Privacy Policy - Southwark Removals

Southwark Removals is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of our customers, prospective customers, website visitors, and other individuals whose data we handle. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information in connection with our moving, removals, storage, and related services. This policy applies to all Southwark Removals customers in our service area.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of UK data protection law, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, Southwark Removals acts as the data controller for personal data we collect and process in the course of providing our services, unless we are acting on behalf of another controller.

We are responsible for deciding why and how personal data is processed. Where we engage third parties to process personal data on our behalf, they act as data processors under our instructions and contractual safeguards.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for the purposes described in this policy. The categories of information we may collect include:

Identity details such as name and title;
Contact details such as phone number, email address, and property address;
Service details including move date, inventory items, access arrangements, packing requirements, storage needs, and delivery instructions;
Payment information such as billing details and payment confirmations;
Communication records including emails, call notes, quotes, complaints, and service feedback;
Technical and usage data if you use our website or digital services, such as IP address, browser type, and device information;
Special category data only where strictly necessary and where a lawful basis exists, for example if you voluntarily provide information relating to access needs or health-related moving requirements.

We generally collect personal data directly from you when you request a quote, book a service, communicate with us, or otherwise interact with us. We may also receive data from third parties such as estate agents, landlords, solicitors, or storage partners where relevant to your move and where permitted by law.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations and assess service requirements;
to manage bookings and deliver removals, packing, storage, and related services;
to communicate with you about your move, schedule changes, or service issues;
to process payments and manage accounting records;
to handle complaints, disputes, insurance claims, and customer support requests;
to maintain business records and meet legal, tax, and regulatory obligations;
to improve our services, operations, training, and customer experience;
to protect our business, staff, property, and customers from fraud, misuse, or security incidents;
to send service-related communications and, where permitted, limited marketing communications.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which we collected it, unless we reasonably determine that we need to use it for another compatible purpose and that purpose is permitted by law.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We rely on one or more lawful bases under UK GDPR to process personal data. These include:

Contract ??? processing is necessary to prepare for and perform our contract with you, such as providing quotes, managing bookings, carrying out removals, and invoicing;
Legal obligation ??? processing is necessary to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, including tax, accounting, and record-keeping obligations;
Legitimate interests ??? processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided these are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include service improvement, fraud prevention, internal administration, and managing customer communications;
Consent ??? where required, such as for certain marketing communications or optional processing. You may withdraw consent at any time;
Vital interests ??? in rare circumstances, where processing is necessary to protect someone???s life;
Public task or legal claims ??? where applicable in specific situations.

If we process special category data, we will do so only where an appropriate condition under UK GDPR is met and additional safeguards are in place.

5. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, insurance, and reporting requirements. The length of time we keep data depends on the type of data and the purpose of processing.

In general, we may retain:

Quotation and booking records for a reasonable period after the enquiry or service has ended;
Contract and payment records for the duration required by law and business accounting rules;
Complaint and claims records for as long as needed to resolve issues and defend legal claims;
Marketing preferences until you withdraw consent or object;
Security and technical logs for a limited period necessary for operational and security purposes.

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

6. Data Sharing and Processors

We do not sell your personal data. We may share personal data where necessary with trusted third parties for the purposes described in this policy. These parties may include:

IT and hosting providers that support our systems, storage, email, or security infrastructure;
Payment service providers that process transactions;
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that assist with financial administration;
Storage partners where your belongings are held in storage as part of your service;
Insurance providers, surveyors, or claims handlers where required in connection with service protection or claims;
Professional advisers such as lawyers, auditors, or consultants;
Public authorities or regulators where we are legally required to disclose information.

Where a third party processes personal data on our behalf, it acts as a processor and may only use the data according to our instructions. We use appropriate contracts and safeguards to ensure processors handle personal data securely and lawfully.

7. Data Security

We take reasonable and appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, system protections, and data minimisation practices.

While we work hard to safeguard your information, no system can be guaranteed completely secure. If a personal data breach occurs, we will act promptly and, where required by law, notify you and the relevant authorities.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These may include:

The right to be informed about how your data is used;
The right of access to obtain a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
The right to rectification if your data is inaccurate or incomplete;
The right to erasure in certain circumstances;
The right to restrict processing in certain situations;
The right to data portability for data you provided to us, where applicable;
The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing;
Rights related to automated decision-making, if applicable.

If we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

You are not required to pay a fee to exercise your rights, although we may charge a reasonable fee or refuse requests that are manifestly unfounded, excessive, or repetitive, where permitted by law.

How to Exercise Your Rights

If you wish to exercise any of your rights, we will need to verify your identity before responding. We aim to respond within one month, though this may be extended where the request is complex or numerous.

9. International Transfers

If any of our service providers store or access data outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your personal data in accordance with applicable law. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms.

10. Children???s Data

Our services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary for the provision of a service requested by an adult customer and lawful processing conditions are met. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, our services, or how we process personal data. Any updated version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

12. Summary of Our Approach

Southwark Removals processes personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently. We collect only the information needed to provide our services, rely on appropriate lawful bases, retain data for no longer than necessary, and use trusted processors under strict controls. We respect your rights and are committed to handling all customer data with care and integrity. This policy applies to all Southwark Removals customers in our area and forms part of our commitment to privacy and data protection.