Privacy Policy - Removal Company Stockwell

This Privacy Policy explains how Removal Company Stockwell collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing removal and related services. It applies to all Removal Company Stockwell customers in the area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and businesses that enquire about, book, or receive our services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to anyone who interacts with us in connection with our services, whether you are a current customer, a prospective customer, or someone acting on behalf of another person. It covers information collected through enquiries, bookings, service delivery, aftercare, complaints, and administrative operations. By using our services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this policy.

2. Information we collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary for providing removal services and managing our business. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name, title, and, where relevant, the name of a business or organisation.
Contact details such as phone number, email address, and service address.
Service information such as move date, inventory details, access requirements, property type, packing needs, and delivery instructions.
Payment and billing details such as invoices, payment status, and transaction records.
Communication records including enquiries, complaints, feedback, and service-related correspondence.
Technical data such as basic website or device information if you use digital services connected to us.
Special category data only where you voluntarily provide it and it is necessary for a specific service requirement, for example access needs or health-related moving considerations. We will only process this where permitted by law.

We do not seek to collect unnecessary personal data. Where possible, we ask you to provide only the information needed to arrange and carry out the service safely and effectively.

3. How we use personal data

We use personal data for legitimate business and service purposes, including to:

Respond to enquiries and provide quotes.
Manage bookings and schedule removal services.
Perform the move, packing, loading, transport, and delivery.
Maintain accurate customer and transaction records.
Process payments and issue invoices.
Communicate service updates, changes, or issues.
Handle complaints, claims, and aftercare requests.
Improve service quality, training, and internal operations.
Meet legal, tax, accounting, and insurance obligations.

We will not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with those described here unless required or permitted by law.

4. Lawful basis for processing

We process personal data only where we have a lawful basis under data protection law. Depending on the circumstance, we rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes arranging quotations, confirming bookings, delivering removal services, and managing payment.

Legal obligation

We may process data when required to comply with legal obligations such as accounting, tax, health and safety, fraud prevention, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate interests

We may process data for our legitimate interests where these are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This can include service improvement, business administration, customer support, and the prevention of misuse or fraud.

Consent

Where consent is required, such as for certain optional communications or the processing of particularly sensitive information not covered by another lawful basis, we will obtain it clearly and you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Data sharing and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as processors on our behalf. These processors only handle data according to our instructions and for the purposes stated in this policy. Examples may include:

Payment processors for handling transactions.
Accounting or bookkeeping providers for financial administration.
IT and cloud storage providers for secure data hosting and system support.
Communication service providers for email, messaging, and notifications.
Insurance or claims-related service providers where needed to deal with incidents.
Professional advisers such as auditors, legal advisers, or tax advisers.

We may also share information where required by law, to protect our rights, to prevent fraud, or to support a service request made by you. We do not sell personal data.

6. International transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect it. These may include adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections. We will take reasonable steps to make sure the data remains protected to the required standard.

7. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as it is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. The retention period may vary depending on the type of record and the context in which it was collected.

Customer and service records are generally retained for the period needed to manage the service and any related claims.
Financial records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Communication records may be retained for a reasonable period to resolve disputes, improve service, or maintain evidence of instructions.
Technical and operational logs are kept only as long as needed for security, troubleshooting, and system administration.

When data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in a safe manner.

8. Data security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from accidental loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, restricted permissions, encryption where appropriate, and staff training. While no system can be completely secure, we work to maintain a level of protection that is appropriate to the risk.

9. Your rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be limited in some cases, but we will always assess each request carefully. Your rights may include:

Right of access – to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – to ask us to delete your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restrict processing – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – to request your data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your data rights have not been respected. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve any issue promptly and fairly.

10. Children’s data

Our services are generally directed to adults arranging removal services. We do not intentionally collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in a family or household context and only with appropriate lawful basis and safeguards.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data handling practices. Any updated version will take effect once published or otherwise communicated. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your data.

12. Summary of our approach

We only process personal data where there is a clear lawful basis, we keep it no longer than necessary, and we limit access to trusted processors and authorised personnel. Our aim is to provide a reliable removal service while respecting privacy, transparency, and data protection rights. If you are a customer of Removal Company Stockwell in the area, this policy explains how your information is handled from first enquiry through to completion and record keeping.

Removal Company Stockwell is committed to maintaining trust through responsible data handling and compliance with GDPR principles such as minimisation, purpose limitation, accuracy, storage limitation, integrity, and confidentiality.