Privacy Policy

Last updated: 14 May 2026

1. Introduction and Overview

1.1 Who We Are

DriveSooner ("we", "us", "our", or "the Company") operates the website drivesooner.co.uk and provides driving test cancellation slot notification services to customers in the United Kingdom. We are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy and personal data.

For the purposes of applicable data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, DriveSooner is the data controller responsible for your personal information.

1.2 Purpose of This Policy

This Privacy Policy explains:

• What personal data we collect from you and why;
• How we use, process, and store your personal data;
• Who we share your data with and why;
• Your rights regarding your personal data;
• How we protect your information; and
• How to contact us about privacy matters.

By using our Service, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our practices, please do not use our Service.

1.3 Scope of This Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to personal data collected through:

• Our website (drivesooner.co.uk);
• Account registration and service sign-up processes;
• Communications with us (email, SMS, phone, or other channels);
• Use of our driving test cancellation slot notification service; and
• Any other interactions you have with DriveSooner.

This policy does not apply to third-party websites or services that we may link to (such as the DVSA website or payment processors). Those third parties have their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to review.

2. Information We Collect

We collect and process various types of personal data to provide our Service. The categories of personal data we collect include:

2.1 Account and Contact Information

When you create an account or sign up for our Service, we collect:

• Full Name: To identify you and personalise communications.
• Email Address: For account verification, service notifications, and customer support.
• Mobile Phone Number: To send SMS alerts about available test slots. This is essential for our notification service.
• Password: To secure your account. Passwords are stored in encrypted (hashed) form and are never stored in plain text.

2.2 DVSA Booking and Driving Licence Information

After payment, we ask you to provide:

• Driving Licence Number: Required to carry out a validation check that you hold an active DVSA practical driving test booking.
• Theory Test Pass Certificate Number or DVSA Driving Test Booking Reference: One of these is required alongside your licence number to complete the validation check.
• Current Test Date, Time, and Location: To understand your existing booking and search for earlier alternatives within your preferences.

The driving licence number and test reference or theory certificate number you provide after payment are used solely to validate that you hold an active DVSA practical driving test booking, and to operate the notification service. We do not use these details to access the DVSA booking system for any other purpose, and we do not book, change, cancel, or manage your booking in any way.

2.3 Service Preferences and Settings

To tailor our Service to your needs, we collect:

• Preferred Test Centres: Up to three test centre locations where you are willing to take your test (more can be added as optional extras).
• Date Range Preferences: Your earliest and latest acceptable dates for a test.
• Day of Week Preferences: Which days of the week you are available.
• Time of Day Preferences: Whether you prefer morning, afternoon, or any time slots.

2.4 Payment and Transaction Information

When you purchase our Service, we collect:

• Payment Method Details: We use third-party payment processors to handle credit and debit card payments securely. We do not store your full card details on our servers.
• Transaction Records: Order ID, transaction ID, payment amount, currency, payment status, and transaction timestamps.
• Billing Information: Name and email associated with the payment.

All payment card data is processed and stored by our PCI-DSS compliant payment service providers. We never have access to your full card number or CVV.

2.5 Communication Records

We maintain records of our communications with you, including:

• SMS Messages: Copies of text messages we send to you and any replies you send to us.
• Email Correspondence: Emails we send and emails you send to us.
• Customer Support Interactions: Any queries, complaints, or requests you submit, along with our responses.

2.6 Technical and Usage Data

When you visit our website or use our Service, we may automatically collect:

• Device and Browser Information: Type of device, operating system, browser type and version.
• IP Address and Location Data: Your IP address, which may indicate your general geographic location.
• Log Data: Access times, pages viewed, referring website, and clickstream data.
• Cookies: As described in Section 10 below.

3. How We Use Your Personal Data

3.1 To Provide and Deliver Our Service

• Monitor the DVSA booking system for cancellation slots matching your preferences
• Send SMS and email alerts when a matching slot is found
• Manage your account and preferences
• Validate that you hold an active DVSA practical driving test booking, using the driving licence number and test reference or theory certificate number you provide after payment

3.2 To Process Payments and Manage Orders

• Process payments for the Service
• Issue receipts and invoices
• Handle refunds when applicable
• Maintain financial records
• Detect and prevent fraud

3.3 To Communicate with You

• Send service-related communications (slot alerts, status updates)
• Provide customer support
• Send account and security notifications
• Notify you of policy changes

3.4 To Improve and Develop Our Service

• Understand how customers use our Service
• Develop new features and improvements
• Optimise performance and reliability
• Conduct internal research and analytics

3.5 For Security, Fraud Prevention, and Legal Compliance

• Protect our Service from unauthorised access and abuse
• Prevent fraudulent transactions
• Comply with legal obligations
• Respond to lawful requests from authorities

3.6 Marketing Communications (With Consent)

If you have given us consent, we may send you information about new features or promotions. You can opt out at any time by clicking "unsubscribe" in emails or replying STOP to SMS messages.

4. Legal Basis for Processing Your Data

4.1 Performance of a Contract

Most of our data processing is necessary to fulfil our contract with you, including providing the Service, processing payments, and managing your account.

4.2 Consent

We rely on your explicit consent for marketing communications and optional data collection. You can withdraw consent at any time.

4.3 Legitimate Interests

We process certain data based on our legitimate business interests, such as service improvement, security, fraud prevention, and customer support.

4.4 Legal Obligation

We process data to comply with legal requirements, such as retaining financial records for tax purposes and responding to lawful requests from authorities.

5. How We Share Your Personal Data

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to third parties for marketing purposes. However, we may share your data with:

5.1 Service Providers and Processors

We engage trusted third-party companies to help us deliver our Service:

• Payment Processors: To process credit and debit card transactions securely in compliance with PCI-DSS standards.
• SMS Service Providers: To send text message notifications about available test slots.
• Email Service Providers: To send transactional and marketing emails.
• Cloud Hosting Providers: To host our website, databases, and applications on secure servers.
• Customer Support Tools: To manage support tickets and communications.

