Privacy Policy - Removals Colliers Wood

This Privacy Policy explains how Removals Colliers Wood collects, uses, stores, and shares personal data when providing removal, packing, storage, and related services. It applies to all Removals Colliers Wood customers in the area, including individuals, families, landlords, tenants, and businesses who enquire about or use our services. We are committed to handling personal information lawfully, fairly, and transparently 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 to anyone whose personal data is processed in connection with our services in Colliers Wood and the surrounding area. This includes customers making enquiries, receiving quotes, booking removals, arranging storage, or using additional services such as packing or furniture handling. It also applies to people who communicate with us on behalf of a customer, such as family members, landlords, estate agents, or business representatives.

2. Data we collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary to provide our services, manage our business, and meet our legal obligations. The categories of data we may collect include:

Identity details such as name, title, and business name where relevant.
Contact information such as email address, telephone number, billing address, collection address, and delivery address.
Service details such as move dates, inventory lists, access information, property type, and any special handling requests.
Payment and transaction information such as payment status, invoice details, and records of charges.
Communication records such as emails, message content, complaint details, and service notes.
Technical data where applicable, such as basic website or device information used for security, analytics, or service performance.
Special category data only where necessary and provided voluntarily, for example information about access needs, health-related moving requirements, or vulnerability-related support.

We do not intentionally collect unnecessary or excessive personal data. If you choose to provide additional information, we will only use it where there is a clear and lawful reason to do so.

3. How we use personal data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotes and respond to enquiries.
To plan and deliver removal and related services.
To contact customers about bookings, timings, access, or service changes.
To process payments, issue invoices, and manage accounts.
To maintain service records and handle complaints or claims.
To meet insurance, tax, accounting, and other legal requirements.
To protect our business, staff, and customers from fraud, misuse, or security incidents.
To improve our services, scheduling, and customer experience.

We will never use your information in a way that is incompatible with the purpose for which it was collected.

4. Lawful basis for processing

We process personal data only where a lawful basis under UK GDPR applies. Depending on the activity, we rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as providing a quotation, confirming a booking, moving your belongings, or handling payments.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing bookings, preventing fraud, improving our services, and maintaining internal records.

Legal obligation

We may retain and process certain information to comply with legal obligations, including tax, accounting, insurance, safety, and regulatory requirements.

Consent

Where required, we will ask for your consent before processing certain information, particularly special category data or for optional communications. You can withdraw consent at any time where consent is the lawful basis.

Vital interests

In rare situations, we may process data to protect someone’s vital interests, such as in an emergency involving safety or welfare.

5. Data sharing and processors

We may share personal data only when necessary and with appropriate safeguards. Some third parties act as processors and process data on our instructions. These may include:

Payment providers who handle card or bank transactions.
IT and cloud service providers who store data or support communications, scheduling, or backups.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers who assist with financial records and tax compliance.
Insurance providers where a claim, incident, or risk assessment requires disclosure.
Professional advisers such as legal, financial, or compliance advisers.
Subcontracted service partners who help deliver a move, storage arrangement, or specialist service.

We may also disclose personal data to public authorities, regulators, law enforcement, or courts where required by law or necessary to protect legal rights. Processors are required to keep data secure, use it only for authorised purposes, and comply with data protection obligations.

6. International transfers

If any processor stores or accesses data outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent protection measures permitted under applicable law.

7. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy. Retention periods depend on the type of data, the nature of the service, and legal requirements. In general:

Enquiry records may be retained for a limited period if no booking follows.
Customer and service records may be kept for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Complaint, claim, and incident records may be retained longer where needed to resolve disputes or meet insurance obligations.

When data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in line with our retention procedures.

8. Your rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights regarding your personal data. These include:

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

You also have the right to raise concerns with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data has not been handled lawfully.

9. Security of your data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff training, and restricted permissions. While no system is completely secure, we take data protection seriously and work to reduce risk wherever possible.

10. Children’s data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary for a customer’s household move and provided by an adult with authority to do so. Where children’s data is involved, we treat it with particular care and only process it where there is a lawful basis.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or data handling practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed.

12. Summary of our commitment

Removals Colliers Wood respects your privacy and is committed to using personal data responsibly. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and lawful purposes, retain it only for as long as necessary, and ensure that any processors we use are bound by appropriate data protection obligations. Our aim is to provide reliable removal services while protecting the rights and privacy of every customer in the area.

By using our services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws.