Marketing is governed by The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) and Data Protection Act 2018 (GDPR), we follow the Information Commissioners’ Guidance.
Soft Opt-in Marketing
Soft opt-in enables us to send direct marketing emails to you without the need for prior explicit consent. Where we have collected information as part of any transactions of a sale or services when you have engaged with us. We will market to you like-for-like products and services only. We will not send marketing emails for products and services relating to third parties or where you have unsubscribed from this marketing activity.
Legal Basis of Processing Soft Opt-In, (SOI)
Data Controllers Legitimate Interest
Is where we may send marketing emails to customers using your information that we gather when you visit our website to book a ticket or show an interest in one of our products or services. This is to enable our company to identify what potential or actual customers are seeking as a product or service, to assist in our marketing planning activities and in the development of our current and future products and services.
Direct Marketing - Positive Opt-In (Consent)
Direct marketing consists of any marketing that relies on direct communication or distribution to people, rather than through a third party such as mass media. Mail, email, social media, and texting campaigns are among the delivery systems used.
Legal Basis of Processing
National Express and its Affiliates as a group of Data Controllers can rely on the Data Protection Act 2018 (UK GDPR), to record the legal basis for processing personal data for the purposes of marketing. Not only do we rely on Soft Opt-In but we use the lawful grounds to apply when a customer has positively opted-in (Positive Opt-In Consent) to marketing under Article 6, para.1, (a). This remains in place for customers who have used this method to consent to marketing
Where we, National Express, apply our Legitimate Interest as set out under Article 6 para.1, (f) for Soft Opt-In, our legitimate interest is to keep you informed on our products, services and to support our planning and development services for our existing, new and potential customers. To inform you about new, revised or upcoming products/services and to suggest certain products/services to you on a like-for-like basis. National Express promises to be open and transparent in all of our marketing communications. You can object to the use of your email address for this purpose at any time by using the “No” button on the transaction page, using the unsubscribe link within the communication you have received, or by going to your preferences on your My Account on the National Express website or the App.
To qualify in the context of Soft Opt-In, you do not need to have actually purchased something from our company or from any of our Affiliates. It can be applied when you/we are negotiating a sale which may have occurred, meaning you must have actively expressed an interest in making a purchase and an interest in our products and services. It could be when you have been contacted asking for a quote, price of a ticket, asking for details about a product or service, and/or simply providing your personal information. National Express will not use Soft Opt-In when you show no intent to buy any of our products and services and it will not use Soft Opt-in when a person is browsing our websites. We will not use your information for the purposes of Soft Opt-In if you have unsubscribed or said “No”.
Our Data Protection Officer, (DPO) can be contacted at any time if you have any questions or if you want to exercise any of your rights under the Data Protection Act 2018, (UK GDPR) by emailing data.protection@nationalexpress.com.
The Data Protection Officer: “You can review, alongside this notice, our full privacy notice by clicking this link. I and my team are here to help and support your privacy needs - if you need further support contact me by emailing data.protection@nationalexpress.com.”
