Privacy Policy - Movers Croydon

This Privacy Policy explains how Movers Croydon collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing moving and related services. It applies to all Movers Croydon customers in the Croydon area, including prospective customers, existing customers, household members whose details are provided for a move, and anyone who contacts us in connection with a booking or quotation. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Personal data we collect

We collect only the information that is reasonably necessary to provide our services, manage our operations, and meet legal obligations. Depending on the service requested, we may collect the following categories of personal data:

Identity details such as name, title, and, where relevant, company name.
Contact details including telephone number, email address, and moving address.
Service and booking information such as move dates, property access notes, inventory details, special handling requirements, and estimates.
Payment information such as billing details and transaction records. We do not intentionally store full card details unless required for secure processing by a payment provider.
Communication records including emails, messages, call notes, complaints, and feedback.
Operational data such as instructions for collection and delivery, insurance-related information, and records of completed services.
Technical data when you interact with our systems, such as device information, IP address, and usage logs, where applicable.

We generally do not seek special category data. If you choose to provide sensitive information, for example relating to health, access needs, or vulnerabilities, we will process it only where necessary to deliver the service safely and appropriately, and with added care.

2. How we use your personal data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations, arrange bookings, and deliver removal services.
To communicate with you about your move, schedule changes, and service updates.
To prepare invoices, process payments, and maintain accurate financial records.
To manage customer support, complaints, claims, and insurance matters.
To maintain internal records, improve service quality, and train staff.
To comply with legal, regulatory, tax, and accounting obligations.
To prevent fraud, misuse, and unauthorized access to our systems or services.

We only use personal data for the purposes for which it was collected unless we reasonably determine that it is compatible with the original purpose or required by law.

3. Lawful basis for processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Movers Croydon relies on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes handling booking details, arranging the move, communicating about service delivery, and managing payments.

Legitimate interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include improving our services, handling customer queries, maintaining security, preventing fraud, and managing business records.

Legal obligation

We process personal data where required to comply with a legal obligation, such as tax law, accounting rules, insurance requirements, and lawful requests from authorities.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where we collect optional information not required for the service. If we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

Vital interests and public task

These bases are unlikely to apply to ordinary moving services, but may be relevant in rare circumstances involving emergency situations or lawful requests from public bodies.

4. Sharing and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties acting as processors or, in limited cases, independent controllers. We only share what is necessary and require appropriate safeguards. Processors may include:

IT and hosting providers that support email, file storage, and business systems.
Payment processors that securely handle card or online payments.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that help us manage financial records and tax compliance.
Insurance providers, surveyors, or claims handlers where needed to assess or resolve service-related issues.
Customer communication tools used to manage messages, scheduling, or service notifications.
Professional advisers such as legal or tax advisers, where necessary.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, court order, regulatory request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Movers Croydon, our customers, staff, or others.

Where a processor is used, they are contractually obliged to process data only on our instructions, keep it secure, and not use it for their own purposes.

5. Retention of personal data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, insurance, and contractual requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the nature of the service.

Quotation and booking records are generally retained for a reasonable period to manage customer service, disputes, and business administration.
Invoice and accounting records are retained for the period required by tax and financial laws.
Communication records may be kept for as long as needed to resolve queries, evidence instructions, or maintain service history.
Claims and insurance records are retained for as long as necessary to defend, assess, or settle claims.

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

6. Data security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unlawful destruction, unauthorized access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include restricted access, secure systems, staff confidentiality obligations, and backup procedures. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take reasonable steps to reduce risks and respond appropriately to incidents.

7. Your rights under GDPR

Depending on the circumstances, you have several rights over your personal data. These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal limitations, but we will always consider requests carefully and respond within the required timeframes.

Right of access – you may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – you may request deletion of your data in certain situations.
Right to restriction – you may ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
Right to object – you may object to processing based on legitimate interests, including direct marketing where applicable.
Right to data portability – you may request certain data in a structured, commonly used format where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We will not usually charge a fee unless a request is manifestly unfounded or excessive.

8. International transfers

If any personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect it. This may include use of adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other legally approved mechanisms.

9. Children’s data

Our services are intended for adults arranging moves. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidental to providing a household service and only to the extent necessary.

10. Updates to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our services, or how we process data. The latest version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise made available.

11. Summary of your privacy commitment

Movers Croydon is committed to processing personal data in a lawful, secure, and transparent way. We collect only what we need, use it for clear purposes, retain it for appropriate periods, share it only with trusted processors or where legally required, and respect your rights over your information. This policy applies to all Movers Croydon customers in the Croydon area and supports our obligation to handle data responsibly at every stage of the moving process.