Privacy Policy - Tooting Removals

This Privacy Policy explains how Tooting Removals collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Tooting Removals customers in the area, including individuals, households, and businesses who request removal, packing, storage, delivery, or related services. We are committed to handling personal data in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Tooting Removals is a removals service provider that processes personal data in connection with planning, arranging, and carrying out moving and storage services. In this policy, references to we, us, and our mean Tooting Removals. References to you and your mean the person using our services, making an enquiry, or otherwise interacting with us.

2. Personal Data We Collect

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

Identity details such as your name and title.
Contact details such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information such as moving dates, property access details, inventory notes, and special handling requirements.
Payment information such as billing details and transaction records.
Communication records such as emails, text messages, call notes, and complaints.
Technical data such as basic website or device information if you submit an online enquiry, where applicable.
Evidence and operational records such as photographs of items, damage reports, or condition notes, where needed for service delivery or claims handling.

We do not seek to collect more personal data than is necessary. If you provide information about another person, you should ensure that you have their permission to do so.

3. How We Collect Personal Data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

request a quote or book a service;
complete forms or provide instructions;
contact us by phone, email, message, or other communication methods;
enter into a contract for removals or storage;
make a complaint or claim;
provide feedback or reviews.

We may also collect personal data indirectly from:

third parties acting on your behalf, such as estate agents, landlords, solicitors, or family members;
business partners involved in delivering the service;
publicly available sources, where appropriate and lawful.

4. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations and assess service requirements;
to manage bookings and perform removals or storage services;
to communicate with you before, during, and after the service;
to handle payments, invoices, and account administration;
to manage complaints, disputes, damage claims, and insurance matters;
to comply with legal and regulatory obligations;
to protect our business, staff, customers, and property;
to maintain internal records and improve our services.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which we collected it, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another compatible purpose and that such use is lawful.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

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

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes, confirming bookings, moving goods, arranging storage, and managing payments.

Legal obligation

We may process data where required to comply with legal obligations, such as tax, accounting, health and safety, and record-keeping requirements.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include business administration, service improvement, fraud prevention, customer support, and protecting our assets.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where the law requires it. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

We do not normally process special category data unless it is necessary and a valid condition applies under data protection law.

6. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties, known as processors, who help us deliver our services or operate our business. These may include:

payment service providers;
accountants and bookkeeping providers;
IT support, cloud storage, and software providers;
communication and messaging service providers;
insurance providers or claims handlers;
subcontracted removal crews or storage partners where needed;
professional advisers such as lawyers or auditors.

Where we use processors, we require them to process data only on our instructions, to keep it secure, and to comply with applicable data protection laws. We do not sell personal data.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, regulation, court order, or where necessary to protect our rights, customers, staff, or the public.

7. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect it. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms recognised under data protection law.

8. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, and insurance requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the nature of the data and the reason it was collected.

As a general approach:

quotation and enquiry data may be kept for a limited period if no booking follows;
contract and transaction records may be kept for several years to meet tax and legal obligations;
complaint, claim, and dispute records may be retained for as long as needed to resolve the matter and defend legal claims;
operational records are retained only as long as necessary for service delivery and internal administration.

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

9. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and controlled handling of customer records.

While we take reasonable steps to protect your data, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If a personal data breach occurs, we will assess the risk and take steps in line with legal requirements.

10. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. 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 in certain circumstances;
the right to restrict processing in certain circumstances;
the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests;
the right to data portability for information you provided to us, where applicable;
the right to withdraw consent where we rely on consent;
the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data has been handled unlawfully.

Some rights apply only in certain situations. If you exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding.

11. Third-Party Data

If you provide us with personal data about another person, you must ensure that you have authority to do so and that the person is aware of this Privacy Policy where appropriate. We will handle such data in accordance with this policy and applicable law.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or operational practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage you to review this policy periodically so that you remain informed about how we process personal data.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Tooting Removals is committed to using personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently. We collect only what we need, process it for clear and legitimate purposes, retain it only as long as necessary, and protect it through suitable safeguards. This policy applies to all Tooting Removals customers in area and is intended to give you a clear understanding of how your personal data is handled.

By using our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.