Privacy Policy - Removal Company Putney

This Privacy Policy explains how Removal Company Putney collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Removal Company Putney customers in the area, including individuals and households who request moving, packing, storage, or related services. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who we are

Removal Company Putney acts as a data controller for the personal data we collect in connection with our services. This means we decide why and how your personal data is processed when you book, enquire about, or receive services from us. We only process personal information where we have a valid legal reason to do so and only for the purposes set out in this policy.

2. Personal data we collect

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

Identity details such as your name, title, and any relevant household or business contact information.
Contact details such as address, phone number, and email address.
Service details including moving date, property type, inventory information, access notes, and service preferences.
Billing and payment information needed to process invoices, payments, refunds, and account records.
Communication records such as emails, messages, quotations, complaints, and service-related correspondence.
Technical data where relevant, such as basic website usage data or device information if you interact with digital services.
Special category data only where absolutely necessary and legally permitted, for example if you voluntarily provide information needed to support access arrangements or safety concerns.

We aim to collect only the data that is necessary for the provision and administration of our services. We do not intentionally collect more information than required.

3. How we use your data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and respond to enquiries.
To arrange, manage, and deliver removal services.
To plan logistics, scheduling, and staffing.
To process payments, refunds, and invoices.
To communicate about your booking, changes, delays, or service issues.
To maintain business records and meet legal, accounting, and tax obligations.
To handle complaints, claims, or disputes.
To improve our operations, customer service, and service quality.
To protect against fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.

Where relevant, we may also use anonymised or aggregated data for internal analysis. Such data does not identify you and is not treated as personal data.

4. Lawful basis for processing

We process personal data only when a lawful basis under UK GDPR applies. Depending on the context, our lawful bases may include:

Contract

We process data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as providing a quote, confirming a booking, completing a move, or issuing an invoice.

Legal obligation

We may process and retain certain information to comply with legal duties, including accounting, tax, insurance, and record-keeping obligations.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided that your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include improving services, managing customer relations, preventing fraud, and maintaining secure operations. When relying on legitimate interests, we consider the impact on your privacy and only use the data in ways that are proportionate and necessary.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example if you agree to receive certain optional communications or if specific processing requires consent. Where consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time.

Vital interests and public task

These bases are unlikely to apply in most cases, but may be relevant in exceptional situations where there is an urgent need to protect someone’s safety or comply with a public authority requirement.

5. Sharing your information and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to deliver our services, operate our business, and meet legal obligations. These third parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the nature of the service.

Examples of processors may include:

Payment processors that handle secure payment transactions.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that support financial records and compliance.
IT and cloud service providers that store or manage data securely.
Communication service providers used for email or messaging functions.
Operational subcontractors who assist with moving, storage, or related logistics under our instructions.

We require processors to protect personal data, use it only for the agreed purpose, and process it in accordance with data protection law. We do not sell your personal data. If data is shared with an independent professional such as an insurer, auditor, or legal adviser, they will process the data under their own obligations as a controller where applicable.

6. International transfers

Where any processor or service provider stores or accesses data outside the UK, we take appropriate steps to ensure that your personal data remains protected. This may include using approved contractual safeguards or transferring data only to countries recognised as providing adequate protection.

7. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the service provided.

Quotation and enquiry data may be retained for a limited period to manage follow-up and record business interactions.
Contract and service records are retained for the duration of the service and for a further period where needed for legal claims or accounting purposes.
Financial records are retained in line with tax and accounting obligations.
Complaint or dispute records may be kept for as long as necessary to resolve the matter and defend legal rights.

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

8. Your rights

Under data protection law, you may have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

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 request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restrict processing – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
Right to data portability – to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

Important: These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal exceptions. If you make a request, we may need to verify your identity before responding.

9. Security of your data

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 data minimisation practices. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take data protection and information security seriously.

10. Children’s data

Our services are intended for adults arranging removals and related services. We do not knowingly collect children’s personal data unless it is incidental to a household move and necessary for service delivery. Where such data is collected, it is handled with the same safeguards described in this policy.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or data processing practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

12. Summary of our approach

Removal Company Putney is committed to processing personal data lawfully, transparently, and securely. We only collect data needed to provide services, we rely on clear lawful bases, we share information only with appropriate processors or where legally required, and we retain data for no longer than necessary. Customers in the area can exercise their rights at any time, subject to legal limits and verification requirements.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Removal Company Putney customers in the area.