Privacy Policy - Croydon Removals

Welcome to the Privacy Policy for Croydon Removals. This policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data when providing removals and related services. It applies to all Croydon Removals customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and individuals who contact us on behalf of a move, delivery, or associated service.

We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We respect your privacy and aim to only collect data that is necessary to provide our services safely and effectively.

1. Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to anyone whose personal data is processed by Croydon Removals in connection with our services in the Croydon area and surrounding locations where our removals work is carried out. This includes:

Customers booking home removals, office removals, packing, storage, or related services
Potential customers requesting quotes or information
Representatives such as family members, letting agents, solicitors, landlords, or business contacts acting on your behalf
Website or enquiry users whose information is shared with us for service purposes

By using our services, you acknowledge that we may process personal data as described in this policy.

2. Personal data we collect

We may collect and process the following types of personal data, depending on the service you request and how you communicate with us:

Identity data such as your name, title, and, where relevant, company name
Contact data including address, email address, telephone number, and moving addresses
Service details such as move dates, property access information, inventory details, packing requirements, and storage needs
Payment data such as billing information and transaction records, though we do not retain card details unless necessary and lawful to do so
Communications data including emails, messages, call notes, and feedback
Special instructions that may reveal accessibility needs, security requirements, or property-specific arrangements
Technical data such as basic device or usage information if you interact with our digital services

In some cases, we may also process limited information about third parties connected to your move, such as alternate contact persons, building managers, or recipients of goods. Where possible, we expect you to ensure that such persons are aware of this policy.

3. How we use your personal data

We use personal data only where we have a lawful basis to do so. The main purposes for which we process data include:

Providing removals, packing, transport, and storage services
Preparing quotations, estimates, and service agreements
Communicating with you about bookings, schedules, access arrangements, and service changes
Managing payments, invoices, and account records
Handling customer service enquiries, complaints, and claims
Meeting legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations
Maintaining security, fraud prevention, and business record keeping
Improving our operations, service quality, and customer experience

We will not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the original reason it was collected, unless we have a lawful basis to do so.

4. Lawful basis for processing

Under data protection law, we must identify a lawful basis before processing your personal data. Croydon Removals relies on the following bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. For example, we use your name, address, move details, and contact information to provide removals services and fulfil our obligations under the agreement.

Legal obligation

We may process data when required to comply with law, such as accounting, tax, health and safety, insurance, and record-keeping requirements.

Legitimate interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include service administration, business improvement, fraud prevention, internal record keeping, and responding to enquiries or disputes. When relying on legitimate interests, we consider the impact on your privacy and apply appropriate safeguards.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where we need to use optional information or contact preferences not covered by another lawful basis. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing your personal data

We may share your personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to deliver our services or meet legal obligations. These may include:

Processors and service providers who support our operations, such as administration, communications, storage systems, payment support, and IT services
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, legal advisers, and claims handlers
Authorities or regulators where disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect rights, property, or safety
Third parties involved in the move such as landlords, building managers, or delivery partners, where necessary for access or coordination

We ensure that any third party handling personal data does so under appropriate contractual terms and only processes data in line with our instructions, unless they are independently responsible under law.

6. Processors and data transfers

Where we use third-party processors, they may process data on our behalf for functions such as storage, customer communication, invoicing, scheduling, or technical support. We choose processors carefully and require them to implement suitable security measures, confidentiality obligations, and data processing commitments.

If personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will only do so where appropriate safeguards are in place, such as an adequacy decision, the UK International Data Transfer Agreement, or another lawful transfer mechanism permitted by data protection law.

7. Data retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, and to satisfy legal, accounting, insurance, and operational requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the nature of the information and the service provided.

Customer and booking records are typically kept for a period necessary to manage the contract and resolve any follow-up matters
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law
Claims, complaints, or dispute records may be held longer where needed to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims
General enquiries may be deleted once they are no longer needed for business or legal purposes

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or otherwise dispose of it in a safe manner.

8. Your rights

As a data subject under UK GDPR, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to certain legal exceptions and limitations.

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

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with legal timeframes and requirements. We may need to verify your identity before taking action.

9. Security of your data

We take the security of personal data seriously and use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, confidentiality practices, staff training, and regular review of our internal procedures.

While we take reasonable steps to protect information, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. We therefore cannot guarantee absolute security, but we continuously work to reduce risks.

10. Children???s data

Our services are directed to adults and businesses. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidentally provided in connection with a move or service booking and only where necessary. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without proper justification, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

11. Changes to this privacy policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or the way we process data. Any updated version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we handle personal data.

12. Summary of our commitment

Croydon Removals is committed to processing personal data responsibly, lawfully, and transparently. We collect only the information needed to provide removals services, rely on lawful grounds for processing, retain data for no longer than necessary, and use trusted processors under appropriate safeguards. We also respect your rights and aim to make it easy for you to understand and control how your data is used.

By using our services, you confirm that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.