Finance Privacy Policy

FINANCE PRIVACY POLICY – HOME ASSIST 365 LTD

Last Updated: January 2026

WHO ARE WE?

We are Home Assist 365 Ltd and can be contacted using the below contact details:

Address: Home Assist 365 Ltd, Henleaze Business Centre, Harbury Road, Bristol, BS9 4PN

Email: helpdesk@homeassist365.co.uk

Telephone: 0117 9474040

Company Registration Number: 11955704 Gas Safe Registration Number: 632778 FCA Firm Reference Number: 971539

OUR DATA PROTECTION OFFICER

Our data protection officer can be contacted on the below:

Shaun Downton

Address: Home Assist 365 Ltd, Henleaze Business Centre, Harbury Road, Bristol, BS9 4PN

Email: helpdesk@homeassist365.co.uk

Telephone: 0117 9474040

WHY DO WE COLLECT AND USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?

We collect and use your personal information in order for us to provide you with our heating and plumbing services, including boiler repair and installation services, and to offer finance options for boiler installations.

We use your personal information to send marketing communications to you about similar products and services that may be of interest to you.

We will send our marketing communications to you by email and SMS. It is to be noted that you can object to your personal information being used by us to send you marketing information. Each marketing email will also include an unsubscribe link to enable you to opt-out of receiving future marketing communications.

WHAT INFORMATION WE COLLECT FOR FINANCE APPLICATIONS

When you apply for finance, we collect:

Personal Information: • Full name, date of birth, residential address (current and previous addresses for the last 3 years) • Contact details (phone number, email address) • Employment status and employer details • Income and expenditure information • Bank account details • Proof of identity (passport, driving licence) • Proof of address (utility bills, bank statements)

Financial Information: • Credit history (obtained via credit reference agencies) • Existing credit commitments and loans • Details of any adverse credit history (CCJs, defaults, bankruptcies, IVAs) • Monthly income and outgoings • Details of dependents

Property Information: • Property ownership status (owned, rented, tenant, landlord) • Details of the boiler installation being financed • Cost of installation and deposit paid (if any)

WHAT IS OUR LAWFUL BASIS FOR HANDLING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) we must have a lawful basis to legally handle your personal information. The lawful bases that we rely upon are as follows:

Contract – to take steps, at your request, to enter into a contract to fulfil your order and to perform our obligation under the contract (i.e. to deliver your order and provide our services);
Legal obligation – to share personal information with law enforcement agencies and regulatory bodies if required to do so by law;
Legitimate interests – to use your personal information to send you marketing communications about similar products and services in the future, to share your personal information with third party professional service providers that we engage and to share your personal information with our successor(s) in the event of a merger or acquisition;
Consent – where you have given us explicit consent to process your personal information for specific purposes, such as applying for finance.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DO NOT PROVIDE MY PERSONAL INFORMATION?

We need your personal information in order to provide our heating and plumbing services to you. If we do not collect your personal information, we will not be able to provide our services to you.

If you wish to apply for finance to pay for your boiler installation, we will need additional personal and financial information to process your application. If you do not provide this information, we will not be able to submit your finance application.

Without adequate information: • We cannot assess your eligibility for finance • We cannot submit your application to finance providers • Finance providers cannot make a lending decision • You will need to pay for the installation by alternative means

WHO WILL WE SHARE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION WITH?

We will share your personal information with the following organisations:

Finance Providers: • Koze Group Ltd (our principal for finance services) • Other finance providers on our panel • Credit reference agencies (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) • Fraud prevention agencies

When you apply for finance, we will share your personal and financial information with our principal, Koze Group Ltd, and with finance providers to assess your application. The finance providers and credit reference agencies will use your information to:

Verify your identity • Check your credit history • Assess your creditworthiness and affordability • Make lending decisions • Prevent fraud and financial crime • Manage your account if credit is approved • Trace debtors if payments are not made

The credit reference agencies will record your application and this may be visible to other organisations when you apply for credit in the future.

Home Assist 365 Ltd (FRN: 971539) are an appointed representative of Koze Group Ltd, a credit broker and not a lender. Koze Group Ltd are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 811281) registered in England (08357963). Credit facilities are offered from a panel of lenders.

Other Third Parties: • We may share your personal information with law enforcement agencies, fraud prevention agencies and regulatory bodies such as the FCA, Gas Safe Register, and HMRC when required to do so by law.

