Privacy Policy

Last updated: 26.09.26

1. Who we are

Tectonic Maps is a sole trader business based in Bristol, UK. We design and 3D print custom topographic route maps. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal data when you use our website at tectonicmaps.com or place an order with us.

The legal name and full business address of the sole trader behind Tectonic Maps are provided on order confirmations and invoices, and are available on request by emailing [email protected].

Data controller contact: [email protected].

2. What data we collect

• Order information: name, email, postal address, postcode, the GPX file you upload, map title, and any personal message you choose to include.
• Business orders: the logo you upload for your maps or gift cards, kept with your order.
• Gift card recipients: if a business asks us to email its customers their gift cards, the names and email addresses it gives us, used only to send each person their card.
• Business quote requests: if you use the form on our business page, your name, company, email, website, the routes and files you send (such as GPX files and your logo) and your message, used only to reply to you and prepare your quote.
• Payment data: processed by PayPal — we do not store card details on our servers.
• Technical data: IP address, browser type, and basic usage logs collected by Cloudflare for site security and performance.
• How you found us: your answer to the optional “How did you hear about us?” question at checkout, and the website or advert link that brought you to us (for example “instagram.com”), saved with your order.
• Anonymous visit counts: which steps a visit reached (page viewed, route uploaded, preview built, added to cart, checkout started, order placed), the website or advert link it came from, and the country it came from. The country is looked up from your IP address on our own server, and only the country is kept. So that we can count how many different people visit, your IP address and browser name are also turned into a short code that is mixed with a random value replaced every day and then destroyed, so the code cannot be traced back to you or linked from one day to the next. Your IP address itself is never stored. While a page is open it also checks in once a minute with how many maps are in the basket, so we can see how many people are on the site right now; this is held for a few minutes and never saved. These counts contain no name, IP address or cookie and cannot identify you.
• Analytics and advertising cookies — only if you accept them: see Cookies below.

3. Why we collect it

• To fulfil your order and ship your map.
• To send order confirmation and shipping updates.
• To respond to questions you send via email or our contact form.
• To keep the website running, secure, and free from abuse.
• To understand how people find us and whether our advertising works.

4. Lawful basis

We process your data on the basis of contract (to fulfil your order) and legitimate interests (to keep our service running and prevent fraud). The anonymous visit counts and how you found us are kept on the basis of legitimate interests (understanding which of our efforts bring customers). Analytics and advertising cookies are used only with your consent, which you can withdraw at any time. We do not use your data for marketing without your explicit opt-in consent.

5. Who we share data with

• PayPal — to process payment.
• Cloudflare — to host and protect the website.
• Royal Mail / shipping carrier — to deliver your order.
• Zoho Mail — to send order confirmation emails.
• Google (Google Analytics) and Meta (Facebook and Instagram) — only if you accept analytics and advertising cookies, to measure visits and the results of our adverts. Meta may use this to show you our adverts on Facebook and Instagram.

Some of these providers (e.g. PayPal, Cloudflare, Zoho) may process data outside the UK. Where this happens, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or UK adequacy decisions.

We never sell your data to third parties.

6. How long we keep it

We keep different things for different lengths of time, and delete each as soon as we no longer need it.

• Your route file and map artwork (the GPX, FIT, TCX or KML you upload, the printed background, and the 3D model): deleted 30 days after your order is completed (or dispatched). We keep them that long only so we can reprint or resolve a problem with your order.
• Route files uploaded but never ordered: deleted automatically after 48 hours.
• Your name, email address, delivery address, dedication message and parcel tracking number: removed 90 days after your order is completed (or dispatched), once the returns window and any queries have passed.
• The order record itself (order number, date, amount paid, map title): kept for 7 years to comply with UK accounting and tax law, then deleted. After anonymisation this no longer identifies you.

Gift card recipients' names and email addresses are removed 90 days after the cards have been sent. The gift card codes themselves are kept until they expire, so they can be redeemed.

Business quote requests (and any files sent with them) are deleted 12 months after we receive them, unless they become an order.

Anonymous visit counts are deleted after about 13 months.

We are conscious that a route file can show where you live, since many routes start and finish at home. That is why it is the first thing we delete.

You can request deletion of any data not subject to the 7-year accounting requirement at any time.

7. Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal data, restrict or object to processing, and lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk). To exercise any of these rights, email [email protected].

8. Cookies

Essential: a small amount of storage in your browser to make the site work (for example your shopping cart and your cookie choice), and cookies set by Cloudflare for site security and bot protection. These are always on.

Analytics and advertising — only if you click Accept:

• Google Analytics (cookies named _ga and _ga_…, kept up to 2 years): counts visits and how people use the site.
• Meta Pixel (a cookie named _fbp, kept up to 3 months): tells us whether visits and orders came from our Facebook and Instagram adverts.

None of these load until you accept, and nothing changes if you reject them. Under “Choose” you can allow Google Analytics and the Meta Pixel separately. You can change your choice at any time with the Cookie settings link at the bottom of every page.

9. Changes to this policy

If we make material changes we'll update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. The current version is always available at this URL.