Privacy Policy - Removal Company Kensington

This Privacy Policy explains how Removal Company Kensington collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Removal Company Kensington customers in the area, including prospective customers, household clients, business clients, and anyone who enquires about our moving and related services. 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 this policy applies to

This policy applies where we act as a data controller in relation to personal data obtained through service enquiries, booking arrangements, quotations, surveys, customer support, payments, complaints, and service delivery. It covers all Removal Company Kensington customers in area, whether services are arranged directly, through a referral, or via another authorised representative.

By using our services or providing personal data to us, you acknowledge that your information will be handled in accordance with this Privacy Policy. We use clear and limited data practices and only collect information that is necessary for the purposes described below.

2. 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: telephone number, email address, billing address, and moving address.
Service data: details of your move, property access information, inventory details, collection and delivery dates, and service preferences.
Payment data: payment status, transaction references, and billing records. We do not store full card details where payments are handled by a secure payment provider.
Communication data: enquiries, complaint records, written correspondence, and notes from calls or messages.
Technical data: basic website or device usage data, such as IP address, browser type, and session information, where applicable.
Special category data: we do not usually seek special category data. However, if you voluntarily provide information that reveals sensitive circumstances, we will only process it where permitted by law and necessary to support your service request.

We aim to keep the information we collect relevant, accurate, and not excessive for the purposes stated in this policy.

3. How we use personal data

We process personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations and assess service requirements;
to manage bookings, schedules, and service delivery;
to communicate with customers about appointments, changes, and service updates;
to issue invoices, process payments, and maintain financial records;
to respond to enquiries, feedback, or complaints;
to maintain internal records and improve our services;
to protect our business, staff, and customers from fraud, misuse, or legal claims;
to meet legal, regulatory, accounting, and insurance obligations.

We only use personal data where we have a valid legal reason to do so. We do not sell personal data.

4. Lawful basis for processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for each processing activity. We rely on the following bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, including providing quotes, arranging removals, carrying out the service, and handling related payment administration.

Legal obligation

We may process personal data where necessary to comply with tax, accounting, consumer protection, insurance, or other legal requirements.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is reasonably necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights do not override those interests. This can include managing operations, improving our service quality, preventing fraud, keeping records, and responding to disputes. We always consider whether the processing is proportionate and whether your privacy rights are protected.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where it is the most appropriate basis for specific optional communications or particular types of data processing. When we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to deliver our services or comply with the law. These third parties act either as processors or as independent controllers, depending on the context.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

IT and hosting providers: who support data storage, email, and secure systems;
accounting and bookkeeping providers: who assist with financial records and tax compliance;
payment service providers: who process payments securely on our behalf;
customer administration tools: who help manage booking records and communications;
professional advisers: such as legal advisers, insurers, and auditors;
subcontractors or operational partners: where necessary to complete a move or related service.

Where we use processors, we require them to handle personal data only on our instructions, keep it secure, and process it in compliance with data protection law. If personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.

6. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including for legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of record and the purpose of processing.

Customer and service records: retained for a reasonable period after completion of the service to manage follow-up queries, complaints, and operational needs.
Financial records: retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Correspondence and complaints: retained for as long as needed to resolve issues and demonstrate compliance.
Technical data: retained for limited periods, unless needed for security or legal purposes.

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

7. Data security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, restricted permissions, staff awareness, and regular review of our data handling practices. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work diligently to safeguard the information entrusted to us.

8. Your rights

As a data subject, you have several rights under UK GDPR. These rights may be subject to certain legal conditions and exemptions.

Right of access: you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure: you can request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction: you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object: you can object to processing based on legitimate interests and, in some cases, direct marketing.
Right to data portability: you can request certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

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

9. Children’s data

Our services are intended for adults and business representatives. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children in the ordinary course of our business. If we become aware that we have inadvertently received such data, we will take appropriate steps to remove it unless retention is required by law.

10. Automated decision-making

We do not use personal data for fully automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects. If this changes in the future, we will update this policy and ensure any such processing is lawful and transparent.

11. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or operational practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published. We encourage you to review this policy periodically so that you remain informed about how we process personal data.

12. Summary of our approach

In summary, Removal Company Kensington collects only the personal data needed to provide moving services, manage our business, and meet legal obligations. We use appropriate lawful bases, work with carefully selected processors, keep data only as long as necessary, and respect your rights under data protection law. This policy applies to all Removal Company Kensington customers in area, and we are committed to keeping your information secure and handled with care.