Privacy Policy - Movers Kennington

This Privacy Policy explains how Movers Kennington collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing moving, removal, packing, storage, and related services. It applies to all Movers Kennington customers in the area, including private individuals, families, landlords, tenants, and business clients who request our services or interact with us in connection with a move. We are committed to handling personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Movers Kennington is responsible for determining the purposes and means of processing the personal data described in this Policy. In data protection terms, we act as the data controller for the personal information we collect in connection with our services, customer care, billing, and operational management.

This Policy applies to personal data we collect directly from you, data you provide through forms, messages, calls, bookings, and any information we receive from third parties where lawful and appropriate.

2. Information We Collect

We collect only the information needed to provide our services safely, efficiently, and lawfully. The categories of personal data may include:

Identity data such as your name, title, and any company or organisation name.
Contact data such as your address, email address, phone number, and moving location details.
Service data relating to booking details, move dates, inventory lists, property access notes, packing requirements, and service preferences.
Payment and transaction data such as billing information, invoices, payment status, and records of charges or refunds.
Communication data including emails, call notes, messages, complaints, feedback, and customer service correspondence.
Technical data if you interact with our digital systems, such as IP address, device details, and basic usage information.
Special category data only where you voluntarily provide it and where it is necessary for a legitimate service reason, for example details that affect accessibility, health, or mobility during a move. Where such data is processed, we apply additional safeguards.

We do not seek to collect unnecessary personal data. Please avoid sharing information that is not relevant to your move or service request unless it is required for safety or legal reasons.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations, schedule services, and manage bookings;
to carry out removals, packing, unpacking, storage coordination, and related tasks;
to communicate with you about your booking, access arrangements, and service updates;
to issue invoices, process payments, and maintain accounting records;
to respond to enquiries, complaints, claims, or requests for support;
to improve our services, training, and operational planning;
to comply with legal obligations, tax rules, insurance requirements, and record-keeping duties;
to prevent fraud, manage security, and protect our staff, customers, and property.

We only use your data when we have a valid lawful basis and when the use is necessary and proportionate.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each type of processing. Movers Kennington relies on the following lawful bases:

a) Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes, arranging your move, delivering services, handling billing, and communicating about service delivery.

b) Legal Obligation

We process personal data where we must comply with legal and regulatory obligations, including tax, accounting, insurance, safety, and record retention requirements.

c) Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing customer relationships, improving services, preventing misuse, securing our operations, and maintaining internal records. When relying on legitimate interests, we assess whether the processing is necessary and balanced.

d) Consent

Where required by law, we rely on your consent. For example, this may apply if we use certain optional marketing communications or process specific sensitive information that is not otherwise covered by another lawful basis. You can withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We do not sell your personal data. We may share it only where necessary and lawful, including with carefully selected processors and third parties that help us deliver our services. These may include:

payment service providers that handle card or transfer processing;
accountants, auditors, and professional advisers;
IT and cloud hosting providers that store or support our systems;
customer relationship, booking, or invoicing software providers;
insurers and claims handlers where relevant to a move or incident;
subcontracted removals staff or logistics partners assisting with service delivery;
regulatory, law enforcement, or public authorities where disclosure is required by law.

All processors are required to act only on our instructions, to keep personal data confidential, to apply appropriate security measures, and to process data in compliance with UK GDPR. Where a third party acts as an independent controller, it is responsible for its own privacy practices.

6. International Transfers

If any of our processors or service providers store or access personal data outside the UK, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other legally recognised transfer mechanisms. We take reasonable and proportionate steps to protect your data wherever it is processed.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including the performance of our services, dealing with claims, meeting legal obligations, and resolving disputes. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the reason for holding it.

Service and booking records are generally retained for the duration of the customer relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial records are kept for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Complaint, claim, and dispute records may be retained until the matter is resolved and for an additional period where necessary for legal protection.
Marketing records are retained until you opt out, withdraw consent, or we determine they are no longer needed.

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

8. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff training, password protection, and restricted permissions. While no system is completely risk-free, we aim to safeguard personal data with care and diligence.

Our staff and contractors are required to respect confidentiality and handle data responsibly. Access is limited to those who need it for legitimate business purposes.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights regarding your personal data. These rights may be subject to conditions and exemptions, but we will always consider your request carefully.

Right of access – you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – in certain circumstances, you can request deletion of your data.
Right to restrict processing – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in specific situations.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – you may request data you provided to us in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

To protect your privacy, we may need to verify your identity before responding to a rights request. We will respond within the time limits required by law.

10. Marketing Communications

We may send you service-related messages that are necessary for your booking or account. We will only send marketing communications where legally permitted and, where required, with your consent. You may opt out of marketing at any time. Your choice will not affect the delivery of agreed services.

11. Cookies and Similar Technologies

If we use digital tools that rely on cookies or similar technologies, they may collect limited technical information to support website functionality, analytics, or user preferences. Where consent is required, we will seek it before placing non-essential cookies. You can control cookies through your browser settings and, where relevant, through our cookie controls.

12. Children’s Data

Our services are directed to adults and businesses. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidentally necessary in connection with a household move and provided by a parent, guardian, or authorised adult. If we learn that we have collected data from a child unlawfully, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, operational practices, or service arrangements. Any revised version will take effect when published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this Policy periodically to stay informed about how their personal data is handled.

14. How We Apply This Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to all Movers Kennington customers in the area and to any personal data processed in connection with our services, whether the interaction is one-off or ongoing. By using our services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described above and in accordance with applicable law.

Summary of our commitment: we collect only necessary data, use it for lawful and limited purposes, share it only with trusted processors and required parties, retain it responsibly, and respect your rights under UK data protection law. If any part of this Policy conflicts with applicable law, the law will prevail.