Southwark Removals Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Southwark Removals collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data relating to our customers and prospective customers. It applies to all Southwark Removals customers and enquirers within our service area, including all areas in and around Southwark, for all removal, storage, packing, and related services that we provide.

We are committed to complying with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 and to processing your personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently.

Who this policy applies to

This Privacy Policy applies to individuals who contact Southwark Removals, request a quote, book a service, receive our services, or otherwise interact with us as a customer or prospective customer within our operating area. It covers data collected online, by phone, in person, and through any other communication channels we use.

Personal data we collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data when you deal with Southwark Removals:

Identity details such as your name and title.

Contact details such as your postal address, service addresses, and any contact preferences you provide.

Service information such as property access details, parking information, inventory lists, and any special requirements you tell us about to enable us to deliver our services safely and effectively.

Booking and transaction information such as dates and times of moves, service history with us, and information necessary to create and manage your quotations and bookings.

Payment-related information such as the fact that payment has been made and the method used. We do not store full payment card details when payments are processed through third party payment providers.

Communication records such as emails, messages, and notes of conversations when you contact us with enquiries, feedback, or complaints.

Technical and usage information, where applicable, such as basic analytic information about how you interact with our website or online tools, to help us understand and improve our services. This may include IP address, device type, and general browsing information.

We collect data directly from you when you contact us or use our services, and we may also generate data internally, for example by recording details of the services we deliver to you.

Lawful bases for processing your data

We only process your personal data where we have a lawful basis to do so under the UK GDPR. Depending on the context, we may rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract: We process your personal data where it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, such as providing a quote, and to perform a contract with you, such as completing your removal and associated services.

Legal obligation: We may process your data where it is necessary for compliance with legal obligations, including tax, accounting, and record-keeping requirements.

Legitimate interests: We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. This can include managing and improving our services, responding to queries, handling complaints, and maintaining appropriate business records.

Consent: In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where we wish to send you certain types of optional marketing communications. Where we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time.

How we use your personal data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotes, plan removals, and deliver removal, packing, and storage services that you request from us.

To manage your bookings, including confirming arrangements, coordinating schedules, and communicating with you about your move.

To maintain our internal records, including service histories, invoices, and payment confirmations.

To respond to your enquiries, requests for information, feedback, and complaints.

To improve our services, including through internal analysis and quality assurance activities.

To comply with legal and regulatory requirements and to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims if needed.

Where permitted by law, to contact you about services that may be relevant to you, taking into account your rights and preferences.

Data sharing and processors

We may share your personal data with trusted third parties that act as data processors on our behalf, strictly for the purposes of delivering our services and managing our business. These may include:

IT service providers that host or support our systems and help us operate our business tools.

Payment service providers that process payments on our behalf.

Professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers where necessary for our legitimate business needs and legal compliance.

These processors are only permitted to process your personal data in accordance with our instructions, and they are required to implement appropriate security measures to protect your information.

We may also disclose your personal data where required by law, regulation, or court order, or in connection with legal proceedings or the exercise or defence of legal claims.

We do not sell your personal data to third parties.

International transfers

Where any of our service providers are located outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place so that your personal data remains protected in line with UK data protection law. This may include relying on adequacy regulations or using contracts that contain standard data protection clauses.

Data retention

We retain personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

In general, customer records and related service information may be kept for a period that allows us to manage our relationship with you, handle any queries or disputes, and comply with statutory retention requirements. At the end of the relevant retention period, we will either securely delete your personal data, anonymise it so it can no longer be linked to you, or, where appropriate, archive it in a secure form.

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to the personal data that we hold about you. These rights may be subject to certain conditions and legal exemptions. Your rights include:

Right of access: You can request confirmation that we process your personal data and obtain a copy of that data, together with certain additional information.

Right to rectification: You can ask us to correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data that we hold about you.

Right to erasure: In certain circumstances, you may request that we delete your personal data, for example where it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or where you withdraw consent and there is no other lawful basis for processing.

Right to restriction of processing: You may request that we restrict the processing of your personal data, for example while we verify the accuracy of your data or consider an objection you have raised.

Right to object: You have the right to object to processing that is based on our legitimate interests, on grounds relating to your particular situation. You also have the right to object at any time to the processing of your personal data for direct marketing.

Right to data portability: In certain circumstances, you may request that we provide your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine readable format, or that we transfer it to another controller where this is technically feasible.

Where we rely on your consent to process personal data, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before the withdrawal.

Security of your data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction, or damage. These measures include limiting access to personal data to those who have a genuine business need to access it and who are subject to confidentiality obligations.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or data protection practices. Any significant changes will be explained clearly in the updated version. The latest version of this Privacy Policy will always apply to how we process your personal data.