Privacy Policy - Removal Companies Soho

This Privacy Policy explains how personal data is collected, used, stored, shared, and protected by Removal Companies Soho when providing removal, packing, storage, and related services. It applies to all Removal Companies Soho customers in the area, including individuals, families, landlords, tenants, businesses, and organisations that engage our services or make enquiries. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, transparent, and secure manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Removal Companies Soho acts as a data controller in relation to the personal information we determine the purposes and means for processing. In some circumstances, we may also act as a data processor where we process information on behalf of another controller, for example where a business customer instructs us to handle data as part of a wider relocation arrangement.

This policy applies whenever we collect or process personal information from customers, prospective customers, suppliers, contractors, visitors, and other individuals connected with our services in Soho and the surrounding area.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to deliver our services, manage our business, and meet our legal obligations. The types of data we may collect include:

Identity data such as your name, title, and, where relevant, company name.
Contact data including address, email address, telephone number, and moving location details.
Service data such as inventory lists, property access details, moving dates, packing requirements, and instructions relating to the move.
Payment data including billing details, transaction records, and payment status information.
Technical data such as device information, browser type, IP address, and usage information if you interact with digital systems we use.
Correspondence data including emails, messages, notes from phone calls, and complaint records.
Special category data only where strictly necessary and where a lawful basis exists, for example information you choose to disclose that may require additional care in handling.

We do not intentionally collect more information than is needed for a specific and lawful purpose.

3. How We Collect Data

We may collect personal information directly from you when you:

request a quote or make an enquiry;
book a removal or storage service;
complete forms or provide instructions;
communicate with us by phone, email, or other means;
make a payment or receive an invoice;
submit feedback, a complaint, or a claim.

We may also receive data from third parties such as estate agents, landlords, solicitors, building managers, business clients, payment providers, and public sources where this is necessary for service delivery or legal compliance.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

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

Contract: to provide quotations, arrange removals, perform services, manage bookings, and fulfil our obligations to you.
Legal obligation: to keep records for tax, accounting, insurance, and regulatory purposes.
Legitimate interests: to run and improve our business, respond to enquiries, prevent fraud, secure our systems, and manage service quality, provided your rights do not override those interests.
Consent: where required, for specific optional processing activities. You may withdraw consent at any time where consent is the basis relied upon.
Vital interests: in rare circumstances where processing is necessary to protect someone’s life.
Public task or other bases only where applicable in exceptional circumstances.

We will always aim to ensure the chosen lawful basis is appropriate to the purpose for which the data is used.

5. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal information to:

prepare and deliver quotes;
plan, organise, and complete removals and related services;
communicate about bookings, changes, delays, or service issues;
process payments and issue invoices;
maintain records and evidence of work performed;
respond to complaints, claims, and customer support requests;
meet legal, accounting, and insurance requirements;
improve our services, operations, and customer experience;
protect against fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

Where data is used for internal analysis or service improvement, it will be handled in a way that is consistent with data protection principles, including data minimisation and purpose limitation.

6. Sharing Data and Processors

We may share personal data only when necessary and with appropriate safeguards. In some cases, we use third-party service providers who act as processors on our behalf. These may include:

payment processing providers;
IT support and software suppliers;
cloud storage and data hosting providers;
communications and email service providers;
accounting and bookkeeping providers;
insurance and claims handling services;
subcontracted removal teams or logistics partners where required to complete the service.

We require processors to act only on our instructions, protect personal data, maintain confidentiality, and implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures. We may also disclose information to:

professional advisers such as lawyers, auditors, or insurers;
regulatory bodies, law enforcement, or courts where required by law;
other parties where you have authorised us to do so.

We do not sell personal data.

7. International Transfers

If personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms recognised under UK data protection law. We will take steps to ensure that any international transfer protects your information to a standard consistent with UK GDPR.

8. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, insurance, and reporting obligations. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the purpose of processing. In general:

quotation and enquiry records may be retained for a limited period after the enquiry ends;
service and transaction records may be retained for the duration of the customer relationship and a further period afterwards;
financial and tax records are kept for the period required by law;
complaints, claims, and dispute records may be retained until the matter is fully resolved and any limitation periods have expired;
technical logs are retained only for as long as needed for security, troubleshooting, and audit purposes.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete it, anonymise it, or archive it in line with our retention procedures. Retention is never indefinite unless lawfully required.

9. Data Security

We use appropriate measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These may include access controls, password protection, staff training, secure storage, encryption where appropriate, and limited access based on business need. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we are committed to maintaining reasonable and proportionate safeguards.

10. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These may include the right to:

Access your personal data and receive a copy of the information we hold about you;
Rectification of inaccurate or incomplete data;
Erasure in certain circumstances, also known as the right to be forgotten;
Restriction of processing in certain cases;
Data portability where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means;
Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing;
Withdraw consent where consent is the basis for processing;
Challenge automated decision-making if such decisions are used, which is not our usual practice.

To exercise your rights, you may make a request using the relevant privacy or data subject request procedure available to you. We may need to verify your identity before responding. We aim to respond within the time limits required by law.

11. Complaints and Supervisory Authority

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, you should raise them through the appropriate complaint process so we can investigate and respond. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) or the relevant UK supervisory authority if you believe your data protection rights have been breached.

12. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is necessary in connection with a household move and only to the extent required for service delivery. Where we become aware that child-related data has been provided, we will handle it with particular care and only process it where lawful and necessary.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our services, or our data handling practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers in Soho and the surrounding area to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their information is used.

14. Summary of Our Commitment

Removal Companies Soho is committed to protecting customer privacy and using personal data responsibly. We collect only what is needed, process it on a valid lawful basis, share it carefully with trusted processors, retain it only for as long as necessary, and respect your rights under UK data protection law. This policy applies to all Removal Companies Soho customers in area, and it is intended to provide clear, transparent information about how we manage personal information in connection with our services.