Who we are
Russell Corporate Services Ltd, trading as Paramis Finance, is the controller of the personal information described in this policy. Head office: Bartle House, 9 Oxford Court, Manchester, M2 3WQ. Contact us at shaun@paramisfinance.co.uk or 0161 399 4159.
Personal information we collect
We may collect names, job titles, contact details, business addresses, correspondence, company financial accounts, bank statements, insurance applications, credit limits, debtor information, overdue accounts, claims, finance applications, details of directors and guarantors, and identity documents needed for certain applications.
When you contact us by email or an enquiry form, we collect the information you provide. Our website host may process technical information such as IP addresses and security logs to operate and protect the website. We do not operate website user accounts or social-media sign-in facilities.
Where information comes from
Information may come directly from you or your business, clients and referrals, insurers, underwriters, banks and lenders, credit reference agencies, business data providers (including Red Flag), LinkedIn and other publicly available business sources. Where we obtain personal data indirectly, we provide privacy information as required by law, subject to applicable exceptions.
Why we use personal information
Enquiries and services: we use contact details, correspondence and relevant business information to answer enquiries, assess insurance and funding requirements, obtain quotations, arrange, administer and renew policies or facilities, and support buyer credit limits and claims. Where you act for a company, we rely on our legitimate interests in communicating with its representatives and providing the services that the business requests. Where you are personally a party to a contract with us, we rely on contractual necessity for processing needed to perform that contract or take steps you request before entering it.
Security, fraud prevention and business records: we rely on our legitimate interests in operating a secure website and enquiry service, filtering spam, preventing fraud, maintaining accurate records, managing our business and establishing, exercising or defending legal claims. This includes processing enquiries through Netlify and Microsoft 365. Identity checks required by an applicable law are instead carried out on the basis of legal obligation.
Legal and regulatory duties: we rely on legal obligation where processing is necessary to comply with applicable law, including relevant insurance-distribution, complaints-handling, accounting and tax requirements. Complaint handling and record keeping beyond those requirements rely on our legitimate interests in resolving concerns and protecting our legal position.
Marketing and consent: the basis for relevant business marketing is explained below. Where consent is required, including for optional cookies or marketing that requires consent, we ask for it separately. Submitting an enquiry is not consent to receive marketing.
When relying on legitimate interests, we assess the purpose, whether the processing is necessary, and the balance against your interests, rights and freedoms. We rely on this basis only where those interests do not override ours or the relevant third party’s interests. Where special category or criminal offence data is processed, an additional lawful condition will be identified where required.
Whether you need to provide information
You do not have to submit an enquiry. If you choose to use our website form, full name, company, email address, service required and a message are required to submit it and help us respond; telephone number is optional. These form requirements are not, by themselves, a statutory or contractual obligation. Without sufficient contact details or information about your request, we may be unable to respond or assess your needs.
For an application or an ongoing service, some information may be necessary to enter into or perform a contract, or required by law. We will explain which information is required, why, and the consequences of not providing it when we request it. Missing essential information may prevent us, an insurer or a lender from progressing an application or providing the service.
Who we share information with
Where appropriate, we share relevant information with credit insurers, underwriters, claims providers, banks, invoice and asset finance companies, commercial lenders, credit reference and identity-verification agencies, accountants, solicitors, auditors, introducers, CRM and IT providers, Netlify (website hosting and form processing), Microsoft (Microsoft 365 email and business records) and other cloud suppliers, and authorities where required by law.
Some recipients act as independent controllers and have their own privacy notices. We may share information in connection with a business sale or restructuring where lawful and appropriately safeguarded. We do not sell personal data to advertisers.
Business-to-business marketing
We may contact relevant business representatives about our services using information from existing relationships, referrals, Red Flag and other business data providers, LinkedIn and publicly available business sources. Where permitted, we rely on our legitimate interests in promoting relevant insurance and finance services to businesses and developing business relationships, subject to an assessment of necessity, reasonable expectations and individuals’ rights. We comply with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), including the different rules applying to corporate subscribers and individual subscribers, and obtain consent where required. Public availability of contact details does not itself amount to consent.
If you tick the optional marketing box on our enquiry form, we record your choice with your enquiry and rely on your consent for the emails covered by that choice. Leaving the box unticked does not affect your enquiry or prevent otherwise lawful corporate B2B communications. You can withdraw consent or object to direct marketing at any time by emailing us or using an unsubscribe link where provided. We may retain limited details on a suppression list so that we respect your preference.
