Privacy Policy - Streatham Removals

This Privacy Policy applies to all Streatham Removals customers in our service area. It explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We are committed to handling personal information fairly, transparently, and securely.

1. Who We Are

Streatham Removals provides removal, packing, storage coordination, and related moving services for customers in and around Streatham and nearby areas. In the course of delivering these services, we process personal data about customers, prospective customers, and other individuals involved in a move, such as household members, property managers, and nominated representatives.

For the purposes of data protection law, Streatham Removals is the data controller for the personal data we collect and use for our own business purposes. This means we determine why and how your personal data is processed.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary for operating our services, managing bookings, fulfilling contracts, and meeting legal obligations. The information we may collect includes:

• Identity details such as your name, title, and, where relevant, the names of household members or authorised representatives.
• Contact details such as your address, email address, telephone number, and moving address details.
• Service details such as the size of the move, property access information, inventory notes, packing requirements, and preferred dates.
• Payment and billing information such as invoice details, payment status, and transaction records. We do not intentionally store unnecessary payment card details unless required for a transaction process.
• Communication records including emails, call notes, message histories, quotations, complaints, and service feedback.
• Technical and usage information if you interact with our digital systems, such as device data, browser type, and basic log information.

We generally do not seek to collect special category data, such as information about health, religion, or political opinions. If such information is ever disclosed to us incidentally, we will only process it where necessary and lawful, and we will apply appropriate safeguards.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• to provide quotations and manage enquiries;
• to plan, schedule, and carry out removals and related services;
• to communicate with you before, during, and after a move;
• to issue invoices, process payments, and maintain business records;
• to handle complaints, claims, and service disputes;
• to comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
• to improve our services, train staff, and maintain service quality;
• to prevent fraud, misuse, or other unlawful activity;
• to defend or establish legal claims where required.

We will only use your data in ways that are compatible with the purposes described in this policy. We do not sell personal data.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. Depending on the context, we rely on one or more of 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 at your request, arranging moving services, managing bookings, and completing the move.

Legal Obligation

We process certain personal data to comply with legal obligations, including accounting, taxation, insurance requirements, and record-keeping duties.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include service administration, business improvement, fraud prevention, staff training, and protecting our business from claims.

Consent

Where required by law, we will rely on your consent. For example, if we process optional information not necessary for the contract or a specific marketing activity, we may ask for your permission. You may withdraw consent at any time, where consent is the lawful basis for that processing.

5. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to deliver our services or meet legal obligations. These third parties may act as processors or, in some cases, as independent controllers.

Typical processors and recipients may include:

• IT and cloud service providers that host our systems, email, and data storage.
• Payment service providers that support invoice settlement and transaction handling.
• Accounting and bookkeeping providers that assist with financial records and statutory reporting.
• Customer management or scheduling providers that help organise bookings and operational workflows.
• Insurance providers and claims handlers when a loss, damage, or liability issue must be assessed.
• Professional advisers such as lawyers, auditors, and tax advisers where necessary.
• Regulators, law enforcement, or public authorities where disclosure is legally required.

When we use processors, we require them to process personal data only on our instructions, to keep it confidential, and to implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures. We take reasonable steps to ensure that any third party handling data on our behalf meets GDPR requirements.

6. International Transfers

If any of our processors or service providers store or access data outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent legally recognised mechanisms.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, and insurance requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason it was collected.

In general:

• quotation and enquiry data may be kept for a limited period if you do not proceed with a booking;
• customer service and contract records may be kept for the duration of the service relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards;
• financial and tax records are usually kept for the period required by law;
• complaint or claims records may be retained for longer where necessary to resolve disputes or defend legal rights.

When data is no longer required, it will be securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in a safe manner.

8. Security of Your Data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and data minimisation practices.

No system can be guaranteed completely secure. However, we work to maintain a level of security appropriate to the risks associated with the data we process. If a personal data breach occurs and we are legally required to do so, we will notify the relevant authority and affected individuals.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to certain legal limits and exemptions. They include:

• Right of access – you may request confirmation of whether we process your data and receive a copy of it.
• Right to rectification – you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to erasure – in certain circumstances, you may request that we delete your data.
• Right to restriction – you may ask us to limit how we use your data in some situations.
• Right to object – you may object to processing based on legitimate interests, and to direct marketing where applicable.
• Right to data portability – where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means, you may request transfer of your data in a commonly used format.
• Right to withdraw consent – where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with applicable law and within the required timeframes. We may need to verify your identity before acting on your request.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults arranging removals and related logistics. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidental to a household move and necessary for service delivery. If we learn that we have collected child data without a lawful basis, we will take appropriate steps to remove it.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our services, or our data handling practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal information.

12. Contacting Us About Privacy

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how your personal data is handled, you may raise a privacy concern through our usual business channels. We will consider and respond to legitimate requests in line with applicable data protection requirements.

By using Streatham Removals services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this Privacy Policy.