We may engage the services of professional advisers such as compliance consultants, lawyers and accountants who may be given access to your personal information in order to provide their services to us. We will ensure that your personal information is protected by obtaining a written undertaking of confidentiality from the professional service providers.
In the event that we are subject to a merger or acquisition we may share your personal information with the organisation(s) that acquire or merge with our business and/or their professional advisers in the course of the acquisition or merger transaction and thereafter. In such circumstances the latter organisation will be required to use your personal information in the same ways described in this privacy policy.

OUR FINANCE PROVIDER PANEL

We work with FCA-regulated lenders on our panel.

We will introduce you to the most suitable lender based on: • Your credit profile and credit history • The amount you wish to borrow • The term of the finance agreement • Lender acceptance criteria and eligibility requirements • Interest rates and repayment terms available

We act as a credit broker and not a lender. We do not receive a commission or fee for introducing you to finance providers.

Where you apply for finance, your personal information may also be processed by the lender or finance provider relevant to your application. Details of the applicable lender and its privacy information will be provided as part of the finance application or agreement.

CREDIT REFERENCE AGENCIES – IMPORTANT INFORMATION

We use the following credit reference agencies to assess your finance application: • Experian • Equifax • TransUnion

What they will record: • Your application for credit (this creates a “footprint” or “search” on your credit file) • Whether your application is accepted or declined • Details of the credit agreement (if approved), including the amount borrowed and repayment terms • Your payment history (if you take out finance) • Any missed payments or defaults

How this affects you: • Multiple credit applications in a short period may harm your credit score • Each application is recorded, even if declined • Missed payments will be recorded and may affect future credit applications • This information will be visible to other lenders for up to 6 years • A “hard search” or “credit check” may temporarily lower your credit score

Soft Search vs Hard Search: • Some lenders offer a “soft search” or “quotation search” which does not affect your credit score • A full application will always involve a “hard search” which is visible to other lenders • We will inform you which type of search will be conducted

You can request your credit report from these agencies to see what information they hold about you: • Experian: www.experian.co.uk • Equifax: www.equifax.co.uk • TransUnion: www.transunion.co.uk

FRAUD PREVENTION

To prevent fraud and comply with anti-money laundering regulations, we and the finance providers may: • Check your details with fraud prevention agencies • Verify your identity using electronic verification systems • Record information about your application • Share information if we suspect fraudulent activity • Conduct anti-money laundering checks

If fraud is detected or suspected: • We may refuse your application • Fraud prevention agencies may record this information • This information may be shared with other organisations to prevent fraud • Law enforcement agencies may be informed • You may be refused credit by other lenders in the future

Fraud prevention agencies can hold your personal data for different periods of time. If you are considered to pose a fraud or money laundering risk, your data can be held for up to six years.

IF YOUR FINANCE APPLICATION IS DECLINED

If your finance application is declined: • We will inform you of the decision as soon as we are notified by the lender • The credit check will still be recorded on your credit file • You can request the reason for decline from the finance provider • You have the right to access the information held about you by the credit reference agencies • You will need to pay for the installation by alternative means (cash, card, bank transfer) • We can discuss alternative finance options or payment plans if available

Reasons applications may be declined: • Insufficient credit history • Poor credit score or adverse credit history • Insufficient income to afford repayments • Existing debt levels too high • Information provided cannot be verified • You do not meet the lender’s eligibility criteria (e.g., age, residency, employment status)

If you believe the decision is incorrect: • Check your credit report for errors or fraudulent activity • Contact the credit reference agencies to dispute incorrect information • Contact the finance provider to discuss the decision • You may be able to apply with a different lender on our panel

JOINT FINANCE APPLICATIONS

If you apply for finance jointly with another person (e.g., spouse, partner, family member):

We will collect personal and financial information from both applicants • Both applicants’ credit files will be checked and the application recorded • Both applicants will be equally and jointly responsible for repayments • A “financial association” will be created between you on credit files • This association may affect both applicants’ future credit applications • Both applicants must give consent to the credit checks and data processing • Both applicants have the same rights under this policy (access, rectification, erasure, etc.)

If you later wish to remove the financial association: • You must contact the credit reference agencies directly • You will need to provide evidence that the financial relationship has ended • This does not remove the record of the original joint application

HOW LONG WILL WE STORE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?

