Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Our website address is: https://www.bartolainstruments.com. Bartola Instruments is the trading name for Bartola Ltd, based in the United Kingdom. We specialise in the design and manufacture of electronic music instruments like Eurorack modules and analogue/digital audio equipment.

2. Information We Collect and Why

In addition to the standard site interactions, we collect information necessary to fulfil your orders and provide technical support.

Comments: When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, the visitor’s IP address, and browser user agent string to assist in spam detection. An anonymised string (hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service.
Media: If you upload images to the website (e.g., for technical support or community forums), avoid images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS).
Order Information: When you make a purchase, we collect your name, billing address, shipping address, and email. This is a contractual necessity to deliver your modules and manage your warranty.

3. Cookies

Account & Login: If you visit our login page, a temporary cookie determines if your browser accepts cookies (contains no personal data). Upon login, cookies save your login info (2 days) and screen choices (1 year). Selecting “Remember Me” extends login to 2 weeks.
E-commerce: We use cookies to keep track of basket contents while you navigate the site.
Comments: Opting in to save your details in cookies lasts for one year for your convenience.

4. Embedded content from other websites

Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g., YouTube videos showing module demos). This content behaves as if the visitor has visited the other website directly and may collect data or use tracking according to their own privacy policies.

5. Who we share your data with

To run a sustainable business and fulfil our obligations, we share data with specific third-party providers:

Payment Processors: We do not store credit card details. Payments are processed via secure partners (e.g., Stripe or PayPal).
Shipping Partners: Your name and address are shared with our couriers (e.g., Royal Mail, DHL) to deliver your hardware.
Technical Tools: If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the reset email.

6. How long we retain your data

Comments: Retained indefinitely to recognise and approve follow-up comments.
User Profiles: For registered users, we store personal information provided in the profile indefinitely or until deleted by the user.
Sales & Warranty Records: For purchases, we retain transaction data (name, address, items purchased) for a minimum of 6 years to comply with UK tax law and to honour the Bartola Instruments warranty terms discussed in our returns policy. This ensures we can verify your purchase if you require a repair or replacement.

7. What rights you have over your data

If you have an account or have left comments, you can request an exported file of the personal data we hold about you. You can also request that we erase any personal data.

Note: This does not include data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal (tax), or security purposes, including records required to validate active warranties.

8. Where your data is sent

Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service. All transaction data is handled via encrypted connections.