Privacy Policy - Haringey Removals

This Privacy Policy explains how Haringey Removals collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with the removal, relocation, packing, storage, and related services we provide. It applies to all Haringey Removals customers in the area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and business clients who use our services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with applicable data protection law, including the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

By using our services, requesting a quotation, making an enquiry, or otherwise interacting with us, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this Privacy Policy.

1. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary for the provision and administration of our services, for compliance with legal obligations, and for the protection of our legitimate business interests. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity data: name, title, and, where relevant, business name or company details.
Contact data: address, email address, and telephone number.
Service data: details of the move, collection and delivery addresses, inventory information, access requirements, dates, and service preferences.
Billing and payment data: invoice details, payment confirmations, and limited financial information necessary for processing transactions.
Communication data: records of correspondence by email, telephone, messages, or written communication.
Technical data: basic device and usage information if you interact with our digital systems, such as IP address or browser-related information.
Special category data: in normal circumstances we do not intentionally collect special category data. If such information is inadvertently provided to us, we will treat it with extra care and only process it where permitted by law.

We may receive data directly from you, from someone acting on your behalf, from a property owner, estate agent, employer, or from other parties involved in arranging the move, where this is necessary for service delivery.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations and manage bookings;
to plan, carry out, and coordinate removal and related services;
to communicate with customers about schedules, access, and service changes;
to issue invoices, process payments, and manage accounts;
to handle complaints, queries, or claims;
to maintain business records and meet legal or regulatory obligations;
to improve service quality, operational efficiency, and customer experience;
to prevent fraud, protect our operations, and ensure the safety of our staff, customers, and property;
to defend or establish legal claims where necessary.

We do not use personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons it was collected, unless we have a lawful basis to do so and you have been informed where required.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

We only process personal data where we have a valid lawful basis under data protection law. Depending on the context, our lawful bases include:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotations, confirming bookings, delivering services, and handling payments.

Legal Obligation

We process personal data where required to comply with legal obligations, such as accounting, tax, record-keeping, insurance, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. These interests include managing and improving our business, securing our operations, handling disputes, and maintaining accurate records.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where it is required for optional marketing communications or certain non-essential processing. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

We do not rely on consent where another lawful basis is more appropriate, such as performance of a contract or compliance with a legal duty.

4. Sharing Personal Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties when necessary for the operation of our services, compliance with the law, or protection of our rights. Such third parties may act as data processors or independent controllers, depending on the circumstances.

Processors are third parties who process personal data on our behalf and under our instructions. Examples may include:

payment processing providers;
IT and cloud storage providers;
booking and administration systems;
accounting and invoicing services;
professional advisers such as legal or insurance advisers;
subcontracted service providers supporting a move or storage arrangement.

Where we use processors, we require them to protect personal data through appropriate contractual safeguards and to process data only in accordance with our instructions and applicable law.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, where necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims, or where needed to protect the safety of our staff, customers, or property.

We do not sell personal data.

5. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the context in which it is used.

In general:

customer and service records are retained for a period appropriate to the business relationship and any potential follow-up requirements;
financial and invoicing records are kept for the period required by tax and accounting laws;
complaints, claims, and dispute-related information may be retained for longer where necessary to resolve matters or defend legal claims;
data no longer needed is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in a safe manner.

Where data is held for a lawful reason beyond the end of a service, we limit access and use it only for the relevant purpose.

6. International Transfers

If any personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place so that the data remains protected in line with applicable law. These safeguards may include approved contractual terms or transfer mechanisms recognised under data protection legislation.

7. Security of Personal Data

We take the security of personal data seriously and use suitable technical and organisational measures to protect it against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. Such measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and data minimisation practices. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to ensure that personal data is handled responsibly and with appropriate care.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data, subject to certain conditions and exemptions. These rights may 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 data.
Right to erasure: to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction: 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 format.
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, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with data protection law. We may need to verify your identity before acting on your request.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are not intended specifically for children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in the context of a household move or related service and provided by an adult with lawful authority to do so. If we become aware that we have collected data inappropriately, we will take reasonable steps to delete it.

10. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we process personal data, we encourage you to raise them with us first so that we may review and address the issue. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your rights have been infringed.

11. 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 protection practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how we process personal data.

12. Summary of Key Points

We collect only the personal data needed to provide and manage our removal services.
We process data under lawful bases including contract, legal obligation, legitimate interests, and where applicable, consent.
We share data only when necessary with trusted processors or where required by law.
We retain data only as long as needed and dispose of it securely when no longer required.
Customers have rights over their personal data, including access, correction, deletion, objection, and withdrawal of consent where relevant.

Haringey Removals is committed to respecting privacy and protecting personal data throughout every stage of service delivery. We aim to ensure that all personal information is used responsibly, securely, and in a way that complies with applicable data protection standards.