Privacy Policy - Shoreditch Removals

This Privacy Policy explains how Shoreditch Removals collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing removal services to customers in Shoreditch and the surrounding area. It applies to all Shoreditch Removals customers in area, including private individuals, landlords, tenants, and business clients who enquire about or use our services. We are committed to handling personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Shoreditch Removals is a removals and relocation service provider. In the context of data protection law, we act as a data controller for the personal data we collect and decide how and why it is processed. This policy applies to information collected through enquiries, bookings, service delivery, invoicing, complaints handling, and any other interactions related to our services.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the data that is necessary for delivering our services, managing our business, and meeting legal obligations. The categories of personal data may include:

Identity data: name, title, and, where relevant, business name.
Contact data: address, email address, telephone number, and moving destination or collection address.
Service details: information about the property, items to be moved, preferred dates, access arrangements, and special handling requirements.
Payment and billing data: payment status, invoice details, and transaction records.
Communication records: messages, call notes, complaint records, and service feedback.
Technical data: limited website or device information if you interact with digital booking or enquiry systems, such as IP address or browser type.
Special category data: in normal circumstances, we do not seek to collect special category data. If such data is voluntarily disclosed and relevant to service delivery, we will apply additional safeguards and process it only where lawful.

We do not intentionally collect more information than is needed for removals, storage, or associated services.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
to plan and deliver removal services;
to manage booking, scheduling, and operational logistics;
to issue invoices and process payments;
to communicate with customers about service updates;
to handle complaints, claims, and customer support;
to maintain business records and improve service quality;
to comply with tax, accounting, insurance, and legal obligations;
to prevent fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We do not sell personal data. Any use of personal information is limited to the purposes set out in this policy or otherwise permitted by law.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only when we have a valid lawful basis under UK GDPR. Depending on the context, the lawful bases we rely on are:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes, arranging removals, completing the move, and managing payment and service delivery.

Legal Obligation

We may process data to comply with legal duties, including record-keeping, taxation, accounting, insurance, and responding to lawful requests from authorities.

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 administration, customer communication, quality control, fraud prevention, and internal business management.

Consent

Where consent is required, for example for certain optional communications or processing of particularly sensitive information you choose to provide, we will obtain it clearly and you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties when necessary to provide our services or comply with the law. These third parties act either as independent controllers or as processors acting on our instructions. Processors may include:

payment service providers;
accounting and bookkeeping providers;
IT, cloud storage, and system support providers;
customer management and communication tools;
insurance providers and claims handlers;
subcontracted removals staff or logistics partners where required to complete a move;
professional advisers such as legal or tax advisers;
public authorities where required by law.

Where we use processors, we ensure they are bound by appropriate contractual obligations, including confidentiality, security, and data protection commitments. Processors are only permitted to use personal data on our instructions and for specified purposes.

6. International Transfers

In most cases, data is processed within the UK or the European Economic Area. If any processor stores or accesses data outside these areas, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections, so that your personal data remains protected to the standard required by law.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including fulfilling the contract, meeting legal obligations, resolving disputes, and enforcing agreements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the reason for processing. In general:

quotation and enquiry records are kept for a reasonable period if no booking follows;
customer and service records are kept for the duration of the relationship and for a period afterwards to address disputes or claims;
financial and tax-related records are retained in line with legal and accounting requirements;
complaint and incident records are retained for as long as needed to investigate, resolve, or defend a claim.

When data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in accordance with our retention procedures. Retention is based on necessity, not convenience.

8. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and restricted use of personal data on a need-to-know basis. While no system can guarantee complete security, we take data protection seriously and regularly review our safeguards.

9. Your Rights Under GDPR

You have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to legal limits and exemptions, 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 data.
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 object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability: to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format and have it transferred where technically feasible.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to complain to the relevant supervisory authority if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage customers to raise concerns so that we can address them promptly.

10. Data Accuracy and Your Responsibilities

We rely on the information you provide being accurate and up to date. Please inform us if your contact details, property access arrangements, or service requirements change. Accurate data helps us deliver a safe, efficient, and reliable removals service.

11. Cookies and Similar Technologies

If we operate digital systems that use cookies or similar technologies, these are used only where necessary for functionality, security, analytics, or user preference management. Any non-essential cookies will be handled in line with applicable law and, where required, your consent. We do not use tracking in a way that undermines your privacy rights.

12. Children???s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidentally included in moving household information and only when necessary for service delivery. Where such information is encountered, it will be handled with care and only for the relevant operational purpose.

13. 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 updates will apply from the date of publication or implementation as appropriate. Customers are encouraged to review the policy periodically to remain informed about how personal data is handled.

14. Summary of Our Commitment

Shoreditch Removals is committed to respecting your privacy, processing personal data fairly and transparently, and using information only where necessary and lawful. We collect limited data, process it on clear legal grounds, retain it only for as long as required, and work with trusted processors under contractual safeguards. Your rights matter to us, and we aim to handle every request in a lawful, timely, and respectful manner.