Waterloo Removals Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Waterloo Removals collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data relating to our customers and prospective customers. It applies to all individuals and businesses using, or considering using, Waterloo Removals services within our service area. By engaging with our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

Scope and Data Controller

This Privacy Policy applies to all Waterloo Removals customers and prospective customers in our operating area, including individuals, households, and businesses that request quotes, make bookings, or otherwise interact with us in relation to removals, storage, packing, or related services.

For the purposes of applicable data protection laws, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018, Waterloo Removals is the data controller in relation to the personal data described in this Privacy Policy. As data controller, we determine the purposes and means of processing your personal data and are responsible for ensuring that such processing complies with applicable laws.

Types of Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant to the provision and administration of our services. The categories of personal data we may collect and process include:

Identification and contact details such as your name, postal address, property addresses for collection and delivery, and any other contact details you choose to provide to facilitate communication and service delivery.

Booking and service information such as details of your removal or storage requirements, inventory information, access details for properties, preferred dates and times, and any specific instructions related to the services.

Business contact details where you contact us on behalf of a business or organisation, including your job title, role, and professional contact information.

Financial and payment information such as records of payments made to us, invoices, and basic billing information. We do not store full payment card details; where card payments are taken, these are processed by secure third party payment processors.

Communication records including emails, online enquiry forms, letters, and notes from telephone conversations and on-site visits, where relevant to our services.

Website and technical data where you visit our website, such as logs, basic usage data, and any information you submit through online forms. We aim to collect only the minimum technical data necessary to operate and secure our website.

Lawful Basis for Processing

We process your personal data only where we have a lawful basis under data protection law. The main lawful bases we rely on are:

Contractual necessity: We process personal data to take steps at your request before entering into a contract and to perform our contract with you. This includes providing quotations, arranging and carrying out removals or storage, issuing invoices, and communicating about our services.

Legitimate interests: We process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided that these interests are not overridden by your rights. Our legitimate interests include managing our business operations, maintaining accurate records, improving our services, ensuring security and safety, and handling enquiries, feedback, or complaints.

Legal obligations: We process personal data where we are required to do so to comply with legal or regulatory requirements, such as record keeping, accounting, or responding to lawful requests from public authorities.

Consent: In some limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain types of marketing communications that are not covered by legitimate interests. Where we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time.

How We Use Your Personal Data

We use your personal data to deliver and manage our services and to run our business in a lawful and responsible manner. This includes:

Providing quotations, confirming bookings, planning removal or storage services, and delivering those services at the agreed time and location.

Communicating with you regarding your enquiry, booking, or existing services, including sending service-related notifications and responding to questions.

Managing payments, invoicing, receipts, and financial records connected with the services we provide to you.

Maintaining internal records, including project logs, service histories, and customer files, to support quality assurance and effective business operations.

Improving and developing our services, including reviewing feedback and enquiries to help us understand customer needs and expectations.

Ensuring security, health, and safety for our staff and customers when providing services at your premises or when your goods are in our care.

Complying with legal and regulatory requirements and cooperating with relevant authorities where required by law.

Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as is reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected and to meet any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

Customer records relating to completed services, including contact, booking, and invoice information, are generally retained for the period required for tax and accounting purposes, after which they will be securely deleted or anonymised.

Enquiries and quotation information where no contract is formed may be retained for a limited period so we can respond to follow-up questions and monitor demand, after which it will be securely deleted or anonymised.

Communication records and other operational data may be kept for an appropriate period to protect our legitimate interests, including handling complaints or disputes, and will be securely deleted or anonymised when no longer needed.

Data Sharing and Processors

We may share your personal data with carefully selected third parties where necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy. These third parties act as data processors or, in some cases, as independent controllers.

Service providers: We may use external service providers to support our operations, such as IT and system administration services, website hosting providers, secure payment processors, and providers of cloud-based business tools. These providers act as processors and may only process your personal data on our documented instructions and subject to appropriate contractual safeguards.

Professional advisers: We may share data with professional advisers, such as accountants or legal advisers, where this is necessary for the management of our business or to obtain legal or financial advice.

Authorities and regulators: We may disclose personal data to law enforcement agencies, courts, regulatory bodies, or other public authorities where we are legally required to do so or where disclosure is necessary to protect our rights or the rights of others.

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. Where we engage processors, we take steps to ensure that they implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data and only process it as required to deliver their services to us.

International Transfers

Where we use service providers that operate or store data outside the United Kingdom, we take appropriate steps to ensure that your personal data is afforded an equivalent level of protection. This may include relying on adequacy regulations issued by the relevant authorities or putting in place standard contractual clauses or other appropriate safeguards.

Security of Your Personal Data

We take the security of your personal data seriously and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, or damage. These measures may include physical security for premises, access controls, secure storage arrangements, and procedures to manage data incidents. While no system can be completely secure, we work to maintain a level of security that is proportionate to the nature and volume of the data we process.

Your Data Protection Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights apply in most circumstances and may be subject to certain conditions and exemptions.

Right of access: You have the right to request confirmation as to whether we process your personal data and, where we do, to request a copy of that data along with information about how we use it.

Right to rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data we hold about you.

Right to erasure: You may request that we delete your personal data in certain circumstances, for example where the data is no longer needed for the purposes for which it was collected or where you withdraw consent and there is no other lawful basis for processing.

Right to restriction of processing: You may request that we restrict our use of your personal data in certain situations, such as while we verify its accuracy or consider an objection you have raised.

Right to object: You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data where we rely on legitimate interests as our lawful basis. We will stop processing the data unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests, rights, and freedoms or where processing is required for legal claims.

Right to data portability: In certain circumstances, you may request that we provide you or a third party with the personal data you have provided to us, in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.

Where we rely on consent as a lawful basis for processing, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing that took place before the withdrawal.

How to Exercise Your Rights

If you wish to exercise any of your data protection rights, or if you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how Waterloo Removals processes your personal data, you can contact us using the contact details provided on our website or in your service documentation. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request. We aim to respond to all valid requests within one month, or within any extended period permitted by law where the request is complex or numerous.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority for data protection if you believe that your personal data has been processed in a way that does not comply with data protection law. We would, however, appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns directly in the first instance.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or how we process personal data. The most recent version will always be available from us and will apply from the date it is issued. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically so that you remain informed about how we protect your personal data.