Privacy Policy - Soho Movers

This Privacy Policy explains how Soho Movers collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with the services we provide. It applies to all Soho Movers customers in the area, including individuals who request quotes, book services, communicate with us, or receive moving-related services. We are committed to handling personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Soho Movers is the controller of the personal data described in this policy. This means we decide why and how your personal information is processed when you use our services. We take our responsibilities seriously and aim to collect only the information necessary to provide safe, efficient, and reliable moving services.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

Identity details: name, title, and identification information where needed for service verification or access arrangements.
Contact details: address, email address, telephone number, and other communication details.
Service details: property information, moving dates, inventory details, access instructions, packing requirements, and special handling needs.
Payment details: billing information and transaction records. We do not usually store full payment card details where a third-party payment processor is used.
Communication records: emails, messages, call notes, complaint records, and customer service interactions.
Technical data: limited device and usage information if you interact with our digital systems, such as IP address, browser type, and system logs.
Special category data: only where necessary and lawful, for example if you provide information about health, mobility, or accessibility requirements that affect the moving service.

We aim to process only the data that is relevant and necessary for the services requested. You should not provide unnecessary sensitive information unless it is needed for the delivery of the service.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations and assess service requirements;
to schedule, manage, and deliver moving services;
to communicate with you about bookings, changes, and service updates;
to process payments, invoices, and refunds where applicable;
to maintain internal records and service quality;
to handle complaints, disputes, and insurance-related matters;
to improve our operations, training, and customer experience;
to comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
to protect against fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we ensure that our interests do not override your rights and freedoms. We may also use data in an aggregated or anonymised form for reporting and business analysis.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Soho Movers processes personal data only when there is a lawful basis to do so under GDPR. Depending on the context, we rely on one or more of the following bases:

Contract: processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as arranging and carrying out a move.
Legal obligation: processing is necessary to comply with laws, including tax, accounting, insurance, and record-keeping obligations.
Legitimate interests: processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as service improvement, operational management, fraud prevention, and customer support, provided your interests are not overridden.
Consent: where required, for example for certain marketing communications or for some types of sensitive data, we will ask for your clear consent.
Vital interests: in rare cases, to protect someone’s life or physical safety.

If we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal.

5. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to provide our services or meet legal obligations. These third parties act as data processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. We require processors to handle personal data securely and only for our instructions.

Examples of processors may include:

IT and cloud service providers that store or host customer records and communication systems;
payment service providers that process transactions on our behalf;
accountants and bookkeeping providers that support financial administration;
customer management or scheduling systems that assist with bookings and job tracking;
insurance or claims handlers when processing incidents or claims;
subcontracted service providers who assist with moving, packing, storage, or logistics operations, where applicable.

We may also disclose data if required by law, court order, regulatory authority, or to protect our rights, our customers, or the public. We do not sell personal data.

6. International Transfers

Where any processor or service provider stores or accesses data outside the UK or the European Economic Area, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms. We take steps to ensure that your data remains protected regardless of where it is processed.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy, including to satisfy legal, accounting, tax, and insurance requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of information and the reason for processing.

Quotation and enquiry data: retained for a limited period if no booking is made, usually to manage follow-up and business records.
Customer and service records: retained for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial records: retained for the period required by law and accounting standards.
Claims, complaints, and dispute records: retained as long as needed to resolve the matter and defend legal claims.
Marketing preference records: retained until you opt out or the data becomes outdated.

When personal data is no longer needed, we delete, anonymise, or securely dispose of it. Retention is reviewed periodically to ensure we do not keep information for longer than necessary.

8. Your Rights Under GDPR

As a data subject, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These include:

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 information.
Right to erasure: in certain circumstances, you may request deletion of your personal data.
Right to restriction: you may request that we limit how we use your data in specific situations.
Right to data portability: where applicable, you may request a copy of your data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to object: you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.
Right to lodge a complaint: you may complain to the relevant data protection authority if you believe your rights have been infringed.

We will respond to valid rights requests within the time limits required by law. In some cases, we may need to verify your identity before responding.

9. Security of Your Data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, staff training, secure storage, encryption where appropriate, and procedures for handling incidents. While no system is completely secure, we work to protect your information in line with the risk presented.

10. Data Accuracy and Your Responsibilities

We rely on accurate information to provide effective moving services. Please help us keep your data up to date by informing us of any changes to your contact details, service requirements, or access instructions. Providing accurate information helps reduce errors and ensures the safe delivery of services.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are generally intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where necessary in connection with a move and where the information is provided by an adult customer. If we become aware that we have collected children’s data without a lawful basis, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or data handling practices. Any updated version will apply from the time it is made available. We encourage customers to review the policy periodically to stay informed about how personal data is protected and used.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Soho Movers is committed to fair, lawful, and transparent processing of personal data. We collect only what we need, use it for clear purposes, protect it with appropriate safeguards, and keep it only for as long as necessary. We respect your privacy rights and aim to handle every customer’s data with care, confidentiality, and accountability.

By using Soho Movers services in the area, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this Privacy Policy.