All service providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for specified purposes. We have data processing agreements in place as required by UK GDPR.

5.2 DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency)

We use the driving licence number and test reference or theory certificate number you provide after payment solely to validate that you hold an active DVSA practical driving test booking. We do not use these details to access the DVSA booking system for any other purpose, and we do not book, change, cancel, or manage your booking. The DVSA has its own privacy policy, and we are not responsible for their data practices.

5.3 Legal and Regulatory Authorities

We may disclose your data to law enforcement, government agencies, or courts if required by law, or to protect rights, property, or safety.

5.4 Business Transfers

If DriveSooner is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may be transferred to the new owner. We will notify you before this occurs.

5.5 Aggregated or Anonymised Data

We may share aggregated, anonymised data that does not identify you personally for statistical or research purposes.

6. International Data Transfers

DriveSooner is based in the United Kingdom. Some of our service providers may have servers located outside the UK. When we transfer data internationally, we put appropriate safeguards in place, such as:

• Adequacy decisions (transferring to countries with adequate data protection)
• Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by UK authorities
• Additional security measures and encryption

7. Data Security and Protection

We implement technical and organisational measures to protect your data:

7.1 Technical Security Measures

• Encryption: All data transmitted between your browser and our servers uses SSL/TLS (HTTPS). Sensitive data is encrypted or hashed in our databases.
• Secure Password Storage: Passwords are hashed using bcrypt or similar algorithms and never stored in plain text.
• Firewalls and Intrusion Detection: Our servers are protected by firewalls and intrusion prevention systems.
• Regular Security Updates: We keep our systems up to date with the latest security patches.
• Access Controls: Only authorised personnel can access personal data, and only when necessary.

7.2 Organisational Security Measures

• Staff training on data protection and security best practices
• Confidentiality agreements for all employees and contractors
• Data minimisation (collecting only necessary data)
• Regular security audits and reviews

Note: While we implement strong security measures, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. If you become aware of any security concern, please contact us immediately.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only as long as necessary:

8.1 Retention Periods

• Active Service Period: While you have an active account, we retain all necessary data.
• After Service Completion:
  • Transaction and financial records: Up to 7 years (UK tax and accounting requirements)
  • Account and booking data: 6 to 12 months after service completion
  • Communication records: Up to 2 years
• Marketing Data: Until you opt out or after 2 to 3 years of inactivity

8.2 Deletion and Anonymisation

After the retention period, we securely delete or anonymise your data. You can request deletion at any time (see Section 9).

9. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

9.1 Right of Access (Subject Access Request)

You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you. We will respond within one month, free of charge.

9.2 Right to Rectification

You can request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete data. You can update most information through your account settings.

9.3 Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten")

You can request deletion of your data in certain circumstances, such as when it is no longer necessary or you withdraw consent. Note that we may need to retain some data to meet legal obligations.

9.4 Right to Restriction of Processing

You can request that we temporarily suspend processing of your data in certain situations, such as when you contest data accuracy.

9.5 Right to Data Portability

You can receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format (such as CSV or JSON) and request that we transmit it to another service provider.

9.6 Right to Object

You can object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes. We will stop marketing immediately upon request.

9.7 Right to Withdraw Consent

Where we process data based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time. This does not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

9.8 Right to Lodge a Complaint

If you believe we have not handled your data properly, you can complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

• Website: ico.org.uk
• Phone: 0303 123 1113
• Address: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

We encourage you to contact us first so we can address your concerns directly.

9.9 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in Section 13. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

10. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

10.1 What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They help websites remember information about your visit.

10.2 Types of Cookies We Use

• Strictly Necessary Cookies: Essential for the website to function (session cookies, CSRF protection, load balancing). You cannot opt out of these.
• Functional Cookies: Remember your choices and preferences to provide a better experience.
• Performance/Analytics Cookies: Collect aggregated, anonymised information about how visitors use our website to help us improve it.

We do not use:

• Third-party advertising or tracking cookies
• Cross-site tracking cookies
• Cookies for behavioural advertising or profiling

10.3 Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect website functionality. For more information, visit www.aboutcookies.org.

11. Third-Party Links and Services

Our website may contain links to third-party websites (such as the DVSA website or payment processors). These third parties have their own privacy policies, and we are not responsible for their practices. We encourage you to read their privacy policies.

When you use a third-party payment processor, they collect and process your payment information according to their own policies. We do not have access to your full payment card details.

12. Children's Privacy

Our Service is not intended for individuals under 17 (the minimum age for a provisional driving licence in the UK). We do not knowingly collect data from children under 17.

If we become aware that we have collected data from someone under 17 without appropriate consent, we will delete it promptly. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with data, please contact us.

13. Contact Us and Data Protection

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us:

Email: [email protected]
Data Controller: DriveSooner
Website: drivesooner.co.uk

We aim to respond to all enquiries within 5 business days. For data subject rights requests, we will respond within one month as required by UK GDPR.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we make changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy;
• Post the revised policy on our website; and
• For significant changes, notify you via email or a prominent notice on our website.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

If you do not agree with any changes, you should stop using the Service and may request deletion of your account and data.

15. Additional Information

15.1 Automated Decision-Making and Profiling

We do not use automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal effects or significantly affects you. Any slot checking we carry out is based on the explicit preferences you set, not on profiling your behaviour.

15.2 Do Not Track Signals

Our website does not currently respond to Do Not Track (DNT) signals because there is no industry-wide standard. However, we do not track users across third-party websites for advertising.

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