Privacy Policy - Clerkenwell Removals

This Privacy Policy explains how Clerkenwell Removals collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing removal, storage, packing, and related services. It applies to all Clerkenwell Removals customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and individuals who enquire about our services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, transparent, and secure manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Clerkenwell Removals is a removal service provider that processes personal information in order to manage enquiries, arrange quotations, plan moves, deliver services, handle payments, and maintain business records. In this policy, references to ???we,??� ???us,??� and ???our??� mean Clerkenwell Removals.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for the purposes described in this policy. Depending on the service requested, we may collect the following categories of information:

Identity data: name, title, and, where relevant, the names of household members or authorised representatives.
Contact data: address, email address, telephone number, and other communication details.
Service data: move addresses, inventory details, property access information, preferred dates, and special handling requirements.
Billing and payment data: invoicing details, payment confirmation, and transaction records. We do not knowingly store card details unless required for secure processing by a payment provider.
Correspondence data: messages, feedback, complaints, and records of communications with us.
Technical data: limited device or usage data if you interact with our digital systems, such as IP address or browser information, where needed for security and functionality.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary for a specific service request and you choose to provide it, such as information about access needs or health-related handling instructions. Where such data is provided, we will only process it where a lawful basis applies and additional safeguards are in place.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
to assess service requirements and plan removals;
to carry out packing, loading, transport, delivery, and storage services;
to manage bookings, schedules, and operational arrangements;
to issue invoices and process payments;
to keep internal business records and meet legal obligations;
to handle complaints, claims, or disputes;
to improve our services, processes, and customer experience;
to protect against fraud, misuse, and security risks.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably need to use it for a compatible purpose or where the law allows otherwise.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for using your personal data. Depending on the activity, we rely on one or more of the following bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes, arranging removals, delivering services, and managing payment arrangements.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include service administration, record keeping, quality control, fraud prevention, and improving operational efficiency.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data where we need to comply with a legal obligation, such as tax, accounting, insurance, or regulatory requirements.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where you voluntarily provide optional information or agree to specific uses. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to deliver our services or meet our legal obligations. These third parties act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers.

Examples of processors may include:

IT and hosting providers: who support secure storage, email, and business systems;
Payment service providers: who process transactions securely;
Accounting and invoicing providers: who assist with financial administration;
Storage and logistics partners: where services are subcontracted or supported by third parties;
Professional advisers: such as insurers, legal advisers, or auditors, where necessary;
Regulatory, law enforcement, or government bodies: where we are required to do so by law.

We require our processors to handle personal data securely, use it only on our instructions, and implement appropriate technical and organisational safeguards. We do not sell personal data.

6. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. This may include use of UK adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other legally recognised transfer mechanisms designed to protect your information.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including any legal, accounting, insurance, or reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the service involved.

Enquiry records: kept for a limited period if no service is booked, to manage follow-up and business administration.
Customer and service records: retained for the duration of the contractual relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial records: retained for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
Claims or dispute records: retained until the matter is resolved and any limitation period has expired.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in accordance with our retention practices.

8. Security of Your Data

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 systems, staff confidentiality obligations, and data minimisation practices. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take data protection seriously and regularly review our safeguards.

9. Your Rights

As a data subject under UK GDPR, you have rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to legal limits and exemptions, these rights 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 processing in specific situations;
Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests;
Right to data portability: to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format;
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent;
Right to complain: to raise concerns with the Information Commissioner???s Office (ICO) if you believe your data has been handled unlawfully.

We may need to verify your identity before responding to a rights request. We will respond within the time limits set by applicable law.

10. Children???s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is incidentally provided as part of a household move or where a lawful reason exists. If we become aware that we have collected data without an appropriate basis, we will take steps to delete it or otherwise handle it lawfully.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data protection practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated, and we encourage customers to review it periodically.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Clerkenwell Removals is committed to respecting privacy and using personal data responsibly. We collect only the information needed to provide our services, process it under a valid lawful basis, share it only with trusted processors or where required by law, retain it for no longer than necessary, and support your rights under UK data protection law. This policy applies to all Clerkenwell Removals customers in area and is designed to ensure that personal information is handled with care, transparency, and accountability.