Privacy Policy - Twickenham Removals

This Privacy Policy explains how Twickenham Removals collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with our removal, packing, storage, and related services. It applies to all Twickenham Removals customers in the area, including individuals, families, landlords, tenants, and business clients who use our services. We are committed to handling personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Twickenham Removals provides home, office, and specialist moving services, together with packing, loading, transport, storage coordination, and related customer support. In the course of providing these services, we may process personal data about customers, their household members, authorised representatives, building managers, payment contacts, and other relevant individuals. This policy describes the principles and procedures we follow when processing that data.

2. Information We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for the purposes described in this policy. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity information such as your name, title, and, where relevant, company or trading name.
Contact details such as address, telephone number, and email address.
Service information such as moving dates, property access details, inventory information, item descriptions, and special handling requirements.
Payment and billing information such as invoicing details, partial payment records, and transaction references.
Communication records including messages, phone notes, complaint details, survey feedback, and service instructions.
Operational data such as parking arrangements, floor levels, access conditions, delivery instructions, and timing requirements.
Technical data where applicable, such as basic website usage logs or device information, if you interact with our digital systems.

We generally do not seek to collect special category data. However, if you choose to provide information that could reveal sensitive details, we will only process it where there is a lawful basis and where it is necessary to do so. We ask that you avoid sharing unnecessary sensitive information.

3. How We Use Your Data

We process personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations and assess service requirements;
to plan, organise, and deliver removals and related services;
to communicate with you before, during, and after the move;
to manage payments, invoices, and account administration;
to keep records of instructions, service outcomes, and complaints;
to comply with legal, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
to prevent fraud, misuse, and security incidents;
to improve service quality, training, and internal operations;
to defend or establish legal claims where necessary.

We use data only to the extent needed for these purposes and we apply data minimisation wherever possible.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must identify a lawful basis for each category of processing. Depending on the context, Twickenham Removals relies on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotes, confirming bookings, organising logistics, completing the move, and handling payment administration.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain information to comply with legal and regulatory duties, such as tax, accounting, insurance, and record-keeping requirements.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include service improvement, internal administration, fraud prevention, security, and handling customer enquiries. We carefully balance our interests against your privacy rights before relying on this basis.

Consent

Where required by law, we may ask for your consent. If we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

5. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share personal data only where necessary and only with trusted parties that help us deliver our services. These parties may act as data processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. Processors act on our instructions and are required to protect your data.

Categories of processors and recipients may include:

IT and software providers used for secure data storage, scheduling, invoicing, and communication systems;
Payment and accounting providers that support billing, financial administration, and reconciliation;
Subcontracted service partners such as specialist handlers or storage providers where needed to complete a move;
Insurance and claims handlers where there is a damage, loss, or liability issue;
Professional advisers such as accountants, lawyers, or auditors;
Authorities and regulators where disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect rights and property.

We do not sell personal data. If data must be transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as standard contractual clauses or an adequacy decision where applicable.

6. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including to meet legal, contractual, operational, and accounting obligations. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the reason for processing.

Quotation and booking records are typically retained for a limited period after the service concludes to manage queries, complaints, or follow-up issues.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Customer communication records are retained only as long as needed for service management and dispute resolution.
Operational records are kept for a proportionate period to support quality control, safety, and legal defence.

When data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or destroyed using appropriate technical and organisational measures.

7. Data Security

We take the protection of your personal data seriously and use reasonable technical and organisational measures to prevent unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or loss. These measures may include access controls, restricted permissions, staff confidentiality obligations, secure storage, and regular review of our procedures. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we continuously work to maintain a level of protection appropriate to the risk.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to legal limitations and exceptions, but we will always assess and respond to your request fairly.

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

You also have the right to raise concerns about how your data is handled. If you believe your rights have been infringed, you may complain to the relevant supervisory authority in the UK. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve any issue promptly and fairly.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidental to providing removal services to a household. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child inappropriately, we will take reasonable steps to delete it unless we are required to keep it by law or have a valid lawful basis to retain it.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or operational practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review the policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Twickenham Removals is committed to treating personal information with care, transparency, and respect. We collect only the data we need, use it for clear and lawful purposes, retain it only as long as necessary, and share it only with appropriate processors or where required by law. This policy applies to all Twickenham Removals customers in the area, and our aim is to ensure that your personal data is handled in a manner that is lawful, secure, and proportionate at every stage of the service.