Fulham Removals Privacy Policy and Data Protection Notice

This Privacy Policy explains how Fulham Removals collects, uses, stores and protects your personal data in connection with our removal, packing, storage and related services. It applies to all Fulham Removals customers and prospective customers in our service area, as well as individuals who contact us or visit our premises in relation to these services.

1. Data Controller

Fulham Removals is the data controller for the personal data described in this Privacy Policy. This means we determine the purposes and means of processing your personal information in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data when you interact with us or use our services:

Identification and contact details: name, postal address, service address, billing address, contact preferences.

Service-related details: details of the properties you are moving from and to, access information, inventory or contents lists you provide to support the move, dates and times of your move, special handling instructions, photographs or video of items or access points where necessary to plan or carry out the service.

Communication records: information you provide when contacting us by phone, in writing or in person, including queries, complaints, feedback and any related correspondence.

Booking and payment information: booking history, quotes provided, amounts charged, details of payment method type, and internal payment references. We do not store full card numbers or security codes; these are processed securely by our payment service providers.

Website and usage data: if you use our website, we may collect technical information such as IP address, device and browser details, and basic analytics data about how you use the site. Where cookies are used for analytics or preferences, we will inform you via a separate cookies notice or banner.

Employment and contractor data: if you apply to work with us or provide services to us, we may also collect CVs, references, right to work documentation and other relevant information. This aspect of processing is covered by separate notices where appropriate.

3. How We Collect Your Data

We collect your personal data in a number of ways, including when you request a quote, make a booking, contact us by phone or in writing, visit our premises, interact with our website, or respond to our marketing or customer surveys. We may also receive personal data from third parties, for example, comparison or referral websites that you use to request removal quotes, or from partners such as estate agents or storage providers where you have agreed for your details to be shared.

4. Lawful Bases for Processing

We rely on one or more of the following lawful bases under the UK GDPR to process your personal data:

Contract: to take steps at your request before entering into a contract and to perform our contract with you. This includes providing quotes, confirming bookings, carrying out removals, packing and storage services, managing payments, and handling customer service queries.

Legal obligation: to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, such as accounting, tax and health and safety obligations, and to respond to lawful requests from public authorities.

Legitimate interests: to pursue our legitimate business interests in operating and improving our services, preventing fraud, ensuring security of our staff and customers, maintaining records, managing disputes, and conducting basic marketing to existing customers in a proportionate way that respects your rights.

Consent: where required by law, for example for certain types of marketing communications or non-essential cookies. When we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time.

5. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotes, plan and deliver removal and related services, including assessing access, equipment and staffing requirements.

To communicate with you regarding your enquiries, bookings, changes to services, service updates and aftercare.

To process payments, issue invoices, handle refunds where appropriate, and maintain financial and transaction records.

To manage our relationship with you, including customer service, handling complaints and resolving disputes.

To manage health and safety risks for staff and customers, including planning safe working practices at collection and delivery properties.

To conduct basic direct marketing to existing or recent customers about similar services, where permitted, and to manage your marketing preferences.

To improve our services, train staff, perform internal reporting and conduct customer satisfaction surveys.

To protect our rights, property and safety, and those of our customers and staff, including the prevention and detection of fraud and other unlawful activities.

6. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share your personal data with third parties where necessary for the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, including:

Payment service providers that process card or electronic payments on our behalf.

IT and communications providers that host our systems, website, email and secure data storage.

Subcontractors and partner companies that help us deliver removal, packing, storage or specialist services, where this is needed to complete your booking.

Professional advisers such as accountants, auditors, insurers and legal advisers, where required for business management, compliance or the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

Law enforcement bodies, regulators, courts or public authorities where we are legally required to do so or where it is necessary to protect our rights or the rights of others.

Where we use third parties to process personal data on our behalf, they act as data processors and we ensure appropriate contracts and safeguards are in place. These processors are only permitted to process your data in accordance with our instructions and for specified purposes.

7. International Transfers

Our primary operations are based in the United Kingdom. If it is ever necessary to transfer your personal data outside the UK or European Economic Area, we will only do so where appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses or equivalent measures required by data protection law.

8. Data Retention

We keep your personal data only for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying legal, accounting or reporting requirements.

In general, we retain customer and booking records for a period that allows us to respond to queries, manage any claims arising from the services provided and comply with applicable legal obligations. Financial records are typically kept for a minimum period required by tax and accounting laws.

Where we hold personal data for marketing purposes, we will keep it until you object to or opt out of marketing, or until it is no longer needed for that purpose. We periodically review the personal data we hold and securely delete or anonymise data that is no longer required.

9. Your Data Protection Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data, subject to certain conditions and exemptions:

Right of access: you can request confirmation as to whether we process your personal data and obtain a copy of that data, along with certain information about how it is used.

Right to rectification: you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data we hold about you.

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

Right to restriction of processing: you can ask us to restrict our use of your personal data in certain situations, such as while we are assessing a request for rectification or objection.

Right to object: you can object to our processing of your personal data where we rely on legitimate interests as our lawful basis, including profiling on that basis. You always have the right to object to direct marketing.

Right to data portability: where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means, you may request that we provide your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine readable format, or that it is transmitted to another controller where technically feasible.

Right to withdraw consent: where we rely on your consent to process personal data, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing that took place before the withdrawal.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK data protection supervisory authority if you are concerned about how we handle your personal data.

10. Security of Your Data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised or unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction or damage. These measures include access controls, staff training, secure systems and regular reviews of our security practices. While we strive to protect your personal data, no system can be completely secure, and you share information with us at your own risk.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, business practices or legal obligations. Any updates will apply from the date of publication. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically so that you remain informed about how we use and protect your personal data.