Privacy Policy - Removals Acton

This Privacy Policy explains how Removals Acton collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with our moving, relocation, packing, storage, and related removal services. It applies to all Removals Acton customers in the area, including individuals, families, landlords, tenants, and businesses that use our services or make enquiries about them.

We are committed to processing personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. We only collect data that is relevant and necessary for providing our services, managing our business, meeting legal obligations, and improving customer experience.

1. Data We Collect

We may collect and process different types of personal data depending on how you interact with us and the services you request. This may include:

Identity information such as your name, title, and, where relevant, the name of your business or organisation.
Contact details such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information including move details, property access information, inventory lists, special handling requirements, delivery dates, and preferred time slots.
Transaction information such as payment records, invoices, and billing history.
Communication records including emails, messages, call notes, complaints, and feedback.
Technical data such as IP address, browser type, device information, and basic usage data if you interact with our digital systems.
Special category data only where necessary and lawfully permitted, for example, information relating to accessibility needs or health-related access considerations that affect your move.

We do not intentionally collect more information than we need. Where you provide details about third parties, such as family members, tenants, landlords, or business contacts, you should ensure that you have the right to share that information with us.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and respond to enquiries.
To plan, arrange, and deliver removal and related services.
To communicate with you about your booking, schedule changes, or service updates.
To process payments, issue invoices, and manage accounts.
To manage customer support, complaints, claims, and service queries.
To meet legal, accounting, tax, and insurance obligations.
To protect our business, staff, customers, and property from fraud, misuse, or other unlawful activity.
To maintain accurate records and improve our operations, training, and service quality.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for a compatible purpose or are required to do so by law.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

We rely on the following lawful bases under data protection law:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes, arranging services, completing a move, processing payment, and responding to requests directly linked to the service.

Legal Obligation

We may process data to comply with legal duties, including record-keeping, tax requirements, regulatory obligations, and responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include service administration, internal record management, quality control, fraud prevention, and business improvement.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where additional optional data is required or where we use special category data without another available legal basis. You may withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.

Vital Interests

In rare cases, we may process data where necessary to protect someone???s vital interests, such as in an emergency involving health or safety.

4. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, insurance, and reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the reason it is held.

Typically, service records, invoices, and related business documents are retained for a period that allows us to satisfy statutory requirements and handle any disputes, claims, or audit needs. Communication records may be retained for as long as needed to manage customer service and resolve issues. Once data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention practices.

Where data is no longer necessary, we aim to ensure it is disposed of safely and responsibly. Retention periods are reviewed periodically to ensure they remain appropriate.

5. Sharing Personal Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to deliver our services or operate our business. These third parties may act as processors on our behalf or as independent controllers in their own right.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

IT and cloud storage providers that host or secure our systems.
Accounting and invoicing software providers.
Customer communication platforms used for service administration.
Payment service providers that process transactions securely.
Professional advisers such as legal, insurance, or audit partners where relevant.

Where we engage processors, they are only permitted to process personal data on our instructions and must take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it. We ensure that suitable contracts are in place with such providers.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, court order, regulatory authority, or to protect our rights, safety, or property. We do not sell your personal data.

6. Data Security

We use appropriate measures to help protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and restricted handling of personal information. While we work to safeguard data, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and users should also take care when sharing personal information.

7. Your Rights Under GDPR

As a data subject, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to certain legal limits and exemptions.

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

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will assess your request in accordance with applicable law and respond within the required timeframe. We may need to verify your identity before responding to ensure your data remains protected.

8. Children???s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where necessary in the context of a household move and only with appropriate care and lawful justification. If we become aware that we have received information collected without a valid basis, we will take steps to delete it where appropriate.

9. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect it in accordance with data protection law. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or how we process data. Any updated version will apply from the time it is issued. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their personal data is handled.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Removals Acton is committed to handling personal data with care, transparency, and respect. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and lawful purposes, keep it only as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or where required by law. We also recognise and respect your rights under data protection law.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Removals Acton customers in the area and is intended to provide clear information about how personal data is handled throughout the customer journey.