Privacy Policy - Slough Removals

Slough Removals is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of everyone who uses our services. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This policy applies to all Slough Removals customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, former customers, and anyone who contacts us about a move, survey, quote, storage arrangement, or related service.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Slough Removals acts as the data controller for the personal data we collect and use in connection with our removal and related services. This means we decide why and how personal data is processed.

We take our responsibilities seriously and process personal information only where it is necessary, fair, and lawful.

2. Personal Data We Collect

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

Identity information such as your name and title.
Contact details including address, phone number, and email address.
Service information relating to your move, quotation request, inventory, property access, dates, and instructions.
Payment information such as billing details and transaction records.
Communication records including emails, messages, notes from calls, and service feedback.
Technical data if you interact with us online, such as IP address, device type, browser information, and usage logs.
Special category data only where necessary and with appropriate safeguards, for example if you voluntarily provide information about mobility needs or access requirements that could affect the move.

We normally collect information directly from you. In some cases, we may receive details from third parties involved in arranging or supporting your move, such as estate agents, landlords, solicitors, or building managers, where this is relevant to the service.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and arrange removals services.
To plan and carry out house moves, office moves, packing, storage, and related services.
To communicate with you about your booking, schedule, access arrangements, and service updates.
To process payments, manage invoices, and maintain business records.
To handle customer enquiries, complaints, and aftercare requests.
To meet legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations.
To improve our services, operations, and customer experience.
To protect our business, staff, customers, and property from fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We only use personal data in ways that are compatible with the original purpose for which it was collected, unless we have a lawful reason to do otherwise.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Slough Removals relies on the following lawful bases:

4.1 Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotes, confirming bookings, moving your belongings, and managing payments.

4.2 Legal Obligation

We may process information where we must comply with a legal obligation, such as keeping accounting records, meeting tax requirements, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

4.3 Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests and where your interests and rights do not override those interests. This may include managing our business, improving services, protecting against fraud, keeping records, and resolving disputes. We always consider whether the processing is reasonable and proportionate.

4.4 Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where you voluntarily provide optional information that is not needed to deliver the service. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as processors on our behalf. These service providers only process personal data under our instructions and are required to keep it secure and confidential.

Processors may include:

IT and software providers that support scheduling, communications, storage, and record-keeping.
Payment service providers that handle transactions securely.
Accountants, auditors, and professional advisers who support our legal and financial obligations.
Storage partners or subcontractors involved in fulfilling services you have requested.
Customer support or administration providers who help manage operations.

We may also disclose personal information where required by law, to enforce our terms, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of our customers, staff, or business.

Where data is shared with other organisations, we take reasonable steps to ensure they process information securely and only for agreed purposes.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, insurance, and reporting requirements.

Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the nature of the service provided. In general:

Customer booking and service records are kept for a period needed to manage the contract and resolve any issues.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Complaint and dispute records may be kept longer where necessary to defend legal claims or comply with obligations.
Information that is no longer needed is securely deleted, anonymised, or disposed of.

We regularly review the data we hold to ensure it is not retained longer than necessary.

7. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff training, and limiting access to information on a need-to-know basis.

While we take security seriously, no system can be guaranteed completely secure. If a data incident occurs, we will act promptly and in line with legal obligations.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights regarding your personal data:

Right of access – you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure – in certain circumstances, you can ask us to delete your personal data.
Right to restriction – you can request that we limit how we use your data in specific situations.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests, including direct marketing where applicable.
Right to data portability – you can ask for certain data to be provided in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to raise concerns with the Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data has been handled unlawfully.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a service request and is provided by an adult with authority to do so. If we learn that we have collected data inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it where required.

10. International Transfers

In some cases, personal data may be processed by service providers outside the UK. Where this happens, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place so that your data remains protected to the required legal standard.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our services, or how we process personal data. Any updated version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

We are committed to using personal data responsibly, transparently, and securely. Our approach is based on data minimisation, lawful processing, and respect for customer rights. We collect only what we need, use it for clear purposes, keep it only as long as necessary, and ensure that trusted processors handle it safely under contract.

Slough Removals recognises the importance of privacy and will continue to treat customer information with care and professionalism in every part of our service.