Privacy Notice

AT A GLANCE

I collect only what I need to plan and provide your tattoo safely, manage your appointment and meet my legal, tax and insurance responsibilities. Medical information is treated as especially private. I do not sell your information.

1. Who is responsible for your information?

Bolchat Ink Concept, operated by Paula Bolchat, is the data controller for the personal information described in this notice.

Studio address: Bolchat Ink Concept, 19 Wellington Square, Ayr, KA7 1EZ. Privacy contact: hello@bolchatink.com

2. What I collect

• Identity and contact details, including your name, date of birth, email address, telephone number, Instagram handle and emergency contact details where provided.
• Enquiry and appointment information, such as your tattoo idea, references, placement, approximate size, availability, messages, quotations, deposits, attendance and payment records.
• Health and suitability information relevant to tattooing, including medication, allergies, skin conditions, pregnancy or breastfeeding, fainting history and other information you choose to disclose for your safety.
• Treatment records, including consent, tattoo placement, products and batch details, aftercare, incident notes and photographs needed for your record, insurance or a legal claim.
• Optional photographs or video for portfolio, website or social media use, only where you have made a separate choice.

3. Why I use it — and the legal basis

Planning and providing your appointment

I use enquiry, contact, design, booking and payment information to respond to you, prepare your tattoo, manage your appointment and provide the service you requested. The lawful basis is taking steps at your request and performing our contract.

Health and safety

I use relevant health information to discuss suitability, adapt the appointment where appropriate and protect your safety. Health information is special-category data. I rely on your explicit consent for this use; the consent form records that choice. If you do not provide information that is necessary to assess suitability safely, I may be unable to tattoo you.

Records, tax, insurance and legal claims

I keep appropriate business, consent, treatment and payment records to meet legal and financial duties, support insurance requirements, and establish, exercise or defend legal claims. The bases are legal obligation and legitimate interests; where health information is required for a legal claim, the special-category condition is legal claims.

Portfolio and marketing

Using identifiable photographs or video to promote my work is optional and based on your consent. You may decline without affecting your appointment. You may withdraw consent for future use at any time, although I may not be able to recall material already printed or reshared by others.

4. Where information comes from

Most information comes directly from you through Get Ink, email, Instagram, forms, messages and conversations in the studio. Payment providers send me transaction confirmations rather than full card details.

5. Who may receive it

I share information only where it is necessary. Depending on the service in use, recipients may include:

• Get Ink, for enquiries, booking, forms, client communication and appointment records;
• MailerLite, for the waiting list and email updates, where you have asked to be contacted. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email;
• my email, cloud-storage and business software providers;
• Stripe or SumUp, if selected for payment processing, and my bank, accountant or bookkeeper;
• professional advisers, insurers, regulators, Environmental Health, law enforcement or courts where required or reasonably necessary; and
• a carefully selected service provider working for Bolchat under confidentiality and data-protection obligations.

I do not sell personal information. I do not permit another business to use it for its own direct marketing.

6. International transfers

Some technology providers may store or access information outside the UK. Where that happens, I will use providers that put an approved UK transfer mechanism or another lawful safeguard in place. You may contact me for more information about the safeguards relevant to your data.

7. How long I keep it

RETENTION

I keep information only for as long as it is genuinely needed, then securely delete or anonymise it. Retention may be extended where an incident, complaint, insurance matter or legal claim requires it.

• Unsuccessful enquiries and reference material: normally 12 months after the last meaningful contact.
• Booking, consent, health-screening and treatment records: normally 7 years after the last appointment, subject to insurer and legal requirements.
• Invoices, payment and tax records: normally 6 years after the relevant financial year, or longer if legally required.
• Portfolio images: until no longer needed for the portfolio or until consent is withdrawn for future use, unless another lawful reason requires limited retention.
• Suppression records: a minimal record may be retained so I can respect an opt-out or deletion request.

8. How I protect it

I use proportionate safeguards such as password-protected accounts, access controls, secure devices, appropriate backups, private handling of paper records, and careful selection of service providers. Access is limited to people who genuinely need it.

9. Your choices and rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may ask for access to your information, correction, deletion, restriction, portability, or object to certain uses. Where processing relies on consent, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal does not make earlier lawful use invalid, and some records may still need to be retained for legal, insurance or claim purposes.

To make a request, email hello@bolchatink.com. I may need to confirm your identity and will normally respond within one month.

10. Concerns or complaints

Please contact me first so I can try to resolve your concern. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.

11. Changes to this notice

I may update this notice when the studio details, systems or legal requirements change. The current version will be available through the booking journey and on the Bolchat website when launched.