Hackney Removals Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Hackney Removals collects, uses, stores and protects your personal data when you use our removal and related services. It applies to all Hackney Removals customers in our service area, including individuals, households and business clients.
We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data in a lawful, fair and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Who we are and scope of this policy
Hackney Removals is a removals and related services provider operating in the local area. This Privacy Policy applies to all interactions you have with Hackney Removals as a customer or prospective customer, including when you request a quote, make a booking, use our removal services, use storage services, or communicate with us in any way.
Personal data we collect
We may collect and process the following categories of personal data about you:
Identity and contact data: name, address, pick-up and drop-off addresses, contact details such as postal address and any other contact information you choose to provide.
Service and booking data: details of your move, inventory or item lists, access details for properties, preferred dates and times, special instructions, and records of services we have provided to you.
Payment and transaction data: records of payments made to us, payment method used, invoices and billing history. We do not store full payment card details; these are handled by our payment processors.
Communication data: information contained in communications you send to us, such as enquiries, feedback, complaints and any correspondence records.
Technical and usage data: limited technical data such as IP address, basic device and browser information, and information about how you interact with our online services if you choose to use them, for example visiting our website or completing an online form.
We generally do not seek to collect special category data, such as health information, except where it is strictly necessary for the safe provision of our services and you choose to provide it, for example if there are access or mobility considerations at a property. If such information is provided, we will treat it with additional care and only use it for the specific purpose for which it was given.
How we collect your personal data
We collect personal data directly from you when you contact us, request a quote, make a booking, use our services, or communicate with us by any means.
We may also collect personal data from third parties where it is lawful and relevant to our services, for example from a person who books a move on your behalf, from your employer if they arrange a relocation, or from property or relocation agents involved in your move.
Technical and usage data may be collected automatically through your use of our online services or digital tools.
Lawful basis for processing your data
We process your personal data only where we have a valid lawful basis under data protection law. Depending on the context, we rely on the following bases:
Contract: to take steps at your request before entering into a contract and to perform a contract with you, such as providing quotes, managing bookings, carrying out removals, and issuing invoices.
Legal obligation: to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, including tax, accounting and reporting obligations, and to respond to lawful requests from authorities.
Legitimate interests: to pursue our legitimate business interests, provided that your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. Legitimate interests may include managing and improving our services, keeping records of moves for operational purposes, handling customer queries and complaints, protecting our property and assets, and preventing or detecting fraud.
Consent: where required by law, we will rely on your consent for specific processing activities, such as certain forms of marketing communications. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
How we use your personal data
We use your personal data for the following purposes:
To provide quotes and estimates for removal and related services.
To set up, manage and complete your bookings, including planning routes and allocating staff and vehicles.
To provide removal, storage and any associated services you have requested.
To communicate with you about your enquiry, quote, booking or ongoing services.
To process payments, issue invoices and maintain proper business and accounting records.
To respond to feedback, queries and complaints and to provide customer support.
To manage our business operations, improve our services and train our staff.
To comply with applicable laws and regulations and to protect our legal rights, for example in the event of a dispute.
Data sharing and processors
We may share your personal data with trusted third parties where this is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy and where appropriate safeguards are in place. These third parties may act as data processors on our behalf or as separate controllers.
Types of recipients may include:
Service providers and contractors who support our operations, such as IT and cloud service providers, storage facility operators, subcontracted removal teams, and payment processing providers.
Professional advisers, such as accountants, auditors or legal advisers, where necessary for their services to us.
Regulators, authorities or law enforcement agencies where required by law or to protect our rights or the rights of others.
When we use processors, we ensure that appropriate contracts are in place requiring them to process personal data only on our documented instructions, to implement suitable technical and organisational security measures, and to respect the confidentiality of your information.
International transfers
Our core operations are based in the UK and we aim to store and process personal data within the UK or other locations with adequate data protection standards. If we use service providers or systems that involve transferring personal data outside the UK or European Economic Area, we will ensure that an appropriate transfer mechanism is in place, such as adequacy regulations or standard contractual clauses.
Data retention
We keep your personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to provide our services, meet legal, accounting or reporting requirements, and to handle any disputes.
In general, we keep basic customer and transaction records for a period required by tax and accounting laws after the end of the relevant financial year. Operational records about specific moves may be retained for a reasonable period in case of follow-up queries, claims or complaints.
Where data is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymise it so that it can no longer be associated with you.
Data security
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data from accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or access. Measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff training and procedures for responding to potential data incidents.
While we work hard to protect your personal data, no system can be completely secure. You are encouraged to take care in how you share personal information with us and to notify us promptly if you suspect any misuse of your data in connection with our services.
Your data protection rights
Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data, which apply in most circumstances:
Right of access: to obtain confirmation as to whether we process your personal data and to receive a copy of that data.
Right to rectification: to have inaccurate or incomplete personal data corrected or updated.
Right to erasure: to request deletion of your personal data where there is no good reason for us to continue processing it, subject to our legal obligations and legitimate interests.
Right to restriction: to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances, for example while we verify its accuracy or consider an objection.
Right to object: to object to processing based on our legitimate interests, and to object to direct marketing at any time.
Right to data portability: to receive certain personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and, where technically feasible, to have that data transmitted to another controller.
Where we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before its withdrawal.
To exercise any of your rights, you can contact us using the details provided in your service documentation or through the usual customer contact channels you have previously used. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request. We aim to respond within the time limits set by data protection law.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office if you are unhappy with how we handle your personal data. We encourage you to contact us first so that we can try to resolve your concerns.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations or how we process personal data. Any updated version will apply to all Hackney Removals customers in our service area from the date it is made available. We recommend reviewing this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.
