Last Updated: 24 October 2025

This Privacy Policy explains how Astute Digital Solutions Ltd (“we”, “us”, or “our”) collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when you access or use Ref-n-Write via our website, desktop applications, Microsoft Word plugin, Google Docs plugin, or related services, including plagiarism and AI detection reports (collectively, the “Services”).

We are committed to protecting your privacy and processing personal data transparently, lawfully, and securely in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the EU GDPR, and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Data Controller

Astute Digital Solutions Ltd is the data controller responsible for your personal data.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following types of personal information:

2.1. Information You Provide to Us

When you use our Website or purchase our services, you may provide:

  • Personal Identification Data: Name, email address, billing address, and contact details.
  • Account Information: Login credentials (username and password).
  • Payment Information: Payment card details (processed securely via third-party payment gateways; we do not store full payment card data).
  • Content and Files: Documents or text you upload for analysis through our tools.

2.2. Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our Website, we may automatically collect:

  • Technical Data: IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, and referring URLs.
  • Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent, and interactions on our Website.
  • Cookies and Tracking Technologies: Used to enhance user experience and analyze website performance. See our Cookie Policy for details.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your data for the following lawful purposes:

Purpose

Type of Data

Lawful Basis

To provide and improve our services

Personal, Technical, Usage Data

Performance of a contract

To process payments and manage billing

Payment and Account Data

Performance of a contract

To communicate with you (support, updates, etc.)

Contact Information

Legitimate interest / Contract

To analyze usage and improve the Website

Technical and Usage Data

Legitimate interest

To comply with legal obligations

Any relevant data

Legal obligation

To send marketing communications (with your consent)

Contact Information

Consent

4. Data Storage and Retention

We store your personal data securely on servers located within the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area (EEA). We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to:

  • Fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy,
  • Comply with legal and accounting requirements, or
  • Resolve disputes.

Data related to user accounts and uploaded documents may be deleted upon your request or after a defined retention period (see Section 9).

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. However, we may share data with trusted third parties when necessary, such as:

  • Payment Processors (for secure transactions)
  • Cloud Hosting Providers (for data storage and backup)
  • Analytics Services (e.g., Google Analytics, to improve user experience)
  • Legal or Regulatory Authorities (if required by law)

All third parties are contractually obligated to process your data securely and only for the purposes specified by us.

6. International Data Transfers

If we transfer data outside the UK or EEA, we ensure adequate safeguards such as:

  • The country has been deemed to provide an adequate level of data protection by the UK/EU; or
  • Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission or UK ICO are in place.

7. Data Security

We implement robust technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including:

  • Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/SSL) and at rest
  • Secure firewalls and intrusion detection systems
  • Regular vulnerability assessments and data access audits
  • Limited access to personal data (authorized personnel only)

Despite our efforts, no online transmission is completely secure. You share data at your own risk, but we strive to protect it with industry best practices.

8. Your Rights Under GDPR

You have the following rights under UK and EU data protection laws:

  • Right of Access – Request a copy of your personal data.
  • Right to Rectification – Request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete data.
  • Right to Erasure – Request deletion of your personal data (“right to be forgotten”).
  • Right to Restrict Processing – Request limitation of data processing.
  • Right to Data Portability – Request data in a structured, commonly used format.
  • Right to Object – Object to data processing for marketing or legitimate interests.
  • Right to Withdraw Consent – Withdraw consent at any time when processing is based on consent.

You may exercise your rights by contacting us at: contact@ref-n-write.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days, in accordance with GDPR requirements. If you are unsatisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at https://ico.org.uk/

9. Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to ensure the Website functions properly, remember user preferences, and improve our services. Strictly necessary cookies are enabled by default, while optional cookies are blocked unless you provide consent. You can manage or withdraw your preferences at any time using the cookie icon on the Website or through your browser settings.

A) Store (One-Click Checkout)

Session cookies are stored for 30 minutes to enable one-click checkout and order processing. [https://www.ref-n-write.com/store]

Name

Type

Purpose

Duration

Category

customer_duration

Cookie

Enables one-click checkout by maintaining customer license subscription duration

30 minutes

Strictly necessary

customer_expiry

Cookie

Stores checkout session expiry information

30 minutes

Strictly necessary

customer_firstname

Cookie

Stores customer first name during checkout

30 minutes

Strictly necessary

customer_lastname

Cookie

Stores customer last name during checkout

30 minutes

Strictly necessary

customer_email

Cookie

Stores customer email during checkout

30 minutes

Strictly necessary

customer_adsource

Cookie

Identifies the source of customer acquisition for order processing

30 minutes

Strictly necessary

customer_company

Cookie

Stores company name provided during checkout

30 minutes

Strictly necessary

customer_country

Cookie

Stores customer country for checkout and billing

30 minutes

Strictly necessary

customer_optout

Cookie

Stores customer communication preference

30 minutes

Strictly necessary

customer_hash

Cookie

Stores a hashed identifier for session validation

30 minutes

Strictly necessary

customer_jobtype

Cookie

Stores job type selected during checkout

30 minutes

Strictly necessary

customer_os

Cookie

Stores operating system information for compatibility

30 minutes

Strictly necessary

customer_referral

Cookie

Stores referral information for order context

30 minutes

Strictly necessary

customer_specify

Cookie

Stores additional checkout information

30 minutes

Strictly necessary

customer_type

Cookie

Stores customer type (subscription type)

30 minutes

Strictly necessary

customer_voucher

Cookie

Stores applied voucher or discount code

30 minutes

Strictly necessary

B) Plagiarism Checker

Session cookies are stored for 1 hour to avoid repeated authentication when viewing reports.[https://plagiarism.ref-n-write.com/]

Name

Type

Purpose

Duration

Category

rnw_email

Cookie

Verifies report access without repeated login

1 hour

Strictly necessary

rnw_scan_id

Cookie

Identifies plagiarism report

1 hour

Strictly necessary

C) Web Application

Session cookies are stored for 1 hour to maintain authenticated access. [https://app.ref-n-write.com/]

Name

Type

Purpose

Duration

Category

rnw_email

Cookie

Maintains authenticated session

1 hour

Strictly necessary

rnw_license

Cookie

Validates active license

1 hour

Strictly necessary

rnw_status

Cookie

Stores authentication status

1 hour

Strictly necessary

D) Local Storage

We also use browser local storage to remember login details for convenience.

Name

Type

Purpose

Category

refnwrite_email

Local Storage

Remembers login email

Strictly necessary

refnwrite_license

Local Storage

Remembers license details

Strictly necessary

Our Website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for their privacy practices. We encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing any personal data.

11. Children’s Privacy

Our services are not intended for individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If we learn that a minor’s information has been collected, we will delete it promptly.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect legal or operational changes. The latest version will always be posted on this page with an updated “Last Updated” date.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact:

Astute Digital Solutions Ltd
Email: contact@ref-n-write.com
Address: 6, Exeter Place, Gloucester Road, Guildford, GU2 9TQ, United Kingdom

Summary

  • We collect personal and technical data to provide our services.
  • We protect your information using encryption and secure servers.
  • We do not sell your data.
  • You have full rights to access, correct, delete, or restrict your data under GDPR.