We will store your personal information for up to six years from ceasing to be our customer. This is to enable us to refer to our records in the event that you want to lodge a complaint against us within six years, and to comply with legal and regulatory requirements.

For finance-related information, we will retain records for up to six years from the completion or termination of any finance agreement, in accordance with FCA requirements and legal obligations.

Specific retention periods: • Finance applications (approved): 6 years from completion of agreement • Finance applications (declined): 6 years from application date • Credit checks and affordability assessments: 6 years • Identification documents (copies): 6 years • Correspondence relating to finance: 6 years

If you do not exercise your right to object to marketing or unsubscribe to our marketing emails, we will store your personal information for marketing purposes until you exercise your right to object or unsubscribe.

WHAT ARE YOUR RIGHTS IN RELATION TO YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?

Right to Access

You have the right to request copies of the personal information we hold about you at any time. This is called a “Subject Access Request.”

We will provide: • Confirmation of what data we hold • A copy of your data in a readable format • Information about how we use your data • Information about who we share your data with

We will respond within one month, free of charge.

Right to Rectification

You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate personal information we hold about you.

If you believe any information is incorrect: • Contact us with details of the error • Provide evidence of the correct information • We will update our records within one month

This is particularly important for finance applications, as incorrect information may affect lending decisions.

Right to Erasure

You have the right to request that we delete your personal information from our records.

Please note that we will not be able to delete your personal information whilst we are still providing our services to you. We will be able to delete your personal information once you cancel the service or once the service is completed.

We may also be required to retain certain information for legal or regulatory purposes, including: • Gas safety records (legal requirement) • Tax and accounting records (6 years) • Finance-related records (6 years – FCA requirement) • Records required for legal claims or disputes

If we cannot fully delete your data, we will inform you of the reasons and what data must be retained.

Right to Restrict Processing

You have the right to request that we restrict how we use your personal information.

This means we will store your data but not use it, except: • With your consent • For legal claims • To protect the rights of another person

Right to Object

You have the right to object to the collection and use of your personal information at any time, particularly for marketing purposes.

You can object to: • Direct marketing (we will stop immediately) • Processing based on legitimate interests (we will stop unless we have compelling grounds) • Processing for research or statistical purposes

To object to marketing: • Click “unsubscribe” in any marketing email • Reply “STOP” to marketing text messages • Contact us directly • Inform us during a telephone call

Right to Data Portability

You have the right to obtain a copy of your personal information in a legible and compatible format such as Excel, CSV, or Word.

This allows you to: • Transfer your data to another service provider • Use your data for your own purposes • Store a backup of your data

We will provide the data within one month, free of charge.

Right to Withdraw Consent

You have the right to withdraw your consent for us to use your personal information at any time.

This is particularly relevant for: • Finance applications (you can withdraw before the application is submitted) • Marketing communications • Optional data processing activities

Withdrawing consent does not affect: • Processing that took place before you withdrew consent • Processing based on other lawful grounds (e.g., legal obligation, contract)

If you withdraw consent for a finance application: • We will stop processing your application immediately • We will not submit it to lenders • Data already shared with credit reference agencies cannot be withdrawn • You will need to pay for the installation by alternative means

HOW CAN I EXERCISE MY RIGHTS IN RELATION TO MY PERSONAL INFORMATION?

You can exercise all of your rights by contacting us using any of the contact details provided above:

By Post: Home Assist 365 Ltd, Henleaze Business Centre, Harbury Road, Bristol, BS9 4PN By Email: helpdesk@homeassist365.co.uk By Telephone: 0117 9474040

We will respond to your request within one month. If your request is complex, we may extend this period by up to two months, but we will inform you if this is the case.

Proof of Identity: To protect your privacy, we may request proof of identity before responding to requests. Acceptable ID includes: • Passport • Driving licence • Recent utility bill (as proof of address)

HOW DO I LODGE A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE USE OF MY PERSONAL INFORMATION?

You can lodge a complaint with us directly by contacting us using one of the contact details provided above.

We will: • Acknowledge your complaint within 2 working days • Investigate the matter thoroughly • Respond with our findings within 10 working days • Take appropriate action to address your concerns

You also have the right to lodge a complaint directly with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The ICO is the regulator who makes sure that we use your personal information in a lawful way.

