Privacy Policy - Harrow Movers

Effective date: This Privacy Policy applies to all Harrow Movers customers in the area and explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data when providing moving, storage, packing, and related services.

1. Introduction

Harrow Movers is committed to protecting privacy and handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner. We only process information that is necessary to deliver our services, manage our business operations, and meet our legal obligations. This Privacy Policy is intended to help customers understand what data we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and what rights individuals have under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Personal Data We Collect

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

Identity details: name, title, and any relevant identification information required for service delivery or verification.
Contact details: address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information: moving date, property details, inventory lists, access instructions, and special handling requirements.
Payment information: billing details, transaction records, and payment status. We do not store more card data than is necessary for payment processing.
Communication records: messages, notes, complaints, claims, and correspondence related to bookings or services.
Usage and technical data: basic information collected through our systems for security, performance, and troubleshooting purposes, where applicable.
Legal and compliance data: records required for accounting, tax, insurance, or dispute resolution.

We generally collect personal data directly from customers, authorised representatives, and third parties involved in the service, such as payment providers or insurance-related intermediaries. In some cases, we may receive data from landlords, estate agents, solicitors, or business clients where that is necessary to complete a move.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations, schedule services, and complete moving or storage arrangements;
to communicate with customers before, during, and after a service;
to process payments, refunds, and invoices;
to maintain records of services and customer requests;
to manage claims, complaints, and disputes;
to comply with legal, tax, accounting, and insurance requirements;
to improve service quality, operational efficiency, safety, and security;
to prevent fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.

We do not use personal data for unrelated purposes without notice or, where required, additional legal basis.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We only process personal data where a lawful basis under the UK GDPR applies. Depending on the situation, our lawful bases may include:

Contract

We process data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with a customer. This includes preparing quotations, arranging removals, carrying out the move, and handling payments.

Legal Obligation

We process data where necessary to comply with legal requirements, such as keeping financial records, meeting tax obligations, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided those interests are not overridden by the rights and freedoms of the individual. Examples include service improvement, business administration, fraud prevention, internal record-keeping, and protecting our staff, vehicles, and property.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on consent, for example for optional marketing communications or certain non-essential processing. Where consent is used, individuals may withdraw it at any time.

We do not rely on consent where another lawful basis is more appropriate for the service relationship.

5. Sharing Personal Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to provide services, administer our business, or comply with legal obligations. These parties may act as data processors or independent controllers depending on the circumstances.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

payment processing providers;
accounting and bookkeeping services;
IT hosting, cloud storage, and software providers;
customer communication and scheduling tools;
insurance or claims handling partners;
professional advisers such as auditors or legal advisers;
subcontracted movers or logistics support providers acting under our instructions.

Where a processor is used, we require that party to process personal data only on our instructions, keep it secure, and comply with applicable data protection law. We do not sell personal data.

We may also disclose information where required by law, court order, regulatory request, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of Harrow Movers, our customers, or others.

6. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or for longer where required by law. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the applicable legal requirements.

Service and booking records: kept for as long as needed to manage the customer relationship and resolve any follow-up issues.
Financial and tax records: retained for the period required by accounting and tax law.
Claims, complaints, and dispute records: retained for the time needed to handle the issue and defend legal claims.
Marketing-related data: retained until consent is withdrawn or the individual objects, where applicable.

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

7. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to help protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and limiting access to information on a need-to-know basis.

However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. We continuously review our practices to improve protection and reduce risk.

8. International Transfers

Where any personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with data protection law. This may include using standard contractual clauses or transferring data only to countries recognised as providing adequate protection.

9. Your Rights

Individuals have a number of rights in relation to their personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and lawful basis used for processing:

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 information.
Right to erasure: to request deletion of personal data in certain situations.
Right to restriction: to ask us to limit processing in certain circumstances.
Right to data portability: to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

These rights are not absolute and may be limited where we have a legal obligation or another lawful basis to continue processing.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary for a household move and provided by an adult with authority to do so. Where children’s data is processed, it will be handled with particular care and only as needed for service delivery.

11. Complaints and Supervisory Authority

If you have concerns about how we handle personal data, you may raise them with us so that we can review and respond appropriately. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your rights have been infringed. We encourage individuals to contact us first so that we can try to resolve the matter promptly.

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 operational practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how their data is handled.

Summary: Harrow Movers explains how it collects, uses, shares, retains, and protects customer data, with lawful bases and user rights under UK GDPR.