Privacy Policy - Removal Van Hammersmith

This Privacy Policy explains how Removal Van Hammersmith collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data in connection with the services it provides. It applies to all Removal Van Hammersmith customers in area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and business clients who request or receive removal and related services. We are committed to handling personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who we are

Removal Van Hammersmith is a removals and logistics service provider. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as the data controller for the personal information we collect and use for our own business purposes, such as booking, invoicing, customer support, and service management.

2. Personal data we collect

We collect only the data necessary to provide and manage our services. The categories of personal data we may process include:

Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, the name of your business or organisation.
Contact details such as phone number, email address, and service address.
Booking and service information such as move dates, property access details, inventory notes, and special handling requirements.
Payment information such as billing address and payment confirmation details. We do not keep full card details where payment is processed by a secure third-party provider.
Communication records including enquiries, complaints, quotes, feedback, and correspondence.
Technical data if you contact us through digital channels, such as basic device and usage information used to improve service performance and security.
Special category data only where you voluntarily provide it and it is necessary for service delivery, for example access needs or mobility considerations. We limit this data strictly to what is required.

We normally collect information directly from you when you request a quote, make a booking, communicate with us, or use our services. We may also receive information from third parties acting on your behalf, such as letting agents, solicitors, landlords, employers, or payment processors, where it is lawful and necessary.

3. How we use your data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations and manage bookings;
to plan and carry out removal services safely and efficiently;
to communicate with you about your move, schedule, and service updates;
to process payments, issue invoices, and maintain financial records;
to respond to enquiries, complaints, and after-service support requests;
to meet legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
to protect our business, staff, customers, and property against fraud, misuse, or security incidents;
to improve service quality, customer experience, and internal operations.

We will only use your data in ways that are compatible with the purpose for which it was collected, unless we have a lawful reason to use it for a new purpose.

4. Lawful basis for processing

We process personal data only when we have a valid lawful basis under the UK GDPR. Depending on the context, our lawful bases may include:

Contract

We process data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as arranging quotes, booking a removal, completing the service, and handling billing.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include improving operations, managing customer relationships, preventing fraud, and ensuring service security. We always assess such processing carefully.

Legal obligation

We may retain or disclose data where required to comply with legal obligations, including tax, accounting, insurance, and record-keeping requirements.

Consent

In limited situations, we rely on your consent, particularly where optional data processing is involved. When we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

Vital interests

In rare circumstances, we may process personal data to protect someone’s vital interests, such as in an emergency or serious safety situation.

5. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, and to satisfy legal, accounting, or insurance requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and service involved. In general:

booking and service records are kept for a reasonable period to manage customer history and resolve disputes;
financial and invoicing records are kept for the period required by law;
communications and support records are retained for as long as needed to handle the enquiry or complaint;
data collected under consent is kept only until consent is withdrawn or the purpose ends;
data that is no longer required is securely deleted, anonymised, or archived where appropriate.

When determining retention, we consider the nature of the data, the sensitivity of the information, the purpose of processing, and any applicable legal limitation periods. Our aim is to retain data for the shortest appropriate time while maintaining operational and legal compliance.

6. Processors and third parties

We may share personal data with trusted third-party processors who provide services on our behalf. These may include:

payment processors;
accounting and bookkeeping providers;
IT, hosting, storage, and software service providers;
customer communication and scheduling tools;
insurance providers;
professional advisers such as lawyers, auditors, or insurers;
subcontractors or operational partners involved in completing a service.

All processors are required to act only on our instructions, to keep data secure, and to comply with applicable data protection laws. We do not sell your personal data. Where we share information with third parties acting as independent controllers, such sharing is limited to what is necessary and lawful.

7. International transfers

Where any processor or service provider stores or accesses personal data outside the UK, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent protections required by law. We take reasonable steps to ensure that your information remains protected to a standard consistent with UK GDPR requirements.

8. Security of your data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff training, encryption where appropriate, and regular review of our data-handling practices. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a level of protection that is proportionate and robust.

9. Your rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These may 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 information.
Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction – to ask us to restrict processing 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.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal exceptions. We will respond to valid requests within the time limits required by law and may need to verify your identity before acting on your request. If you believe your data protection rights have been infringed, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office.

10. Data relating to children

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is provided by an adult customer for service-related reasons. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child without appropriate authority, 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 law, regulation, or our services. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review the policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is used.

12. Summary of our commitment

Removal Van Hammersmith is committed to processing personal data in a transparent, secure, and lawful manner. We collect only what is needed, use it for clear purposes, retain it for no longer than necessary, and ensure that our processors are appropriately bound to protect it. This policy applies to all Removal Van Hammersmith customers in area, and it reflects our ongoing commitment to respecting your privacy and complying with data protection law.