Privacy Policy - Soho Removals

This Privacy Policy explains how Soho Removals collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with our removal, packing, storage, and related services. It applies to all Soho Removals customers in the area, including prospective customers, active customers, and individuals who interact with us on behalf of a customer. We are committed to handling personal data in a fair, lawful, transparent, and secure manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Soho Removals acts as the data controller for the personal data we collect and process in the course of delivering our services. This means we determine why and how personal data is used. We only process personal data where we have a valid legal basis and only for purposes that are necessary to provide our services, meet legal obligations, protect our business, and improve service quality.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect personal data directly from customers, from persons authorised to act on their behalf, and from third parties involved in the delivery of our services. The categories of information we may collect include:

Identity data: name, title, and any identifiers needed to arrange and complete services.
Contact data: address, email address, telephone number, and correspondence details.
Service data: move dates, property access details, inventory information, packing requirements, and delivery instructions.
Payment data: payment status, billing records, and transaction references. We do not store card details unless necessary and lawful.
Communication data: emails, messages, notes from calls, complaints, and feedback.
Technical data: basic website or device information where relevant, such as IP address, browser type, and usage information.
Special category data: in limited circumstances, we may learn information about accessibility needs, health-related access requirements, or other sensitive details if you choose to provide them to help us perform the service safely.

We do not intentionally collect more data than is needed. Please avoid sharing unnecessary sensitive information unless it is relevant to the service.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide removal, packing, storage, and related services;
to prepare quotations, confirm bookings, and manage service delivery;
to communicate with customers about timings, access, and service requirements;
to process payments and maintain financial records;
to handle complaints, queries, and claims;
to comply with legal and regulatory obligations;
to protect our staff, customers, property, and business interests;
to improve our services, training, planning, and operational efficiency.

We may also use personal data to verify identity, reduce fraud, maintain security, and keep accurate internal records. Where required, we will anonymise or pseudonymise information so it cannot directly identify you.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only when we have a lawful basis under UK GDPR. Depending on the context, our lawful bases may include:

Contract: where processing is necessary to take steps before entering into a contract or to perform our contract with you.
Legal obligation: where processing is required to comply with tax, accounting, health and safety, insurance, or other legal requirements.
Legitimate interests: where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as service improvement, customer administration, security, or fraud prevention, provided these interests do not override your rights and freedoms.
Consent: where we rely on your consent for optional processing, such as specific marketing activities or the handling of certain sensitive information where appropriate.

Where we process special category data, we will do so only where a further condition under data protection law applies, such as your explicit consent or necessity for legal claims, health and safety, or other permitted grounds.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected and to meet legal, accounting, insurance, and operational requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the circumstances of the service. In general:

customer booking and service records are retained for the period needed to manage the service and handle any follow-up issues;
financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law;
complaint, dispute, and claims records may be kept longer where necessary to defend or establish legal rights;
unnecessary or outdated information is securely deleted or anonymised when no longer needed.

When deciding how long to retain data, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure, the purposes of processing, and applicable legal requirements.

6. Processors and Third Parties

We may share personal data with trusted processors and service providers who help us deliver our services. These parties act on our instructions and are only permitted to process personal data for specified purposes. They may include:

payment and invoicing providers;
IT, cloud storage, and software providers;
communications and customer management platforms;
professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, and legal advisers;
subcontracted removal or storage partners where necessary to complete a job;
regulators, law enforcement, or other authorities where required by law.

We require processors to use appropriate security measures and to process data only in accordance with our instructions and relevant data protection laws. We do not sell personal data. If personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure suitable safeguards are in place to protect it.

7. Data Security

We take the security of personal data seriously and use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff training, data minimisation, and restricted sharing. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to reduce risk and respond promptly to any suspected data incident. Only authorised personnel may access personal data when necessary for their role.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may not always apply in every situation, but where they do, they include:

Right of access: to obtain confirmation that we process your data and to receive a copy of it.
Right to rectification: to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure: to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction: to ask us to limit processing in certain cases.
Right to data portability: to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority if you are unhappy with how your personal data has been handled. We encourage you to raise concerns with us first so we can try to resolve them promptly and fairly.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and businesses. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is necessary and provided by a parent, guardian, or authorised adult in connection with a service. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without appropriate authority, we will take reasonable steps to delete it.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our services, or our data handling practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically so you remain informed about how we use personal data.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Soho Removals is committed to protecting personal data and respecting privacy rights. We collect only what is needed, use it lawfully, retain it for appropriate periods, share it only with trusted processors or where legally required, and uphold the rights of all customers in the area. Our approach is grounded in transparency, accountability, and security, so that personal information is handled responsibly at every stage of our service.