This Privacy Policy sets out how we will use your personal data. This policy was last updated 15th February 2024.

Introduction

By providing our clients/your original creditor with your personal information and taking out a contract with them, you consented to them processing your data which does include passing your account to us if it falls into arrears and/or default. We process your data on the legal basis of this relationship creating a legitimate interest for us to pursue the debt on their behalf.

Ardent Credit Services Ltd trading as Debt & Revenue Services (“Ardent”) will obtain personal data and other information about you from our clients or when you contact us. Personal data will include name, address, date of birth, telephone numbers (mobile and landline), email address and payment information. This information is used to confirm your identity whenever you contact us. Your original Creditor (our Client) that you have entered into a contract with normally acts as a Data Controller in relation to your data and Ardent acts as a Data Processor.

We may also collect special categories of data about you in relation to health issues, including mental health, where this is relevant to your debt account, and you have provided your consent to us processing this information to help us manage your account.

If you decide to make a card payment either using our Customer Self Service portal or by phone – you will provide your payment card data to our suppliers Opayo/Elavon and Global Payments for the purpose of securely validating transaction with your bank/card provider. Your payment card data is NOT recorded or stored on Ardent systems and your card details are not visible to our staff. Card Payment processing at Ardent is undertaken in strict compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Additional information is available via the Terms and Conditions link on the Customer Self Service portal.

If you decide to pay by setting up a Direct Debit (this option is available to a few clients only) - we will ask you for the relevant bank details and process your Direct Debit application securely using our approved supplier Allpay. Your banking details are NOT stored on Ardent systems.

Ardent respects your privacy, we only collect, store and use your personal information for defined purposes, which includes debt collection and early arrears management activity. We do not sell your personal information or use it for marketing purposes.

In some cases, your original creditor will legally sell/assign your debt to Ardent, in such cases you will receive a Notice of Assignment communication explaining the transfer of the creditor rights and responsibilities moving forward. Ardent will act as a Data Controller in such cases. Where relevant, we will use your data to make regular and accurate updates to the credit bureau to reflect the status of your account.

All of your information is held on Ardent’s internal systems which are protected by appropriate technical and security measures to keep your data safe, which includes a robust Firewall. We are ISO27001 and Cyber Essentials PLUS certified as well as PCI DSS compliant. We have processes in place to check all attachments and emails sent to us, including anti-virus software.

We will contact you in writing, via email (if you have provided an email address), by telephone and by text message (if you have provided a mobile phone number). You can ask us to stop contacting you by a certain method at any time.

Where you chose to communicate with us by a two-way chat using your mobile phone, we will always validate who you are by asking a few security questions. All the security questions will be processed by Ardent or one of its sub-processors and the related data will be used only for the purpose of security checks and data will not leave the UK. During the chat, data could be processed through our AI provider (Google). Our communication systems are purposely designed for NOT sending your personal data to the AI, but you need to be aware that if you choose to put your personal data into the chat it could be sent to the AI systems for processing. Full details on how Google processes the data are available at the following link: Google Cloud Platform ToS

Cookies

For an explanation about the use of cookies on our website please follow the link to our Cookies Policy.

Transfers and Third-Party Information

We only share your personal data outside Ardent for the purpose of meeting a legal requirement or with your consent or with companies that help Ardent fulfil its purpose of collecting any monies owed by you, and then only with partners who share Ardent’s commitment to protecting your privacy and data.

Neither Ardent nor any of our suppliers transfer any customer data outside the European Economic Area.

You may contact Ardent on 0151 545 1500 at any time with any privacy questions or concerns you may have. You can also write to us at our registered address:

Ardent Credit Services Ltd t/a “Debt & Revenue Services”
1st Floor, Enterprise House
Moorgate Point
Moorgate Road
Knowsley Industrial Park
Merseyside
L33 7XW

Your Rights to Access, Rectification and Erasure

As a Data Subject you have various rights. Please contact your Data Controller if you wish to exercise any of these, if you contact us directly in relation to your rights – we shall promptly inform the Data Controller of your request and keep you informed of the progress.

• Right to access your data. You may request a copy of any of records to verify the information that is being processed and stored about you. This may be requested free of charge, but we will ask you to confirm your identity.
• Right to rectification. You have the right to correct inaccurate or incomplete information about yourself.
• Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”). You have the right to request the deletion of your personal data insofar as this personal data is no longer necessary for the purpose it was collected. However, certain legal obligations prevent us from immediately deleting parts of your data. These obligations derive from accounting, tax, regulatory and anti-money laundering legislation.

General

You acknowledge that you are responsible for keeping us up to date with your correct personal details. For quality control, security and training purposes, we monitor or record your communications with us. To comply with accounting, tax and anti-money laundering legislation we will retain your data for at least 6 years, from the date of the last transaction or contact.

If you have any questions concerning your personal information or about how Ardent will use your information, please contact our Risk and Compliance Director on: compliance@ardentcredit.co.uk or by post at our registered address (see above).

If you have any complaints regarding how your information has been used you can contact us at complaints@ardentcredit.co.uk. If you are unhappy with the response we provide, you are able to refer this matter to our trade body - The Credit Services Association https://www.csa-uk.com/page/complaints and/or to the Information Commissioners Office, more information can be found on https://ico.org.uk/concerns/