Privacy Policy - Southkensington Removals

Southkensington Removals is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers, prospective customers, website visitors, and other individuals whose data we process. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, store, and protect personal data in connection with our removal, packing, storage, and related services. This policy applies to all Southkensington Removals customers in the area. It is intended to meet the requirements of the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Southkensington Removals acts as a data controller in relation to the personal data we collect and use for our own business purposes. In some cases, we may also act as a data processor where we process data on behalf of another business or service provider. This policy sets out how personal data is handled when you use our services, request a quote, make an enquiry, or otherwise interact with us.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary for providing our services, managing our relationship with you, and meeting legal obligations. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity information such as your name and title
Contact information such as address, email address, and telephone number
Service information relating to your move, including property details, dates, inventory information, and special instructions
Payment information such as billing details and transaction records
Communication records including emails, call notes, and messages
Access and location details required for planning removals and deliveries
Claims or complaint information if you report damage, delay, or service issues
Technical data such as basic website usage information where applicable

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you have provided it to us, or we are otherwise permitted by law to process it. If you choose to share sensitive information with us, we will only use it where a lawful basis applies and appropriate safeguards are in place.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and assess your requirements
To arrange, deliver, and manage our removal and related services
To communicate with you about bookings, schedules, and service updates
To process payments and maintain financial records
To handle complaints, claims, and dispute resolution
To comply with legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations
To improve our services, security, and internal operations
To keep business records and prevent fraud or misuse

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which we collected it, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another compatible purpose and that such use is lawful.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. Depending on the context, we rely on the following bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes handling enquiries, preparing quotes, completing bookings, carrying out removals, and providing related services.

Legal Obligation

We may process data where required to comply with legal obligations, including tax, accounting, insurance, and record-keeping requirements.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing our business, improving services, maintaining security, preventing fraud, and defending legal claims.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where specific optional marketing communications or non-essential processing is involved. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

Vital Interests

In exceptional cases, we may process data to protect someone’s vital interests, such as in an emergency or where safety is at risk.

5. Sharing Your Personal Data

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to provide our services, operate our business, or comply with the law. These third parties may include:

Payment service providers
IT and cloud service providers
Storage and logistics partners
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, and legal advisers
Regulators, law enforcement, or courts where required by law
Subcontracted service providers who assist with removals or related tasks

We only share the minimum data necessary and require processors and service providers to protect personal data appropriately. We do not sell your personal data.

6. Processors and Data Protection

Where third parties process personal data on our behalf, they act as data processors. We ensure that processors are engaged under written contracts that require them to:

Process data only on our instructions
Keep personal data confidential
Implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures
Assist us in meeting our data protection obligations where relevant
Return or delete data when the service ends, unless retention is legally required

We conduct reasonable checks on our processors and take steps to ensure they meet data protection standards. Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will only do so where appropriate safeguards are in place, such as an adequacy decision or approved contractual protections.

7. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. The retention period depends on the type of data and the reason for processing.

Enquiry and quotation data may be kept for a reasonable period to manage follow-up and business records
Contract and service records are retained for the duration of the service and a further period where needed for claims handling or legal defence
Financial and tax records are retained in line with legal obligations
Complaint and claims data may be retained until the matter is resolved and for a subsequent period where needed

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention procedures.

8. Security of Your Data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, staff confidentiality obligations, secure storage, password protection, and data minimisation practices. While we work hard to protect your information, no system can be guaranteed completely secure.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may include:

Right of access – to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
Right to rectification – to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances
Right to restriction – to request that we restrict how we use your data in certain cases
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing
Right to data portability – to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent

These rights are not absolute and may be limited by law, for example where we must retain data for legal obligations or where disclosure would affect the rights of others. We will respond to valid requests in accordance with applicable data protection law.

10. Marketing

We may send limited service-related updates or communications necessary for managing your booking or relationship with us. Where we send optional marketing communications, we will do so only when permitted by law and, where required, with your consent. You may object to direct marketing at any time.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults arranging removals and related services. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where such information is unavoidably provided in the context of a household move and only as necessary for service delivery. If we become aware that we have collected data inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it where required.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal obligations, or operational needs. Any updates will take effect when published or otherwise communicated to you, as appropriate. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

13. How to Raise Concerns

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, you may contact us through the usual business channels for assistance. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed.

In summary, Southkensington Removals processes personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently, and we are committed to safeguarding the privacy of all customers in the area.