Privacy Policy - Movers Earls Court

This Privacy Policy explains how Movers Earls Court collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with moving, packing, storage, and related services. It applies to all Movers Earls Court customers in the area, including prospective customers, individuals who request quotations, people who book services, and anyone whose personal data is processed in the course of providing our services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, transparent, and secure manner in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Personal data we collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide our services, manage our business, and comply with legal obligations. The type of data we may collect includes:

Identity details such as name, title, and, where needed, proof of identity.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details such as property size, moving dates, inventory information, access arrangements, and special handling requirements.
Billing and payment information such as payment status, invoice details, and transaction records.
Communications such as emails, messages, call notes, complaints, and feedback.
Technical data such as basic website or device information if you interact with our digital services, including IP address, browser type, and usage logs.
Special category data only where you choose to provide it or where it is necessary to support a service request, for example access needs related to health or mobility. We handle such data with extra care and only where a lawful basis applies.

We generally collect personal data directly from you. We may also receive information from third parties where necessary, such as estate agents, landlords, storage providers, payment service providers, or business partners involved in your move.

2. How we use personal data

We use personal data for clear and specific purposes. These include:

Providing quotations and managing bookings.
Planning, carrying out, and completing removals and related services.
Communicating with you about your service, schedule, or requirements.
Processing payments, issuing invoices, and maintaining financial records.
Responding to enquiries, complaints, and claims.
Maintaining records for operational, administrative, and legal purposes.
Improving our services, training staff, and ensuring service quality.
Protecting our business, customers, staff, and property from fraud, misuse, or security incidents.
Meeting legal and regulatory obligations.

We will not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons it was collected unless we have a valid legal basis and have informed you where required.

3. Lawful basis for processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Depending on the activity, we rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract – processing is necessary to provide a quote, enter into an agreement, and deliver the services you requested.
Legal obligation – processing is necessary to comply with applicable laws, including tax, accounting, and record-keeping requirements.
Legitimate interests – processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as service improvement, fraud prevention, customer support, and business administration, provided these interests do not override your rights and freedoms.
Consent – where required, for example for certain marketing activities or the handling of specific sensitive information not covered by another basis. You may withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.
Vital interests – in exceptional cases where processing is necessary to protect someone’s life.

Where we process special category data, we will only do so if an additional condition under data protection law is met, such as your explicit consent or necessity for legal claims, depending on the circumstances.

4. Sharing and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties when necessary to deliver our services or manage our business. These third parties may act as processors or independent controllers, depending on the role they perform.

Processors are organisations that process personal data on our behalf and under our instructions. They may include:

IT and cloud service providers used for storing and managing records.
Payment processors used to handle transactions securely.
Accounting and invoicing providers.
Customer communication and business administration platforms.
Storage, logistics, or subcontracted service providers assisting with a move.

We require processors to protect personal data, use it only for specified purposes, and implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures. We do not permit processors to use your data for their own unrelated purposes.

We may also share personal data where necessary with insurers, legal advisers, professional consultants, or public authorities when required by law or to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims. In some cases, recipients may act as independent controllers and will be responsible for their own privacy obligations.

5. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including meeting legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason it was processed.

As a general approach:

Quotation and enquiry records may be retained for a limited period to manage follow-up, customer service, and business records.
Contract and service records may be retained for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards in case of disputes or claims.
Financial records, invoices, and tax-related records may be retained for the period required by law.
Complaint and claim records may be retained for as long as needed to resolve the matter and satisfy legal limitation periods.

When personal data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in a safe and appropriate manner. We periodically review our records to ensure data is not kept longer than necessary.

6. Security of personal data

We take the security of personal data seriously and use appropriate measures to reduce the risk of unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff training, encryption where appropriate, and procedures for handling incidents. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to protect your information to a high standard.

7. Your rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to legal conditions and exemptions. They include:

The right to be informed about how your data is used.
The right of access to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
The right to rectification to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
The right to erasure in certain circumstances, sometimes called the right to be forgotten.
The right to restrict processing in certain situations.
The right to data portability for data provided by you and processed by automated means on the basis of consent or contract.
The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests and to direct marketing.
Rights in relation to automated decision-making, where applicable, including the right not to be subject to solely automated decisions with legal or similarly significant effects.

If you wish to exercise your rights, we will respond in accordance with data protection law. We may need to verify your identity before dealing with your request. In some cases, we may be unable to comply fully if retaining or processing the data is required by law or necessary for legitimate purposes.

8. Marketing preferences

Where we send marketing communications, we will do so only where permitted by law. You may object to direct marketing at any time. If you withdraw consent or object to marketing, we will update our records and stop using your details for that purpose as required.

9. International transfers

If any personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that suitable safeguards are in place so that your information remains protected. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other approved transfer mechanisms.

10. Children’s data

Our services are intended for adults arranging moving and storage services. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in the context of a service arrangement and is provided by an adult with appropriate authority. If we become aware that we have collected data inappropriately, we will take 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 duties, or operational practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage you to review this policy periodically so you remain informed about how your personal data is handled.

12. Summary of our commitment

Movers Earls Court is committed to protecting privacy and processing personal data responsibly. We collect only the information we need, use it for clear purposes, rely on lawful bases, keep it only as long as necessary, and work with processors who are contractually required to protect it. We also respect your rights and aim to make it easy for you to understand how your information is used.

This policy applies to all Movers Earls Court customers in the area.