Privacy Policy - Movers Hackney

This Privacy Policy explains how Movers Hackney collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with our moving and relocation services. It applies to all Movers Hackney customers in the area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and business clients who use our services within Hackney and the surrounding local area. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, transparent, and secure manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Movers Hackney provides home and business moving services, including packing, loading, transport, furniture handling, storage-related support, and related logistical services. In providing these services, we may act as a data controller for the personal data we determine the purposes and means of processing. In some limited cases, we may act as a data processor when handling information strictly on behalf of a client or another controller.

2. Personal Data We Collect

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

Identity data: full name, title, and, where relevant, business name or trading name.
Contact data: postal address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details: moving date, property access details, inventory, item descriptions, special handling requirements, and service preferences.
Payment information: billing details, transaction records, and invoice information. We do not retain full card details where payment processing is handled by secure third-party providers.
Communication records: enquiries, complaints, feedback, estimates, and correspondence with us.
Operational data: records needed for scheduling, planning, route coordination, and delivery confirmation.
Technical data: limited website or device information if you interact with digital services, such as IP address or browser data, where applicable.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is directly provided by you and strictly necessary for a specific service request, such as accessibility-related information. Where this occurs, we will apply additional safeguards and only process it where lawful.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide moving and relocation services;
to prepare quotations, agreements, and invoices;
to arrange collection, transport, delivery, and related logistics;
to contact you about your booking, service changes, or important updates;
to deal with payment processing and accounting;
to handle complaints, claims, and customer support requests;
to maintain security, prevent fraud, and protect our business and customers;
to comply with legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations;
to improve service quality, training, and internal record-keeping.

We will only use your data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably determine that we need to use it for a compatible purpose or another lawful basis applies.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only when we have a valid lawful basis under UK GDPR. Depending on the circumstances, our lawful bases include:

Contract: processing is necessary to perform our contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, such as providing a quote or arranging a booking.
Legal obligation: processing is required to comply with tax, accounting, insurance, consumer protection, or other legal duties.
Legitimate interests: processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as operating efficiently, improving services, preventing fraud, and managing customer relationships, provided these interests do not override your rights and freedoms.
Consent: where consent is required, for example for certain marketing activities or optional data uses, we will ask for it clearly and you may withdraw it at any time.

Where special category data is processed, we will identify both a lawful basis under Article 6 and an additional condition under Article 9 of UK GDPR before doing so.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy, including to meet legal, accounting, insurance, and reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason it was collected.

Customer and booking records are typically retained for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards to handle follow-up queries or disputes.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Correspondence and complaint records may be retained for as long as needed to resolve the issue and protect our legal position.
Operational records are kept only as long as required for service delivery, quality control, and internal review.

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

6. Sharing Personal Data and Processors

We do not sell personal data. We may share information only where necessary and proportionate for service delivery, legal compliance, or business administration. We may share data with:

Processors acting on our instructions, such as IT and hosting providers, secure document storage services, accounting systems, payment processors, and communications platforms;
Subcontractors or service partners involved in moving-related work, where needed to deliver your service;
Professional advisers such as insurers, legal advisers, or accountants;
Public authorities, regulators, or law enforcement where required by law or to protect rights and safety.

When we use processors, we require them to handle personal data securely, use it only for our instructions, and implement appropriate technical and organisational safeguards. We take reasonable steps to ensure processors meet UK GDPR standards.

7. International Transfers

Where any service provider processes personal data outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as an adequacy regulation, standard contractual clauses, or another lawful transfer mechanism. We aim to keep data within the UK or use trusted providers with strong protection measures wherever possible.

8. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, password protection, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and limited access on a need-to-know basis. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we continually review and improve our safeguards.

9. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to legal limits and exemptions, but we will always assess requests fairly and respond appropriately. Your rights include:

Right of access: you can request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and obtain a copy of it.
Right to rectification: you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure: in certain cases, you can ask us to delete your personal data.
Right to restriction: you can request that we limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to data portability: where applicable, you can request your data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to object: you can object to processing based on legitimate interests and to direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent: where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you make a request, we may need to verify your identity before responding to protect your data.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is necessary in the context of a household move or where provided by an adult customer. Where children’s data is involved, we treat it with particular care and only process it where lawful and necessary.

11. Marketing

We may send service-related messages where they are necessary for the performance of our services. Any optional marketing communications will only be sent where permitted by law and, where required, with your consent. You may opt out of marketing at any time. We will respect your preferences promptly.

12. Changes to This Policy

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

13. Fair Processing Commitment

Movers Hackney is committed to processing personal data in a transparent and respectful manner. We only collect data that is relevant to our services, keep it for no longer than necessary, and use it in ways that are compatible with the purposes for which it was obtained. Your privacy matters to us, and we strive to ensure that all processing is lawful, secure, and proportionate.

Summary of Key Points

We collect only the data needed to provide moving services and manage our business.
We rely on contract, legal obligation, legitimate interests, and consent where appropriate.
We retain data only as long as necessary and securely delete it when no longer needed.
We use processors under strict instructions and safeguard any data shared with them.
You have rights over your personal data, including access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, and objection.

By using Movers Hackney’s services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy.