Privacy Policy - Hampstead Movers

Privacy Policy - Hampstead Movers explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data in connection with our moving and related services. This policy applies to all Hampstead Movers customers in our area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and business clients who use our services, request a quote, or interact with us in any way.

We are committed to handling personal data in a fair, transparent, and secure manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and other applicable privacy laws. We aim to collect only the data we need, keep it only for as long as necessary, and give individuals meaningful control over their information.

1. Data We Collect

We may collect and process personal data directly from you, from someone acting on your behalf, or from third parties where necessary to provide our services. The data we collect may include:

Identity information such as your name, title, and any business name you provide.
Contact details such as telephone number, email address, billing address, and service address.
Service information such as moving dates, inventory details, access instructions, special handling needs, and property characteristics.
Payment and transaction data such as invoice details, payment status, and records of payments made.
Communication records including emails, text messages, notes from calls, complaints, feedback, and any instructions you give us.
Usage and technical information if you interact with our digital systems, such as device information, IP address, and basic log data.
Special category data only where strictly necessary and usually only if you voluntarily provide it, for example information about health or mobility needs that helps us carry out a move safely.

We do not intentionally collect more information than we need. Where special category data is involved, we apply additional safeguards and only process it when there is a lawful reason to do so.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotes, assessments, and booking arrangements.
To carry out removals, packing, storage coordination, and related services.
To communicate with you about your booking, schedule, access arrangements, and service updates.
To issue invoices, take payments, and manage accounts.
To handle complaints, claims, disputes, and customer support.
To maintain internal records, improve our services, and manage business operations.
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations.
To prevent fraud, misuse, or unauthorized activity.

We only use your data where we have a valid lawful basis and where the use is compatible with the original purpose for which the data was collected.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each processing activity. Hampstead Movers typically 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 providing quotations at your request, managing bookings, completing the move, issuing invoices, and dealing with after-service matters.

Legal Obligation

We process data when we are required to do so by law, including tax, accounting, record-keeping, insurance, and regulatory obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include business administration, service improvement, customer support, security, fraud prevention, and maintaining evidence in case of disputes.

Consent

Where consent is required, we will ask for it clearly and separately. For example, this may apply in limited circumstances such as optional marketing communications or specific uses of special category data. You may withdraw consent at any time, and withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

4. Sharing Personal Data and Processors

We may share personal data with carefully selected third parties that help us operate our business and deliver our services. These third parties act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers.

Processors may include:

Payment service providers that handle card or online transactions.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that support invoicing and financial records.
IT and cloud service providers that host data, email, or secure systems.
Customer relationship management and booking software providers.
Storage partners or logistics providers involved in completing a move or storage arrangement.
Professional advisers such as lawyers, insurers, auditors, or surveyors where needed.

We require processors to act only on our instructions, use appropriate security measures, and comply with data protection obligations. We do not sell personal data.

In some cases, we may also share data with public authorities, courts, or law enforcement where required by law or where necessary to protect our rights, our customers, or others.

5. International Transfers

If any processor or service provider stores or accesses personal data outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as an adequacy regulation, approved contractual clauses, or equivalent protective measures required by law.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, insurance, and operational requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the context in which it was collected.

As a general approach:

Quotation and booking records may be retained for a limited period after the service is completed.
Financial and invoicing records are usually kept for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Complaint, claim, and dispute records may be kept for longer where necessary to defend legal claims or manage insurance matters.
Communication records are retained only as long as needed to support service delivery and business administration.

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

7. Security of Personal Data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, password protection, secure storage, staff training, and regular review of our systems and procedures.

Although we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no system can be guaranteed completely secure. If a data breach occurs that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will respond in line with applicable legal requirements.

8. Your Rights

As a data subject under the UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

Right of access – you can request confirmation of whether we process your data and receive a copy of it.
Right to rectification – you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – in some cases, you can ask us to delete your data.
Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to data portability – you can ask for certain data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests and to direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.
Right not to be subject to automated decision-making – you have rights relating to decisions made solely by automated means where applicable.

We may need to verify your identity before responding to a request. We will respond within the time limits set by law unless an extension is permitted due to complexity or volume.

9. Marketing

If we send optional marketing communications, we will do so only where we have the appropriate lawful basis. You can opt out of marketing at any time. Even if you opt out, we may still send essential service messages, invoices, or legal notices where necessary.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary for a move arrangement and provided by a parent, guardian, or authorised adult. Where children’s data is involved, we handle it with care and only for the limited purpose required to deliver the service.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data handling practices. The latest version will apply to personal data we process from the date it is published.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Hampstead Movers respects privacy, follows data protection law, and uses personal data responsibly. We collect only what we need, process it on a valid lawful basis, retain it for appropriate periods, and share it only with trusted processors or where required by law. We also recognise and support your data protection rights.

By using our services, requesting a quotation, or communicating with us, you acknowledge that this Privacy Policy applies to you as a Hampstead Movers customer in our area.