Bishopsgate Removals Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Bishopsgate Removals collects, uses and protects your personal data in connection with our removal and related services. It applies to all Bishopsgate Removals customers and prospective customers in our service area, as well as visitors who interact with us to request quotes, make bookings or obtain information about our services.

We are committed to complying with the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and all other applicable data protection laws. We encourage you to read this Privacy Policy carefully so you understand how and why we use your data and the choices you have.

Who we are and scope of this policy

Bishopsgate Removals is the data controller for the personal data we process in relation to our customers and prospective customers. This means we decide how and why your personal information is used. This Privacy Policy covers all processing activities carried out by Bishopsgate Removals in connection with the provision of removals, storage, packing, and associated services to customers in our operating area.

By engaging with us, including by requesting a quotation, booking a move, using our storage services or communicating with us about our services, you acknowledge that you have read this Privacy Policy. Where we need your consent for a particular type of processing, we will ask for it separately and clearly.

Personal data we collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy. The information we may collect and process about you includes:

Identification and contact details such as your full name, postal address, email address, and any other contact details you choose to provide.

Move and service details such as current and destination addresses, property access details, inventory or list of items to be moved or stored, parking information, special handling instructions, preferred dates and times, and details of any third party locations related to your move.

Contract and transaction information such as records of quotations, bookings, invoices, payments, refunds, correspondence and dispute resolution information, as well as details of services provided and your preferences.

Communication data such as information you provide when you contact us by phone, in writing or electronically, including service enquiries, feedback and complaints, and any relevant notes or recordings required to manage our relationship with you.

Technical and usage data such as basic information about how you interact with our website or digital tools, including date and time of visits, pages viewed and general device information, where this is necessary for site security or service improvement. We do not seek to identify individual visitors unless required for security or legal reasons.

Special category data is not routinely collected by Bishopsgate Removals. In limited cases, we may process information about your health or mobility needs if you choose to share this with us so that we can plan your move safely. Where we do so, we will rely on appropriate legal grounds and treat such information with enhanced care and confidentiality.

How and why we use your personal data

We process your personal data only where we have a lawful basis under the UK GDPR. Depending on the context, we may rely on one or more of the following grounds:

Performance of a contract. We use your personal data to provide our services to you, including responding to quote requests, preparing estimates, confirming bookings, carrying out removals and storage, managing payments, communicating about your move, and handling any changes or issues that arise.

Compliance with legal obligations. We may process your data to meet our legal and regulatory duties, such as tax and accounting requirements, record keeping, responding to lawful requests from authorities, and maintaining appropriate insurance and risk records.

Legitimate interests. We may use your data where this is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. This includes managing and improving our services, maintaining security and safety, preventing and detecting fraud, training staff, and handling general business operations. Where we rely on legitimate interests, we carefully balance these against your privacy rights.

Consent. In certain situations, we may ask for your consent to use your data, for example for specific forms of marketing or to retain your details for future opportunities when you are not yet a customer. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time by contacting us using the details provided in this policy or by following any applicable unsubscribe instructions.

Sharing your personal data and use of processors

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your information with trusted third parties where necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy and in accordance with data protection law.

Service providers and processors. We may share data with third party companies that provide services on our behalf, such as secure payment processors, accounting and bookkeeping providers, IT and system support providers, cloud storage and document management services, and external removal or storage partners when required to fulfil your booking. These organisations act as data processors and may only process your personal data in accordance with our written instructions and for the purposes we specify. They are required to implement appropriate security measures and must not use your data for their own purposes.

Professional and legal advisers. We may share information with our insurers, legal advisers, auditors, and other professional advisers where necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, for business management, or to comply with regulatory requirements.

Authorities and law enforcement. We may disclose personal data where required by law or where we reasonably believe this is necessary to comply with legal obligations, protect the rights, property or safety of Bishopsgate Removals, our customers or others, or assist with the prevention and detection of crime.

Any sharing of data will be limited to what is necessary and proportionate. Where data is transferred outside the United Kingdom or European Economic Area, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with data protection law.

Data retention and storage

We keep your personal data only for as long as it is reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy any legal, accounting or reporting requirements. The specific retention period may depend on the nature of the information and the context in which it was collected.

Typically, we retain customer and contract records for a minimum period required by law for tax and financial reporting purposes. After the relevant retention period expires, we will either securely delete or anonymise your personal data so that it can no longer be linked to you. In some circumstances, we may anonymise your data sooner, in which case we may use such anonymised information without further notice to you.

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or access. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff training, and regular review of our security practices.

Your data protection rights

Under the UK GDPR, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights are subject to certain conditions and exceptions, but we will always respond to any request you make in accordance with the law. Your rights include:

Right of access. You can request confirmation of whether we hold personal data about you and receive a copy of that data, together with information about how we use it.

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

Right to erasure. In certain circumstances, you can request the deletion of 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 may ask us to restrict our use of your personal data in specific situations, such as while we are verifying its accuracy or assessing an objection you have raised.

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

Right to object. You can object to our processing of your personal data where we rely on legitimate interests, including profiling based on those interests. We will stop processing your data unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds which override your interests, rights and freedoms, or where processing is required for legal claims.

Rights relating to consent and marketing. Where we rely on your consent, you can withdraw it at any time. You also have the right to object at any time to the use of your data for direct marketing, after which we will stop using your data for that purpose.

To exercise any of these rights, or if you have concerns about how your data is being used, you can contact us using the contact details provided in our customer documentation or on our main information channels. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority if you are unhappy with how we handle your personal data.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements or data protection best practice. Any revised version will be made available through our usual communication channels and will take effect from the date of publication. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your personal data.