Privacy Policy - Stockwell Removals

This Privacy Policy explains how Stockwell Removals collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing removal, packing, storage, and related services. It applies to all Stockwell Removals customers in area, including prospective customers, private individuals, landlords, tenants, businesses, and any other person who uses or enquires about our 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. Please read this policy carefully to understand your rights and how we process your information.

1. Who We Are

Stockwell Removals is a removals service provider that processes personal data to deliver quotations, arrange bookings, carry out moves, manage storage where applicable, and administer customer support, invoicing, and claims. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as a data controller in relation to the personal data we collect and use for our own business purposes.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide our services, respond to enquiries, and comply with legal obligations. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity information such as your name, title, and date of birth where relevant for access or verification.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details such as move locations, property access information, inventory lists, special handling requirements, and requested dates.
Payment and billing information such as invoice details, payment status, and transaction records.
Communication records such as emails, messages, notes from calls, and complaints.
Operational information such as parking arrangements, building access details, and instructions relating to the move.
Claims and incident data where damage, loss, or dispute reporting is necessary.
Technical data limited to basic website or device information if you interact with our digital systems, such as IP address or browser type, where applicable.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you provide it voluntarily, for example where it is relevant to access needs or to support a complaint. If such data is processed, we do so only with appropriate safeguards and a valid lawful basis.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotes, assess service requirements, and confirm bookings.
To plan, carry out, and manage removals, packing, and storage services.
To communicate with you before, during, and after your move.
To issue invoices, process payments, and maintain financial records.
To handle complaints, claims, and customer service requests.
To meet legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations.
To improve service quality, internal operations, and staff training.
To prevent fraud, misuse, or unauthorised access to our services or premises.

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

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis to process your personal data. Depending on the circumstances, we rely on one or more of the following:

Contract: Processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as providing a quotation or completing a removal service.
Legal obligation: Processing is necessary to comply with laws, including tax, accounting, health and safety, and insurance requirements.
Legitimate interests: Processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include service administration, customer communications, quality control, and fraud prevention.
Consent: In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where you voluntarily provide optional information or agree to certain communications. You may withdraw consent at any time where this is the basis used.
Vital interests: In rare emergencies, we may process information to protect someone???s life or safety.

Where we process special category data, we will only do so where an additional condition under data protection law applies.

5. Sharing Your Information

We may share personal data with third parties when necessary to operate our business and provide services. These recipients may include:

Payment providers used to process card or online transactions.
Accountants and auditors assisting with financial and regulatory obligations.
Insurance providers and claims handlers where a claim or incident requires assessment.
Storage and logistics partners involved in delivering or supporting your move.
IT and system providers that host, maintain, or secure our records and communication tools.
Professional advisers such as lawyers or consultants where advice is required.
Public authorities where disclosure is required by law or a lawful request is made.

We require processors and service providers to handle personal data only on our instructions, to keep it secure, and to use it only for the agreed purpose. Where data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations or standard contractual clauses where applicable.

6. Data Processors

We may use third-party data processors to support our services. A processor is an organisation that processes personal data on our behalf. Typical processor functions may include:

Cloud storage and file management
Email and communications hosting
Customer relationship management systems
Accounting and invoicing software
Payment processing platforms
IT support and cybersecurity services

We take steps to ensure that any processor we use provides sufficient guarantees regarding confidentiality, integrity, availability, and lawful processing. Processors are not permitted to use your information for their own independent purposes.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. The retention period depends on the type of information and the reason for processing.

Quotation and enquiry records may be retained for a reasonable period to manage follow-up requests and business administration.
Customer service and contract records are generally retained for the duration of the service relationship and for a period afterwards to handle queries or disputes.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Claims, incident, and insurance-related records may be retained for as long as necessary to defend or resolve claims.
Security and access records are kept only as long as needed for operational and safety purposes.

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

8. Data Security

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 training, confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our data handling procedures. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to reduce risk and maintain strong security practices.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may 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 - in certain circumstances, you can request that we delete your data.
Right to restrict processing - you can ask us to limit how we use your data in some situations.
Right to object - you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability - you can request certain information in a portable format where processing is based on contract or consent and carried out by automated means.
Right to withdraw consent - where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

To protect your privacy, we may need to verify your identity before responding to a request. We will aim to respond within the time limits set by law.

10. Complaints and Supervisory Authority

If you have concerns about how we process your personal data, you should raise them with us so we can try to resolve the matter. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner???s Office if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed.

11. Changes to This Policy

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

Summary of Key Points

Stockwell Removals collects only necessary personal data to provide removal services, relies on lawful bases such as contract, legal obligation, consent, and legitimate interests, uses trusted processors, retains data only as long as needed, and supports user rights under UK GDPR.