Privacy Policy - Movers Highbury

Movers Highbury is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of our customers, prospective customers, and website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data in a manner that complies with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. It applies to all Movers Highbury customers in the Highbury area, as well as anyone who uses our services or communicates with us in connection with a move, storage request, or related service.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Movers Highbury acts as the data controller for personal data collected in connection with our moving and related services. This means we determine the purposes and means of processing your personal data. Where we use third-party service providers to process data on our behalf, they act as data processors or, in some cases, independent controllers depending on the nature of their service.

2. Personal Data We Collect

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

Identity data such as your name and title.
Contact data such as your address, telephone number, and email address.
Service data such as moving dates, property access details, inventory lists, packing requirements, and service preferences.
Billing data such as invoice details, payment status, and transaction records.
Communication data such as messages, call notes, and correspondence relating to your enquiry or booking.
Technical data such as basic website usage information, IP address, browser type, and device information, where applicable.
Special category data only where strictly necessary and lawfully permitted, for example if you voluntarily provide information that reveals health or accessibility needs to help us carry out a move safely.

We do not intentionally collect more information than is required. If you provide personal data about another person, you must ensure that you have the right to do so and that they are informed of this Privacy Policy where appropriate.

3. How We Collect Personal Data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

request a quotation or service;
make a booking or amend a booking;
communicate with us by phone, email, or in writing;
complete forms or provide information during planning;
make a payment or discuss invoicing;
submit feedback, complaints, or claims;
interact with our online services, where available.

In limited circumstances, we may also receive data from third parties such as estate agents, landlords, solicitors, property managers, payment providers, or subcontracted service providers where this is necessary to deliver the requested service or administer our business.

4. How We Use Personal Data

We process personal data for the following purposes:

to provide moving, packing, storage, and related services;
to prepare quotations and confirm bookings;
to plan routes, schedules, and staffing;
to manage customer accounts and service administration;
to process payments and issue invoices;
to communicate updates, confirmations, and service-related notices;
to handle complaints, insurance matters, and dispute resolution;
to maintain business records and comply with legal obligations;
to improve service quality, internal operations, and security;
to defend or establish legal claims where necessary.

We will always ensure that our processing is fair, lawful, and transparent. We do not sell your personal data.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a valid lawful basis to use your personal data. Depending on the situation, Movers Highbury may rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes arranging quotes, confirming bookings, carrying out removals, and administering the services you request.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided that those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include managing operations, preventing fraud, improving services, and keeping appropriate business records.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data where necessary to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, such as tax, accounting, insurance, health and safety, and record-keeping obligations.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where you voluntarily provide certain optional information or agree to particular types of communication. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

Vital Interests and Special Category Data

In rare situations, we may process special category data or information relevant to health or accessibility needs where it is necessary to protect vital interests or where another lawful condition under the UK GDPR applies. We will only do this where strictly necessary and with appropriate safeguards.

6. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. These third parties may include:

payment providers who process transactions securely;
accountants and auditors who support financial administration;
IT and software providers who host systems, manage data storage, or support communications;
insurance providers or claims handlers where a claim or incident must be assessed;
subcontractors and operational partners assisting with moving or storage services;
professional advisers such as lawyers where required;
regulators, authorities, or law enforcement when disclosure is required by law.

Where third parties process data on our behalf, they are required to act only on our instructions, to use appropriate security measures, and to keep your data confidential. We enter into data processing arrangements where required by law. If a third party acts as an independent controller, its own privacy terms may also apply.

7. International Transfers

In some cases, personal data may be stored or processed outside the United Kingdom, for example if we use cloud services or software providers with international infrastructure. Where this occurs, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your personal data, such as approved contractual protections or adequacy regulations, in line with applicable law.

8. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, insurance, and reporting requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the reason it was collected. For example:

service and booking records may be retained for a reasonable period after completion of the move;
financial and invoice records may be retained for the period required by tax and accounting law;
complaint, claim, or dispute records may be retained until the matter is fully resolved and any limitation periods have expired;
data collected with consent may be kept until consent is withdrawn or it is no longer needed.

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

9. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff training, and restricted internal access. Although we work hard to protect your data, no system can be guaranteed completely secure, and we encourage you to use care when sharing information with us.

10. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to certain conditions and exemptions. They include:

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 personal data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to data portability – to request transfer of certain data to you or another provider, where applicable.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing, where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage you to contact us first so that we can try to resolve the matter promptly and fairly.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a move or related arrangement and only with appropriate care and legal basis.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data processing practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We recommend reviewing this Policy periodically so you remain informed about how we protect your personal data.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Movers Highbury respects your privacy and is committed to handling personal data responsibly, securely, and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and lawful purposes, retain it only for as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or other parties where appropriate and lawful. This Policy applies to all Movers Highbury customers in the Highbury area and is designed to ensure that your rights are respected at every stage of our service.