Privacy Policy - Roehampton Removals

Roehampton Removals is committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, store, and protect personal information when you use our services. It applies to all Roehampton Removals customers in the area, including prospective customers, individuals who request quotes, and anyone who engages with our moving, packing, storage, or related removal services.

This policy has been written to be clear and transparent in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. It describes the categories of data we collect, the lawful bases we rely on, how long we keep data, the third parties that may process data on our behalf, and the rights available to you.

1. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary to provide and manage our services, respond to enquiries, and meet legal or business obligations. The information we may collect includes:

Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, the names of other people connected to the booking.
Contact details including your telephone number and email address.
Address information such as collection and delivery addresses, access details, and property notes.
Booking and service information including moving dates, inventory lists, service preferences, and special instructions.
Payment-related information necessary to process invoices and payments, though we do not store full card details where payment processing is handled securely by a third party.
Communication records such as emails, messages, call notes, complaints, and service feedback.
Technical information if you use our digital services, including basic device and usage data generated by our systems.
Special category data only where it is voluntarily provided and strictly necessary, for example if you disclose access needs, mobility considerations, or other information relevant to safe moving arrangements.

We do not intentionally collect sensitive data unless it is relevant to the service and you choose to provide it. Where such data is processed, we apply extra care and appropriate safeguards.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data to operate our business effectively and to deliver moving services safely and efficiently. Typical uses include:

Providing quotations and confirming bookings.
Planning and carrying out removal services.
Managing access, logistics, packing, loading, transport, and delivery.
Communicating with you about changes, updates, or service requirements.
Processing payments, issuing invoices, and maintaining financial records.
Handling complaints, claims, and service queries.
Meeting legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations.
Improving our service quality, training staff, and preventing fraud or misuse.

We always aim to use data in a fair, lawful, and proportionate way, and we do not sell your personal data.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. We rely on the following bases:

a) Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotes you request, managing bookings, delivering removal services, and handling payment administration.

b) Legal Obligation

We may process and retain data to comply with laws and regulations, including accounting, tax, record-keeping, insurance, and health and safety obligations.

c) 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 service improvement, internal administration, fraud prevention, and managing customer communications.

d) Consent

In limited cases, we rely on your consent, for example where we process optional information or send certain marketing communications. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

e) Vital Interests

In rare situations, we may process information to protect someone’s vital interests, such as in an emergency involving safety or urgent access concerns.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to provide our services, administer our business, or comply with legal obligations. These third parties act as processors or, in some cases, separate controllers.

Examples of processors may include:

IT and cloud hosting providers that store or manage our business systems.
Payment service providers that process transactions securely.
Accountants and bookkeeping services supporting financial administration.
Customer relationship, scheduling, or communication software providers.
Storage and logistics partners involved in delivering agreed services.
Professional advisers, insurers, and claims handlers where necessary.

We require processors to act only on our instructions, to protect your data, and to use appropriate technical and organisational security measures. We do not permit processors to use your data for their own unrelated purposes.

We may also disclose information where required by law, court order, regulatory request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Roehampton Removals, our customers, staff, or others.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, and to meet legal, contractual, accounting, or insurance requirements.

Quotation and enquiry data may be kept for a limited period to manage follow-up and business records.
Customer and booking records are usually retained for the duration of the service relationship and a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and invoicing records are retained in accordance with tax and accounting laws.
Claims, dispute, or complaint records may be retained longer where necessary to defend legal claims or resolve issues.

When data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in accordance with our retention procedures. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and applicable legal requirements.

6. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we take steps to ensure that it remains protected. This may include using service providers subject to appropriate safeguards such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent lawful mechanisms.

7. Data Security

We use suitable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, staff training, and limited access on a need-to-know basis.

While no system is completely secure, we work to maintain a high standard of protection and review our safeguards regularly. We also expect anyone processing data on our behalf to maintain equivalent security standards.

8. Your Rights Under GDPR

You have important rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to certain conditions and exemptions, these rights include:

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 information.
Right to erasure – you can request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in some situations.
Right to data portability – you may request that certain data be provided in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your rights have been infringed. We encourage you to raise concerns with us first so we can try to resolve them promptly and fairly.

9. Marketing Preferences

Where permitted by law, we may send you service-related updates or limited marketing messages. If we rely on consent, you can opt out at any time. If we rely on legitimate interests for certain communications, you still have the right to object. We will always respect your preferences and reduce contact where requested.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are aimed at adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidentally provided in connection with a household move or service arrangement. If we become aware that data has been collected inappropriately, we will take reasonable steps to delete it.

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 data protection practices. Any updates will take effect when published or communicated through appropriate means. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how we process personal data.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Roehampton Removals only processes personal data where there is a lawful and necessary reason to do so. We collect the minimum information needed to deliver services, keep it secure, share it only with trusted processors where required, and retain it for no longer than necessary. Most importantly, we respect your rights and are committed to handling your data with transparency, care, and accountability.