Privacy Policy
Last Updated: 31 December 2025
Effective Date: 31 December 2025
Optima Prep Lab ("we," "our," "us") is committed to protecting your privacy and personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
This policy applies to all users of the Career Architect AI platform and services provided by Ricardo Quail and Emma-Jayne Perez Chies, trading as Optima Prep Lab, based in Kegworth, United Kingdom.
business Data Controller Information
Data Controller: Ricardo Quail & Emma-Jayne Perez Chies
Trading As: Optima Prep Lab
Location: Kegworth, United Kingdom
Contact Email: enquiries@optimapreplab.com
Website: www.optimapreplab.com
For data protection queries, please contact us at the email above with "Data Protection Query" in the subject line.
list Table of Contents
1. Information We Collect
1.1 Personal Information You Provide
When you use our services, we collect the following personal data:
- Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number
- Professional Information: Current job title, employer, salary range, years of experience, CV/resume content, LinkedIn profile (if provided)
- Career History: Previous roles, achievements, responsibilities, employment dates, education background
- Target Role Information: Job descriptions for up to 3 target roles, desired salary, sector preferences
- Payment Information: Billing address, payment card details (processed by third-party payment providers—we do not store full card details)
- Communication Data: Content of emails, chat messages with Virtual Coach, feedback, and correspondence with our support team
1.2 Information Automatically Collected
When you visit our website or use our platform, we automatically collect:
- Technical Data: IP address, browser type and version, time zone setting, browser plug-in types, operating system
- Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, clickstream data, referring website, downloads
- Device Data: Device type, unique device identifiers, mobile network information
- Location Data: Approximate geographic location based on IP address
1.3 Information from Third Parties
We may receive limited information from:
- Payment processors (transaction confirmations)
- Analytics providers (aggregated usage statistics)
- Publicly available sources (for market intelligence and validation, not linked to individual users)
2. How We Use Your Information
We use your personal data for the following purposes:
2.1 Service Delivery
- Generate your personalised 11-section career intelligence dossier
- Analyse your CV for ATS optimisation and scoring
- Conduct cross-sector intelligence analysis and market positioning
- Provide Critical Reflector validation and adversarial testing
- Deliver interview preparation materials and panel simulations
- Facilitate Virtual Coach interactions and Human Coaching sessions
- Generate salary negotiation guidance and market intelligence reports
2.2 Account Management & Communication
- Create and manage your user account
- Process payments and send purchase confirmations
- Respond to your inquiries and provide customer support
- Send service updates, delivery notifications, and important account information
- Administer our Service Guarantee program
2.3 Service Improvement & Analytics
- Improve our AI models and architectural specifications
- Analyse platform usage to enhance user experience
- Test and develop new features and methodologies
- Conduct quality assurance and debugging
- Generate anonymized, aggregated statistics (e.g., average satisfaction rates)
2.4 Marketing Communications (With Consent)
- Send information about new features, products, and promotions (you can opt-out anytime)
- Request feedback and testimonials
- Invite participation in beta programs or research studies
Note: You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe link in emails or by contacting us.
2.5 Legal Compliance & Security
- Comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests
- Enforce our Terms and Conditions
- Detect, prevent, and address fraud, security breaches, or technical issues
- Protect the rights, property, or safety of Optima Prep Lab, our users, or others
3. Legal Basis for Processing
Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. We rely on the following legal bases:
3.1 Contract Performance
Processing necessary to fulfill our contract with you (i.e., delivering the dossier and services you purchased).
3.2 Consent
Where you have given explicit consent (e.g., for marketing communications or optional features like testimonial requests).
3.3 Legitimate Interests
Processing necessary for our legitimate business interests (e.g., improving our services, fraud prevention, analytics) provided your rights and interests do not override these interests.
3.4 Legal Obligation
Processing required to comply with UK legal obligations (e.g., tax reporting, responding to lawful requests from authorities).
4. Third-Party Services & Data Sharing
Important Notice
We do NOT sell, rent, or trade your personal data to third parties for their marketing purposes.
We share your data only with the following categories of third parties:
4.1 AI Service Providers
Our platform uses AI engines from:
-
market-leading AI providers: For speed-focused analytical processing
Privacy: https://policies.google.com/privacy -
quality-focused AI: For quality-focused narrative refinement
Privacy: https://www.anthropic.com/privacy -
leading AI providers: For supplementary analysis tasks
Privacy: https://openai.com/privacy
These providers process your data solely to provide AI services to us. We have assessed their data protection practices and believe they maintain adequate safeguards. However, data may be processed on servers outside the UK (see Section 8).
4.2 Payment Processors
We use secure third-party payment processors to handle transactions. We do not store full payment card details—these are handled directly by PCI-DSS compliant payment providers.
4.3 Analytics & Hosting Services
We use analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics) to understand website usage. These tools collect anonymized or pseudonymized data. We also use cloud hosting services to store and deliver our platform.
4.4 Legal & Regulatory Authorities
We may disclose your data if required by law, court order, or to comply with legal processes, or to protect our rights, safety, or property.
4.5 Business Transfers
In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may be transferred to the acquiring entity, subject to the same privacy protections outlined in this policy.
5. Data Retention
We retain your personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy:
- Account Data: Retained while your account is active and for 2 years after account closure (to allow for reactivation and comply with legal obligations).
