Privacy Policy - Removal Van Surrey

This Privacy Policy explains how Removal Van Surrey collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Removal Van Surrey customers in the area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and businesses that use or enquire about our removal services. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Removal Van Surrey provides removal and related logistics services for customers in Surrey and nearby areas. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as a data controller when we determine why and how personal data is processed. In some situations, we may also act as a data processor where we process data on behalf of another controller.

2. Information We Collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary for providing our services, managing enquiries, and meeting legal obligations. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name and title.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information such as move dates, property access details, item lists, and service preferences.
Billing and payment information needed to process invoices, payments, or refunds.
Communication records including enquiries, complaints, and correspondence.
Technical data such as IP address, device type, and browser information if you interact with our digital systems.
Contractual and operational data relating to quotations, bookings, service delivery, and job completion.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you provide it voluntarily, for example where information is required to support access arrangements or health-related moving needs. Where special category data is processed, we apply additional safeguards and only do so where a lawful condition applies.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and respond to enquiries.
To arrange, deliver, and manage removal services.
To process payments and administer accounts.
To communicate service updates, scheduling details, and operational changes.
To manage complaints, feedback, and dispute resolution.
To comply with legal, accounting, insurance, and regulatory obligations.
To maintain records, improve service quality, and support internal administration.
To protect our business, staff, and customers from fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We ensure that personal data is used only for specified, explicit, and legitimate purposes and not in a way that is incompatible with those purposes.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process your personal data. Depending on the situation, we rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process your information where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes, confirming bookings, completing removals, issuing invoices, and handling service-related communications.

Legal Obligation

We may process data where required to comply with legal duties, such as tax, accounting, record-keeping, insurance, or compliance requirements.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data when it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided that those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing customer relationships, improving services, preventing fraud, and maintaining business records.

Consent

In limited cases, we rely on your consent, for example for certain optional communications or where special category data is processed in a way that requires consent. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing Your Information

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to deliver our services or comply with the law. These may include:

Payment providers to process transactions.
IT and hosting providers that support our systems, storage, and communication tools.
Accountants and professional advisers for financial, legal, or compliance purposes.
Insurance providers where a claim or incident needs to be handled.
Subcontractors or operational partners assisting with service delivery.
Regulators, law enforcement, or public authorities where disclosure is required by law.

We only share the minimum personal data necessary for the relevant purpose and take steps to ensure that processors and other third parties handle data securely and in accordance with applicable data protection law.

6. Processors

Where we use third-party service providers to process personal data on our behalf, they act as processors. They may only process data in accordance with our instructions and are required to implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures. Typical processor activities may include:

Secure data storage and backup services.
Email, scheduling, and communications platforms.
Payment processing systems.
Customer management and administrative software.

We carefully select processors and expect them to maintain confidentiality, security, and compliance with data protection obligations.

7. International Transfers

If any of our processors or service providers store or access data outside the UK, we take steps to ensure an adequate level of protection. This may include the use of approved transfer safeguards and contractual protections designed to protect your personal data.

8. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including any legal, accounting, or reporting obligations. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason for processing. In general:

Enquiry records may be retained for a limited period after the enquiry is closed.
Contract, booking, and service records may be retained for the duration of the business relationship and afterwards for a reasonable legal period.
Financial and tax records are retained in line with statutory requirements.
Complaint and dispute records may be kept longer where needed to defend legal claims or resolve issues.

When personal data is no longer required, we securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in accordance with our retention procedures.

9. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure systems, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our handling practices. While no system is completely secure, we work to reduce risk and maintain strong safeguards.

10. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have rights under the UK GDPR. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and any legal exemptions. Your rights include:

Right of access – to obtain a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data in certain situations.
Right to restriction – to request that we limit processing in specific cases.
Right to data portability – to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
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 (ICO) if you believe your data protection rights have been violated. We encourage you to contact us first so we can address concerns directly and promptly.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a service arrangement and handled appropriately by an adult customer or legal guardian.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our operations, legal obligations, or data processing practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal data.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Removal Van Surrey is committed to protecting personal information and respecting privacy. We collect only what we need, process it on a lawful basis, share it carefully with trusted processors, retain it for no longer than necessary, and support the rights of all customers in the area. Our approach is designed to ensure that your data is handled with fairness, transparency, and integrity.