Privacy Policy

1. Who we are and what this covers

Off Hours Coding (OHC) provides flexible car subscriptions for the Reading tech community. We are based at 58 Station Road, Reading, RG1 1JX. Since 2021, we have managed a fleet of 34 vehicles for our 47 active members. This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use our website or visit our hub. We believe in keeping things simple. We do not use complex legal jargon here. Our goal is to be upfront about what happens to your data. We treat your personal details with the same care we give to our performance cars.

This policy applies to all visitors of our website and members of our subscription service. When you browse our fleet or request a quote, you are trusting us with your info. We take that seriously. We follow the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We do not sell your data to third-party marketing companies. Honestly, we are too busy managing car swaps to deal with data brokers. We only collect what we absolutely need to get you on the road safely and legally.

2. The data we collect from you

To run a car subscription, we need specific facts. When you fill out a form or join OHC, we collect your name, work email address, and phone number. We also require your home address in the Reading area or surrounding Berkshire postcodes. The most important data we collect is your driving history. This includes your UK driving license number and any points or claims from the last 4 years. We use this to verify that you are over 31 years old. This age limit is a strict rule from our insurance providers that helps us keep monthly costs at £845 for everyone.

• Basic contact details like your name and email.
• Identification documents for insurance verification.
• Driving license details and DVLA check codes.
• Payment information for your monthly subscription fee.
• Communication records from when you talk to Sarah Hedges or our team.

We also collect technical data when you visit our site. This includes your IP address, browser type, and how you interact with our fleet list. We use this to see which cars are popular and to make the website easier to use. For example, if we see 19 drivers are looking at electric cars, we might add more EVs to the fleet. This data is usually anonymous and does not tell us exactly who you are until you fill out a contact form.

3. How we use your information

We use your data for three main reasons: logistics, legal safety, and billing. First, we need your info to manage your car swaps. If you want a sports car for the weekend, we need to know who is picking up the keys at Station Road. Second, we use your driving history to make sure our group insurance policy covers you. To be upfront, we cannot provide a car without a clean DVLA check. If you have major points on your record, we will tell you quickly rather than wasting your time. It is a practical approach that protects our whole community of 47 members.

Third, we use your contact details to send you important updates. This isn't spam. We send one monthly bill that covers everything: insurance, tax, and maintenance. We also email you if a car needs a tyre replacement or a scheduled service. Occasionally, we share local insights about driving in Reading or new chargers near the M4. You can opt out of these updates at any time, but we suggest staying on the list for fleet availability alerts. We keep our records for as long as you are a member and for a short period after to handle any late insurance claims or traffic fines.

4. Cookies and website tracking

Our website uses cookies to function properly. Cookies are small files that stay on your computer. They help us remember your preferences, like whether you prefer the light or dark theme of our 'Urban Code' interface. We also use standard analytics to see how many people from Reading are visiting our site. This helps us understand if our marketing is working. We do not use tracking cookies that follow you around the rest of the internet. That is not our style.

You can turn off cookies in your browser settings if you want. The site will still work, but you might have to enter your details more often. Most of our members leave them on because it makes the 15-minute car swap process faster when they are at the hub. We use Google Analytics in a basic configuration to track site traffic. This data is processed in a way that does not identify individuals. We just want to know if 83% of people are still swapping cars on Friday afternoons so we can staff the desk correctly.

5. Sharing your data with others

We only share your data when it is necessary to provide the service. We share your driving details with our insurance partners so they can authorize you to drive our 34 cars. We also share your name and car registration with our breakdown recovery partner. If you have a puncture on the M4 at 2am, they need to know who you are to help you. These partners are required to keep your data safe and cannot use it for their own marketing. We have strict agreements with them to ensure they follow UK privacy laws.

We use a secure payment processor to handle your £845 monthly subscription. We do not store your full credit card details on our own servers. This is safer for you and easier for us. If a local authority asks for data regarding a speeding fine or parking ticket, we are legally required to provide the driver's details. Aside from these specific cases, your data stays with us at Off Hours Coding. We are a small team of 3 people, and we take our responsibility to the Reading tech community seriously.

6. Your rights and how to use them

You have clear rights over your data. You can ask us for a copy of everything we have about you. You can also ask us to correct any mistakes, like a change of address or a new phone number. If you decide to leave OHC and return your car, you can ask us to delete your personal info. We will do this as long as we don't need to keep it for legal or insurance reasons. For example, we usually keep insurance records for a few years just in case there is a delayed claim from a third party.

To make a request, just email drive@offhourscoding.com. Sarah Hedges handles our customer operations and will respond within 3 business hours. You don't need to fill out a long form. Just tell us what you need. If you are not happy with how we handle your data, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). We hope you would talk to us first so we can fix any issues. We value our reputation in Berkshire and want every member to feel secure.

7. Security and contact information

We keep your data on secure, encrypted servers. We limit access to this data to only the people who need it to do their jobs. In our case, that is Mark, Julian, and Sarah. We use two-factor authentication for all our internal systems. While no system is perfect, we follow the best practices for a small business of our size. We regularly review our security steps to make sure they are up to date with the latest standards.

If you have any questions about this policy, you can find us at our Reading office. We are located at 58 Station Road, Reading, RG1 1JX. You can call us at +44 118 496 0640 during our business hours. We are here Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 18:00, and Saturday mornings for swaps. If you prefer email, reach out to drive@offhourscoding.com. We are happy to walk you through our terms in plain English. No long-term debt and no maintenance stress—that applies to our privacy practices too.