Privacy Policy - Removals Brent

This Privacy Policy explains how Removals Brent collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing removal and related services. It applies to all Removals Brent customers in the area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, businesses, and anyone else who uses or enquires about our services within the local service area. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who we are and what this policy covers

Removals Brent provides moving, loading, transport, and associated relocation services. In order to deliver these services effectively, we may need to collect and use personal information about customers, their representatives, and sometimes third parties connected to the service, such as property managers, landlords, building staff, or named recipients. This policy applies to data processed in connection with enquiries, quotations, bookings, service delivery, payment processing, complaints, and records management.

We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary for legitimate business purposes.

2. Data collection

We may collect the following categories of personal data:

Identity information such as name, title, and business name.
Contact details such as postal address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information including moving dates, pickup and delivery addresses, access details, inventory notes, item descriptions, and special handling instructions.
Payment and billing information such as invoice details, transaction records, and payment status.
Communication records including enquiries, complaints, feedback, and correspondence.
Technical and usage information if you interact with us through digital systems, including device information, logs, and basic website interaction data where applicable.
Special instructions that may reveal personal circumstances, for example accessibility needs, security arrangements, or timing preferences.

In some cases, customers may provide information about third parties, such as keys held by a landlord, an alternate contact person, or the name of a building manager. Customers are responsible for ensuring they have permission to share such information with us.

How we collect data

We collect personal data directly from you when you make an enquiry, request a quote, book a service, complete forms, communicate with us, or provide instructions during the removals process. We may also receive data from third parties where needed to deliver the service, for example from estate agents, letting agents, employers, or payment service providers. Where lawful, we may also generate internal records based on your service usage and correspondence.

3. Lawful basis for processing

We process personal data only where we have a valid lawful basis under UK GDPR. Depending on the context, the following bases may apply:

Contract – where processing is necessary to provide a quote, enter into an agreement, arrange a move, perform the service, or manage payments and customer support.
Legal obligation – where we must retain or disclose information to comply with tax, accounting, insurance, or other legal requirements.
Legitimate interests – where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as managing operations, improving services, preventing fraud, handling complaints, and maintaining records, provided those interests do not override your rights and freedoms.
Consent – where we rely on your clear consent for specific activities, such as optional marketing communications where applicable. You may withdraw consent at any time.

If we need to process any special category data, we will only do so where a lawful basis and, if required, an additional condition under data protection law applies.

4. How we use personal data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and confirm bookings.
To plan and carry out removals and related services.
To communicate with customers before, during, and after the service.
To manage payments, invoicing, and account records.
To deal with complaints, claims, or service issues.
To maintain business records and meet legal obligations.
To protect our staff, property, and customers’ property.
To improve the quality, efficiency, and reliability of our services.

We do not use personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the reason it was collected.

5. Data sharing and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties when necessary to provide our services or manage our business. These third parties may act as processors on our behalf or, in some cases, as independent controllers. Processors are only permitted to process personal data according to our instructions and must implement appropriate security measures.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

IT and cloud storage providers.
Accounting and invoicing systems.
Payment processing services.
Customer communication and administrative support tools.
Insurance, legal, or claims handling providers where relevant.

We may also disclose information where necessary to comply with the law, enforce our agreements, protect our rights, or respond to lawful requests from public authorities. Any sharing is limited to what is necessary and proportionate.

6. International transfers

If any processor stores or accesses personal data outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect the information in line with applicable data protection law. These safeguards may include approved contractual protections and assessments of the receiving country’s data protection standards.

7. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, and no longer than required by law or legitimate business needs. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and why it was collected.

Quotation and enquiry records may be kept for a limited period to manage follow-up questions and business analysis.
Booking and service records are retained for the duration of the contract and for a reasonable period afterwards in case of disputes or claims.
Financial and tax records are retained for the periods required by law.
Complaints and claims records may be retained longer where needed for legal, insurance, or operational purposes.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, destroy, or anonymise it.

8. Data security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, misuse, or alteration. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and limited access to personal information on a need-to-know basis. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Your rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to legal limits, these may include:

Right of access – to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
Right to data portability – to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to object – to 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 review your request and respond within the timeframe required by law. We may need to verify your identity before taking action.

10. Children’s data

Our services are intended for adults and businesses. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where necessary and lawful in connection with a customer’s move or service arrangement. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without the appropriate lawful basis, we will take steps to delete it.

11. Complaints and supervisory authority

If you have concerns about how we handle personal data, you may raise them with us so that we can review and resolve the issue. You also have the right to contact the UK data protection supervisory authority if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or data handling practices. The latest version will apply to the processing of your personal data. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal information.

By using Removals Brent services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.