Privacy Policy – Removal Van Putney

This Privacy Policy explains how Removal Van Putney collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Removal Van Putney customers in the area, including individuals, households, and businesses who enquire about, book, or receive our removal services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

By using our services, you acknowledge that we may process personal data as described in this policy. We only collect data that is necessary for providing our services, managing customer relationships, meeting legal obligations, and improving our operations.

1. Personal Data We Collect

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

Identity data: name, title, and, where relevant, company name.
Contact data: address, email address, telephone number, and moving address details.
Service data: details about the move, property access information, inventory lists, moving date, and service preferences.
Billing and payment data: invoicing details, payment status, and transaction records.
Communication data: enquiries, feedback, complaints, and correspondence with us.
Technical data: limited information such as device or browser details if you contact us through digital channels, where applicable.
Special categories of data: we do not normally collect sensitive personal data. If such data is shared with us incidentally, it will only be processed where necessary and lawful.

We usually collect data directly from you when you request a quote, make a booking, communicate with us, or use our services. In some cases, we may receive personal data from third parties such as landlords, estate agents, solicitors, or business representatives where they are arranging services on your behalf.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and assess service requirements.
To arrange, manage, and complete removal services.
To communicate about bookings, changes, delays, and service updates.
To issue invoices, process payments, and maintain financial records.
To handle complaints, disputes, and customer support requests.
To maintain internal records and improve our services.
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations.
To protect against fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.

We only use personal data for the purposes for which it was collected unless we reasonably determine that we need to use it for another compatible purpose. If we need to process your data for a purpose that is unrelated, we will explain the lawful basis and, where required, seek your consent.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. We rely on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes, arranging removals, delivering services, and managing payment.

Legal Obligation

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

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing our business efficiently, maintaining service records, improving customer experience, and preventing fraud or misuse. We always consider whether the processing is proportionate and respectful of your privacy.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where you ask us to process information in a way that is not covered by another lawful basis. You have the right to withdraw consent at any time, where consent is the basis for processing.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We do not sell personal data. We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to deliver our services or meet legal requirements. These third parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the context.

Processors may include:

IT and hosting providers: to store data, maintain systems, and support secure communications.
Accounting and payment service providers: to manage invoicing, payments, and financial administration.
Administrative support providers: to assist with scheduling, record-keeping, or customer service functions.
Professional advisers: such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers, where necessary.
Subcontracted service providers: where required to complete part of a move or related service.

We ensure that processors are subject to appropriate confidentiality and data protection obligations. They are only permitted to process personal data on our instructions and for specified purposes. Where a third party acts as an independent controller, that party is responsible for its own privacy practices.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, court order, or lawful request from public authorities, or where necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason we hold it.

Quotation and enquiry data: retained for a reasonable period to manage follow-up communication and service planning.
Customer and service records: retained for the duration of the service relationship and for a period afterward to handle queries, disputes, or aftercare.
Financial and invoicing records: retained in accordance with legal and accounting requirements.
Complaint and claims data: retained for as long as necessary to resolve the matter and manage legal obligations.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you. We review retention practices periodically to ensure they remain appropriate.

6. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our data handling practices.

While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no system can be guaranteed completely secure. If a personal data breach occurs that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will act in line with legal requirements, which may include notifying the relevant supervisory authority and affected individuals where necessary.

7. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have the following rights under data protection law, subject to certain conditions and exemptions:

Right of access: you may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure: you may request deletion of your data where there is no legal reason for us to keep it.
Right to restrict processing: you may ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
Right to data portability: you may request your data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to object: you may object to processing based on legitimate interests, including direct marketing where relevant.
Right to withdraw consent: where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

Important: exercising these rights may affect our ability to provide certain services if the data is required for the contract, legal compliance, or operational purposes. We will respond to valid requests within the timeframe required by law.

8. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect it. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms. We remain responsible for ensuring that your data receives an adequate level of protection.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidental to providing removal services connected to a household. In such cases, we handle that information with care and only where necessary.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, service practices, or operational needs. Any updates will apply from the date they are issued. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how we use personal data.

11. Summary of Our Privacy Commitments

Removal Van Putney is committed to using personal data responsibly, securely, and lawfully. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and legitimate purposes, retain it only as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or where the law requires it. We also respect your rights and aim to make it easy for all customers in the area to understand how their information is handled.

This policy is designed to support GDPR compliance and to provide clear information to our customers about privacy practices.