Privacy Policy - Ealing Movers

Ealing Movers is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in our area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information when we provide moving, packing, storage, and related services. It applies to all Ealing Movers customers in the area, including individuals, families, landlords, tenants, and business clients who request or receive our services.

Please read this policy carefully to understand how we handle your personal data and the rights you have under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Ealing Movers acts as the data controller for the personal data processed in connection with our services. This means we decide why and how your personal information is used. We only process personal data where we have a lawful basis to do so and where it is necessary for legitimate business, legal, or service-related purposes.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

Identity information such as your name, title, and, where needed, business name.
Contact information such as address, email address, telephone number, and moving address details.
Service information such as booking dates, move size, inventory lists, access notes, and special handling requirements.
Payment information such as billing details, payment status, and transaction records.
Communication data such as emails, call notes, messages, complaints, and feedback.
Usage and technical data such as device information, browser type, and limited online interaction data if you contact us through digital channels.
Special category data only if you voluntarily provide it and where it is necessary for a specific service, for example information relating to mobility or access needs.

We aim to collect only the data that is necessary and relevant. We do not intentionally collect more information than we need for the service requested.

3. How We Collect Personal Data

We may collect your personal data directly from you, from your representative, or from third parties involved in delivering the service. This may happen when you:

request a quote or make a booking;
communicate with us by phone, email, or written message;
provide documents or instructions related to your move;
submit payment or billing details;
share access requirements, delivery notes, or inventory details;
interact with our service providers, such as processors who assist with administration or payments.

In limited cases, we may also receive information from estate agents, landlords, solicitors, business partners, or other parties who arrange services on your behalf, provided they have a lawful basis to share it.

4. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data to provide and manage our services efficiently and lawfully. This includes:

arranging quotes and bookings;
planning removals, packing, and storage;
contacting you about your service;
verifying instructions and special requirements;
processing payments and invoices;
handling complaints, claims, and customer support;
meeting legal, insurance, and accounting obligations;
improving our operations, training, and service quality;
protecting against fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which we collected it unless we reasonably believe another compatible purpose is required or permitted by law.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

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

Contract

We process your data where it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract or to perform our contract with you. This includes booking, planning, transporting, delivering, and invoicing services.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data where required to comply with legal obligations, including tax, accounting, insurance, fraud prevention, health and safety, and record-keeping requirements.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data for our legitimate business interests, such as managing operations, improving service quality, communicating with customers, defending legal claims, and preventing misuse, provided these interests do not override your rights and freedoms.

Consent

Where required by law, we will rely on your consent, for example for certain optional communications or where sensitive information is provided and consent is the most appropriate basis. You may withdraw consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

Vital Interests

In rare situations, we may process data to protect someone’s vital interests, such as in an emergency involving health or safety during a move.

6. Sharing Personal Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary for service delivery, legal compliance, or legitimate business purposes. These parties may act as processors or independent controllers depending on the context.

Processors are third parties that process personal data on our behalf and under our instructions. Examples may include:

accounting and bookkeeping providers;
payment processing services;
IT hosting, cloud storage, and system support providers;
customer management and communication tools;
professional advisers such as lawyers, insurers, or auditors;
subcontracted service providers assisting with moving or storage operations.

We require processors to protect your personal data, use it only for authorised purposes, and comply with GDPR obligations. We do not sell your personal data.

We may also disclose personal data where necessary to public authorities, regulators, courts, insurers, or law enforcement, when required by law or to protect legal rights.

7. International Transfers

If any of our processors or service providers are located outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place before transferring personal data. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other approved transfer mechanisms. We take steps to ensure transferred data remains protected to a standard consistent with UK GDPR requirements.

8. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including service delivery, legal compliance, dispute resolution, and business record-keeping.

Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason for processing. For example:

booking and service records may be retained for a reasonable period after completion of the move;
financial and accounting records are retained for the period required by law;
complaints, claims, and correspondence may be kept for longer where needed to protect legal rights or resolve disputes;
data collected with consent is retained only until consent is withdrawn or the data is no longer needed.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or destroy it where appropriate.

9. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and procedures for handling data breaches. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to maintain a high level of protection.

10. Your Rights Under GDPR

As a data subject, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data, subject to legal limitations and exemptions:

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

You also have the right to complain to the relevant supervisory authority if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage you to raise concerns with us first so we can address them promptly.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are generally intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary to provide services requested by a parent, guardian, or authorised representative. Where children’s data is processed, we take additional care to ensure it is handled lawfully and securely.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data handling practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers to review the policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal data.

13. Our Commitment

Ealing Movers is committed to using personal information responsibly, fairly, and transparently. We process data only when necessary, keep it secure, and respect the rights of every customer in our area. If you use our services, this policy explains how your information is handled throughout the customer journey, from enquiry and booking to completion and retention.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Ealing Movers customers in the area.