Privacy Policy - Marblearch Removals

Marblearch Removals is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of our customers, clients, and website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, store, and protect personal information in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and other applicable privacy laws. It applies to all Marblearch Removals customers in our area, including anyone who uses our moving, packing, storage, or related services.

We aim to process personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner. This policy sets out what information we collect, why we collect it, the legal basis we rely on, how long we keep it, who we may share it with, and the rights you have over your information.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the information that is necessary to provide our services, manage our business, and comply with legal obligations. Depending on the circumstances, we may collect the following categories of personal data:

Identity details such as your name, title, and, where relevant, company name.
Contact details including postal address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information such as moving dates, property access details, inventory lists, packaging requirements, and special handling instructions.
Payment information such as billing details and payment status. We do not normally store full card details where payments are processed securely by a third party.
Communication records including enquiries, quotes, feedback, complaints, and correspondence.
Technical information where applicable, such as basic website usage data, device information, or cookies used for site performance and security.
Legal and compliance information where required to meet tax, accounting, insurance, or regulatory obligations.

In some cases, we may also receive information from third parties, such as estate agents, letting agents, solicitors, payment providers, subcontractors, or a person acting on your behalf. Where that occurs, we will only use the information for legitimate business purposes connected to the service you have requested.

2. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and assess service requirements.
To manage bookings, carry out removals, packing, storage, and related services.
To communicate with you about arrangements, updates, and service changes.
To process payments, manage invoices, and maintain financial records.
To respond to enquiries, complaints, or after-service requests.
To maintain records for business administration, quality control, and training.
To comply with legal, insurance, and tax obligations.
To protect our business, staff, and customers from fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We will only use your personal information for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably believe we need to use it for another compatible purpose and the law allows us to do so.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. Marblearch Removals relies on the following lawful bases, depending on the type of data and the reason for processing:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotes, confirming bookings, carrying out removals, arranging packing or storage, and handling payments related to the service.

Legal Obligation

We process certain data to comply with legal obligations, such as tax laws, accounting requirements, insurance obligations, and record-keeping duties.

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. This may include managing customer relationships, improving our services, protecting against fraud, maintaining security, and handling business administration. When relying on legitimate interests, we consider the impact on your privacy and balance it against our business needs.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain optional marketing communications or non-essential cookies where applicable. Where consent is used, you have the right to withdraw it at any time.

4. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to deliver our services or meet our obligations. These third parties may act as processors or independent controllers depending on the nature of the service they provide.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

IT and cloud service providers that host systems, email, or data storage.
Payment processors that securely handle card or online payments.
Accountants and bookkeeping providers who assist with financial administration.
Customer management or scheduling software providers used for quotations, bookings, and service tracking.
Subcontracted movers or specialist handlers who assist with delivery or specific service elements.
Professional advisers such as insurers, legal advisers, or claims handlers where necessary.

We require processors to protect personal data, use it only for the agreed purpose, and apply appropriate technical and organisational security measures. We do not sell your personal data.

We may also disclose personal information where required by law, court order, regulatory authority, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Marblearch Removals, our staff, or others.

5. International Transfers

If any of our processors store or access data outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information. This may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent legal safeguards as required by data protection law.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, and insurance requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the nature of the data and the business purpose involved.

Quotation and enquiry records are usually kept for a limited period to manage follow-up and business administration.
Customer service and contract records may be retained for the duration of the service relationship and a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Claims, dispute, or incident records may be retained for longer where necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

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

7. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our handling practices.

No system is completely secure, but we work to reduce risk and to ensure that any personal information held by Marblearch Removals is treated responsibly and in accordance with the law.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and any exemptions permitted by law.

Right of access ??? you can ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification ??? you can request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure ??? in certain cases, you can ask us to delete your personal data.
Right to restriction ??? you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object ??? you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability ??? where applicable, you may request your data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent ??? where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner???s Office if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage you to raise concerns with us first so we can try to resolve them promptly.

9. Children???s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is provided by an adult customer as part of arranging a move or service. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without an appropriate lawful basis, we will take steps to delete it where required.

10. 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 date it is published. We encourage you to review this policy periodically so that you remain informed about how we protect personal data.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Marblearch Removals is committed to treating your personal information with care, respect, and strict confidentiality. We only collect data that is necessary, use it for clear and lawful purposes, retain it for appropriate periods, and share it only with trusted processors or where required by law. If you are a customer in our area, this policy applies to you and explains how we handle your information in a transparent and responsible way.

This policy is designed to support compliance with applicable data protection law and to ensure that your rights are respected at every stage of our relationship.