Who we are

This Privacy Policy sets out what we will do with your information and the arrangements in place to keep that information private and safe. It also explains your rights, for example, how you can obtain a copy of the information we hold about you.

When we use ‘we’, ‘our’, or ‘us’ in this policy, we mean one or more of the Bspoke Group companies trading as Forces Mutual as listed below:

  • PMGI Limited: is an insurance intermediary, provides a referral service for mortgage advice, protection products and wellbeing activities
  • PMHC Limited: offers a healthcare scheme

If you have any questions or comments regarding this privacy notice, or if you’re not happy with the way we use your information, please contact us using the following details:

 

Our data promise

We are committed to respecting and protecting your data, here is our promise to you:

  • We promise to be open and honest with you about how your data is used
  • We promise never to sell your data
  • We promise to make it easy for you to access and correct your data
  • We promise only to contact you about the things we think will be of interest to you – if you’ve ever had enough, just tell us and we’ll stop
  • We promise to have effective protection in place to keep your data safe and secure

 

When do we obtain information about you?

We collect information about you when you enquire about or make an application for a product or service promoted by Forces Mutual. We also collect information if you make changes to your policy/plan, make a claim or update your personal information.

We collect information about you if you are named by the policy/plan holder within their policy/plan.

We collect information when you complete customer surveys, provide feedback, subscribe to newsletters or participate in our competitions and promotions.

When you visit us online we collect information about you using ‘Cookies’. A Cookie is a small text file that is stored on your computer or device when you visit a website. For more information view our Cookie Policy.

 

What information do we collect about you?

The information we collect about you varies depending on the reason for the interaction but may include:

  • Personal information and contact details such as name, date of birth, National Insurance Number and address
  • Job title and employment details
  • Lifestyle and social circumstances
  • Information about your physical and mental health
  • Information about family members
  • Details of when you contact us and when we contact you
  • Online information for example Cookies and IP address (your computer’s internet address), if you use our websites.

We may supplement the data we collect about you with information we obtain from third parties. Before we use this information, we ensure that the third party is permitted to share such information with us.

 

How will we use the information we collect?

We will use the information we collect about you in the following ways:

  • To respond to an enquiry or provide you with a quotation
  • To provide you with the requested product and administer that product
  • To provide you with one of our services and to ensure that we maintain that service appropriately
  • If you use our protection advice service, to inform the advice we give you
  • To notify you about important changes or developments to the features and operation of products and services
  • To carry out market and brand research and analysis
  • To develop, test the performance of and manage our brands, products, services and internal processes
  • To develop new products, services and propositions
  • To inform you about products, services, offers, competitions and promotions
  • To administer offers, competitions and promotions
  • To show you selected content and advertisements via social media (for example, using Facebook Custom Audiences, LinkedIn Audiences and Google Custom Match). You can use the preference settings of the social media provider to manage how and if these appear. For more information view our Social Media Policy
  • To develop and test the effectiveness of marketing activities
  • We may analyse your personal data to create a profile so that we can contact you with information relevant to you. When building a profile, we use Experian software, to provide us with insight into our customers. The software uses a variety of publicly available and market research sources to divide the population into a series of categories. The categories are a way of grouping people who are likely to have similar social, demographic (i.e. age, location) and financial circumstances. The results are assessed and combined so we get a picture of our customers as a whole, and tailor the products and services we provide.

We are required by law to have a specific reason for collecting and using your personal data:

  • We rely on the contract between us when providing products and/or services
  • In certain circumstances, we have a legal obligation to disclose your personal information to a third party, for example, to HMRC for tax purposes
  • Provided your fundamental rights are not overridden to pursue our legitimate interest, for example, to conduct market and brand research, undertake product, service and proposition development and direct marketing by post and telephone
  • We rely on consent when using your information for direct marketing activities by SMS and email, as well as when we process certain categories of data such as health information and details of criminal convictions

 

Who might we share your information with and why?

We might share your information with third parties in certain circumstances including those listed below:

  • The companies trading as Forces Mutual, listed in the ‘Who we are’ section of this Privacy Policy, in order to keep your information up to date and for direct marketing purposes
  • The provider of the product you have purchased, to enable them to fulfil their contract with you
  • For mortgage and protection advice Tenet Mortgage Solutions Limited, to enable them to contact you about your enquiry
  • Within our group of companies, our agents and third parties who provide services to us
    • Insurers/Reinsurers
    • Claims – Third party administrators
    • Complaints – Third party administrators
    • Your Broker or Intermediary, other organisations, including parties they are contracted with who provide a service related to an insurance policy
    • Loss adjusters
    • Regulatory authorities
    • Fraud prevention agencies
    • Legal & crime prevention agencies
    • The Claims and Underwriting Exchange Register (CUE) and the Motor Insurance Anti-Fraud and Theft Register (MIAFTR), where the data is controlled by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau, and other relevant databases
    • Employer Liability Tracing Office (for commercial policies containing employer’s liability cover)
    • Any additional insured parties who may communicate with us on your behalf, provided they have the necessary permission
    • Other parties that have or may acquire control or ownership of our business (and our or their professional advisers) in connection with a significant corporate transaction or restructuring, including a merger, acquisition, asset sale, initial public offering or in the event of our insolvency—usually, information will be anonymised, but this may not always be possible. The recipient of any of your personal data will be bound by confidentiality obligations.

 

What precautions do we take to protect your information?

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to prevent the loss, misuse or alteration of your personal information.

If personal information is processed outside of the UK we will ensure that adequate safeguards to protect data are in place, such as, appropriate contractual arrangements and assurances. Assurances may include recognised certification schemes, such as, the US Privacy Shield.

In the event of a personal data breach we will notify you and the Information Commissioner’s Office if we are legally required to do so, or there is a risk to your rights and freedoms as a result of the breach.

See our Security Policy for more information.

 

How long do we keep hold of your information?

We will retain a record of your personal information for as long as you hold a product or use a service provided by us. We will also retain that information for a period of time after you cease holding a product or use a service to ensure we are able to comply with applicable regulatory and legal requirements. Typically, this means we will retain your information for one to seven years.

If you have made an enquiry, but not taken out a product or used one of our services, or responded to any direct marketing activity we will retain a record of your personal information for up to two years.

 

Your rights

Where you have given consent to use your personal data, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time by emailing nomarketing@forcesmutual.org or by calling 0151 363 5290. Without your consent, the service we provide may be limited.

You have the right to request a copy of the information that we hold about you.

In some specific circumstances you may have the right to request that we provide you with the information we hold about you in an electronic format so that you can transfer it to another provider.

We want to make sure that your personal information is accurate and up to date. You can ask us to correct information you think is inaccurate.

In certain circumstances, you may have the right to object to us using your personal information, to restrict processing of your information, or to have your information deleted. You also have the right to object to your personal data being used for direct marketing purposes.

For more details or to exercise any of these rights, please contact our Customer Services Team on 0151 363 5290 or write to us at: Forces Mutual, Customer Services, Exchange Station, Tithebarn Street, Liverpool, L2 2QP. We will provide a response within 30 days, if not sooner.  There is normally no charge for exercising any of your rights.

 

Complaints

If you have any concerns about the way we use your information, you can raise these with us by following our complaints procedure. To find out more click here or call 0151 363 5290. You also have the right to refer your complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.

 

Other websites

Our website contains links to third parties. This privacy policy only applies to the companies trading as Forces Mutual, listed in the ‘Who we are’ section of this Privacy Policy.

 

Changes to our privacy policy

We keep our Privacy Policy under regular review. The most recent update was made in March 2024 and the key changes were as follows:

  • To update our company information and the scope of our services.