Credit, insurance and automated decisions
Insurers, lenders and credit reference agencies may assess applications and credit risks using their own processes, including automated systems, and their privacy notices may apply. Paramis Finance does not itself intend to make solely automated decisions with legal or similarly significant effects.
Storage and information security
We store and manage business records using Microsoft 365, including Outlook, OneDrive and OneNote, together with local computer files and securely stored paper records. We do not currently use a separate CRM.
Our website enquiry process uses Netlify Forms to receive, process and store form submissions in the Netlify account. Netlify sends email notifications containing the full enquiry details — name, company, email address, telephone number if supplied, service selected and message — to shaun@paramisfinance.co.uk, which is hosted in Microsoft 365. The submission and its email copy are separate records; sending the notification does not automatically delete the Netlify copy. Netlify and its service providers may also process associated technical information for hosting, delivery, security and spam filtering.
We use access controls and appropriate organisational and technical safeguards to protect information. The enquiry form and email notifications have been tested. We will review the applicable Netlify and Microsoft 365 data processing arrangements, subprocessors and international transfer safeguards before final publication.
How long we keep records
We follow an internal Data Retention and Disposal Policy, with periods based on the type of record, its purpose and applicable legal, regulatory or contractual requirements. Retention periods are reviewed annually.
Active client records are normally retained throughout the relationship. Closed client files and expired insurance policies are generally retained for up to six years after closure or expiry; completed commercial finance records are generally retained for six years after the agreement ends. Claims and complaints are generally retained for six years after final resolution.
Unsuccessful insurance and finance applications are generally retained for up to two years after the final decision. Enquiries that do not lead to a client relationship are generally retained for up to 12 months after the last meaningful contact. This enquiry period applies to both Netlify submissions and their Microsoft 365 email copies; either copy may be deleted sooner when no longer needed. Where an enquiry becomes a client matter, relevant information is retained under the appropriate client-record period. Business marketing contacts are reviewed at least annually. We retain minimal suppression records where needed to honour marketing objections.
Identification and verification documents are retained only for the period justified by their purpose and applicable requirements; a five-year period may apply where relevant anti-money-laundering rules require it. Accounting and tax records are kept for applicable statutory periods.
Longer retention may be justified by insurer or lender contract terms, ongoing claims, complaints, litigation, regulatory matters or legal duties. Exceptions are recorded and reviewed rather than applied automatically. We periodically review records, including Netlify submissions and Microsoft 365 copies, and securely delete or anonymise information when it is no longer needed. Individuals may request erasure, subject to applicable legal exceptions.
International transfers
Some insurers, lenders and technology providers may process data outside the UK. Where UK GDPR transfer rules apply, we use a lawful mechanism, such as adequacy regulations or approved contractual safeguards, together with any required additional protections. You may request further information about relevant safeguards.
Website cookies and analytics
We do not use Google Analytics, advertising pixels or remarketing tools. The current website source contains no cookie-setting code or browser-storage functions. Netlify hosts the website and processes contact form submissions, including associated technical data for delivery, security and spam filtering. Checks of cookies, similar technologies and provider settings on the deployed site remain pending before launch; a source-code review alone cannot confirm their absence.
Website photographs are loaded from Unsplash’s image service. Loading these images involves a request to that service, which can receive technical information such as your IP address and browser details. We will include these requests in the deployed-site checks. The Facebook and Instagram links are ordinary links, rather than embedded social-media widgets.
Strictly necessary cookies or similar technologies may be used for essential operation and security, where the relevant legal exemption applies. We will identify and describe any cookies actually used when the website is deployed.
If optional analytics or tracking are introduced in future, we will update this notice and obtain consent where required.
Your rights
Subject to applicable conditions and exemptions, you may request access to, correction or erasure of personal data, restriction of processing, data portability where applicable, or object to processing. Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it. You have an unconditional right to object to processing for direct marketing. You may also have rights relating to qualifying automated decisions.
Please contact shaun@paramisfinance.co.uk to exercise your rights. We may need to verify your identity and will respond within applicable statutory timescales.
Complaints and the ICO
If you have concerns about our handling of personal data, please contact us first. You may also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.
Other websites, children and updates
Links to third-party websites are governed by those organisations’ privacy policies. Our business services are not directed at children and we do not knowingly solicit their information through the website. We may update this policy as our services, technology or legal obligations change; the current version and date will be displayed here.