- Dossier Content: Retained for 3 years to support our Service Guarantee and allow for reruns.
- Payment Records: Retained for 7 years to comply with UK tax and accounting regulations.
- Communication Logs: Retained for 2 years for customer support and dispute resolution purposes.
- Marketing Consent: Retained until you withdraw consent or request deletion.
- Anonymized Data: May be retained indefinitely for statistical analysis and service improvement (cannot identify you personally).
After the retention period expires, we securely delete or anonymize your data. You may request earlier deletion subject to our legal obligations (see Section 6).
6. Your Rights Under UK GDPR
Your Data Protection Rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data. These rights are free of charge (except in cases of excessive or unfounded requests).
visibility 6.1 Right to Access
You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you. We will provide this within 30 days in a commonly used electronic format.
edit 6.2 Right to Rectification
You can request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data. We will update your information promptly.
delete 6.3 Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten")
You can request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances:
- The data is no longer necessary for the purposes collected
- You withdraw consent (where consent was the legal basis)
- You object to processing and there are no overriding legitimate grounds
- The data was unlawfully processed
Note: We may retain certain data if required by law (e.g., financial records for tax purposes).
block 6.4 Right to Restrict Processing
You can request that we stop processing your data (but not delete it) in certain situations, such as while we verify data accuracy or assess your objection to processing.
download 6.5 Right to Data Portability
You can request a machine-readable copy of your personal data to transfer to another service provider (applies to data processed by automated means based on consent or contract).
cancel 6.6 Right to Object
You can object to:
- Processing based on legitimate interests
- Direct marketing communications (we will stop immediately)
- Automated decision-making or profiling
close 6.7 Right to Withdraw Consent
Where processing is based on your consent, you can withdraw consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.
How to Exercise Your Rights
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at:
Email: enquiries@optimapreplab.com
We will respond within 30 days. We may request verification of your identity before processing requests.
Right to Complain
If you believe we have not handled your data properly, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK's supervisory authority:
Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
Website: https://ico.org.uk
Helpline: 0303 123 1113
7. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.
7.1 Security Measures Include:
- Encryption: Data transmitted to and from our platform is encrypted using SSL/TLS protocols
- Access Controls: Limited access to personal data on a need-to-know basis with authentication requirements
- Secure Storage: Data stored on secure servers with regular backups
- Regular Audits: Periodic security assessments and vulnerability testing
- Staff Training: Our team is trained on data protection best practices
- Incident Response: Procedures in place to detect, report, and respond to data breaches
Important Security Notice
While we implement robust security measures, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we continually work to maintain the highest standards of data protection.
7.2 Data Breach Notification:
In the event of a data breach that poses a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify you and the ICO within 72 hours as required by UK GDPR.
8. International Data Transfers
Our AI service providers (Google, leading AI providers, Anthropic) may process data on servers located outside the United Kingdom, including in the United States.
Safeguards for International Transfers
When transferring data internationally, we ensure adequate protection through:
- Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs): Approved by the UK ICO for data transfers
- Adequacy Decisions: Transfers to countries deemed to provide adequate data protection
- Provider Assessments: We evaluate our third-party providers' data protection practices
For more information about the safeguards we use for international transfers, please contact us at enquiries@optimapreplab.com.
9. Cookies & Tracking Technologies
9.1 What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit our website. They help us provide and improve our services.
9.2 Types of Cookies We Use:
Essential Cookies (Required)
Enable core functionality like secure login and account management. Cannot be disabled.
Performance Cookies (Optional)
Help us understand how visitors use our website (e.g., Google Analytics). These are anonymized and used only for improvement.
Functional Cookies (Optional)
Remember your preferences and settings to provide a personalised experience.
9.3 Cookie Management:
You can control cookies through:
- Our cookie consent banner (displayed on first visit)
- Your browser settings (most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies)
Note: Disabling essential cookies may prevent access to certain platform features.
9.4 Third-Party Analytics:
We use Google Analytics to analyse website usage. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect anonymized data. You can opt out using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
10. Children's Privacy
Age Restriction
Our services are designed for professionals and are not intended for individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 18.
If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected data from a child under 18, we will delete it immediately. If you believe we have collected data from a child, please contact us at enquiries@optimapreplab.com.
11. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors.
11.1 Notification of Changes:
- The "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy will be revised
- For material changes, we will provide prominent notice on our website or send email notification
- Continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy
11.2 Review Policy:
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your data.
12. How to Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:
Data Protection Contact
Data Controller: Ricardo Quail & Emma-Jayne Perez Chies
Trading As: Optima Prep Lab
Email: enquiries@optimapreplab.com
Subject Line for Data Queries: "Data Protection Query"
Website: www.optimapreplab.com
We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days. For urgent data protection matters, please mark your email as "Urgent."
Our Commitment to Your Privacy
At Optima Prep Lab, protecting your personal data is a core responsibility. We are committed to transparency, security, and compliance with UK data protection laws. Your trust is essential to our mission of providing career intelligence that helps professionals succeed.
Last Updated: 31 December 2025 | Version: 1.0 (UK GDPR Compliant)
Questions About Your Data?
We are committed to transparency and protecting your privacy. Contact us for any data protection concerns.