Hounslow Removals Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Hounslow Removals collects, uses, stores and protects personal data relating to our customers and prospective customers. It applies to all Hounslow Removals customers and service users within our service area, including those who contact us for quotations, make bookings, or otherwise interact with us in connection with our removals and related services.

Hounslow Removals acts as the data controller in respect of the personal data described in this Privacy Policy. We are committed to complying with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 and to handling your personal data lawfully, fairly and transparently.

Personal data we collect

We collect and process different types of personal data depending on how you interact with us. This may include:

Identification and contact details such as your name, postal address, collection and delivery addresses, email address, and other contact details you choose to provide when you request a quotation, make a booking, or communicate with us.

Service and booking information such as details of your move or removal, property access details, inventory information, preferred dates and times, billing details, payment status, and information relating to any additional services requested.

Communication records such as notes of telephone calls, messages you send us, and copies of correspondence between you and Hounslow Removals when you make enquiries, provide feedback or lodge complaints.

Technical and usage data such as basic information about how you use our website or online forms, including the date and time of your visit, pages viewed and basic device information. This is generally collected using cookies or similar technologies where applicable and in accordance with applicable cookie rules.

Special category data is not intentionally collected. We do not seek to collect sensitive personal data about you. If you choose to provide such information voluntarily, it will only be used where strictly necessary for the provision of our services and in accordance with data protection law.

How we collect personal data

We collect personal data directly from you when you contact us by phone, through our website, in person, or via any other communication method to request information, ask for a quotation, confirm a booking, or use our services.

We may also obtain personal data from third parties where this is necessary for the provision of our services. For example, we may receive contact details from a person acting on your behalf, such as a family member, landlord, letting agent, or business colleague. Where practicable, we will inform you when we receive data from third parties.

Lawful bases for processing

Hounslow Removals processes personal data only where there is a valid lawful basis under data protection law. The main lawful bases we rely on are:

Contract performance: We process personal data to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, and to perform our contract with you. This includes providing quotations, managing your booking, carrying out removals, handling payments, and communicating with you about your service.

Legitimate interests: We may process personal data where this is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where your rights and freedoms are not overridden. This includes improving our services, maintaining accurate records, managing and developing our business, ensuring the security of our staff and property, and defending legal claims.

Legal obligation: We may process personal data to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations, including tax and accounting requirements, record keeping, and responding to lawful requests from public authorities.

Consent: In certain limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain types of electronic marketing communications if required by law. Where we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time.

How we use your personal data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations for removals and related services, including assessing the nature and scale of your move and responding to your enquiries.

To manage and deliver our services, including planning and carrying out removals, arranging logistics, coordinating access, communicating with you about dates and times, and dealing with any changes or issues.

To manage payments and invoicing, including issuing invoices, processing payments through third-party payment processors, and maintaining financial records.

To provide customer service and support, including responding to questions, handling complaints, and resolving service-related issues.

To improve and develop our business and services, including analysing service usage, reviewing feedback, and maintaining internal records for training and quality assurance.

To fulfil legal, regulatory, and risk management obligations, including accounting, taxation, insurance, and the establishment or defence of legal claims.

Data sharing and processors

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your personal data with third parties where this is necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, and where we have an appropriate legal basis and contractual protections in place.

Service providers and processors: We may engage third-party companies to provide services on our behalf, such as payment processing, secure data storage, cloud-based software, accounting services, and transport or labour subcontractors. These third parties act as data processors and are only permitted to process personal data in accordance with our instructions and for the purposes specified in our contracts with them.

Professional advisers: We may share personal data with our professional advisers such as accountants, auditors, and legal advisers where necessary for the services they provide to us.

Public authorities and legal bodies: We may disclose personal data where required to do so by law, or where necessary to protect our rights, property, staff, customers, or the public, or to detect or prevent crime or fraud.

Any sharing of data is limited to what is necessary for the relevant purpose and is carried out in a secure and controlled manner.

International data transfers

Where personal data is processed or stored outside the United Kingdom by our service providers or processors, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data in line with UK data protection law. This may include the use of standard contractual clauses or ensuring that the destination country has been recognised as providing an adequate level of data protection.

Data retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, and to comply with legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

In general, we keep customer and booking records for a period that allows us to manage our relationship with you, handle any queries or disputes, and meet our legal obligations. The retention period may vary depending on the type of data and the context in which it was provided.

After the relevant retention period has expired, we will securely delete or anonymise your personal data so that it can no longer be associated with you.

Security of your personal data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, and staff training on data protection responsibilities.

While we take reasonable steps to protect your personal data, no system can be completely secure. We therefore cannot guarantee the absolute security of information transmitted to or by us.

Your data protection rights

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

Right of access: You have the right to request confirmation that we process your personal data and to obtain a copy of that data, together with certain additional information.

Right to rectification: You have the right to request that inaccurate or incomplete personal data about you is corrected or updated.

Right to erasure: In certain circumstances, you have the right to request that we delete your personal data, for example where it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected or where you withdraw consent and there is no other legal basis for processing.

Right to restriction of processing: You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data in certain situations, such as where you contest its accuracy or object to our processing.

Right to data portability: Where we process your personal data on the basis of consent or contract and by automated means, you may have the right to receive your data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and to request that it is transferred to another controller.

Right to object: You have the right to object to processing of your personal data based on our legitimate interests, including profiling on that basis. We will stop processing unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds which override your interests, rights and freedoms, or where processing is required for legal claims.

Rights in relation to consent and marketing: Where we rely on your consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time. Where you receive direct marketing communications from us, you may ask us at any time to stop sending such communications.

To exercise any of your rights, you may contact Hounslow Removals using the contact details provided on our website or in your service documentation. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request. We aim to respond within one month, subject to any lawful extensions.

Complaints and contact

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, we encourage you to contact Hounslow Removals in the first instance so that we can seek to resolve the issue. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK data protection supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner's Office.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements or other factors. Any updates will be published in the latest version of this policy. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your personal data.