Privacy Policy - Teddington Removals

This Privacy Policy explains how Teddington Removals collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing removal and related services. It applies to all Teddington Removals customers in the area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and businesses using our services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Teddington Removals acts as a data controller for personal data we collect and process in connection with our services. This means we determine the purposes and means of processing customer information. We only collect data that is necessary for the provision of removal services, administration, compliance, and customer support.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect the following categories of personal data depending on the services requested:

Identity information such as your name, title, and, where relevant, company name.
Contact details such as postal address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information including move date, origin and destination addresses, access details, inventory lists, and property instructions.
Payment and billing information where needed to manage invoices, payments, and refunds.
Communication records including messages, quotations, complaints, and customer feedback.
Operational details such as delivery notes, service preferences, and notes required to complete a removal safely and efficiently.
Technical information if you interact with our digital systems, such as device data and basic usage logs used for security and troubleshooting.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and lawful to do so. If such information is provided to us, we will handle it with extra care and only process it where a valid legal basis applies.

3. How We Collect Data

We collect personal data directly from you when you request a quotation, book a service, complete forms, communicate with us, or provide instructions during the moving process. In some cases, we may receive information from third parties such as estate agents, solicitors, landlords, storage providers, insurers, or other persons acting on your behalf. We may also create internal records during service delivery, including notes taken by staff to ensure smooth operations.

4. Why We Use Your Data

We process personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotes and assess removal requirements;
to schedule, manage, and complete removal services;
to communicate with customers about bookings, changes, and service updates;
to issue invoices, process payments, and keep accounting records;
to handle complaints, claims, and customer support requests;
to meet legal, regulatory, tax, and insurance obligations;
to maintain records for operational review, training, and quality control;
to protect our business, staff, customers, and property from fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.

We only use personal data where we have a valid reason to do so and never for purposes that are incompatible with the reason it was originally collected.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

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

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotations, arranging removals, coordinating logistics, and completing payment arrangements.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain information where required to comply with legal obligations, including tax rules, accounting requirements, health and safety obligations, and lawful requests from public authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include service administration, record keeping, fraud prevention, internal reporting, and improving our operations.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where you choose to receive certain types of optional marketing communications. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

6. Sharing Personal Data and Processors

We do not sell personal data. However, we may share information with trusted third parties who act as processors or independent controllers, only when necessary for the delivery of our services or compliance with law.

Processors may include:

payment service providers;
accounting and bookkeeping service providers;
IT and cloud storage providers;
communication and scheduling platforms;
insurance providers and claims handlers;
subcontracted removal staff or logistics partners engaged to help complete a move;
professional advisers such as lawyers, auditors, or tax consultants;
government bodies, regulators, law enforcement, or courts where legally required.

Where we use processors, we ensure they are bound by appropriate contractual obligations, including requirements to keep data secure, process it only on our instructions, and comply with data protection law. All third parties are required to use personal data only for the agreed purpose and to apply suitable safeguards.

7. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we will only do so when adequate safeguards are in place. These may include an adequacy decision, standard contractual clauses, or another lawful transfer mechanism permitted under applicable data protection law.

8. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. The retention period may vary depending on the type of information and the nature of the service provided.

In general:

customer service records are kept for the period necessary to manage the job and any follow-up issues;
financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law;
complaints, claims, and dispute records may be retained for longer where needed to establish or defend legal rights;
information no longer required is securely deleted, anonymised, or disposed of.

Retention decisions are based on necessity, legal obligations, and the need to protect both customers and the business.

9. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and appropriate handling procedures for physical and digital records. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take data protection seriously and review our safeguards regularly.

10. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights regarding your personal data. These may include:

the right of access to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
the right to rectification to correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
the right to erasure in certain circumstances, also known as the right to be forgotten;
the right to restriction to limit how we use your data in specific situations;
the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing;
the right to data portability where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means;
the right to withdraw consent at any time where we rely on consent;
the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your rights have been infringed.

We may need to verify your identity before responding to a request. Some rights may not apply in all situations, particularly where we must retain or use data to comply with legal obligations or defend legal claims.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are generally aimed at adults. We do not intentionally collect personal data from children unless it is necessary for the provision of a service and authorised by a parent, guardian, or another lawful responsible adult. If we learn that we have collected child data without appropriate authority, we will take steps to delete it where required.

12. Automated Decision-Making

We do not use personal data for automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects on individuals. If this changes in the future, we will update this policy and ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business practices, or service arrangements. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how personal data is handled.

14. Contact and Further Information

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, you can contact us through the usual customer service channels provided at the time of booking or service engagement. We will respond to data protection requests in line with applicable legal timeframes.

By using the services of Teddington Removals, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this Privacy Policy. This policy is intended to be transparent, fair, and compliant, ensuring that customers in the area can rely on responsible handling of their information.