Privacy Policy - Greenwich Movers

This Privacy Policy explains how Greenwich Movers collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Greenwich Movers customers in our service area, including individuals who request quotations, schedule removals, receive packing or storage services, or otherwise interact with us in connection with a move. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, transparent, and secure manner in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 where relevant.

1. Who we are

Greenwich Movers provides residential and commercial moving services, including packing, loading, transport, unloading, storage coordination, and related support services. In delivering these services, we act as a data controller for personal data that we decide to collect and process for our own business purposes. In some cases, we may act as a data processor when handling data strictly on behalf of a customer or business client under their instructions.

2. Personal data we collect

We collect only the information that is necessary for the purposes described in this policy. Depending on the service requested, we may collect the following categories of personal data:

• Identity information: name, title, and, where relevant, company name or job role.
• Contact details: address, email address, telephone number, and moving addresses.
• Service and booking information: move dates, property access details, inventory lists, special handling instructions, and service preferences.
• Payment and billing information: invoice details, payment status, transaction records, and limited financial information needed to process payments.
• Communication records: emails, call notes, complaint details, and correspondence related to quotations, bookings, or service issues.
• Technical information: limited device and usage data if you interact with our digital systems, such as IP address, browser type, and time stamps, where these are captured for security or performance purposes.
• Special categories of data: generally, we do not seek to collect sensitive personal data. However, such data may be inadvertently disclosed by a customer in communications, for example where health-related access needs are mentioned. When this occurs, we handle it with additional care and only where necessary.

We may receive personal data directly from you, from someone acting on your behalf, from a business client, or from third parties involved in the move such as landlords, building managers, storage providers, or payment service providers.

3. How we use personal data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• to provide quotations and assess the scope of work;
• to plan, schedule, and carry out moving services;
• to communicate with customers about bookings, changes, delays, and service updates;
• to manage billing, payments, and refunds;
• to maintain records of completed services and customer interactions;
• to respond to complaints, claims, or requests;
• to improve our operations, safety procedures, and customer service;
• to comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
• to protect against fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We do not use personal data for unrelated purposes that are incompatible with the reason it was collected, unless required or permitted by law.

4. Lawful basis for processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Greenwich Movers relies on the following lawful bases depending on the situation:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into a contract with you or to perform our obligations under that contract. This includes preparing quotations, confirming bookings, completing the move, and issuing invoices.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include improving our services, managing customer relationships, maintaining operational records, and protecting our business from fraud or misuse. We always consider whether the processing is proportionate and necessary.

Legal obligation

We process certain data to comply with legal obligations, including tax, accounting, insurance, health and safety, and record-keeping requirements.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on consent, for example where we need permission to use optional information or to send certain marketing communications. If we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time, and this will not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

Vital interests

In rare circumstances, we may process personal data to protect someone’s vital interests, such as in an emergency situation involving health or safety.

5. Data sharing and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary for the purposes described in this policy. Where these third parties process data on our behalf, they act as processors and are bound by contractual obligations to safeguard the data and use it only as instructed by Greenwich Movers.

Our processors may include:

• Payment processors that handle card and electronic payments;
• IT and cloud service providers that host our systems, email, storage, or backup services;
• Accounting and bookkeeping providers that assist with invoicing and financial administration;
• Customer relationship and communications providers that help manage bookings and service messages;
• Insurance providers and claims handlers where data is needed to assess or manage claims;
• Storage or logistics partners when required to coordinate the movement or storage of goods;
• Professional advisers such as lawyers, auditors, or consultants when needed for advice, compliance, or dispute resolution.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, court order, regulatory request, or to protect our rights, property, staff, or customers. If a business transfer occurs, such as a sale or reorganisation, personal data may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to appropriate safeguards.

6. International transfers

If any of our service providers store or process personal data outside the UK or the European Economic Area, we will ensure that appropriate transfer safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent lawful measures. We take reasonable steps to ensure that personal data remains protected to a standard consistent with applicable law.

7. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, insurance, and reporting obligations. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the nature of the service.

• Quotation and booking records: kept for a period necessary to manage the customer relationship and any follow-up queries.
• Service and invoice records: generally retained for the period required for tax and accounting purposes.
• Complaint and claims records: kept for as long as needed to resolve the issue and to defend or bring legal claims.
• Security and technical logs: retained for limited periods unless a longer period is required for investigation or legal reasons.

When data is no longer needed, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so it can no longer identify an individual.

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 confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our data handling practices. While no system is completely secure, we take reasonable steps to reduce risk and to respond promptly to suspected incidents.

9. Your rights

You have rights regarding your personal data, subject to certain legal conditions and exceptions. These rights may include:

• Right of access: to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
• Right to rectification: to request correction of 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 object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing;
• Right to data portability: to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable;
• Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, to withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We aim to respond within the time limits required by law. You also have the right to raise concerns with your local data protection authority if you believe your rights have been infringed.

10. Marketing communications

Where permitted by law, we may send service-related updates or limited marketing communications. You can object to marketing at any time. If you opt out, we will stop sending non-essential marketing communications, although we may still send messages necessary for the delivery of our services, billing, or legal compliance.

11. Children’s data

Our services are not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidental to a household move and only to the extent necessary to provide the service. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it or obtain the necessary authority where appropriate.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or our data handling practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is posted or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal data.

In summary: Greenwich Movers processes personal data only when necessary, uses it for clear business and legal purposes, shares it with carefully selected processors, retains it for appropriate periods, and respects customer rights under data protection law.