Privacy Policy - Lambeth Removals

This Privacy Policy explains how Lambeth Removals collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing removal, transport, storage, packing, and related services. It applies to all Lambeth Removals customers in area, including prospective customers, clients, household members, business contacts, and any person whose data we process in connection with our services.

1. Who We Are

Lambeth Removals acts as a data controller for personal data collected and processed in the ordinary course of our business. This means we decide why and how your personal data is used. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent way, in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process several categories of personal data depending on the service requested and the nature of the assignment. The information we collect may include:

Identity data: name, title, and any other identifying details needed to provide the service.
Contact data: address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details: moving dates, property addresses, inventory information, access notes, and delivery instructions.
Payment data: billing information, payment history, and transaction records.
Communication data: messages, enquiries, feedback, complaints, and correspondence.
Customer preference data: service options, estimates, quotation details, and scheduling requests.
Technical data: limited device and usage information if you interact with our digital systems, such as IP address or browser type, where applicable.
Special category data: we do not intend to collect special category data unless you voluntarily provide it and it is necessary for a specific service requirement. If we do so, we will apply additional safeguards and only process it where a lawful condition is met.

We generally collect data directly from you, but we may also receive information from third parties such as estate agents, landlords, solicitors, storage partners, or business clients where this is necessary to deliver the requested service.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations and respond to service enquiries;
to plan, manage, and complete removal services;
to communicate with customers about bookings, timings, access, and service changes;
to process payments and maintain financial records;
to handle complaints, claims, and customer support requests;
to maintain internal records, operational planning, and service quality;
to comply with legal, tax, accounting, insurance, and regulatory obligations;
to protect our business, staff, customers, and property;
to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims where necessary.

We only process personal data where it is relevant and necessary for the purpose involved. We take care to ensure that our use of your information is proportionate and limited to what is required.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis before processing personal data. Depending on the context, we rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract: processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as arranging and completing a removal service.
Legal obligation: processing is necessary to comply with legal duties, including tax, accounting, insurance, and record-keeping obligations.
Legitimate interests: processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as service administration, customer support, fraud prevention, internal auditing, and improving our operations, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests.
Consent: in limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where you voluntarily agree to certain optional processing. You may withdraw consent at any time.
Vital interests or public interest: these bases are unlikely to apply in most cases, but may be used where required by law or in an emergency.

Where special category data is processed, we will only do so if an additional lawful condition under the UK GDPR is satisfied.

5. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary for the operation of our business and the delivery of services. These third parties act either as processors or independent controllers, depending on the nature of the relationship.

Processors we may use

IT and cloud service providers: to host, secure, and maintain our systems and records.
Payment service providers: to process transactions securely.
Accountants and bookkeeping providers: to support financial administration and tax compliance.
Insurance providers and claims handlers: where a claim or incident requires review.
Storage or logistics partners: where goods are transferred, stored, or handled as part of the service.
Professional advisers: including legal advisers where necessary for compliance or dispute resolution.

All processors are required to handle personal data only on our instructions, to keep it secure, and to process it in a manner consistent with applicable data protection law. We do not sell personal data.

We may also disclose information where required by law, by court order, or to public authorities when lawful and necessary. In the event of a business restructuring, transfer, or sale, personal data may be shared with relevant parties subject to appropriate safeguards.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, including the satisfaction of legal, accounting, insurance, and reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason for processing.

Quotation and enquiry records: kept for a reasonable period to manage follow-up, service history, and business records.
Contract and service records: kept for the duration of the service and thereafter for the period needed for legal, tax, and insurance purposes.
Financial records: retained in line with statutory accounting and tax obligations.
Complaints and claims: retained for as long as needed to resolve the issue and defend legal claims.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will delete it, anonymise it, or securely archive it where appropriate. Retention is reviewed periodically to ensure data is not held for longer than necessary.

7. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, staff confidentiality obligations, secure storage, and data minimisation practices. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take data protection seriously and continually review our safeguards.

8. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will only do so when appropriate safeguards are in place and when the transfer is lawful. Such safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent protections required by applicable law.

9. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have several rights under data protection law. Subject to legal restrictions and applicable exemptions, you may have the right to:

Access your personal data and request a copy of it;
Rectification of inaccurate or incomplete data;
Erasure of your data in certain circumstances;
Restriction of processing in certain cases;
Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing;
Data portability where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means;
Withdraw consent where consent is the lawful basis;
Lodge a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority if you believe your rights have been infringed.

You may also ask us for further information about how we process your data. We will respond to valid requests in accordance with legal timeframes. In some circumstances, we may need to retain certain data despite a request, where required by law or for legitimate business reasons.

10. Children???s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidental to the provision of a removal service and only where necessary.

11. Changes to This Policy

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

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Lambeth Removals is committed to respecting privacy and protecting personal information. We only collect data that is relevant to our services, use it for clear and legitimate purposes, keep it no longer than necessary, and share it only with approved processors or where required by law. We aim to give every customer in area confidence that their data is handled securely, transparently, and in accordance with GDPR principles.