Privacy Policy - Lambeth Removals

This Privacy Policy explains how Lambeth Removals collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing removal, storage, packing, delivery, and related services. It applies to all Lambeth Removals customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and individuals who communicate with us about a service. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Lambeth Removals acts as a data controller for the personal data we collect and use in connection with our services. This means we determine the purposes and means of processing personal information. In some situations, we may also use third-party processors to support our operations, and these parties process data on our behalf under contractual obligations.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect data that is necessary to provide and administer our services, manage customer relationships, meet legal obligations, and improve service quality. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name and title.
Contact details such as address, phone number, and email address.
Service information including property details, move dates, inventory information, access arrangements, and special handling instructions.
Payment and billing information necessary to process payments and issue invoices.
Communication records such as enquiries, complaints, and correspondence.
Technical information where relevant, such as basic website or device data if you contact us through digital channels.
Any other information you choose to provide to us during the course of arranging or receiving our services.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is provided by you and is necessary for a specific service requirement, legal obligation, or for the establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims. Where such data is involved, we apply additional protections and process it only where permitted by law.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and arrange moving services.
To plan, coordinate, and complete removals and related logistics.
To communicate with you about bookings, schedules, and service updates.
To issue invoices, process payments, and manage accounts.
To respond to questions, complaints, or claims.
To maintain records, improve service quality, and support internal administration.
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations.
To establish, exercise, or defend legal rights where necessary.

We will only use your data in ways that are compatible with the purposes for which it was collected, unless we have a valid lawful basis to do otherwise.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for each type of processing. Lambeth Removals relies on the following bases:

Contract – where processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as providing removal services, arranging bookings, and handling payments.
Legal obligation – where we must process data to comply with applicable laws, tax rules, accounting duties, or regulatory requirements.
Legitimate interests – where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing customer records, preventing fraud, resolving disputes, and improving our services.
Consent – where we rely on your consent for specific optional activities. You may withdraw consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.

Where we process special category data, we will also identify a condition under Article 9 UK GDPR before doing so.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to deliver our services or meet legal requirements. These third parties act as processors when they process data on our behalf and only under our instructions. Examples may include:

Payment service providers.
IT, cloud storage, and software providers.
Accounting, invoicing, and bookkeeping providers.
Professional advisers such as insurers, auditors, or legal advisers.
Subcontracted service providers involved in logistics or specialist handling.

We require all processors to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data and to process data only for specified purposes. We do not sell your personal information.

In limited circumstances, we may disclose data to public authorities, law enforcement agencies, courts, or other parties where required by law or necessary to protect our rights, property, customers, or others.

6. International Transfers

If any of our processors store or access data outside the UK, we ensure suitable safeguards are in place before such transfers occur. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent legal mechanisms designed to protect your data to UK GDPR standards.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, insurance, and reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the context in which it is used.

Typical retention periods may include:

Customer service records retained for the duration of the relationship and a reasonable period afterward.
Financial and tax records retained for the period required by law.
Complaint or claims records retained for as long as needed to resolve the issue and protect our legal position.
Marketing or consent-based records retained until you withdraw consent or the data is no longer needed.

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

8. Security of Your Data

We take the security of personal information seriously and use appropriate measures to protect it from unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or loss. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our data handling practices. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a level of protection proportionate to the risks involved.

9. Your Rights Under GDPR

You have a number of rights regarding your personal data. Subject to legal limitations, you may have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you.
Rectification of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Erasure of your data in certain circumstances.
Restriction of processing in certain situations.
Data portability where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing.
Withdraw consent where consent is the lawful basis for processing.

You also have the right not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing where that produces legal or similarly significant effects, unless such processing is permitted by law.

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

10. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, you may raise them with us so that we can address the issue. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) or the relevant data protection authority if you believe your rights have been infringed.

11. Third-Party Links and External Services

Where our services involve links to third-party platforms or systems operated by others, those third parties are responsible for their own privacy practices. We encourage you to review any privacy information provided by them before sharing personal data. We are not responsible for the content or privacy measures of external websites or services that are outside our control.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal obligations, or service arrangements. Any changes will take effect when published in the updated policy. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal data.

13. Summary of Key Principles

We collect only the information necessary to provide removals and related services.
We process data on lawful bases including contract, legal obligation, legitimate interests, and consent.
We retain data only for as long as needed and dispose of it securely when no longer required.
We use processors under contract and ensure they protect your information.
We respect your GDPR rights and provide ways to exercise them.

Lambeth Removals is committed to treating personal data with care, transparency, and respect. This policy is designed to help customers understand how information is handled throughout the course of our services and to confirm that privacy remains a central part of our operations.