Last updated: 4 August 2026
WHO WE ARE
Forensic Vehicle Inspection Consultants, operated by James Carswell, provides independent forensic vehicle, machinery and specialist-equipment investigation services.
We are responsible for deciding how and why personal information is used for the services described in this policy.
Contact details:
Email: hello@forensicvehicleinspectionconsultants.com
Telephone: 01244 445 196
INFORMATION WE MAY COLLECT
Depending upon the enquiry or instruction, we may collect:
• Names and contact details, including addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses.
• Account usernames and secure-portal information.
• Details about vehicles, machinery or equipment, including registration numbers, VIN or serial numbers, mileage, condition and repair history.
• Enquiry details, instructions, correspondence and secure messages.
• Reports, photographs, videos, invoices, estimates, diagnostic records and other evidence.
• Information supplied by clients, vehicle owners, engineers, finance companies, warranty providers, insurers, dealerships, repairers, solicitors or other relevant parties.
• Publicly available information, including MOT history and vehicle records.
• Technical and security information, such as IP addresses, login records and browser information.
Please do not provide personal information that is not relevant to the enquiry or investigation.
HOW WE USE PERSONAL INFORMATION
We may use personal information to:
• Respond to enquiries and verify instructions.
• Create and manage secure portal accounts.
• Arrange and conduct inspections and investigations.
• Allocate work to appropriately qualified engineers.
• Prepare, review, store and deliver reports and supporting evidence.
• Communicate with clients, engineers and other authorised parties.
• Prepare invoices, administer payments and maintain accounting records.
• Establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
• Comply with court orders, regulatory requirements and other legal obligations.
• Protect the security and proper operation of our website, portal and business systems.
LAWFUL BASES
We use personal information where necessary:
• To take steps before entering into a contract or to perform a contract.
• To comply with a legal obligation.
• For our legitimate interests in providing, administering and protecting our professional inspection and investigation services, provided those interests are not overridden by an individual’s rights.
• To establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
Where consent is the appropriate lawful basis, it may be withdrawn by contacting us. Withdrawal will not affect processing that was lawful before consent was withdrawn.
WHERE INFORMATION COMES FROM
Information may be provided directly by the individual concerned.
We may also receive information from an instructing client, finance company, warranty provider, insurer, dealership, repairer, engineer, solicitor, representative or other party involved in the matter.
We may obtain relevant information from public records and vehicle-history sources.
WHO WE MAY SHARE INFORMATION WITH
Information is only shared where necessary and appropriate. Recipients may include:
• The person or organisation instructing us.
• The engineer or specialist assigned to the matter.
• Authorised clients and portal users.
• Solicitors, professional advisers, courts, tribunals, regulators or law-enforcement bodies where required or justified.
• Finance companies, warranty providers, insurers, dealerships and repairers where relevant to the instruction.
• Website hosting, email, secure-storage, accounting and other technology providers supporting our business.
We do not sell personal information.
SECURE PORTAL AND DOCUMENTS
Reports, evidence, messages and other documents may be made available through our secure portal.
Users are responsible for keeping their login details confidential and must not share or download information unless they are authorised to do so.
If you believe an account or document has been accessed improperly, please contact us immediately.
INTERNATIONAL DATA TRANSFERS
Some technology providers may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where this occurs, we require appropriate safeguards or rely upon another lawful transfer mechanism recognised under UK data-protection law.
HOW LONG WE KEEP INFORMATION
We retain information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected and to meet professional, contractual, accounting, insurance and legal requirements.
Inspection reports, supporting evidence, correspondence and financial records may normally be retained for up to six years after completion of the matter. Information may be retained for longer where a complaint, dispute, court case or legal obligation requires this.
Unsuccessful or uncompleted enquiries may be deleted sooner when they are no longer required.
SECURITY
We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information. These include restricted access, secure user accounts and protected document storage.
No internet-based service is completely risk-free. Users should notify us immediately if they suspect unauthorised access or disclosure.
COOKIES
The website and secure portal may use cookies that are necessary for login, security, session management and correct operation.
You can control cookies through your browser settings, although blocking necessary cookies may prevent the secure portal from working correctly.
YOUR DATA-PROTECTION RIGHTS
Depending upon the circumstances, you may have the right to:
• Ask for access to your personal information.
• Ask for inaccurate information to be corrected.
• Ask for information to be erased.
• Ask us to restrict the use of information.
• Object to particular uses of information.
• Ask for certain information to be transferred to another organisation.
• Withdraw consent where processing is based upon consent.
These rights are not absolute, and legal or professional record-keeping requirements may sometimes prevent us from complying fully with a request.
To exercise a right, contact:
hello@forensicvehicleinspectionconsultants.com
We may need to verify your identity before dealing with a request.
COMPLAINTS
Please contact us first if you have concerns about how personal information has been handled.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Website: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
CHANGES TO THIS POLICY
We may update this policy when our services, systems or legal obligations change. The latest version will be published on this website.