Privacy Policy - Removals Wales

This Privacy Policy explains how Removals Wales collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Removals Wales customers in the area, including people who request quotes, make bookings, receive removals or related services, or otherwise interact with us in connection with our operations.

We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy is intended to help you understand what information we collect, why we collect it, the lawful bases we rely on, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and what rights you have.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide our services, manage our business, and meet legal obligations. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name, title, and any business name you provide.
Contact details such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information such as collection and delivery addresses, property access details, moving dates, item lists, and special handling requirements.
Payment and billing information such as invoices, payment status, and transaction records.
Communication records including emails, messages, call notes, complaints, and customer service correspondence.
Operational information such as booking history, quotes requested, delivery instructions, and claims information.
Technical information if you interact with our digital systems, including basic device or usage data where relevant for security and service performance.

In some cases, we may also receive personal data from third parties, such as property agents, contractors, payment providers, or other persons authorised by you to act on your behalf. Where we do so, we will use that information only for the purposes for which it was provided.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data to deliver removals and related services efficiently and safely. This may include:

providing quotations and confirming bookings;
planning and carrying out removals;
communicating about schedules, access arrangements, and service updates;
processing payments and managing invoices;
responding to enquiries, complaints, and claims;
maintaining internal records;
improving service quality, operations, and customer experience;
meeting legal, regulatory, tax, and insurance requirements;
preventing fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity;
protecting the security of staff, customers, property, and systems.

We do not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons it was collected, unless we are legally permitted to do so or you have given consent where required.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

We only process personal data when we have a lawful basis under data protection law. Depending on the situation, we rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Performance of a Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to provide a quote, enter into a service agreement, arrange a move, deliver goods, or fulfil other obligations connected with our services.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain information to comply with legal requirements, including accounting, tax, insurance, record-keeping, and regulatory obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is reasonably necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include improving operations, protecting our property, securing our systems, managing disputes, and maintaining service records.

Consent

Where we rely on consent, we will make that clear at the time the information is collected. You may withdraw consent at any time, where applicable, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who process information on our behalf or who require it to support our services. These parties act as processors or, in some situations, as independent controllers.

Examples of processors may include:

IT and cloud service providers that store, secure, or back up business data;
payment processors that handle card or transfer transactions;
accounting and bookkeeping providers that support financial administration;
customer management systems used for booking, scheduling, and record keeping;
professional advisers such as legal, insurance, or audit providers where needed;
subcontractors or partner service providers engaged to assist with delivery of services under our instructions.

We require processors to act only on our instructions, to use appropriate security measures, and to protect personal data in line with data protection law. We do not sell personal data.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, court order, or to protect our rights, customers, staff, or property.

5. International Transfers

In some cases, service providers may process data outside the UK. Where this happens, we take steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place so that your personal data remains protected in accordance with applicable law. These safeguards may include adequacy decisions, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including for legal, accounting, tax, insurance, and dispute resolution requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the reason it is held.

As a general approach:

quote and booking information is kept for a period needed to manage the service and any follow-up queries;
financial and transaction records are retained for the duration required by law and business practice;
complaints, claims, and incident records are kept for as long as necessary to resolve matters and defend legal claims;
communication records are retained for a reasonable period relevant to the service and business relationship.

When personal data is no longer needed, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in line with our retention and disposal procedures.

7. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff training, and careful management of third-party access.

While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to reduce risks and to respond appropriately to any suspected data breach. Where required by law, we will notify relevant authorities and affected individuals.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis for processing. They 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 information.
Right to erasure - to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction - to ask us to limit processing in certain situations.
Right to object - to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing, where applicable.
Right to data portability - to receive certain information in a structured, commonly used format, where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent - where processing is based on consent.

Please note that some rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal exemptions or operational limitations. If you make a request, we may need to verify your identity before responding.

9. Children???s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a customer???s service arrangement and provided by an appropriate adult or authorised person. If we learn that we have collected data from a child in error, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, business practices, or the way we process personal data. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how their information is handled.

11. Contact and Complaints

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights, or are concerned about how your personal data has been handled, you should contact us through the usual business communication channels available to you. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner???s Office if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed.

Summary of our commitments: we collect only necessary data, use it lawfully, retain it for appropriate periods, share it only with trusted processors or where required by law, and respect your rights under data protection legislation.