Privacy Policy
Last updated: 21 October 2026. This policy explains how Pawwala collects, uses, and protects your personal data under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Data Controller
The data controller for the personal data processed under this policy is Heena Shaikh, a sole trader trading as Pawwala (“we”, “us”, “our”), of 4 Miranda Court, London W3 0HZ, United Kingdom.
Contact: hello@pawwala.com
1. What Data We Collect
We may collect the following categories of personal data:
- ▸Identity data: Your name, if you include it when you email us (our contact form opens your own email app).
- ▸Contact data: Your email address when you email us, and, once we launch an email newsletter, the address you give to sign up.
- ▸Technical data: IP address, browser type and pages requested may appear in short-lived hosting logs. Vercel Web Analytics counts visits without cookies and keeps only aggregate figures.
- ▸Usage data: Pages visited and links clicked. Google Analytics collects this only if you accept analytics cookies. Clicks on affiliate links are also counted by page and retailer without any identifier.
- ▸Cookie data: Data placed on your device via cookies. See our Cookie Policy for details.
2. How We Use Your Data
We process your personal data under the following lawful bases:
| Purpose | Lawful Basis | Data Used |
|---|---|---|
| Sending our newsletter (once launched) | Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) UK GDPR) | |
| Responding to contact form enquiries | Legitimate interests | Email, name, message |
| Google Analytics 4 | Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) UK GDPR; PECR reg. 6) | Usage data, cookie identifiers |
| Vercel Web Analytics and aggregate click counts | Legitimate interests (improving the site); PECR statistical-purposes exception, with an opt-out | Aggregate technical & usage data |
| Legal compliance | Legal obligation | Any relevant data |
| Security & fraud prevention | Legitimate interests | Technical data |
3. Affiliate Links & Third-Party Sites
Some links on our site go to third-party retailers and comparison sites. Once an affiliate programme approves Pawwala, links to that retailer become affiliate links, marked Ad; the current list is on our How we make money page. When you click these links, you leave our site. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party sites. Each third-party site has its own privacy policy, which we encourage you to read.
We do not receive personally identifiable information from affiliate networks other than aggregate commission reports.
4. Cookies
We use cookies and similar tracking technologies. For full details of the cookies we use and your choices, please read our Cookie Policy. You can withdraw consent to non-essential cookies at any time via the cookie preferences link in our footer.
5. Data Sharing
We do not sell your personal data. We may share it with:
- ▸Your email provider, when you choose to email hello@pawwala.com. We do not run a mailing-list platform.
- ▸Google (Google Analytics 4), only if you accept analytics cookies. Google signals and advertising features are switched off.
- ▸Vercel, our host, which also provides Web Analytics and Speed Insights, processing data on our behalf under a Data Processing Agreement.
- ▸Law enforcement or regulators where required by law.
6. Analytics
We use three measurement tools. Google Analytics 4 loads only after you choose “Accept all” in the cookie banner; Google signals and advertising features are off, and if you later reject we disable it and delete its cookies. Vercel Web Analytics and Speed Insights count page views and page speed without cookies and keep only aggregate statistics; you can turn them off on our Cookie Policy page. We also count clicks on affiliate links by page and retailer, without cookies, IP addresses or any identifier, so we can see which guides lead readers to a retailer.
7. Data Retention
- ▸Email you send us: Kept long enough to reply, then deleted within 12 months unless we need it for a legal claim.
- ▸Cookie preference: 12 months in the cookie_consent and stats_optout cookies on your device.
- ▸Google Analytics data: 14 months, the shortest retention Google Analytics 4 offers by default; set in our property settings.
- ▸Server logs: Short-lived logs held by the host. We do not run a separate analytics archive.
8. International Transfers
Some of our service providers (e.g., Google, Vercel) may process data outside the UK or EEA. Where this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as UK Standard Contractual Clauses or adequacy decisions.
9. Your Rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights:
To exercise any right, email hello@pawwala.com. We will respond within one calendar month.
10. Security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including TLS encryption for data in transit and access controls for systems that process personal data.
11. Children
Our site is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the updated version on this page with a revised “Last updated” date. If we run an email newsletter, we will also tell subscribers about significant changes by email.
13. Contact
For any privacy-related questions or to exercise your rights, contact our data controller at: hello@pawwala.com. To report a problem using the site, see our accessibility statement.
Complaints about how we use your data
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, email hello@pawwala.com with “Data protection complaint” in the subject. We will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days, look into it, and tell you the outcome and what we have done.
You also have the right to complain to the UK data protection regulator, the Information Commission (ICO), at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.