Hammersmith Removals Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Hammersmith Removals collects, uses, stores and protects your personal data when you use our removal and related services. It applies to all Hammersmith Removals customers and prospective customers in our service area, including individuals, households and businesses that contact us or engage us for quotations, bookings or services.

Hammersmith Removals is committed to complying with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and all applicable data protection laws. We process your personal data lawfully, fairly and transparently, and we only collect data that is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy.

Data Controller

For the purposes of data protection law, Hammersmith Removals is the data controller responsible for the personal data we collect and process about you. This means we decide why and how your personal data is processed and are responsible for safeguarding it in line with this Privacy Policy and applicable legislation.

Scope of this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to personal data we collect from or about:

Customers and potential customers who request quotations or information about our services, customers who book removals or related services with us, and any person who communicates with us by phone, in writing, online or in person regarding our services. The policy covers our handling of personal data in connection with all removal and associated services carried out within our operational area.

Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data about you:

Identity and contact details, such as your name, title, postal address, collection and delivery addresses, and other contact methods you choose to provide. Service and booking information, such as details of your removal requirements, property type and access details, preferred dates and times, inventory lists, special instructions and related notes. Transaction and billing data, including amounts quoted, payment references, invoicing details, records of payments received, and relevant financial information required to process your payment through our chosen payment providers. Communication records, such as emails, messages, notes of phone calls and other correspondence relating to enquiries, quotations, bookings, complaints or feedback. Operational and logistical information necessary to plan and carry out your move safely and efficiently. Technical and usage data, where applicable, such as basic information about how you interact with any online contact forms or digital services we make available.

We do not intentionally collect special category data such as health information or data relating to race, religion, or other sensitive characteristics. If you voluntarily provide such information, for example about mobility or access needs, we will only use it where necessary to deliver our services safely and appropriately.

Lawful Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract: where processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, including providing quotations, confirming bookings and delivering removal services. Legitimate interests: where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests and does not override your fundamental rights and freedoms, for example to manage our operations, maintain records, prevent fraud, improve our services or respond to your enquiries. Legal obligations: where processing is necessary to comply with legal or regulatory requirements, such as tax, accounting and record-keeping duties. Consent: where you have given clear consent for specific processing activities, for example if you ask to receive non-essential updates or communications that are not required for providing your booked services.

How We Use Your Personal Data

We use the personal data we collect for the following purposes:

To provide quotations, including assessing your needs, preparing estimated costs and responding to your requests for information. To manage bookings and deliver services, including planning routes, scheduling staff, arranging vehicles, and carrying out your removal and related services. To communicate with you, including confirming bookings, sending service updates, responding to questions and handling feedback or complaints. To manage payments and accounts, including issuing invoices, processing payments through third party payment processors and maintaining financial records. To improve and develop our services, including reviewing feedback, monitoring workload and performance and enhancing customer experience. To maintain security and safety, including protecting our staff, vehicles, property and your belongings. To comply with legal obligations and to establish, exercise or defend legal claims, where necessary.

Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to fulfil our contractual obligations to you and to meet legal, accounting and reporting requirements.

In general, we keep core customer and booking records for a period that allows us to respond to queries, manage any claims and comply with tax and accounting regulations. After the relevant retention period expires, we will securely delete or anonymise your personal data so that it can no longer be linked to you.

The specific retention periods may vary depending on the type of data, the nature of the services provided and our legal obligations. We periodically review the personal data we hold and securely dispose of data that is no longer required.

Data Processors and Third Parties

We may share your personal data with carefully selected third parties who act as data processors on our behalf. These processors are only permitted to use your data in accordance with our instructions and for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

Such processors may include providers of payment processing services who handle card or online payments securely, information technology and system support providers who help us operate our booking or communication systems, document storage or archiving services, and professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers where necessary for our business operations.

Where we use data processors, we ensure that appropriate contracts and safeguards are in place to protect your personal data in line with GDPR requirements. We do not sell your personal data to third parties.

International Transfers

Our primary processing activities take place within the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area. If it becomes necessary to transfer personal data to countries outside this area, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as using standard contractual clauses or equivalent mechanisms, so that your data remains protected to a standard essentially equivalent to that under UK data protection law.

Data Security

We take the security of your personal data seriously and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.

These measures include restricting access to personal data to staff and service providers who need it to perform their duties, using secure storage and handling practices, and training relevant personnel on data protection responsibilities. While we strive to protect your personal data, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, and you acknowledge that the transmission of information is at your own risk.

Your Data Protection Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These include the right to:

Access: request confirmation of whether we hold personal data about you and obtain a copy of that data. Rectification: request that inaccurate or incomplete personal data be corrected or updated. Erasure: request that your personal data be deleted in certain circumstances, for example where it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and we are not legally required to retain it. Restriction: request that we limit the processing of your personal data in specific situations, such as where you contest its accuracy or object to our use of it. Objection: object to processing based on our legitimate interests, including profiling, where your particular situation justifies it. Portability: request that we provide certain personal data to you in a structured, commonly used and machine readable format, or that we transmit it to another controller, where technically feasible and where the processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means. Withdraw consent: where processing is based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the usual communication channels you have with Hammersmith Removals and clearly state which right you wish to exercise. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request. We aim to respond within the time limits required by law.

Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, we encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK supervisory authority for data protection, currently the Information Commissioners Office, if you believe that your data protection rights have been infringed.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements or data protection practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is made available. We recommend that you review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your personal data.