Data Protection Complaint Policy

How to raise a concern about your personal data

Bright Sparks Commercial Ltd t/a
Bright Spark Electrical Services

Last updated: April 2026

1. Introduction

We take the protection of your personal data seriously. If you believe we have not handled your personal data correctly, or you are unhappy with how we have used it, you have the right to complain directly to us.

This policy explains how to make a data protection complaint, what happens when you do, and the timescales you can expect from us.

2. Your Right to Complain

You can make a complaint to us if you believe there has been a problem with how we have collected, stored, used, shared or otherwise handled your personal data.

You do not need to prove that something has gone wrong. If you have a concern, we want to hear about it. Your complaint can be about any aspect of data protection, including (but not limited to):

• How we collected your personal data
• How we are using or sharing your data
• The accuracy of the data we hold about you
• How long we are keeping your data
• A response (or lack of response) to a data subject access request
• How we have handled your data in connection with marketing
• Any other concern about your data protection rights

You can also authorise someone else to make a complaint on your behalf. If you do, we may need to verify that the person has your authority before we can share details with them.

3. How to Make a Complaint

You can submit a complaint in any of the following ways:

To help us look into your complaint as quickly as possible, please include:

• Your name and contact details
• A description of what has happened or what you are concerned about
• Any relevant dates, reference numbers or correspondence
• What outcome you are hoping for (if you have one in mind)

4. What Happens Next

4.1 Acknowledgement

We will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days of receiving it. Our acknowledgement will include a reference number and the name or role of the person looking into your complaint.

4.2 Investigation

We will then look into your complaint. Depending on the complexity of the issue, this may involve reviewing our records, speaking to relevant team members, or checking our processes.

We will keep you updated on our progress. If we need more time or additional information from you, we will let you know.

4.3 Outcome

Once we have completed our investigation, we will write to you with our findings. We will explain clearly:

• What we found
• Whether we have upheld your complaint (in full or in part)
• What action we have taken or plan to take as a result
• Your options if you remain unhappy

We aim to resolve complaints as quickly as possible and will respond without undue delay, taking into account the complexity of the complaint.

5. Verifying Your Identity

To protect your personal data, we may need to verify your identity before sharing details about our investigation. We will only ask for information that is reasonable and proportionate.

If someone else is making a complaint on your behalf, we will need to confirm that they have your authority to do so before we can discuss the details with them.

6. Complaints Involving Children

We recognise that children have the same data protection rights as adults. If a complaint is made by or on behalf of a child (someone under 18), we will:

• Prioritise the child’s best interests throughout the process
• Use clear, age-appropriate language in our communications
• Consider the child’s capacity to understand and exercise their rights on a case-by-case basis
• Where a parent, guardian or other representative makes a complaint on behalf of a child, verify their authority and consider the child’s own views where appropriate

7. If You Are Not Satisfied

7.1 Ask us to review our decision

If you feel we have not fully addressed your concerns, please let us know. We will arrange for a senior member of our team to review the complaint. This is a voluntary process we offer.

7.2 Complain to the ICO

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent data protection regulator. The ICO generally expects you to raise concerns with us first so that we have the opportunity to put things right.

8. How We Use Your Complaint Data

When you make a complaint, we will collect and process personal data about you in order to investigate and respond. We process this data on the basis of our legal obligation under section 164A of the Data Protection Act 201 and/or our legitimate interests in handling complaints.

We will only collect information that is necessary to deal with your complaint. We will keep complaint records for a reasonable period after resolution to demonstrate our compliance and to identify improvements to our processes. Full details of how we handle personal data are set out in our privacy notice.

9. Unreasonable or Abusive Complaints

We are committed to treating all complainants fairly and with respect, and we ask the same in return. If a complaint is made in a way that is abusive, threatening, or vexatious, we reserve the right to limit our engagement while still complying with our legal obligations under data protection law. We will always explain our reasons if we take this step.

10. Review of This Policy

This policy was last reviewed in April 2026 We will review it regularly and update it when there are changes to the law or to our business practices.

Document Control

This policy is designed to help you comply with section 164A of the Data Protection Act 2018 (as inserted by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025). It is a template only and should be adapted to reflect your specific business practices. It does not constitute legal advice.