Privacy Policy - Catford Removals

This Privacy Policy explains how Catford Removals collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with the services we provide. It applies to all Catford Removals customers in the area, including anyone who enquires about, books, receives, or has previously received our removal, storage, packing, delivery, or related services.

We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We aim to ensure that all personal information is used only where there is a valid legal reason to do so and that appropriate technical and organisational safeguards are in place.

1. Who We Are

Catford Removals is a removals service provider that processes personal data in order to manage enquiries, provide quotations, carry out removal services, arrange storage where applicable, and administer customer relationships. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as the data controller for personal data we collect and decide how and why such data is used.

In some cases, we may also use third-party service providers who process personal data on our behalf. These parties act as data processors or, in limited cases, independent controllers, depending on the service they provide.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary for the services we provide. The categories of data we may collect include:

Identity information such as name, title, and business or household details.
Contact information such as telephone number, email address, property address, delivery address, and billing address.
Service information including move dates, inventory details, access requirements, volume of items, and special handling instructions.
Payment and transaction information such as payment records, invoices, and account history.
Communication records including emails, call notes, messages, complaints, and service feedback.
Technical data such as basic website or device information if you interact with our digital services, where applicable.
Special category data only where necessary and where you have provided it, such as information about health, mobility, or access needs that help us safely perform the service.

We generally collect data directly from you when you make an enquiry, request a quotation, confirm a booking, or communicate with us during the provision of services. We may also receive data from authorised representatives, insurers, landlords, estate agents, or other parties involved in the arrangement of your move, where this is necessary and lawful.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotations.
To plan, schedule, and deliver removal and related services.
To manage customer accounts, bookings, and service changes.
To process payments, issue invoices, and maintain business records.
To communicate with customers about their service requirements.
To handle complaints, claims, and disputes.
To maintain the safety and security of our staff, customers, and property.
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations.
To improve our operations, customer experience, and service quality.

We will never use personal data in a way that is incompatible with the purposes for which it was collected unless we have a lawful basis to do so and, where required, we have informed you.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we must identify a lawful basis for each type of processing. Catford Removals may process personal data on the following bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotations, managing bookings, transporting goods, and handling invoices or service adjustments.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data where required to comply with legal obligations, such as tax, accounting, insurance, fraud prevention, or record-keeping requirements.

Legitimate Interests

We may use personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. This may include managing customer relationships, improving services, protecting property, or maintaining internal business records. Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider the potential impact on individuals and apply appropriate safeguards.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on consent, for example where we process certain optional information or special category data that is not required for the core service. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

Vital Interests

In rare situations, we may process personal data to protect someone’s vital interests, such as in an emergency involving health or safety.

5. Sharing Personal Data and Processors

We do not sell personal data. We may share personal data only when necessary and appropriate for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy. Such sharing may include:

Service providers and processors who support our business operations, including payment handling, accounting, document storage, IT support, and scheduling systems.
Professional advisers such as accountants, legal advisers, or insurers where necessary for business administration or claims handling.
Other service participants such as landlords, managing agents, or third parties involved in coordinating access, delivery, or collection.
Public authorities where required by law or where disclosure is necessary to protect rights, safety, or legal interests.

Where we engage processors, we ensure there is a written contract requiring them to process personal data only on our instructions, keep it secure, and comply with applicable data protection law. Processors may only use the data for the specific service they provide to us and must not use it for their own purposes.

Any transfer of personal data outside the UK will only take place where appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information to the standard required by law.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, insurance, and operational requirements. The retention period depends on the type of data and the reason for processing it.

As a general approach:

Enquiry data may be kept for a short period if no booking follows.
Customer and booking records may be retained for the duration of the service relationship and for a further period afterwards.
Financial, tax, and invoice records may be retained for the period required by law.
Claims, disputes, and complaint records may be retained for as long as needed to resolve them and defend legal rights.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention procedures.

7. Security of Personal Data

We take appropriate measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, data minimisation, and review of our internal processes. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to maintain a level of protection appropriate to the risks involved.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and the legal basis for processing:

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 – you can request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to data portability – you can request certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests, and to direct marketing where applicable.
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 about how your personal data is handled. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority in the UK.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business or household customers arranging removals or related services. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a service arrangement and provided by an appropriate adult or authorised representative.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, operational practices, or service arrangements. 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 handle personal data.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Catford Removals is committed to processing personal data responsibly, securely, and only where there is a valid lawful basis. We use information to provide a reliable removals service, maintain accurate business records, meet legal obligations, and protect the interests of our customers and staff. We handle all personal data with care and in a manner consistent with GDPR principles, including lawfulness, fairness, transparency, purpose limitation, data minimisation, accuracy, storage limitation, integrity, and confidentiality.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Catford Removals customers in the area.