Privacy Policy - Putney Removals

Putney Removals is committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information in connection with our removal, storage, packing, delivery, and related services. It applies to all Putney Removals customers in the area, including individuals, families, landlords, tenants, and businesses who use our services.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Putney Removals is the data controller for the personal information described in this policy. This means we decide why and how your personal data is processed. We only process personal data where we have a valid legal basis and only for purposes that are necessary, relevant, and proportionate to providing our services and managing our business.

2. Personal Data We Collect

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

Identity details such as your name, title, and, where necessary, company name.
Contact details such as telephone number, email address, and correspondence address.
Service details such as collection and delivery addresses, move dates, item lists, access information, and service preferences.
Payment and transaction data such as payment records, billing information, and service history.
Communication records such as enquiries, quotes, complaints, feedback, and notes from phone, email, or written correspondence.
Property and access information such as entry instructions, parking restrictions, and relevant logistical details required to carry out a removal safely.
Technical data that may be collected when you interact with our digital systems, such as device information or usage logs, where applicable.

We generally do not seek to collect special category data. If such information is provided to us incidentally, for example within instructions or correspondence, we will only process it where necessary and in compliance with data protection law.

3. How We Collect Data

We collect personal data directly from you when you request a quote, book a service, communicate with us, complete forms, provide instructions, or make a payment. We may also receive data from third parties where necessary to perform our services, such as building managers, letting agents, solicitors, or another person arranging services on your behalf. In limited cases, we may receive information from service providers that help us manage our operations, such as payment processors or administrative systems.

4. Why We Use Your Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

To provide removal, storage, packing, and related services.
To prepare quotations, confirm bookings, and manage service arrangements.
To communicate with you about your move, scheduling, access, and service updates.
To process payments, issue invoices, and maintain financial records.
To handle customer queries, complaints, and service quality matters.
To manage risk, prevent fraud, and protect our staff, customers, and property.
To meet legal, tax, accounting, and insurance obligations.
To keep appropriate business records and improve our services.

We will only use your data in ways that are compatible with the purposes described in this policy. We do not sell your personal data.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, we must have a lawful basis to process your personal data. We rely on the following bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotes, managing bookings, carrying out the removal, handling payment, and delivering agreed services.

Legal Obligation

We process personal data where required to comply with legal duties, including tax, accounting, record-keeping, and regulatory obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. Examples include managing operations, improving service quality, maintaining security, preventing fraud, and defending legal claims.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain optional communications or where the law requires consent for a specific activity. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

6. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share your personal data with trusted third parties, but only where necessary and with appropriate safeguards. These third parties may act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers.

Payment processors that handle card or other payment transactions.
IT and cloud service providers that store data, support communications, or maintain business systems.
Administrative and accounting service providers that help with invoicing, record management, or bookkeeping.
Storage and logistics partners where services require coordination with external facilities or carriers.
Professional advisers such as insurers, lawyers, accountants, or auditors where necessary.
Public authorities or law enforcement where required by law or to protect legal rights.

Where a third party acts as a processor, they are only permitted to process data on our instructions and must keep it secure and confidential. We take reasonable steps to ensure that processors provide sufficient guarantees regarding data protection and that appropriate contracts are in place.

7. International Transfers

In some cases, your personal data may be stored or processed outside the United Kingdom. If this happens, we will ensure that suitable safeguards are in place, such as an adequacy decision or approved contractual protections, so that your personal data remains protected to a standard consistent with UK data protection requirements.

8. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, insurance, and reporting requirements. Retention periods will vary depending on the type of information and the nature of our relationship with you.

Customer and service records are usually retained for the period needed to provide the service and for a reasonable time afterwards in case of queries or claims.
Financial and tax records are kept for the period required by law.
Complaint and dispute records may be retained longer where needed to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

When data is no longer needed, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you.

9. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have a number of rights under data protection law. These rights may be subject to limitations or exemptions in certain circumstances.

Right of access - you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification - you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure - you can ask us to delete your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restrict processing - you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
Right to object - you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability - you can request transfer of certain data where the legal conditions are met.
Right to withdraw consent - where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner???s Office if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage you to raise any concerns with us first so we can try to resolve them.

10. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff training, confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our systems and processes. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Children???s Data

Our services are generally directed to adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is necessary in connection with a family move or related service arrangement. In such cases, we will process the information only to the extent required for the service and in accordance with applicable law.

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 protection practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage you to review it periodically so that you remain informed about how we protect your personal data.

13. Summary of Our Approach

In summary, Putney Removals processes personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently. We collect only the information we need, use it for clear and legitimate purposes, keep it only as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted processors and others where appropriate. We respect your privacy rights and are committed to handling your personal data responsibly for every customer in the area.