Privacy Policy - Colliers Wood Removals

This Privacy Policy explains how Colliers Wood Removals collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing removal services. It applies to all Colliers Wood Removals customers in area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and businesses that use our services or communicate with us in connection with a booking, quotation, survey, or complaint. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, transparent, and secure manner in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the personal data necessary to provide and manage our removal services, comply with legal obligations, and improve our service delivery. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name, title, and, where relevant, company or business name.
Contact details such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details such as moving date, property access information, inventory lists, special handling requirements, and service preferences.
Payment and billing information such as billing address, payment status, and transaction records.
Communication records including emails, telephone notes, complaint details, and any messages you send to us.
Technical and usage information if you interact with our digital systems, such as basic device or log information used to maintain security and performance.
Special category data only where strictly necessary and where you choose to provide it, for example if it affects access arrangements or moving support needs.

We normally collect personal data directly from you. In some cases, we may receive information from third parties such as estate agents, letting agents, solicitors, employers, landlords, property managers, or payment providers where this is necessary for the service arrangement.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations, surveys, and removal services;
to arrange logistics, schedules, and staffing for moves;
to communicate with you about bookings, changes, and service updates;
to process payments, invoices, refunds, and credit control where necessary;
to manage customer service, complaints, claims, and dispute resolution;
to maintain records, business administration, and service quality;
to comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
to protect our business, staff, and customers from fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We do not use personal data for unrelated purposes that are incompatible with the reasons it was originally collected. Where we need to use data for a new purpose, we will only do so if we have a lawful basis and, where required, will tell you about it.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each type of processing. Depending on the circumstances, Colliers Wood Removals may rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Performance of a Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to provide a quotation, make a booking, carry out removal services, manage delivery arrangements, or fulfil our agreement with you.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain data to meet legal requirements, including tax, accounting, insurance, transport, and record-keeping obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data for our legitimate business interests where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This can include managing customer relationships, improving our operations, preventing fraud, securing our systems, and handling complaints or claims. Where we rely on legitimate interests, we assess the impact on your privacy and apply appropriate safeguards.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, particularly where special category data is involved or where consent is the most appropriate basis. If we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us operate our business and deliver services. These parties act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. We only share data where necessary and require appropriate data protection safeguards.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

IT and cloud service providers used for storage, email, scheduling, and business administration;
payment service providers and accountancy services;
insurance providers, surveyors, or claims handling support where relevant;
subcontractors or specialist carriers assisting with a removal job;
professional advisers such as solicitors, auditors, or insurers;
regulatory or law enforcement bodies where required by law.

We do not sell personal data. Where a third party processes data on our behalf, we ensure that appropriate contractual controls are in place and that the data is used only for the specified purpose. If data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure suitable safeguards are used, such as adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, insurance, and reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the nature of the information and the reason it was collected.

In general:

quotation and booking records are kept for a reasonable period to manage service history and follow-up;
invoice, payment, and tax records are retained for the period required by law;
complaints, claims, and dispute-related records are kept for as long as needed to resolve and defend claims;
technical logs and security data are kept for limited periods unless an incident requires longer retention.

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you.

6. Security of Your Data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality duties, backup systems, and supplier oversight. Although no system is completely secure, we work to protect personal data to a high standard and review our safeguards regularly.

7. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have a number of rights under the UK GDPR. These rights may be subject to conditions and exemptions.

Right of access – you may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – you may request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction – you may ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object – you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing where applicable.
Right to data portability – you may request certain data in a structured, commonly used format where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage you to raise any concerns with us first so that we can try to resolve them promptly and fairly.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data protection practices. Any changes will take effect when published. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how personal data is handled.

9. Summary of Our Approach

Colliers Wood Removals treats personal data with care and only collects information that is needed for legitimate business and service purposes. We rely on appropriate lawful bases, keep data for limited periods, share it only with trusted processors where necessary, and respect the rights of all customers in area. Our aim is to process information transparently, securely, and in line with data protection law.

Last reviewed: This policy should be read as the current privacy notice for Colliers Wood Removals customers in area.