Privacy Policy - Westkensington Removals

This Privacy Policy explains how Westkensington Removals collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing removal, packing, storage, and related services. It applies to all Westkensington Removals customers in the area, including individuals and businesses who enquire about, book, or use our services. 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.

1. Who we are

Westkensington Removals is a removals service provider operating in the area and offering home, office, and specialist moving services. For the purposes of data protection law, we are the data controller for the personal data we collect and use in connection with our services. This means we determine why and how personal data is processed.

2. Personal data we collect

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

Identity data: name, title, and, where relevant, business name.
Contact data: address, email address, and telephone number.
Service data: details of your move, property access, inventory information, moving dates, and special handling requirements.
Billing and payment data: payment records, invoice details, and transaction history.
Communication data: correspondence, feedback, complaints, and notes from calls or emails.
Technical data: limited website or device data if you interact with our digital systems, such as IP address or browser information.
Special category data: we do not usually seek to collect special category data. However, if you voluntarily provide information that may reveal health or accessibility needs to support your move, we will process it only where necessary and with appropriate safeguards.

We aim to collect only the data that is necessary for the purposes described in this policy. Where possible, we will avoid requesting unnecessary information.

3. How we collect personal data

We collect personal data in several ways:

Directly from you when you request a quotation, make a booking, complete forms, or communicate with us.
During the provision of services, such as when assessing access conditions, managing inventories, or coordinating logistics.
From third parties where necessary, such as property agents, landlords, employers, building managers, or payment providers acting on your behalf.
From publicly available sources where relevant and lawful, for example business contact information.

We do not knowingly collect data from children unless it is incidental to a household move and only where necessary for providing the service.

4. Why we use personal data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and assess service requirements.
To manage bookings, schedules, and operational logistics.
To carry out removals, packing, storage, and related services.
To communicate with you before, during, and after the service.
To process payments, issue invoices, and manage accounts.
To handle complaints, claims, and customer support matters.
To maintain records for legal, regulatory, insurance, and accounting purposes.
To improve our services, training, and internal quality assurance.
To prevent fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We only use your personal data where we have a valid lawful basis 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 context, we rely on one or more of the following:

Contract: processing is necessary to enter into or perform our contract with you, such as arranging and completing your removal service.
Legal obligation: processing is necessary to comply with legal and regulatory duties, including tax, accounting, insurance, and record-keeping requirements.
Legitimate interests: processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include service improvement, operational planning, and fraud prevention.
Consent: where required, we will rely on your consent, for example in limited cases involving optional marketing communications or certain special category information. You may withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider the nature of the data, the purpose of processing, and any impact on you. We do not use this basis where your interests override ours.

6. Sharing your data and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties that assist us in delivering our services. These organisations act as processors when they process personal data on our behalf and under our instructions. Examples may include:

IT and cloud service providers.
Payment processors and accounting software providers.
Storage and logistics partners.
Customer relationship management and communications providers.
Insurance providers, surveyors, or claims handlers where relevant.
Professional advisers such as accountants, auditors, or lawyers.

We require all processors to take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data and to process it only for specified purposes. We do not sell your personal data.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, court order, or a competent public authority, or where necessary to protect our rights, property, customers, or staff.

7. International transfers

If any of our processors or service providers store or access personal data outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as an adequacy decision or approved contractual protections. We take reasonable steps to ensure your information receives a level of protection that is consistent with UK data protection standards.

8. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including any legal, accounting, insurance, or reporting requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the nature of the service provided.

Quotation and enquiry data: retained for a limited period if no booking is made, to allow follow-up and business administration.
Customer service and contract records: retained for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and invoicing records: retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Claims, complaints, and legal records: retained for as long as necessary to resolve the matter and meet legal obligations.

When data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, destroy, or anonymise it. Retention is reviewed regularly to ensure data is not kept for longer than necessary.

9. Security of your data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff training, confidentiality obligations, and limited data access based on role. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a high standard of protection.

10. Your rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply in certain circumstances and are subject to legal limitations:

Right to be informed: to know how your data is collected and used.
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 data.
Right to erasure: to request deletion of your data where legally permissible.
Right to restrict processing: to ask us to limit how your data is used in certain cases.
Right to data portability: to receive certain data in a portable format where the legal conditions are met.
Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing relies on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with applicable data protection law. We may need to verify your identity before taking action to protect your privacy and security.

11. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, we encourage you to raise them with us first so we can address the issue. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data protection rights have been breached.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data processing practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their information is used.

13. Summary

Westkensington Removals processes personal data only where it is necessary, lawful, and proportionate. We collect information to provide quotations, perform removals, manage payments, maintain records, and meet legal obligations. We use appropriate contracts with processors, apply relevant security measures, and retain data only for as long as needed. Customers in the area have clear rights over their personal data, and we respect those rights in line with UK data protection law.