Privacy Policy - Queenspark Removals

Queenspark Removals is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of our customers, prospective customers, suppliers, and website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information when providing our removal and related services. This policy applies to all Queenspark Removals customers in our area.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Queenspark Removals acts as a data controller in relation to the personal information we collect and use for the delivery of our services, account management, administration, and business operations. We take our responsibilities under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 seriously and process personal data in a fair, lawful, and transparent way.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect and process personal data that you provide to us directly, information gathered during the course of supplying our services, and limited information from third parties where necessary. The types of data we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name and title.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details such as moving dates, property access information, inventories, special instructions, and service preferences.
Payment and billing details such as payment records, invoices, and transaction history.
Communication records including enquiries, emails, notes from phone calls, and messages relating to bookings or complaints.
Operational information related to scheduling, vehicle allocation, and service delivery.
Technical information where applicable, such as basic device or browser data collected through our digital systems, if used.

We may also collect special category data only where it is relevant, necessary, and lawfully permitted, for example if you voluntarily tell us about access needs or other information that helps us provide a safer and more suitable service. We do not seek to collect more information than we need.

3. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide removal, packing, storage, and related services;
to manage bookings, quotations, and customer requests;
to communicate with you about service arrangements and updates;
to process payments, prepare invoices, and maintain financial records;
to handle complaints, queries, and aftercare;
to comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
to protect our business, staff, and customers from fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity;
to improve our services, processes, and customer experience;
to maintain accurate business records and internal administration.

We will only use your personal data where we have a valid reason to do so and where such use is consistent with data protection law. We do not sell your personal data.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We rely on one or more of the following lawful bases under the UK GDPR:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes, confirming bookings, carrying out removal services, handling payments, and delivering customer support connected to our services.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data where required to comply with legal duties, such as tax, accounting, insurance, record-keeping, and responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing operations, improving services, preventing fraud, maintaining security, and handling customer relations. Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider the impact on your privacy and ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where you agree to receive certain forms of marketing or where consent is required for particular types of optional processing. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing Your Personal Data

We may share personal data with trusted third parties, known as processors or other service providers, where necessary to deliver our services or operate our business. These may include:

payment service providers;
IT, software, and data storage providers;
accountants, auditors, and professional advisers;
subcontracted removal or logistics partners;
insurance providers and claims handlers;
regulatory bodies, law enforcement, or other public authorities where legally required.

All processors and service providers are required to handle personal data securely, only act on our instructions where appropriate, and comply with data protection law. We do not share more information than is necessary for the relevant purpose.

6. International Transfers

If any personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other legally approved transfer mechanisms. We will only transfer data where it is necessary and permitted by law.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including for legal, accounting, insurance, and operational requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the reason for processing. For example:

customer and contract records are retained for the period needed to deliver services and manage related issues;
financial and tax records are kept for the period required by law;
communication records may be retained for a reasonable time to resolve disputes or maintain service history;
data no longer needed is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in accordance with our retention procedures.

When deciding how long to keep information, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure, the purposes of processing, and applicable legal obligations.

8. 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 training, confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our procedures. While no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, we work to maintain a level of protection appropriate to the risks involved.

9. 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 ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to data portability – to request transfer of certain data to you or another controller.
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.

These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal or operational limits. If you wish to exercise any of your rights, we will respond in line with applicable law and within the required timeframes.

10. Automated Decision-Making

We do not use automated decision-making or profiling in a way that produces legal or similarly significant effects on individuals. If this changes, we will update this policy and provide appropriate information about the relevant processing.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidental to service provision and provided by an adult customer or authorised representative. Where we learn that personal data has been collected inappropriately, we will take steps to delete or otherwise handle it lawfully.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data processing 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 we protect personal data.

13. Complaints and Concerns

If you have concerns about how your personal data is handled, you may raise them with us so we can review the issue. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your rights have been infringed. We encourage you to contact us first so we can address your concerns promptly and fairly.

By using our services, you acknowledge that you have read this Privacy Policy and understand how Queenspark Removals processes personal data in connection with its services.