Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Courses Direct Limited provides online courses, learner support and related educational services. For the purposes of applicable UK data protection law, Courses Direct Limited is the controller of the personal information described in this policy.

This means that we determine why and how your personal information is processed.

2. Information we collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with Courses Direct. We may collect the following categories of personal information.

Identity and contact information

• Your full name.
• Your email address.
• Your telephone number.
• Your postal or billing address.
• Your date of birth where reasonably required for enrolment or course administration.

Enquiry information

• Courses or subjects you are interested in.
• Information submitted through enquiry, callback and contact forms.
• Details of communications with our Course Guides or support team.

Account and enrolment information

• Your username and account details.
• Your selected course or courses.
• Your enrolment and order history.
• Your course access and study status.
• Course progress, assessments, assignments, tutor communications and certification information where applicable.

Payment information

• Billing details.
• Payment status and transaction references.
• Invoices, refunds and cancellation records.

Complete card details are normally processed by the relevant payment provider rather than stored directly by Courses Direct.

Technical and website information

• Your IP address.
• Your browser and device type.
• Your operating system.
• Login and security information.
• Information about how you navigate and use our website.
• The website or advertisement that referred you to us.

Marketing information

• Your communication preferences.
• Whether you have subscribed or unsubscribed from marketing communications.
• Your interactions with our emails and promotional content.

3. How we collect your information

We may collect your personal information in the following ways.

• When you complete an enquiry, callback, registration, checkout or contact form.
• When you create or use a student account.
• When you purchase or enrol on a course.
• When you communicate with us by telephone, email, website form or another support channel.
• When you submit assignments, assessments or requests for learner support.
• Automatically through essential cookies, website logs and similar technology.
• From payment processors, learning platforms, course providers and other companies involved in delivering the service.
• From a parent, guardian, employer or other person arranging or paying for your course.

4. How and why we use your information

We only process your personal information when we have a lawful reason to do so.

5. Payments and course enrolments

When you purchase or enrol on a course, your payment may be processed by an authorised payment provider.

Courses Direct may receive information confirming the payment, such as the payment amount, date, payment status, transaction reference, billing details and any refund or cancellation.

We may share relevant enrolment information with the course provider, learning platform, tutor, assessor or certification provider where this is necessary to deliver the course you purchased.

6. Who we share information with

We may share personal information with the following categories of recipients where reasonably necessary.

• Course providers, tutors, assessors and certification providers.
• Learning-management and student-support platforms.
• Payment processors, banks and fraud-prevention providers.
• Website-hosting, cloud-storage, email, telephone, IT and cybersecurity providers.
• Customer-management and support-service providers.
• Analytics and marketing providers where legally permitted and any required consent has been obtained.
• Accountants, insurers, solicitors and professional advisers.
• Courts, regulators, law-enforcement agencies or public authorities where required or permitted by law.
• A purchaser or successor if the business or its assets are sold, transferred or reorganised.

Organisations processing information on our behalf are expected to use it only for the agreed purpose and protect it appropriately.

7. International data transfers

Some of our technology, payment, communication or learning-service providers may process personal information outside the United Kingdom.

Where information is transferred internationally, we will take appropriate measures designed to ensure that the transfer complies with applicable UK data protection law.

These measures may include using a country covered by UK adequacy regulations, approved contractual safeguards or another legally permitted transfer mechanism.

8. Marketing communications

We may send you information about relevant courses, learning opportunities, services and offers where you have consented or where applicable law otherwise permits us to do so.

You can stop receiving marketing communications at any time by:

• Selecting the unsubscribe link in a marketing email.
• Asking a member of our team to update your preferences.
• Emailing info@courses-direct.co.uk .

Stopping marketing communications will not prevent us from sending essential messages about your account, payment, enrolment or course.

9. Cookies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies for purposes including security, account access, shopping and checkout functionality, website preferences and performance measurement.

Detailed information about the cookies used by the website is provided on a separate Cookies page.

Read our Cookies Policy

10. How long we keep your information

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.

When deciding how long information should be retained, we consider:

• The duration of your enquiry, enrolment, course or contractual relationship.
• The need to provide learner support and verify course completion or certification.
• Tax, accounting and record-keeping obligations.
• Relevant complaint, refund and legal-claim periods.
• The nature and sensitivity of the information.
• Security, fraud-prevention and operational requirements.

When personal information is no longer required, it will be deleted, anonymised or placed beyond normal operational use where appropriate.

11. How we protect your information

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

These measures may include:

• Account and access controls.
• Password protection.
• Encrypted website connections.
• Software updates and security monitoring.
• Backups and recovery procedures.
• Restricted staff and contractor access.
• Confidentiality and data-processing requirements.

No internet transmission or electronic-storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. You should use a strong, unique password and notify us if you believe your account has been compromised.

12. Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

• Ask for access to the personal information we hold about you.
• Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Ask us to delete your information in certain circumstances.
• Ask us to restrict the use of your information.
• Object to certain processing based on legitimate interests.
• Object to direct marketing at any time.
• Ask to receive certain information in a portable, machine-readable format.
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
• Raise concerns about certain automated decisions where applicable.

To exercise a right, contact us using the details below. We may ask for reasonable information to confirm your identity and prevent unauthorised disclosure.

We will normally respond without undue delay and within one month. The response period may be extended where permitted by law, for example where a request is complex or multiple requests have been submitted.

13. Data protection complaints

Contact us if you believe that your personal information has been handled incorrectly or that we have not complied with applicable data protection law.

Please provide enough information for us to investigate the issue, including:

• Your name and contact details.
• A description of your concern.
• The personal information or communication involved.
• Relevant dates, order numbers or account details.
• The outcome you are seeking.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office.

Information Commissioner’s Office
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Visit the ICO complaints service

14. Third-party websites and services

Our website may contain links to external course providers, payment services, learning platforms, social networks or other websites.

External organisations may collect and process information under their own privacy policies. Courses Direct is not responsible for the privacy practices of an independent third-party website merely because our website links to it.

You should review the relevant third party’s privacy information before submitting personal information.

15. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when our services, technology, suppliers, business operations or legal obligations change.

The latest version will be published on this page with an updated revision date.

Where a change materially affects how personal information is used, we may provide an additional notice where appropriate.

16. Contact us

Contact Courses Direct to ask a privacy question, exercise a data protection right or submit a complaint.