Privacy Policy

Last updated: February 2026

1. Who We Are

The First Contact is a UK-based virtual landline and call answering service. We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal data.

Data controller: The First Contact, England and Wales.
Contact: [email protected]

2. What Data We Collect

Account data (from you when you sign up):

• Your name and business name
• Your mobile number and email address
• Your chosen UK area code
• Payment information (processed by Stripe — we never see your card details)

Call data (from your callers):

• Caller phone number
• Caller name (as provided to our answering service)
• Reason for calling and urgency level
• Call recordings (audio)
• Call transcripts
• Timestamps and call duration

3. How We Use Your Data

• To provide the call answering and forwarding service
• To send you SMS notifications with caller details
• To send service emails (welcome, billing, trial expiry)
• To process payments via Stripe
• To improve the service quality

We do not sell your data to third parties. We do not use your data for advertising.

4. Data Retention

• Call recordings: deleted after 30 days
• Call transcripts: deleted after 90 days
• Account data: retained while your account is active and for 12 months after closure
• Billing records: retained for 7 years (UK legal requirement)

5. Where Data Is Stored

All data is stored on UK or EU-based servers. Our third-party providers who may process data include:

• Twilio — call routing and SMS (UK/EU infrastructure)
• Stripe — payment processing (compliant with UK GDPR)
• VAPI — AI voice processing (data processed and deleted per call)

6. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate data
• Request deletion of your data
• Object to processing of your data
• Data portability

To exercise any of these rights, email [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.

7. Cookies

Our website uses only essential cookies required for the site to function. We do not use tracking or advertising cookies.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will notify you by email of any material changes. The current version is always available at thefirstcontact.co.uk/privacy.html

9. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle your data, you can contact the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or call 0303 123 1113.