Privacy Policy - Removal Company Putney

This Privacy Policy explains how Removal Company Putney collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing removal services to customers in Putney and the surrounding area. It applies to all Removal Company Putney customers in the area, including individuals, families, landlords, tenants, and businesses that request quotes, book services, or otherwise interact with us. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Removal Company Putney acts as the data controller for the personal information collected in connection with our services. This means we decide how and why your data is used. We only collect information that is relevant to providing removals, storage-related support, packing assistance, and related customer service activities.

2. Information We Collect

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

Identity data such as your name, title, and company name where applicable.
Contact data such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Booking and service data including move dates, property access details, inventory lists, and service preferences.
Payment data such as payment confirmation and limited billing details, where needed to process transactions.
Communication data including records of enquiries, complaints, feedback, and service-related correspondence.
Technical data such as basic device, browser, and usage information if you communicate with us electronically.
Special instructions relating to your move, such as fragile items, access limitations, or delivery requirements.

We do not intentionally collect more data than is necessary. Where we need to collect information from third parties, we do so only when required for lawful business purposes, such as coordinating a move with an estate agent, landlord, tenant, or authorised representative.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data to deliver services efficiently and to meet our legal and operational obligations. This may include:

Providing quotations and assessing service requirements.
Planning, managing, and completing removal services.
Communicating with you about your booking or service changes.
Managing payments, invoices, and administrative records.
Handling complaints, claims, and customer support requests.
Maintaining business records and improving service quality.
Complying with legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations.

We may also use aggregated or anonymised data for internal reporting and service improvement. This information does not identify you personally.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a valid lawful basis for using your personal data. Depending on the nature of the interaction, we rely on the following legal bases:

Contract

We process data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotations, booking services, completing removals, and fulfilling agreed obligations.

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. Examples include improving operations, preventing fraud, responding to enquiries, and managing service quality.

Legal Obligation

Some information must be retained or processed to comply with legal obligations, including accounting, tax, insurance, and record-keeping requirements.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where it is required for optional communications or particular uses not covered by another lawful basis. Where consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing Your Personal Data

We do not sell your personal data. We may share it only where necessary and proportionate, including with:

Service providers who help us operate our business, such as payment processors, IT support, and administrative tools.
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers where required.
Subcontractors or operational partners assisting with service delivery, where relevant to your booking.
Public authorities where disclosure is required by law or to protect legal rights.

Any third party processing data on our behalf is required to handle it securely, use it only for the agreed purpose, and comply with applicable data protection law. These organisations act as processors when they process data under our instructions.

6. Processors and Safeguards

Where we use processors, we ensure suitable contractual and technical safeguards are in place. Our processors may provide services such as:

Secure data hosting and cloud storage.
Appointment scheduling and customer administration.
Email or messaging systems used for service communication.
Payment handling and invoice support.
IT maintenance, backup, and cybersecurity services.

We only choose processors that can demonstrate appropriate security measures. Access to personal data is limited to authorised personnel and is based on operational need. We aim to ensure that all processing is performed using data minimisation, confidentiality, and appropriate access control.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected, and in line with legal and business requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the data type and the context of the service, but generally:

Quotation and booking records are kept for a reasonable period to manage service administration and any follow-up queries.
Invoices, payment records, and tax-related documents are retained for the period required by law.
Correspondence and complaint records are retained for as long as needed to resolve issues and demonstrate compliance.
Data no longer required is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of.

When determining retention periods, we consider legal obligations, the possibility of claims, operational needs, and whether keeping the data is still justified. We review stored information regularly to ensure it is not kept longer than necessary.

8. International Transfers

If any personal data is transferred outside the UK, we take steps to ensure it receives an adequate level of protection. This may include using approved safeguards and checking that the recipient applies appropriate technical and organisational measures. We do not transfer data internationally unless there is a legitimate business need and suitable protections are in place.

9. Data Security

We use reasonable and appropriate security measures to protect personal information from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access restrictions, password protection, secure storage, and staff awareness procedures. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we regularly assess our practices and improve them where needed.

10. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These 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 request deletion of data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit the way we use your data in certain cases.
Right to data portability – to receive some 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.

These rights are not absolute and may be subject to conditions or exceptions. If you exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We aim to respond within the time limits required by law.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is necessary in the context of a family move and provided by an adult authorised to act on their behalf. If we become aware that we have collected data unlawfully, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, services, or operational practices. Any updated version will apply to future use of our services from the date it becomes effective. We encourage customers in Putney and the surrounding area to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their personal data is handled.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Removal Company Putney is committed to using personal data responsibly, securely, and only when necessary. We collect information to provide reliable removal services, process it under a valid lawful basis, retain it for no longer than needed, and share it only with trusted processors or where required by law. We also respect your rights and aim to make our data practices clear, fair, and compliant with UK GDPR requirements.

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