You can lodge a complaint with the ICO by: • Following this link: https://ico.org.uk/concerns/ • Calling the ICO on: 0303 123 1113 • Writing to: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

For complaints about financial services: If your complaint relates to how we have handled your finance application or financial services, you can also complain to:

Financial Ombudsman Service: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk or 0800 023 4567 • Financial Conduct Authority: www.fca.org.uk or 0800 111 6768

FINANCE-SPECIFIC INFORMATION

When you apply for finance, please note:

Credit Checks: • Your application will be subject to credit and identity checks • These checks will be recorded by credit reference agencies • This may affect your credit score and will be visible to other lenders • The credit check will be recorded even if your application is declined

Finance Agreement: • If your application is approved, you will enter into a separate credit agreement with the lender (not with us) • The terms of that agreement will be provided to you by the lender • You must read and understand the credit agreement before signing • You will have a 14-day cooling-off period from the date you sign the credit agreement • If you cancel the credit agreement within this period, you must pay us in full by alternative means (cash, card, or bank transfer) • If you cancel after we have started work, you remain liable for payment

Interest Rates and Charges: • Interest rates vary depending on the lender, your credit profile, and the amount borrowed • We will provide you with a representative example before you apply • The actual rate you are offered may be different based on your credit assessment • There may be arrangement fees, early repayment charges, or late payment fees • All charges will be clearly explained in the credit agreement

Affordability Assessment: • The lender will assess whether you can afford the repayments • This will consider your income, expenditure, and existing commitments • You must provide accurate information about your financial circumstances • Providing false information may result in your application being declined or the agreement being voided

Consequences of Non-Payment: • If you do not keep up with repayments, this will be recorded on your credit file • The lender may take legal action to recover the debt • Your property may be at risk if the loan is secured • Additional charges and interest may be applied to missed payments • Your credit score will be negatively affected

Data Sharing: • Your information will be shared with Koze Group Ltd and finance providers on our panel • Finance providers have their own privacy policies which govern how they use your data • You should read the finance provider’s privacy policy when applying for credit • The lender may contact you directly about your application and account • We will receive confirmation of whether your application is approved or declined, but not detailed reasons

Right to Cancel: • You have 14 days from signing the credit agreement to cancel without giving a reason • This is in addition to any other cancellation rights you may have • If you cancel within 14 days, you must repay any credit advanced and pay for goods/services received • To cancel, contact the lender directly using the details in your credit agreement

Credit is offered subject to status and affordability. Credit checks must be completed before commencement of works. A 14-day cooling-off period applies to all credit agreements. If cancelled within 14 days, alternative payment of the full outstanding balance must be made.

THIRD-PARTY PRIVACY POLICIES

When you apply for finance, your information will be processed by third parties who have their own privacy policies:

Koze Group Ltd (our principal): • Privacy policy available at: https://kozegroup.com/

Credit Reference Agencies: • Experian: www.experian.co.uk/legal/privacy • Equifax: www.equifax.co.uk/privacy-policy • TransUnion: www.transunion.co.uk/legal/privacy-centre

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

When applying for finance, you must: • Provide accurate and truthful information • Inform us of any changes to your circumstances before the agreement is signed • Read and understand the credit agreement before signing • Ensure you can afford the repayments • Keep copies of all documentation • Contact the lender immediately if you experience difficulty making repayments

Providing false or misleading information: • May result in your application being declined • May constitute fraud • May result in the credit agreement being voided • May affect your ability to obtain credit in future • May result in legal action

CONTACT US

If you have any questions about this Finance Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information in relation to finance applications, please contact us:

Home Assist 365 Ltd Henleaze Business Centre Harbury Road Bristol BS9 4PN

Telephone: 0117 9474040 Email: helpdesk@homeassist365.co.uk

Data Protection Officer: Shaun Downton

REGULATORY INFORMATION

You can verify our FCA registration at: https://register.fca.org.uk/

Company Registration Number: 11955704 Gas Safe Registration Number: 632778

POLICY REVIEW

This Finance Privacy Policy is reviewed annually to ensure it remains compliant with current data protection law and FCA requirements.

Last Updated: January 2026 Next Review Due: January 2027

Thank you for reading our Finance Privacy Policy. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly and in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.

We take our responsibilities as a credit broker seriously and will always act in your best interests when processing your finance application.