Privacy Policy
Soho Removals Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Soho Removals collects, uses, stores and protects personal data relating to our customers and potential customers in our service area. It is intended to comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. By using our removal, packing, storage or related services, or by contacting us about those services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.
Scope of this Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy applies to all Soho Removals customers and prospective customers within our operating area, including individuals acting on behalf of a business or organisation. It covers data collected through our quotations, bookings, service delivery, aftercare, and any other interactions such as phone calls, written correspondence or in-person visits.
Data Controller
Soho Removals acts as the data controller for the personal data it collects and processes about you in connection with the provision of its services. As data controller, we determine the purposes and means of processing your personal data and are responsible for ensuring that such processing is carried out in accordance with applicable data protection laws.
Personal Data We Collect
We may collect and process the following types of personal data when you request a quote, make a booking, use our services or otherwise interact with us:
Identity and contact information, such as your full name, title, correspondence address, collection and delivery addresses, and general contact details used for communication about services.
Service and booking information, such as details of the property to be moved from and to, access information, preferred dates and times, inventory details, special service instructions and records of communications about the booking.
Payment and transaction information, including details of the payment method used, transaction amounts, dates and references. We do not store full card details if you pay by card; these are handled by our payment service provider.
Communication records, such as notes from phone calls, email correspondence, messages and any feedback or complaints you submit.
Technical and usage information, where relevant, such as basic device or browser details and how you interact with our online services, to the extent necessary to operate and secure those services.
How We Collect Your Data
We collect personal data directly from you when you contact us to request information or a quote, when you confirm a booking, during the delivery of our services, and when you communicate with us for aftercare, feedback or complaint handling. We may also receive personal data about you from third parties where it is necessary for us to provide services you have agreed to, such as when an employer or letting agent arranges a move on your behalf.
Lawful Bases for Processing
We process your personal data only where we have a lawful basis under the UK GDPR. Depending on the circumstances, we may rely on the following lawful bases:
Performance of a contract: We process personal data that is necessary to provide our services, including to issue quotes, accept bookings, arrange and complete removals, issue invoices and manage payments.
Legal obligations: We may process personal data to comply with legal and regulatory obligations, such as record keeping, tax and accounting requirements, and responding to lawful requests from public authorities.
Legitimate interests: We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided that your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. This includes managing our relationship with you, improving our services, safeguarding our business, and handling queries or complaints.
Consent: In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain types of marketing communication. Where we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time.
How We Use Your Personal Data
We may use your personal data for the following purposes:
To provide quotations for our services, assess your requirements and respond to your enquiries.
To create, manage and fulfil bookings, including planning logistics, assigning staff and vehicles, and carrying out the agreed removal and related services.
To process payments, issue invoices and handle queries relating to billing.
To manage our relationship with you, including customer service, responding to complaints and requests, and providing updates relevant to your booking.
To maintain accurate business records and comply with legal, regulatory and insurance requirements.
To improve our services, for example by analysing feedback or reviewing service performance.
To protect our rights, property and safety, and those of our customers and staff.
Data Retention
We retain personal data only for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying any legal, accounting or reporting requirements. In general:
Basic customer and booking records are kept for a period that allows us to respond to queries, handle complaints and maintain accurate records for tax and accounting purposes.
Financial and transaction records are retained for the period required under applicable tax and accounting laws.
Communication records and service notes are kept as long as reasonably necessary for reference, dispute resolution and quality improvement.
Where we rely on consent for specific marketing purposes, we will retain relevant contact details until you withdraw consent or we determine that the information is no longer required.
When personal data is no longer needed, we will delete or anonymise it in a secure manner.
Data Processors and Third Parties
We may share your personal data with trusted third parties who act as data processors on our behalf. These service providers are only permitted to process your personal data in accordance with our instructions and for the purposes specified in this Privacy Policy. They are required to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data.
Examples of data processors and third parties we may use include:
Payment processing providers, who handle card and electronic payments in a secure manner.
IT, hosting and software service providers, who support our customer management systems, communications and data storage.
Professional advisers, such as accountants or legal advisers, where necessary to manage our business and comply with our legal obligations.
Where we are required by law, or where it is necessary to protect our rights or the safety of others, we may also share personal data with law enforcement agencies, regulatory bodies or insurers. We do not sell your personal data.
International Transfers
Where any of our service providers or systems are located outside the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area, and your personal data is transferred internationally, we will ensure that an adequate level of protection is in place. This may involve reliance on adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses or other appropriate safeguards required by data protection law.
How We Protect Your Data
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised or unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction or damage. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff training and regular review of our security practices. While we take reasonable steps to safeguard your data, no system can be completely secure and you should take care when sharing information with us.
Your Data Protection Rights
Under the UK GDPR, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data, subject to certain conditions and exemptions. These include:
Right of access: You have the right to request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and to receive a copy of the personal data we hold about you, together with certain information about how we use it.
Right to rectification: You have the right to request that inaccurate or incomplete personal data about you is corrected or updated.
Right to erasure: You may request that we delete your personal data in certain circumstances, for example where it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and we have no legal obligation to retain it.
Right to restriction: You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data in certain situations, such as while we review a request you have made to rectify your data.
Right to data portability: In some cases, you may request that we provide you with personal data you have given to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, or that we transmit it to another controller where technically feasible.
Right to object: You have the right to object to processing based on our legitimate interests, and to object to direct marketing at any time.
Right to withdraw consent: Where we rely on your consent, you can withdraw that consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
Exercising Your Rights and Complaints
If you wish to exercise any of your data protection rights, or if you have questions or concerns about how we handle your personal data, you can contact us using the details provided in our customer correspondence or on our official documentation. We will respond to your request as required by law and may need to verify your identity before acting on it.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection supervisory authority if you believe that your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage you to contact us first so that we can seek to resolve any concerns directly.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements or operational needs. The most current version will apply to our processing of your personal data. We recommend that you review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.
