was withdrawn.

Your Right to Object

Where we process your personal information on the basis of legitimate interests, you may have the right to object to that processing.

You also have the right to object at any time to the use of your personal information for direct marketing.

These rights are not absolute and may not apply in every circumstance. We may need to verify your identity before responding to a request.

To exercise any of your data protection rights, contact us using the details at the end of this policy.

Automated Decision-Making

ACI Model Railways does not normally make decisions about customers based solely on automated processing that produce legal or similarly significant effects.

Some service providers may use automated systems for purposes such as fraud detection, payment security or transaction risk assessment. Where relevant, those providers may process information under their own privacy policies and legal obligations.

Complaints

If you have a concern about how we collect or use your personal information, please contact us first and we will try to resolve the matter.

You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
United Kingdom

Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Website: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our business, website, services, technology or legal and regulatory requirements.

When we make changes, we will publish the updated policy on this website and amend the "Last updated" date shown at the top of the page.

Contact ACI Model Railways

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, how we use your personal information, or if you wish to exercise any of your data protection rights, please contact:

ACI Model Railways
Quay Road
Bridlington
YO15 2HQ
United Kingdom

Telephone: +44 7495 729991
Email: wecare@acimodelrailways.co.uk

For the purposes of applicable UK data protection legislation, ACI Model Railways is the data controller for the personal information for which it determines the purposes and means of processing.