Hackney Removals Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Hackney Removals collects, uses, stores and protects personal data relating to our customers and prospective customers in our service area. It is designed to comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This policy applies to all Hackney Removals customers and anyone who makes an enquiry or otherwise interacts with us in relation to our removal and associated services within our operating area.

Who we are and scope of this policy

Hackney Removals is a removals and related services provider operating within the Hackney area and surrounding locations. For the purposes of data protection laws, Hackney Removals is the data controller in respect of the personal data described in this Privacy Policy.

By requesting a quote, booking a service, communicating with us, or otherwise providing your personal data, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

Personal data we collect

We collect and process different categories of personal data in the course of our business, including:

Identification and contact information such as name, address, service addresses for collection and delivery, and communication details supplied by you.

Service and booking details such as dates and times of moves, property access information you provide, an inventory or description of items to be moved, and any special instructions or notes relevant to the service.

Billing and payment information such as billing address and payment-related details as necessary to process transactions. Actual card or bank details may be processed securely by our payment processors and not stored by us, depending on the method used.

Communication records such as emails, messages, notes of phone calls and other correspondence relating to quotations, bookings, customer service and complaints.

Technical and usage information where applicable, including basic information from your use of our website or online tools, such as pages visited, enquiry forms completed and time and date of your interactions, collected through standard web technologies.

You are not obliged to provide personal data to us, but if you choose not to do so we may be unable to respond to your enquiry or provide our services.

How we collect personal data

We collect personal data directly from you when you contact us to request information, a quotation or a booking, when you complete forms on our website or other platforms we use, when you speak to us by phone or in person, and when you otherwise provide information in the course of using our services.

We may also receive personal data about you from third parties where this is necessary for the provision of services, for example if another person books a removal service on your behalf and provides your details, or through business partners who refer you to us with your consent.

Lawful bases for processing your data

We rely on a number of lawful bases under the UK GDPR to process your personal data, depending on the context in which it is collected:

Contract: We process personal data to enter into and perform a contract with you, including providing quotations, confirming bookings, delivering removal services, communicating about your booking, and handling payments and invoices.

Legal obligation: We may process personal data where necessary to comply with legal and regulatory obligations, such as accounting and tax requirements.

Legitimate interests: We process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and these interests are not overridden by your rights. This includes managing our relationship with you, improving and developing our services, ensuring the security of our operations, and handling queries, feedback and complaints.

Consent: In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, such as for certain types of optional marketing communications. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

How we use your personal data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations, estimates and information about our services that you request.

To manage and deliver removal and related services, including planning routes, scheduling crews, and handling access arrangements.

To process payments, issue invoices and manage accounts and records.

To communicate with you about your enquiry or booking, including confirmations, updates, changes and customer service messages.

To handle complaints, disputes and claims relating to our services.

To manage and improve our website, services and customer experience, including internal analysis and quality control.

To send you service-related communications and, where permitted, marketing or information about similar services that may be of interest to you, which you may opt out of at any time.

Sharing your personal data

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your personal data with carefully selected third parties where necessary for the operation of our business and provision of services, including:

Service providers and data processors such as IT and web hosting providers, payment processors, booking and customer management systems, and cloud storage providers. These parties process data on our instructions and are subject to contractual obligations to protect personal data.

Operational partners such as subcontracted removal teams, storage providers or specialist service providers where this is necessary to perform the services you have requested.

Professional advisers such as accountants, auditors, legal advisers and insurers where necessary for legitimate business needs and legal obligations.

Public authorities, regulators and law enforcement where we are legally required to do so or where disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, property or safety or that of others.

Where personal data is shared with processors, we ensure appropriate data processing agreements are in place in accordance with the UK GDPR.

International transfers

Our main operations are based in the United Kingdom. If it becomes necessary for personal data to be transferred to countries outside the United Kingdom that do not provide the same level of data protection, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as standard contractual clauses or other approved mechanisms, to protect your personal data in line with applicable law.

Data retention and storage

We keep personal data only for as long as is reasonably necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy and to meet our legal, regulatory, tax, accounting and reporting requirements.

In general, we retain customer and booking-related information for a period that allows us to respond to any queries or claims arising from the services provided and to comply with statutory retention periods. Once data is no longer needed for these purposes, it will be securely deleted, anonymised or archived in accordance with our data retention procedures.

The exact retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the context in which it was collected, taking into account the volume, nature and sensitivity of the data and the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure.

Data security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or access. These measures include access controls, secure systems, staff awareness and procedures for managing data incidents.

While we take reasonable steps to safeguard your personal data, no system can be completely secure. You are responsible for taking reasonable steps to protect your own information when communicating with us and when using any online tools or platforms.

Your data protection rights

Under data protection laws, you have a number of rights in relation to the personal data we hold about you. These rights may be subject to certain conditions and exemptions. They include:

Right of access: You can request confirmation as to whether we process your personal data and obtain a copy of that data, along with information about how we use it.

Right to rectification: You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data about you.

Right to erasure: In certain circumstances, you can request that we delete your personal data. This right is not absolute and may not apply where we have legitimate reasons or legal obligations to retain the data.

Right to restriction of processing: You can ask us to restrict the processing of your personal data in certain situations, for example while we verify its accuracy or assess an objection.

Right to object: You can object to processing based on our legitimate interests, including profiling, and we will stop processing unless we have compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests or the processing is for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims. You always have the right to object to direct marketing.

Right to data portability: Where we process your personal data by automated means on the basis of your consent or a contract, you may request that we provide your data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and transmit it to another controller where technically feasible.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your rights have been infringed.

Children's data

Our services are not directed at children and we do not knowingly collect personal data relating to children for marketing or profiling purposes. Where it is necessary to process information that may relate to children in connection with a household move, this will be limited to what is strictly required to provide the service.

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 changes will be effective from the date of publication. You should review this Privacy Policy periodically to ensure you are aware of the current terms.

If significant changes are made, we may take additional steps to bring them to your attention, such as highlighting them in our communications with you.