Privacy Policy - Removal Companies Shoreditch

This Privacy Policy explains how Removal Companies Shoreditch handles personal data for customers, prospective customers, and service users in the Shoreditch area. It applies to all Removal Companies Shoreditch customers in the area, whether services are booked for home removals, office relocations, packing, storage coordination, or related moving support. We are committed to protecting personal data and processing it in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and other applicable privacy laws.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, the relevant removal company or companies operating under the name Removal Companies Shoreditch act as the data controller for the personal data collected and used in connection with our services. This means we decide why and how your personal data is processed when you enquire about, book, or receive removal services.

We take privacy seriously and aim to ensure that all personal data is handled lawfully, fairly, and transparently. We only collect data that is relevant and necessary for the services we provide, and we keep it only for as long as needed for those purposes.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

Identity data such as your name, title, and, where relevant, business name.
Contact data such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Service data such as moving date, property access details, inventory lists, room information, packing requirements, and delivery instructions.
Payment and transaction data such as billing details, payment status, and records of services purchased.
Communication data such as messages, call notes, emails, and complaints or feedback you provide.
Technical data such as IP address, device information, browser type, and cookie-related information if you use our online systems.
Special category data only where necessary and only if you provide it to us, for example information about mobility, access needs, or health-related requirements that affect the moving service.

We do not intentionally collect more data than is needed. If you choose to share additional details, we will only use them where lawful and relevant to your move or enquiry.

3. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations and respond to enquiries;
to assess the work required for your removal or relocation;
to book, plan, and carry out removal services;
to manage payments, invoices, and records;
to communicate about schedules, access, and service updates;
to handle complaints, disputes, and customer support requests;
to maintain business and legal records;
to improve our services, safety procedures, and customer experience;
to meet legal, regulatory, tax, and insurance obligations.

We may also use data in a de-identified or aggregated form for internal reporting and service improvement. Where possible, we use the least amount of information needed for each purpose.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis before processing personal data. Depending on the purpose, we rely on one or more of the following:

Performance of a Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to provide a quote, arrange your booking, or carry out the removal or related service you have requested. This includes planning, communication, billing, and fulfilment of service requirements.

Legal Obligation

We process some data to comply with legal and regulatory duties, including tax records, accounting rules, insurance requirements, and health and safety obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing business operations, preventing fraud, maintaining security, improving services, and dealing with customer service issues.

Consent

Where required, we will ask for your consent before processing personal data, particularly for certain marketing activities or where special category data is involved and no other lawful basis applies. You can withdraw consent at any time.

Vital Interests and Public Interest

In rare situations, we may process information to protect someone’s vital interests, for example in an emergency, or where processing is required for important public interest reasons in line with applicable law.

5. Sharing Personal Data and Processors

We may share personal data with carefully selected third parties where necessary for the delivery of our services or for compliance with legal obligations. These third parties act either as processors or, in some cases, as independent controllers.

Examples of processors may include:

payment service providers;
accounting and bookkeeping providers;
IT and cloud storage providers;
customer relationship management software providers;
communication and scheduling platforms;
professional advisers acting under confidentiality obligations.

Where we use processors, we require them to act only on our instructions, keep data secure, and comply with data protection law. We do not sell your personal data. If data is shared with third parties outside the UK or EEA, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as standard contractual clauses or equivalent protection measures where required.

We may also disclose personal data if necessary to law enforcement, regulators, courts, insurers, or other authorities where legally required or permitted.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, insurance, and reporting obligations. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason we hold it.

In general:

quotation and enquiry records may be kept for a limited period to manage follow-up and service history;
service and transaction records are usually kept for the duration of the customer relationship and for the legally required period afterwards;
financial and tax records are kept for the period required by law;
complaint and claims records may be retained longer where needed to resolve disputes or defend legal claims.

When data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you.

7. Your Rights

As a data subject under UK GDPR, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to legal conditions and exemptions, these may include:

the right to be informed about how your data is used;
the right of access to obtain a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
the right to rectification to correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
the right to erasure in certain circumstances, sometimes called the right to be forgotten;
the right to restrict processing in certain cases;
the right to data portability where applicable;
the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing;
rights related to automated decision-making, where such processing occurs.

If you have given consent for any processing, you may withdraw it at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

You also have the right to raise concerns with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your data has been mishandled. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve any issue promptly and fairly.

8. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and routine review of systems and procedures.

Although we work hard to protect your data, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. If a data breach occurs that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will respond in accordance with legal requirements.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are generally intended for adults arranging removals and related services. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is provided incidentally by an adult customer and only where it is necessary for service delivery. If we become aware that we have collected data inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it where required.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data protection practices. Any updates will take effect when published in the revised version. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how personal data is handled.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Removal Companies Shoreditch is committed to using personal data responsibly, securely, and only when necessary. We aim to be transparent about the information we collect, the lawful basis we rely on, the third parties we use as processors, how long we retain data, and the rights available to you. This policy applies to all customers in the Shoreditch area who use our removal and related services.

By engaging our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and the way we process personal data in connection with your removal requirements.