WESPA Privacy Policy

Who we are

The World English-language Scrabble® Players Association (WESPA) (“we”, “us” or “our”) is the data controller for personal data collected via our website and services. Website: https://wespa.org. General enquiries: info@wespa.org. Membership enquiries: membership@wespa.org.

What personal data we collect

We collect only what we need for legitimate purposes. This may include:

• Information you provide: name, email, contact details, country/association, membership profile, event registrations, communications you send us.
• Payment data: we use third-party payment processors (e.g. Stripe, PayPal). We do not store any billing information on our website. All payment transactions are processed securely through our authorised third-party payment providers. No card details, banking information, or payment credentials are retained on WESPA servers at any time.
• Automatically collected data: IP address, browser and device information, pages visited, timestamps and cookie identifiers.
• Third-party data: information from national associations, event organisers and other services necessary for membership, ratings and events.

How we use your data

We use personal data only for clear, limited purposes, including:

• Membership administration: processing applications, maintaining membership records and verifying association membership.
• Event and competition management: registration, results, ratings and contact about tournaments and courses.
• Communications: sending service messages, membership notices and optional newsletters (you may opt out).
• Security and legal compliance: fraud prevention, system security, legal obligations and dispute handling.

Legal basis for processing

Under UK GDPR and the GDPR, we rely on one or more of the following legal bases:

• Consent – where you have freely given consent (e.g. marketing communications).
• Contract – where processing is necessary to provide a service (e.g. membership or event registration).
• Legitimate interests – for organisational administration, rankings and improvement of services, subject to safeguards.
• Legal obligation – where the law requires retention or disclosure of information.

How long we keep your data

We keep personal data only as long as needed for the purpose collected or as required by law. Typical retention periods:

• Membership records: while a member plus up to 3 years.
• Ratings and tournament results: retained as historical records (may be retained permanently).
• Financial records: generally retained for 6 years for tax and audit purposes.
• Enquiries and support messages: retained for 12–24 months unless otherwise required.

Who we share data with

We do not sell personal data. We may share data with:

• WESPA executive officers and authorised committee members for legitimate administration;
• National Scrabble associations and tournament organisers for membership and event administration;
• Third-party service providers (hosting, payment processors, email delivery) under data-processing agreements;
• Legal or regulatory authorities where required by law or to protect rights and safety.

International transfers

WESPA is an international organisation. If personal data is transferred outside the UK or EEA we will ensure appropriate safeguards (for example, Standard Contractual Clauses or equivalent protections) are in place to protect your rights.

Cookies and tracking

This website uses limited cookies to ensure essential functions operate correctly and to help us understand how visitors use our site. Cookies are small text files stored by your browser when you access a webpage.

• Essential Cookies: Support core site functions such as sessions, preferences, and access to member areas.
• Analytics Cookies: Google Analytics helps us understand site usage through anonymous, aggregated data.
• Third-Party Cookies: Some embedded services may use their own cookies, governed by their policies.
• Your Choice: You may disable cookies in your browser, though this may affect certain features.

Your rights under GDPR

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: request a copy of personal data we hold about you;
• Rectification: ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
• Erasure: request deletion of data where lawful and appropriate;
• Restriction: ask us to restrict processing in specific circumstances;
• Objection: object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing;
• Portability: request your data in a structured, machine-readable format;
• Withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

To exercise any right, contact: info@wespa.org. We will respond in accordance with applicable law.

Security

We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data, including HTTPS, restricted access, secure hosting and regular backups. While we strive to protect your data, no system is completely secure; we will notify affected individuals and authorities of breaches where required by law.

Children

WESPA does not knowingly collect personal data from children under 16 without parental consent. Where youth details are provided by associations or guardians, we apply additional safeguards and limit usage to the purpose provided.

Third-party links

Our site contains links to external websites (e.g., event organisers). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties. Please review their policies before providing personal data.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy to reflect changes in law or how we operate. We will publish the revised policy on our website with a new “Last updated” date and, where appropriate, notify members of material changes.

Contact

If you have questions, complaints or wish to exercise your rights, contact our Data Protection Officer at info@wespa.org or write to:

If you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority (for example, the Information Commissioner’s Office in the UK).