Privacy Policy - Coventgarden Removals

Coventgarden Removals is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in the area we serve. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data when you use our removal and related services. It also explains your rights under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This policy applies to all Coventgarden Removals customers in area, including individuals, households, businesses, and anyone who enquires about or uses our services.

1. Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary to provide our services, manage customer relationships, and meet legal obligations. Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following categories of information:

Identity details such as name and title.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information such as moving dates, collection and delivery addresses, inventory details, access requirements, and property entry instructions.
Billing and payment data such as invoicing details, payment status, and transaction records.
Communication records such as enquiries, emails, quotes, complaints, and service updates.
Technical data such as basic website or device information if you submit an enquiry online, where applicable.
Special category data only if you voluntarily provide it and it is necessary for a specific service need, for example access arrangements linked to health or disability considerations.

We do not seek to collect unnecessary personal data. If we need additional information to deliver a service safely or properly, we will explain why it is required.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations and assess service requirements;
to plan, arrange, and carry out removal services;
to communicate about bookings, scheduling, access, and service changes;
to invoice customers and process payments;
to handle complaints, claims, and customer support requests;
to maintain internal records and service history;
to comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
to protect our business, staff, customers, and property;
to improve our services, processes, and customer experience.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably determine that another compatible purpose applies or we are required by law to do otherwise.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Coventgarden Removals relies on the following lawful bases depending on the context:

Performance of a Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to prepare for, enter into, and perform our removal services contract with you. This includes taking bookings, providing quotes, arranging moves, and issuing invoices.

Legal Obligation

We may process data where necessary to meet legal obligations, such as tax record-keeping, accounting requirements, and responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and interests do not override those interests. This includes managing operations, preventing fraud, maintaining service quality, and resolving disputes.

Consent

Where we rely on consent, we will ask for it clearly and separately. You may withdraw consent at any time, although this will not affect processing already carried out before withdrawal.

Vital Interests

In rare situations, we may process personal data where it is necessary to protect someone???s vital interests, such as in an emergency.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We do not sell personal data. However, we may share data where necessary with trusted third parties who help us deliver our services. These parties act as data processors or, in some cases, independent controllers.

Examples of processors may include:

IT and cloud service providers that host, store, or secure our records;
accounting and invoicing providers that help manage billing and financial records;
payment service providers that process card or electronic payments;
communications providers that support email, phone, or messaging systems;
operational partners such as subcontracted movers, storage providers, or specialists where needed to complete a service;
professional advisers including accountants, insurers, or legal advisers;
regulators, law enforcement, or public authorities where disclosure is required by law.

Where we use processors, we require appropriate contractual safeguards so that personal data is processed only on our instructions, kept secure, and handled in compliance with applicable law.

5. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that appropriate protections are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent safeguards recognised by law.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected and to meet legal, accounting, insurance, or dispute-resolution requirements.

Quotation and enquiry data may be retained for a limited period where it is not followed by a booking.
Customer and service records are generally retained for the duration of the service relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Claims, complaints, and legal records may be kept longer where needed to defend or establish legal rights.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you.

7. Data Security

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 confidentiality obligations, and restricted sharing of sensitive information.

While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we aim to ensure that all personal data is handled carefully and in line with good data protection practice.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights regarding your personal data. Subject to legal conditions and exemptions, these may include:

the right of access to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
the right to rectification to correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
the right to erasure to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances;
the right to restriction to limit how we use your data in certain situations;
the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing;
the right to data portability to receive certain data in a usable format where applicable;
the right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner???s Office if you believe your rights have been infringed.

To exercise your rights, you may contact us using the details provided through our normal business channels. We may need to verify your identity before responding to a request.

9. Children???s Data

Our services are generally intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a household move or a lawful service arrangement, and only where appropriate safeguards are in place.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, operations, or services. The most current version will apply to our handling of personal data. We encourage customers to review it periodically.

11. Contact and Questions

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how your personal data is handled, you may raise them through our usual customer service channels. We will review enquiries and respond as required by applicable law.

Coventgarden Removals values privacy, transparency, and responsible data handling. We will continue to process personal data fairly, lawfully, and securely in support of our services to customers in the area.