Privacy Policy - Reading Removals

Last updated: This Privacy Policy explains how Reading Removals collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing removal, moving, packing, storage, and related services. It applies to all Reading Removals customers in the area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and businesses using our services.

1. Who we are

Reading Removals is a removal services provider operating for customers in the local area. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as a data controller when we decide how and why personal data is used in connection with our services, administration, invoicing, customer support, and legal obligations.

2. Personal data we collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary for providing our services, managing our business, and meeting legal and contractual requirements. The information we may collect includes:

Identity details such as your name, title, and business name where applicable;
Contact details such as address, telephone number, and email address;
Service information such as moving dates, property access details, item lists, property sizes, and service preferences;
Payment and billing information such as invoice details, transaction records, and payment status;
Communication records including emails, call notes, booking messages, complaints, and service feedback;
Technical data where relevant, such as website or device usage information if you interact with our online systems;
Special category data only where necessary and only in limited cases, for example where you voluntarily provide health or access information needed to complete a move safely.

We do not intentionally collect more personal data than is needed. If you provide information about another person, you must ensure that you have authority to share it with us.

3. How we use personal data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations, arrange bookings, and deliver removal services;
To communicate with you about your booking, access arrangements, timings, and changes to the service;
To manage payments, invoicing, and account administration;
To handle customer support, complaints, and service quality matters;
To maintain business records and improve our operations;
To comply with legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations;
To protect our rights, property, staff, customers, and third parties;
To prevent fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.

We do not sell personal data. We only use data in ways that are relevant to the services we provide and the obligations we must meet.

4. Lawful basis for processing

Under the UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis before processing personal data. Depending on the context, Reading Removals may rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotes, confirming bookings, planning a removal, carrying out the service, and managing associated administration.

Legal obligation

We process data where necessary to meet legal obligations, such as tax recordkeeping, accounting requirements, insurance matters, and compliance with applicable laws.

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 our operations, protecting against fraud, improving service quality, responding to complaints, and keeping secure business records.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where you ask us to use certain optional information or where special category data is provided and consent is the most appropriate lawful basis. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

Vital interests

In exceptional circumstances, we may process personal data to protect someone???s vital interests, such as where safety information is needed in an emergency.

5. Retention of personal data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, and then we delete, anonymise, or securely archive it as appropriate. Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and our legal obligations.

Customer and booking records are retained for as long as needed to manage the service and resolve any follow-up issues;
Accounting and tax records are retained for the period required by law;
Communication records are retained for a reasonable period to handle queries, disputes, or service reviews;
Insurance or claim-related information may be retained longer where necessary to support legal or contractual claims;
Data collected with consent is kept only until consent is withdrawn or it is no longer needed.

When data is no longer required, we take appropriate steps to delete it securely or to anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you.

6. Processors and third parties

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who process data on our behalf, known as processors. These parties only act under our instructions and must protect personal data appropriately. Examples may include:

IT and cloud service providers;
Accounting and bookkeeping providers;
Payment processing services;
Insurance providers or claims handlers;
Professional advisers such as lawyers, auditors, or consultants;
Subcontractors or delivery partners where necessary to complete a service;
Regulators, courts, law enforcement, or other authorities where required by law.

We only share the minimum amount of information necessary and ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. If personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will use lawful safeguards to protect it.

7. Data security

We apply technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, or alteration. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff training, and limiting access to those who need it for their role. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to maintain an appropriate level of protection based on the nature of the data we handle.

8. 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 ask us to delete 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 relies on consent, you may withdraw it at any time;
Right to complain ??? to raise concerns with the UK Information Commissioner???s Office if you believe your data has been handled unlawfully.

To exercise a right, you may need to provide enough information so we can verify your identity and locate the relevant records. We will respond within the time limits set by law.

9. Children???s data

Our services are intended for adults, but we may incidentally process information relating to children where it is necessary for the move or household arrangements. In such cases, we only use that information where it is appropriate and limited to the service requested.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or data protection practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically.

11. Summary of our approach

Reading Removals is committed to handling personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and legitimate purposes, keep it only as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or where required by law. This policy applies to all Reading Removals customers in area and is designed to respect your privacy rights while enabling us to deliver a reliable removal service.

Privacy and data protection are an important part of how we operate. We aim to process information in a way that is secure, proportionate, and compliant with the UK GDPR and related data protection laws.