Privacy Policy - Bermondsey Removals

Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Bermondsey Removals collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with its removal, storage, packing, and related services. It applies to all Bermondsey Removals customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and former customers, as well as individuals who interact with us on behalf of a business, household, landlord, letting agent, or other organisation.

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. We only collect data that is relevant and necessary for the provision and administration of our services.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

Identity details: full name, title, and where applicable company or organisation name.
Contact details: address, email address, telephone number, and other communication details you provide.
Service details: information relating to the move, such as collection and delivery addresses, move dates, property access information, inventory details, and special handling requirements.
Payment and billing information: payment status, invoices, receipts, and limited financial details necessary to complete transactions.
Communication records: emails, calls, messages, notes from estimates, complaints, and service-related correspondence.
Technical information: if you contact us electronically, we may collect limited technical information such as device or browser data where necessary for security or administration.
Special category data: we do not normally seek special category personal data. If such data is provided incidentally, for example where it is included in delivery instructions, we will process it only when necessary and with appropriate safeguards.

We do not intentionally collect more information than is needed to deliver our services. We do not sell personal data.

2. How We Collect Personal Data

We collect personal data directly from you when you request a quote, make a booking, confirm a service, pay an invoice, or communicate with us. We may also receive data from third parties where necessary for the performance of a service, such as landlords, estate agents, property managers, business clients, or nominated representatives acting on your behalf.

In some cases, we may collect data indirectly when it is required to manage access to a property, coordinate a move, or complete a lawful business record. Any such collection is limited to what is necessary and proportionate.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

We only process personal data where a lawful basis under UK GDPR applies. Depending on the nature of the service and interaction, we may rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotations, booking services, planning removals, providing packing or storage, managing delivery, and handling payment administration.

Legal obligation

We may process personal data where necessary to comply with legal obligations, including tax, accounting, record-keeping, insurance, or regulatory requirements.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include service improvement, fraud prevention, internal administration, security, resolving disputes, and maintaining business records.

Consent

Where we rely on your consent, for example for certain optional communications or non-essential processing, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before it was withdrawn.

Vital interests or public task

These lawful bases are unlikely to apply in ordinary circumstances, but may be used if required in exceptional situations where the protection of a person???s life or compliance with a public duty is involved.

4. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data to provide, manage, and improve our services. This may include:

responding to enquiries and providing quotations;
arranging and carrying out removals and related services;
confirming appointments and service details;
managing payments, invoices, and accounting records;
communicating important updates about a booking or move;
handling complaints, claims, and service disputes;
meeting legal, tax, insurance, and compliance obligations;
protecting the security of our operations and preventing misuse.

We may also use limited personal data for internal analysis and service quality purposes, always in a manner that is proportionate and consistent with this policy.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third-party service providers and contractors who act as processors on our behalf. These processors only process data according to our instructions and are subject to confidentiality and data protection obligations.

Examples of processors may include:

IT and cloud storage providers;
accountants and bookkeeping services;
payment and invoicing providers;
customer communication platforms;
vehicle tracking, route planning, or scheduling systems;
professional advisers, including insurers, legal advisers, and claims handlers where needed.

We may also disclose data where required by law, court order, government authority, or regulatory body. In addition, data may be shared with third parties involved in delivering your service, such as subcontracted movers or storage providers, where this is necessary for the performance of the contract.

Where personal data is transferred to a processor, we take reasonable steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. We do not permit processors to use your data for their own independent purposes.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including the fulfilment of our contract, legal obligations, dispute resolution, and record-keeping.

Retention periods vary depending on the type of record. For example:

Quotation and enquiry records: retained for a limited period to manage follow-up, queries, and internal administration.
Customer service and booking records: retained for the duration of the service and a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and tax records: retained for the period required by law and accounting rules.
Claims and dispute records: retained until the matter is fully resolved and any relevant limitation periods have expired.

When data is no longer required, it will be securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in accordance with our retention procedures.

7. Security of Personal Data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff awareness, confidentiality obligations, and limited access on a need-to-know basis.

While we work to safeguard personal data, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. We therefore cannot guarantee absolute security, but we take data protection seriously and continuously review our safeguards.

8. Your Rights

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

Right of access: you may request access to the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure: in certain circumstances, you may request deletion of your personal data.
Right to restrict processing: you may ask us to limit how we use your data in some cases.
Right to data portability: where applicable, you may request a copy of certain data in a structured format.
Right to object: you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

Some rights are subject to legal conditions and may not always apply. If you exercise a right, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We will respond within the time limits required by law.

9. International Transfers

Where a processor or service provider stores or processes data outside the UK, we will take steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent legal protections to preserve the security and legality of the transfer.

10. Children???s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is unavoidably included in service instructions or necessary for a household booking. If we become aware that we have collected child-related data inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it where lawful and practical.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect legal, operational, or service changes. The most recent version will apply to all relevant processing. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their personal data is handled.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Bermondsey Removals is committed to protecting your privacy and using personal data responsibly. We collect only the information needed to provide services, rely on appropriate lawful bases, retain data only for necessary periods, use trusted processors under contract, and respect your legal rights. This policy applies to all Bermondsey Removals customers in the area and is designed to ensure that your information is treated with care, transparency, and accountability.