Privacy Policy - Brentford Removals

Effective date: This Privacy Policy applies to all Brentford Removals customers in the area and explains how we collect, use, store, and protect personal data in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We are committed to handling personal information lawfully, fairly, and transparently. This policy applies to customers, prospective customers, website users, and anyone who contacts us or uses our removal services in connection with Brentford Removals.

1. Who We Are

Brentford Removals provides removal-related services to residential and commercial customers. In providing these services, we may act as a data controller for the personal data we collect and use for our own business purposes. This means we decide why and how your personal data is processed.

In some cases, we may also act as a data processor when processing information on behalf of a customer or another organisation. In such cases, we will only process the data in accordance with instructions and applicable law.

2. Personal Data We Collect

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

Identity data: name, title, and, where relevant, company name.
Contact data: address, email address, phone number, and moving address details.
Service data: information about the move, property access, inventory details, delivery preferences, dates, and service requirements.
Financial data: payment-related information, billing records, and transaction details.
Communication data: messages, enquiries, complaints, feedback, and records of correspondence.
Technical data: limited online identifiers such as IP address, device type, browser type, and usage information if you interact with digital systems.
Special category data: generally, we do not intentionally collect special category data. If such information is shared with us, for example due to accessibility needs or health-related moving considerations, we will handle it with additional care and only where permitted by law.

We do not seek to collect more data than necessary. You should only provide information that is relevant to your enquiry or service request.

3. How We Collect Data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

request a quotation or assessment;
book or use our removal services;
communicate with us by phone, email, or other channels;
complete forms or provide service instructions;
make a payment or request an invoice;
leave feedback or submit a complaint.

We may also receive information from third parties where it is necessary to deliver our services, such as estate agents, landlords, property managers, business partners, or subcontractors acting on our behalf. Where appropriate, we may also gather data from publicly available sources or from fraud-prevention and compliance checks.

4. Why We Use Your Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations, manage bookings, and carry out removal services;
to communicate with you about your move or service request;
to plan logistics, schedules, and operational requirements;
to process payments, issue invoices, and maintain financial records;
to handle complaints, disputes, claims, and customer support;
to maintain internal records and improve our services;
to comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
to prevent fraud, misuse, and unauthorised access;
to exercise or defend legal rights where necessary.

We only use your data when we have a lawful reason to do so.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis before processing your personal data. Depending on the specific activity, Brentford Removals may rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotations at your request, managing bookings, completing the removal service, and handling payment arrangements.

Legal Obligation

We may process information where required to meet legal and regulatory obligations, including tax, accounting, insurance, and record-keeping duties.

Legitimate Interests

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

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where specific optional communications or processing activities require it. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

Vital Interests

In exceptional situations, we may process data to protect someone’s vital interests, such as in an emergency affecting health or safety.

Where special category data is processed, we will only do so where an additional condition under UK GDPR applies and where necessary safeguards are in place.

6. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties when necessary for the purposes described in this policy. These recipients may include:

Service providers and processors: companies that support administration, IT systems, secure storage, accounting, communications, scheduling, or customer management.
Payment providers: organisations that handle card payments or other financial transactions.
Professional advisers: accountants, insurers, lawyers, and similar advisers where required.
Subcontractors or partners: where needed to complete the removal service or related work.
Public authorities: regulators, law enforcement, courts, or government bodies where required by law.

Where a third party processes data on our behalf, they act as a data processor and are only permitted to use the data under our instructions. We require appropriate confidentiality, security, and data protection commitments from such processors. We do not sell your personal data.

7. International Transfers

Where any personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with applicable data protection law. This may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms.

8. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including for legal, accounting, insurance, or reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the nature of the data and the purpose for which it is held.

As a general approach:

customer service records may be kept for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards;
financial and tax-related records are retained for the period required by law;
complaint and claims information may be kept longer where needed to resolve disputes or defend legal claims;
data no longer required will be securely deleted, anonymised, or archived.

When deciding how long to retain information, we consider the volume, nature, sensitivity, risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure, and legal requirements applicable to the data.

9. Data Security

We take reasonable and appropriate measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These may include access controls, secure systems, staff confidentiality obligations, and appropriate supplier checks.

Although no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to maintain safeguards designed to keep personal data protected and to reduce the risk of incidents.

10. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to conditions or exceptions depending on the circumstances.

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

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We will respond within the timeframes required by law.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is necessary in connection with a household move or lawful service arrangement. Where such information is received, we will handle it in accordance with this policy and relevant legal requirements.

12. Complaints and Supervisory Authority

If you have concerns about how we handle personal data, we encourage you to raise them so we can review and address the issue. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed.

13. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data handling practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise made available.

Summary principle: we collect only what we need, use it for lawful and necessary purposes, keep it securely, share it only with appropriate processors or authorities, and respect your rights under UK GDPR.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Brentford Removals customers in the area.