Privacy Policy - Movers Balham

This Privacy Policy explains how Movers Balham collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing moving, packing, storage, and related services. It applies to all Movers Balham customers in the area, including individuals, families, landlords, tenants, and businesses that use our services or interact with us during a booking, quotation, survey, or move.

We are committed to handling personal information in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We aim to be clear, fair, and transparent about what data we collect and why we collect it. This policy is designed to help you understand your rights and our responsibilities.

1. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process several types of personal data depending on the service you request and how you interact with us. The information we collect may include:

Identity details such as your name, and if relevant, the names of household members or business contacts connected with the move.
Contact details including address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details such as property access information, moving dates, inventory notes, and special handling instructions.
Payment and billing information where needed for invoicing, deposits, refunds, or payment reconciliation.
Communication records including messages, notes from calls, and any feedback or complaints you provide.
Technical data such as basic device or browsing information if you interact with our digital systems, booking forms, or email communications.
Operational data connected to the performance of our services, for example move planning details, team allocation, and delivery records.

We only collect data that is relevant and necessary for the services we provide. We do not intentionally collect unnecessary or excessive information.

2. How We Collect Data

We collect personal data directly from you when you request a quote, make a booking, complete forms, communicate with us, or otherwise use our services. We may also receive data from third parties where needed to provide the service, such as property managers, employers, insurers, or payment providers. In some cases, data is generated during the move itself, such as service notes or confirmation of completed work.

Where a third party provides your details to us, we expect them to have the right to share that information and to have informed you appropriately.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process your personal data only where we have a lawful basis under UK GDPR. The main lawful bases we rely on are:

Contract – to provide quotations, arrange services, carry out removals, issue invoices, and fulfil our obligations to you.
Legal obligation – to meet requirements relating to tax, accounting, insurance, and record-keeping.
Legitimate interests – to manage our business, improve our services, prevent fraud, handle complaints, and maintain service quality, provided these interests do not override your rights and freedoms.
Consent – where required, for example for certain optional communications or marketing preferences.

If we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

4. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide moving, packing, storage, delivery, and related services.
To plan and manage bookings, schedules, routes, and resources.
To communicate with you about your quotation, booking, service updates, and any changes to the arrangement.
To issue invoices, process payments, and maintain financial records.
To handle complaints, claims, and service queries.
To comply with legal, regulatory, tax, and insurance obligations.
To improve our services, safety procedures, and customer experience.

We may also use limited data to analyse performance and identify operational trends. Where possible, we do this in a way that reduces the amount of identifiable information used.

5. Sharing Personal Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us run our business and deliver our services. These parties act as processors when they process personal data on our behalf and under our instructions. Examples may include:

IT and cloud service providers used for storage, communication, scheduling, or administration.
Payment service providers that handle card or electronic payments.
Accountants and tax professionals supporting financial and compliance activities.
Insurance partners involved in claims handling or risk management.
Subcontracted service partners who assist with parts of the moving process under our direction.

We only share the information necessary for the specific purpose and require processors to protect your data, use it only for authorised purposes, and comply with applicable data protection law. We may also disclose data to public authorities, courts, or regulators where required by law.

We do not sell your personal data.

6. International Transfers

If any service provider processes data outside the UK, we take reasonable steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. This may include approved contractual protections or other lawful transfer mechanisms permitted under UK data protection law. Our goal is to keep your information protected wherever it is processed.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to provide services, resolve disputes, meet legal obligations, and maintain accurate business records. The length of retention depends on the type of information and the reason it is held.

For example, booking records, invoices, and accounting information may need to be retained for a longer period to satisfy tax and legal requirements. Service communications, operational notes, and routine customer correspondence are usually kept for a shorter period unless they are needed for claims, complaints, or ongoing business purposes.

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

8. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff training, and restricted handling of sensitive information.

Although we take security seriously, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If we become aware of a personal data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will act in accordance with applicable law.

9. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These 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 restrict processing – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to data portability – to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format where applicable.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or to direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent.

Some rights may not apply in every situation, for example where we must keep records to comply with legal obligations. If you make a request, we may need to verify your identity before responding.

How to Exercise Your Rights

You may ask us to exercise any of your rights at any time. We will respond within the time limits required by law and will not charge a fee unless a request is manifestly unfounded, excessive, or repetitive.

10. Marketing Preferences

If we send optional marketing communications, we will do so only where permitted by law. You can opt out at any time. Even if you choose not to receive marketing, we may still contact you about active bookings, service updates, invoices, or other matters necessary to deliver our services.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are aimed at adults arranging moving and related services. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is necessary and provided by an adult in connection with a family move or similar arrangement. In such cases, we limit use of the data to what is needed for service delivery and legal compliance.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data handling practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is used.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

We respect your privacy and treat personal data with care. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and lawful purposes, keep it secure, and retain it only as long as necessary. We also work with trusted processors who are required to protect your information and follow our instructions. If you have rights under data protection law, we will support you in exercising them fairly and promptly.