Privacy Policy - Removal Company Soho

This Privacy Policy explains how Removal Company Soho collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing removal and related services. It applies to all Removal Company Soho customers in the area, including prospective customers, existing customers, and individuals who interact with us in connection with bookings, quotes, surveys, collections, deliveries, packing, storage, and move-related support.

We are committed to handling personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy is written to help you understand what data we process, why we process it, and the rights available to you.

1. Data We Collect

We may collect and process different types of personal data depending on the service requested and the way you interact with us. The categories of data may include:

Identity data such as your name, title, and identification details where necessary for service verification.
Contact data such as address, email address, and phone number.
Service data such as moving dates, property access details, inventory lists, item descriptions, parking or access requirements, and instructions for handling goods.
Billing and payment data such as invoice details, payment status, and transaction records.
Communication data including correspondence, enquiries, complaint records, and feedback.
Technical data where applicable, such as device or browsing information if you interact with digital systems used for booking or administration.
Special category data only where strictly necessary and limited, for example if you voluntarily provide information relevant to accessibility needs or health-related considerations affecting a move.

We aim to collect only the data that is necessary for the purpose for which it is processed. Where possible, we will ask for limited information and avoid collecting anything not required to deliver our services or meet legal obligations.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations, confirm bookings, and deliver removal services;
to plan and manage collections, transportation, delivery, packing, and related logistics;
to communicate with customers about service arrangements, changes, or issues;
to process payments, issue invoices, and maintain accounting records;
to manage claims, complaints, and service disputes;
to improve service quality, efficiency, and operational planning;
to comply with legal, regulatory, tax, and insurance requirements;
to prevent fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity;
to protect our business, staff, customers, and property;
to keep records necessary for legitimate business administration.

Removal Company Soho does not use personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the reason it was originally collected unless we have a valid lawful basis to do so and, where required, we notify you.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only when we have a lawful basis under the UK GDPR. The lawful bases we rely on may include:

Contract

We process data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotations, arranging your move, handling your belongings, and managing payment or service delivery obligations.

Legal obligation

We may process data to comply with laws and regulations, such as tax rules, accounting requirements, insurance obligations, health and safety duties, and record-keeping obligations.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests and those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include business administration, service improvement, fraud prevention, customer support, internal record management, and protecting our operations.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where we process optional information you provide for a specific purpose. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

Vital interests and public task

These lawful bases are unlikely to apply in most removal service situations, but we will use them where necessary and appropriate under data protection law.

4. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to provide our services, operate our business, or comply with legal requirements. When third parties process data on our behalf, they act as processors. We require processors to handle data securely, only on our instructions, and in accordance with data protection law.

Processors may include:

payment service providers;
accounting and bookkeeping services;
IT systems and cloud storage providers;
customer communication or administration platforms;
insurance or claims handling providers;
legal, tax, or professional advisers;
subcontractors or operational partners involved in delivering the service;
security or fraud prevention providers.

In some cases, third parties may act as independent controllers, such as banks, regulators, or legal authorities. We may also disclose personal data where required by law, court order, or lawful request from a public authority.

We do not sell personal data. If any international transfer is required, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including for the fulfilment of legal, accounting, insurance, and reporting obligations. Retention periods depend on the nature of the information and the reason it is held.

As a general approach:

quotation and enquiry data may be kept for a limited period if no booking follows;
customer and service records are normally retained for the duration of the service relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards;
invoice, tax, and accounting records are retained for periods required by law;
complaints, claims, and dispute records may be held longer where necessary to resolve matters and protect our legal position.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will delete it, anonymise it, or securely archive it in accordance with our retention practices. We review retention regularly to ensure data is not held longer than necessary.

6. Security of Personal Data

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

Although no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we take data protection seriously and seek to reduce risks through careful operational and administrative controls. Where required, we may notify affected individuals and relevant authorities about personal data breaches in line with legal obligations.

7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to conditions or exemptions depending on the circumstances.

Right of access - you can request confirmation of whether we process your data and ask for a copy of it.
Right to rectification - you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure - you can ask us to delete data in certain situations.
Right to restriction - you can request limited processing in certain circumstances.
Right to object - you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing, where applicable.
Right to data portability - you can request certain data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format when processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
Right to withdraw consent - where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data has been handled unlawfully. We encourage you to raise concerns with us first so we can address them promptly and fairly.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults arranging removals and related services. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a household move and provided by an adult customer. If we become aware that child data has been collected without a valid reason, we will take appropriate steps to delete or protect it.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, service operations, or data protection practices. When changes are made, the updated policy will apply from the date of publication or as otherwise stated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their personal data is used.

10. Summary of Key Principles

Removal Company Soho processes personal data fairly, transparently, and only when there is a lawful basis to do so. We collect only what is needed, keep it secure, share it only with appropriate processors or legal recipients, and retain it only for as long as necessary. This policy applies to all customers in the area and forms part of our commitment to responsible data handling.

By using our services, you acknowledge that you have read this Privacy Policy and understand how your personal data may be processed.