Privacy Policy - Earlscourt Removals

This Privacy Policy explains how Earlscourt Removals collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Earlscourt Removals customers in the area and to any person who interacts with us in connection with our moving, removals, storage, packing, delivery, and related services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who we are

Earlscourt Removals is a removals and logistics service provider. In the course of delivering our services, we may act as a data controller for the personal data we collect and use to manage bookings, provide quotations, plan and complete removals, handle invoices, and respond to customer queries or complaints. In some cases, we may also act as a processor where we handle information on behalf of a business customer under its instructions.

2. Personal data we collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary for our business operations and service delivery. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name, title, and any company name provided by you.
Contact details such as your telephone number, email address, and moving address.
Service information including property access details, inventory details, preferred dates, packing requirements, storage needs, and special handling instructions.
Payment and billing information such as invoice details, payment status, and limited financial information needed to process transactions.
Communication records including emails, call notes, complaint history, and messages relating to your booking or service.
Operational data such as delivery schedules, vehicle routing information, attendance records, and job completion notes.
Technical data where relevant, such as basic website usage information if you contact us through online forms or digital channels.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you choose to provide it, for example where access or assistance needs are relevant to a move. If such information is provided, we will handle it with extra care and only for the limited purpose for which it was shared.

3. How we use personal data

We use personal data to operate our business and deliver our services efficiently. This may include:

preparing quotations and confirming bookings;
planning and carrying out removals, packing, storage, and delivery;
communicating with you about your move or related services;
managing payments, invoices, and accounting records;
dealing with complaints, claims, and service issues;
meeting legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations;
preventing fraud, misuse, or security incidents;
improving service quality, staff training, and operational planning.

We only use your data for specified purposes and will not use it in ways that are incompatible with those purposes without a lawful basis.

4. Lawful basis for processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each type of processing. Earlscourt Removals relies on the following lawful bases:

Contract: where processing is necessary to provide our services, issue quotations, fulfil bookings, or carry out obligations under an agreement with you.
Legal obligation: where we must retain or disclose data to comply with tax, accounting, insurance, employment, or other legal requirements.
Legitimate interests: where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as service improvement, fraud prevention, operational management, and record keeping, provided your rights do not override those interests.
Consent: where we rely on your clear permission for specific optional uses, such as certain marketing communications or processing of sensitive information that is not otherwise required.

Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. Sharing personal data and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary for the operation of our services. These third parties may act as processors or, in some circumstances, as independent controllers. Processors only process data on our instructions and must protect it appropriately.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

payment service providers and banking partners;
accounting, bookkeeping, and tax service providers;
IT, cloud storage, email, and system maintenance providers;
customer relationship or scheduling software providers;
subcontracted removal crews, storage providers, or delivery partners;
professional advisers such as insurers, solicitors, or auditors where needed.

We require processors to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data and to process it only for the purposes we specify. We do not sell personal data.

6. International transfers

If any service provider stores or processes data outside the United Kingdom, we will take steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent legal mechanisms designed to protect personal data to a standard required by law.

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, or reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of information and the nature of the service provided.

As a general approach:

booking and customer service records are retained for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards;
invoice, payment, and tax-related records are retained for the period required by law;
complaints, claims, and dispute records may be retained longer where necessary to defend legal rights;
information no longer required is securely deleted or anonymised.

We review retained data periodically to ensure it is not kept longer than necessary. Retention is determined by legal, operational, and contractual needs.

8. Security of your data

We take reasonable and appropriate measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, staff training, secure systems, password protection, encryption where appropriate, and restricted access to records. While no system is entirely risk-free, we work to maintain a level of security appropriate to the risks presented by the data we process.

9. Your rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to legal conditions or exemptions, but we will always assess requests carefully and respond appropriately.

Your rights include:

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 the way we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object: you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability: you can request that certain data be provided to you or another controller in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We aim to respond within the time limits required by law.

10. Marketing preferences

We may send service-related communications necessary to manage your booking or account. We will only send promotional communications where permitted by law. You may object to marketing at any time, and we will stop using your data for that purpose. Service messages will still be sent where they are necessary to provide our services.

11. Automated decision-making

Earlscourt Removals does not make decisions about you based solely on automated processing that produce legal or similarly significant effects. If this position changes, we will update this policy and ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.

12. Children???s data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a household move and provided by an adult responsible for the booking. Where we become aware that children???s data is included, we will handle it in accordance with data protection law and only for the relevant service purpose.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, service practices, or operational requirements. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

14. Summary of our commitment

Earlscourt Removals is committed to respecting privacy and protecting personal data. We collect only what is necessary, use it only for lawful and clear purposes, keep it for no longer than needed, and share it only with trusted processors or other parties where appropriate. We aim to be transparent and fair in all our data handling practices and to support customers in exercising their rights under data protection law.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Earlscourt Removals customers in area.