Privacy & Cookies

Last updated 5 October 2026

This page explains what personal information The Bearded Colonel collects, why, who we share it with, how long we keep it and what your rights are. It also covers the cookies this website uses.

Who we are

The Bearded Colonel is a trading name of Fencing Armory Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales (number 08407477). Our registered office is 34 Lancaster Gate, London W2 3LP.

We are the data controller for the information described here. For anything about your data, email [email protected] or write to the address above.

What we collect

Your order and account details: name, email address, phone number, billing and delivery addresses, your password (stored encrypted), and what you order and when.
Your subscription: what you're subscribed to, how often it comes, your next renewal date and your payment history.
Payment information: card and PayPal payments are handled by Braintree (part of PayPal) and Direct Debits by GoCardless. We never see or store your full card or bank details, only a reference that lets us take your renewal payments.
Messages you send us by email or through the contact form.
Your email address if you sign up to our newsletter or a website offer.
How you use the website: pages visited, the device and browser you use and roughly where you are, through cookies and similar tools (see Cookies below).

How we use it, and our legal basis

To take, pack, post and support your orders and subscription, including the order emails you receive. This is necessary to carry out our contract with you.
To keep accounting and tax records, because the law requires it.
To prevent fraud and keep the website secure, which is in our legitimate interests and yours.
To email customers about our own similar products and offers. We do this as a legitimate interest, and every email has an unsubscribe link. You can also reply asking us to stop.
To send the newsletter or a website offer, only with your consent, which you can withdraw at any time.
To understand how the website is used and to measure our advertising, only with your consent through the cookie banner.

We never sell your information.

We only share what each company needs to do its job for us:

Delivery: our fulfilment warehouse, which packs your orders, and Royal Mail, which delivers them (name and address).
Payments: Braintree and PayPal for card and PayPal payments, GoCardless for Direct Debits.
Running the website: Hostinger (hosting) and Cloudflare (security and speed).
Email and support: Brevo (sends the website's emails), SendFox (newsletter) and Help Scout (our support inbox).
Cookie consent: CookieYes, which records the choices you make on the cookie banner.
Analytics and advertising, if you allow them: Google (Analytics and Ads), Meta (Facebook and Instagram ads) and Microsoft (Advertising and Clarity, which records anonymous sessions showing how pages are used).

Some of these companies are based in, or process data in, the United States. Where that happens, the transfer is covered by the UK's approved safeguards, such as the UK-US data bridge or standard contract clauses.

We may also share information if the law requires it, or with a buyer if the business is ever sold.

How long we keep it

Orders, account and subscription records: for as long as you have an account with us, so your order history stays in your account. Tax law also requires us to keep order records for at least six years. If you ask us to close your account, we delete everything we're not required to keep.
Support messages: for as long as they help us answer you, then deleted.
Newsletter sign-ups: until you unsubscribe.
Cookies: as listed in the table below.

Your rights

Under UK data protection law you can ask us to:

give you a copy of the information we hold about you
correct anything that's wrong
delete your information, unless we have to keep it (for example for tax records)
stop or limit how we use it, including stopping marketing emails at any time
send your information to you or another company in a common format
withdraw any consent you've given

Email [email protected] and we'll reply within one month. There's no charge.

If you're unhappy with how we've handled your information, please tell us first so we can put it right. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.

Keeping it safe

The website runs over an encrypted connection, payments go straight to our payment providers, and access to customer information is limited to the people who need it to run the business.

Children

Our shop is for adults. We don't knowingly collect information from anyone under 18.

Cookies

Cookies are small files a website saves in your browser. Some are needed for the site to work, for example to keep items in your basket and keep you signed in. Others help us understand how the site is used or measure our advertising.

When you first visit, a banner asks which cookies you allow. Only the necessary ones are set until you choose. You can change your choice at any time with the cookie button in the bottom-left corner of every page.

The table below is kept up to date automatically from our cookie scanner and lists every cookie the site uses, grouped by type.

Changes to this policy

If we change how we use your information, we'll update this page and the date at the top. If a change affects you significantly, we'll email you first.