Privacy Policy
Removals Kingston upon Thames Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Removals Kingston upon Thames collects, uses, stores and protects personal data of customers and prospective customers in the Kingston upon Thames area. It is intended to comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. By using our services, requesting a quotation or otherwise interacting with us, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.
Scope of this Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy applies to all customers, prospective customers and website visitors of Removals Kingston upon Thames who are located in the Kingston upon Thames area. It covers personal data collected through our website, by telephone, in person, and via any other method of communication we use in the course of providing removal and related services.
Data Controller
For the purposes of data protection law, Removals Kingston upon Thames is the data controller for the personal data it processes about you. As data controller, we decide why and how your personal data is processed and are responsible for ensuring that such processing is carried out in accordance with applicable law.
Personal Data We Collect
We may collect and process the following categories of personal data, depending on the nature of your interaction with us and the services you request:
Identification and contact details, such as your name, postal address, service address, billing address, and communication preferences.
Communication data, such as the content of your enquiries, feedback and correspondence with us, including the date, time and method of contact.
Service-related information, such as details of your removal requirements, property access details, inventory information you choose to provide, preferred dates and times, and any special instructions related to your move.
Billing and payment information, such as records of services purchased, amounts charged, payment status and related transaction details. We do not store full payment card details; where card payments are processed, this is done by secure third-party payment processors.
Technical and usage data, such as information collected from your use of our website, including device information, approximate location information, pages visited and interaction data. This may be collected through cookies or similar technologies where permitted by law and where you have provided consent where required.
How We Collect Personal Data
We collect personal data directly from you when you contact us to request a quotation, make a booking, ask a question, provide feedback, or otherwise communicate with us. We may also collect data when you complete forms on our website or provide information in person to our staff during site visits or on the day of your move.
We may receive some personal data from third parties where this is necessary for the performance of our services, for example from letting agents, property managers or other parties you authorise to share information with us. Where we use website analytics tools or cookie technologies, some technical data may be collected automatically when you visit our website.
Lawful Bases for Processing
We process your personal data only where we have a lawful basis under data protection law. Depending on the circumstances, we may rely on the following lawful bases:
Contract. We process personal data to take steps at your request before entering into a contract and to perform our contract with you, such as providing quotations, confirming bookings, delivering removal services, communicating about your move and handling payments.
Legal obligation. We may process personal data where this is necessary to comply with legal or regulatory requirements, for example maintaining accurate financial records or responding to lawful requests from public authorities.
Legitimate interests. We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and these are not overridden by your interests or fundamental rights. This can include managing our business operations, improving our services, keeping appropriate records, preventing fraud and ensuring the security of our systems and premises. Where we rely on legitimate interests, we carefully assess the impact on your privacy.
Consent. We may rely on your consent for certain types of processing, such as some forms of direct marketing or the use of non-essential cookies on our website. Where we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
How We Use Your Personal Data
We use the personal data we collect for the following purposes:
To provide quotations, confirm availability and respond to enquiries about our services.
To plan, organise and carry out removal services and related activities in accordance with your instructions.
To manage bookings, rescheduling and cancellations, and to keep you informed about the status of your move.
To process payments, issue invoices and maintain accurate accounting and financial records.
To handle complaints, resolve disputes and provide ongoing customer service and support.
To improve our services, monitor performance and conduct internal reporting and administration.
To send you service-related communications and, where permitted by law and where you have not opted out, limited marketing about similar services that may be of interest to you.
To protect our rights, property and safety, and that of our staff, customers and the public, including preventing fraud and ensuring the security of our operations.
Data Sharing and Processors
We may share your personal data with trusted third parties who act as data processors on our behalf and who provide services that support our business operations. These may include:
IT and hosting providers who store or manage our data and communications systems.
Payment processors who handle card and electronic payments on our behalf.
Customer management or booking system providers used to schedule and manage our work.
Professional advisers, such as accountants or legal advisers, where necessary for legitimate business purposes.
Where we engage processors, we ensure that appropriate contracts are in place requiring them to process your data only on our instructions, to keep it secure and to comply with applicable data protection law.
We may also share personal data with third parties where required by law, to protect our legal rights or in connection with a business sale or restructuring, provided that appropriate safeguards are in place.
International Transfers
Where any of our service providers or systems involve transferring personal data outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as using countries that have been recognised as providing an adequate level of protection, or entering into contracts that incorporate standard data protection clauses approved by relevant authorities.
Data Retention
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to provide our services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes and enforce our agreements. In general, we will keep core customer and transaction records for a period required by applicable tax and accounting laws. Information that is no longer needed will be securely deleted or anonymised.
The specific retention period may vary depending on the type of data and the context in which it was collected. We regularly review the personal data we hold and apply appropriate retention and deletion policies.
Data Security
We implement technical and organisational measures designed to protect your personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or access. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff training and appropriate use of encryption and security tools where suitable. While we take reasonable steps to safeguard your information, no system can be guaranteed as completely secure.
Your Data Protection Rights
Under data protection law, you have certain rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to applicable exemptions, these include:
The right of access. You can request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and obtain a copy of that data, along with certain information about how it is processed.
The right to rectification. You can request that inaccurate or incomplete personal data be corrected or updated.
The right to erasure. In certain circumstances, you can request that we delete your personal data, for example where it is no longer needed for the purposes for which it was collected, or where you withdraw consent on which the processing is based.
The right to restrict processing. You can ask us to restrict the processing of your personal data in certain situations, such as while we are verifying its accuracy or assessing an objection you have raised.
The right to object. You can object to processing based on our legitimate interests, including direct marketing. We will stop processing your data for such purposes unless we have compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests or we need to continue processing for legal claims.
The right to data portability. Where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means, you may request that we provide your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, or that it be transmitted directly to another controller where technically feasible.
The right to withdraw consent. Where we rely on your consent to process personal data, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.
Complaints and Contact
If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, you are encouraged to contact us so that we can address your concerns. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection supervisory authority if you believe that your data protection rights have been infringed.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements or for other operational reasons. Any changes will take effect when the updated version is made available. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we process your personal data.
