Privacy Policy - Brent Removals

This Privacy Policy explains how Brent Removals collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Brent Removals customers in our service area, including individuals who request a quote, book a move, receive removal services, or otherwise interact with us. We are committed to handling personal information 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

Brent Removals is a removals service provider offering domestic and commercial moving services. In the context of data protection law, we act as a data controller for the personal data we determine the purposes and means of processing. Where we use third parties to help provide our services, they may act as data processors or independent controllers depending on the nature of the service.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data necessary to provide our services, manage customer relationships, comply with legal obligations, and improve our operations. The categories of data we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, the name of your business or organisation.
Contact details including your address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information such as move dates, property access details, inventory information, and any special handling requirements.
Payment information including transaction records and billing details.
Communication records such as emails, messages, call notes, and complaints or feedback.
Technical information where applicable, such as IP address and website usage data if you interact with our online services.
Documents you provide that may include proof of identity, tenancy information, or other information needed to deliver the service or meet legal requirements.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless you choose to provide it and it is necessary for a specific service issue, such as accessibility needs. If such data is provided, we will handle it with additional care and only where a lawful basis applies.

3. How We Collect Your Data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you make an enquiry, request a quotation, book a service, communicate with our team, or complete a payment. We may also receive data from third parties, such as estate agents, landlords, solicitors, building managers, or payment providers, where this is necessary to carry out the service you have requested or to complete a transaction.

In some cases, we may collect data from public sources or from your authorised representative. Where we receive information from another person acting on your behalf, we will treat it in line with this Privacy Policy.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We only process personal data where we have a lawful basis under data protection law. Depending on the activity, we rely on one or more of the following bases:

Contract: processing is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract or to perform a contract with you, such as arranging and completing removals services.
Legal obligation: processing is necessary to comply with legal and regulatory duties, including accounting, tax, insurance, and record-keeping requirements.
Legitimate interests: processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include managing operations, preventing fraud, improving services, and responding to customer queries.
Consent: where required, we will ask for your consent, for example for certain marketing communications or the processing of optional sensitive information.

When we rely on legitimate interests, we assess whether the processing is necessary and whether it is balanced against your privacy rights. You may object to processing based on legitimate interests in some circumstances.

5. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

Providing quotations and assessing service requirements.
Scheduling, delivering, and managing removal services.
Communicating with you before, during, and after the move.
Processing payments, issuing invoices, and maintaining financial records.
Handling complaints, claims, and customer support requests.
Meeting legal, regulatory, and insurance obligations.
Protecting our business, staff, customers, and property from misuse or fraud.
Improving our services, internal processes, and customer experience.

We will not use your data for purposes that are incompatible with the original reason for collection unless we have a lawful basis to do so.

6. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to operate our business and provide services. These third parties may act as processors when they process data on our instructions, or as independent controllers where they determine their own purposes. Typical categories of recipients include:

IT and cloud service providers that support data storage, communication, or business systems.
Payment service providers that process card or other payment transactions.
Accountants, auditors, and professional advisers who assist with financial, legal, or compliance obligations.
Insurance providers and claims handlers where a claim or incident requires review.
Subcontractors or operational partners who help deliver parts of the removals service under our instruction.
Authorities or regulators where we are required to disclose information by law.

Where we use processors, we ensure appropriate data protection agreements are in place and that they only process data according to our instructions and applicable legal requirements. We do not sell your personal data.

7. International Transfers

If any of our processors store or access data outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other legally recognised transfer mechanisms designed to protect your personal data.

8. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, insurance, and dispute-resolution requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason for processing.

As a general approach:

Customer and service records are retained for the period needed to manage the relationship and any follow-up obligations.
Financial and transaction records are retained for the time required by tax and accounting laws.
Complaints, claims, and incident records may be kept longer where needed to defend or establish legal claims.
Marketing preferences are retained until you withdraw consent or object to direct marketing.

When data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention procedures.

9. Data Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, loss, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and data minimisation practices. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we take the protection of your information seriously and regularly review our safeguards.

10. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you may have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

Right of access to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure in certain circumstances, sometimes called the right to be forgotten.
Right to restrict processing in certain cases, such as where you contest accuracy or object to processing.
Right to data portability for data you provided to us in a structured, commonly used format where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
Right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or to direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent where we rely on consent, without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

You also have the right to raise concerns with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data has been handled unlawfully. We would, however, appreciate the chance to address any concern directly first.

11. Marketing Communications

We may send you service-related communications where necessary for your booking or account. We will only send marketing communications where permitted by law and, if required, with your consent. You can object to direct marketing at any time, and we will stop using your data for that purpose promptly.

12. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is incidentally provided as part of a household move and only where necessary to deliver the service. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child unlawfully, we will take appropriate steps to remove it.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our services, or how we handle personal data. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is used.

14. Summary of Our Commitment

Brent Removals is committed to treating your personal data with care, using it only where lawful and necessary, keeping it secure, and respecting your rights. This policy applies to all Brent Removals customers in area and is designed to ensure that your information is processed fairly, transparently, and responsibly.