Sheffield Removals Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Sheffield Removals collects, uses, stores and protects your personal data in connection with our removals and related services. It applies to all Sheffield Removals customers and prospective customers in our service area, including individuals and businesses who contact us, request a quote, or use our services.

Who We Are and Scope of This Policy

Sheffield Removals is a removals service provider operating in and around Sheffield. In this Privacy Policy, references to we, us and our mean Sheffield Removals. We act as the data controller for the personal data that we collect and process in connection with the provision of our services.

This Privacy Policy applies to personal data we collect from customers, prospective customers, website visitors, and any individual who communicates with us in relation to removals, storage, packing, and associated services within our operating area.

Types of Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data about you, depending on how you interact with us and which services you use:

Contact and identity details such as name, postal address, property addresses for collection and delivery, and any other address details you provide to us.

Communication details and preferences such as the content of your enquiries and communications with us, and your preferences about how we contact you.

Service and booking information such as details of your removal or storage requirements, property type and access information, inventory lists you provide, dates and times of moves, and notes relevant to the planning and performance of your move.

Payment and transaction information such as records of payments made, the services purchased, and transaction history. We do not store full payment card details; where card payments are taken, these are processed securely by our payment service providers.

Technical and usage information where you interact with us online, such as basic device and browser information, IP address, and how you use our website, to the extent that this is necessary for security, performance and analytics.

How We Collect Your Personal Data

We collect personal data directly from you when you contact us by phone, in person or through online forms to request information, obtain a quotation, or book our services.

We may receive personal data indirectly where a third party contacts us on your behalf, such as an estate agent, landlord, employer, or another person arranging a move for you. In such cases, we treat that data in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

We may also collect limited technical data automatically when you use our website, for example through server logs and similar technologies used for basic analytics and security. Any such collection is carried out in line with applicable data protection and ePrivacy requirements.

Purposes and Lawful Bases for Processing

We process your personal data only where we have a valid lawful basis under UK GDPR. Depending on the context, the main lawful bases we rely on are contract, legal obligation, legitimate interests, and consent where required.

To provide quotations and respond to enquiries we use your contact details and service information to prepare and send quotations, and to respond to your questions. Our lawful basis is taking steps at your request prior to entering into a contract and our legitimate interests in promoting and operating our business.

To provide removals and related services we process your personal data to plan, organise and carry out your move or related services, and to manage any changes, cancellations, or follow-up services. Our lawful basis is performance of a contract with you.

For billing, payments and account management we process transaction data to issue invoices, receive payments, handle queries, and maintain financial records. Our lawful basis is performance of a contract with you and our legal obligations in relation to accounting and taxation.

For customer support and service improvements we use your data to handle complaints or feedback, and to improve our services and customer experience. Our lawful basis is our legitimate interests in managing and developing our business and ensuring high service standards.

For legal and regulatory compliance we may process data where required by law, for example to comply with tax rules, respond to lawful requests from public authorities, or protect our rights in the case of disputes. Our lawful basis is legal obligation and, where appropriate, our legitimate interests in establishing, exercising or defending legal claims.

For marketing communications we may use your contact details to send information about our services that we think may be of interest to you, in accordance with applicable direct marketing rules. Our lawful basis is either consent or our legitimate interests in promoting our services, depending on the circumstances. You can opt out of direct marketing at any time.

Data Sharing and Use of Processors

We do not sell your personal data. We may share personal data with carefully selected third parties, only where necessary and with appropriate safeguards.

Service providers and processors We may engage third party companies to act as data processors on our behalf, for example providers of IT hosting, secure data storage, customer relationship management systems, payment processing, and communication tools. These processors may only process your data in accordance with our documented instructions and must implement appropriate security measures.

Operational partners In some cases, we may work with sub-contractors or partner companies to fulfil parts of your move or related services. Where they act as independent controllers, they are responsible for their own compliance. Where they act on our behalf, we ensure appropriate contractual protections are in place.

Professional advisers and authorities We may share personal data with professional advisers such as auditors, insurers, accountants or legal advisers, and with regulatory or law enforcement authorities where required by law or to protect our legal rights.

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK or European Economic Area by our processors or partners, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy decisions or standard contractual clauses, in line with data protection law.

Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, and to meet legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

Quotation and enquiry records are typically retained for a limited period after the date of your enquiry, in case you choose to proceed with our services or require follow-up information.

Customer and service records relating to completed moves and contracts are generally retained for several years to enable us to respond to queries, handle any claims or disputes, and comply with our legal obligations, including tax and accounting requirements.

Marketing contact information is kept until you withdraw your consent or object to receiving marketing communications, or until we determine that it is no longer appropriate to contact you.

When personal data is no longer required, it is securely deleted or anonymised so that it can no longer be associated with you.

How We Protect Your Data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to safeguard your personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure. These measures may include secure storage systems, access controls, staff training, and procedures for handling and responding to potential data incidents.

While we take reasonable steps to protect your personal data, transmission of information over the internet can never be guaranteed as completely secure. Any transmission is at your own risk, and we encourage you to take care with the information you share.

Your Data Protection Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have a number of rights in relation to the personal data we hold about you. These rights are subject to certain conditions and legal exemptions, and we may need to verify your identity before we can respond to some requests.

Right of access You have the right to request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and to obtain a copy of that data, along with information about how we use it.

Right to rectification You have the right to ask us to correct or complete any inaccurate or incomplete personal data that we hold about you.

Right to erasure You may have the right to request that we delete your personal data in certain circumstances, 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 lawful basis for processing.

Right to restriction You may have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your data in specific situations, such as while we are verifying its accuracy or considering an objection you have raised.

Right to data portability In limited cases where processing is based on your consent or on a contract and carried out by automated means, you may have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format and to transmit it to another controller.

Right to object You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data where we rely on legitimate interests as our lawful basis, including for direct marketing. If you object to direct marketing, we will stop processing your data for that purpose.

Rights in relation to automated decision-making You have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing that has legal or similarly significant effects on you, unless certain conditions apply. Sheffield Removals does not typically use such automated decision-making processes in relation to customer data.

To exercise any of your rights, or if you have questions about how we handle your personal data, you can contact us using the details provided on our website or in your service documentation.

Complaints and Contact

If you are concerned about how we have handled your personal data, you can contact us so that we can try to resolve the issue. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK supervisory authority for data protection matters, currently the Information Commissioners Office.

We are committed to working with you to resolve any concerns and to continuously improving our data protection practices.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, our practices, or the law. Any updates will be indicated by revising the date of the policy and will apply from the time they are published. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your personal data.