Privacy notice

Last updated 13 November 2026

This notice explains what personal information Houghton Motors collects, why we use it and what your rights are.

Who we are

Houghton Motors Ltd (company number 10566351) sells used cars and runs a vehicle workshop at 104 High Street, Houghton Regis, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU5 5BJ. We are the data controller for the personal information described here. We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office under number ICO registration number.

To ask about your information, call 01582 862 222, email ish_dar@hotmail.co.uk or write to the address above.

What we collect

• Enquiries. Your name, phone number, email address, the car you asked about and your message.
• Buying a car. Your name and address, proof of identity, payment details, and the details we must give the DVLA to register you as keeper.
• Test drives. Your driving licence details, so we can confirm you are entitled to drive.
• Part exchange. Your vehicle's registration, mileage, service history, condition and any outstanding finance.
• Finance enquiries. Date of birth, address history, employment and income details, and anything else a lender asks for.
• Workshop bookings. Your contact details, your vehicle's details and its service and repair history with us.
• Using this website. Basic technical information such as your IP address and browser type, kept in server logs.

Why we use it, and our legal basis

• To do what you asked, such as answering an enquiry, selling you a car, valuing your part exchange or repairing your vehicle. Legal basis: contract, or steps you ask us to take before entering one.
• To meet our legal duties, including tax and accounting records, DVLA notifications, consumer law and requests from regulators or the police. Legal basis: legal obligation.
• To run and protect the business, including preventing fraud, checking vehicle history, handling complaints and improving the website. Legal basis: legitimate interests.
• To send you marketing, such as MOT or service reminders and offers. We only do this if you have agreed or the law otherwise allows it, and you can stop it at any time. Legal basis: consent or legitimate interests.

Finance applications

We are a credit broker, not a lender. If you ask us about finance, we pass your details to one or more lenders or finance brokers so they can decide whether to offer you credit. They will search your record at credit reference agencies and fraud prevention agencies. A full application search leaves a footprint on your credit file that other lenders can see. Each lender is a controller of your information in its own right and will give you its own privacy notice.

Who we share information with

• Finance lenders and brokers, as described above.
• The DVLA, when a vehicle changes keeper.
• Vehicle history and valuation providers, when we check a part exchange.
• The AA and warranty or breakdown cover providers, where a product you take is supplied by them.
• Companies that provide our website, stock system, email and IT services, who act only on our instructions.
• Our accountants, insurers and legal advisers.
• Regulators, courts and the police, where the law requires it.

We do not sell your information to anyone.

How long we keep it

• Enquiries that do not lead to a sale or booking: up to 12 months.
• Sales, part exchange and workshop records: 6 years after the end of the financial year, to meet tax and legal requirements.
• Finance enquiries that do not go ahead: up to 12 months.
• Test drive licence details: up to 12 months.
• Marketing preferences: until you ask us to stop.

Where it is stored

Your information is stored in the UK where possible. Some of our service providers may process it outside the UK. Where that happens we make sure it is protected by safeguards recognised under UK data protection law.

Cookies and browser storage

This website does not use advertising or tracking cookies. If you save a car, the list of saved cars is kept in your own browser's local storage and is not sent to us. Clearing your browser data removes it. Fonts and scripts are served from this website itself, not from third parties. We use Cloudflare Web Analytics to count visits; it does not use cookies or identify you. Enquiry forms are processed by our website platform, which checks them for spam and delivers them to us.

Your rights

Under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 you can ask us to:

• give you a copy of the information we hold about you;
• correct anything that is wrong or incomplete;
• delete your information, or restrict how we use it, in certain circumstances;
• stop using it for direct marketing, at any time;
• move it to another organisation, where that applies.

We reply within one month and do not charge for this. If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information, please tell us first. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.

Changes to this notice

We will post any changes on this page and update the date at the top.