Privacy Policy - Docklands Movers

This Privacy Policy explains how Docklands Movers collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with our moving, removal, packing, storage, and related services. It applies to all Docklands Movers customers in our service area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and business clients who engage us for services. We are committed to handling personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Docklands Movers acts as a data controller for the personal data we collect and use for our own business purposes. This means we decide why and how your personal data is processed. In some cases, we may also act as a data processor when handling data on behalf of a client, for example where a business customer instructs us to manage employee relocation details. In all cases, we take appropriate steps to ensure personal data is handled securely and only for legitimate purposes.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the information needed to provide and manage our services effectively. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity data such as your name, title, and, where necessary, business or organisation name.
Contact details such as telephone number, email address, billing address, and service address.
Service information such as moving dates, inventory details, access instructions, and delivery requirements.
Payment and transaction data such as payment status, invoice records, and service history.
Communication data such as emails, messages, call notes, and complaint records.
Technical data such as basic website or device information if you interact with our digital services, where applicable.
Special category data only where strictly necessary and where you provide it voluntarily, for example information relating to health or access needs to support a safe move.

We do not intentionally collect more personal data than we need. If you choose to share additional information with us, we will use it only for the specific purpose for which it was provided and only where lawful to do so.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data to deliver our services and operate our business. This may include:

providing quotes and arranging bookings;
planning and carrying out removals and storage services;
communicating about schedules, access, or service updates;
issuing invoices and processing payments;
handling customer support, complaints, and claims;
maintaining records for accounting, tax, and legal compliance;
improving our services, training staff, and managing risk;
preventing fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We may also use aggregated or anonymised data for internal reporting and service improvement. This information does not identify you personally.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only when we have a valid lawful basis under GDPR. Depending on the activity, our lawful bases may include:

Contract

We process your data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as preparing a quote, completing a move, storing goods, or managing billing.

Legal obligation

We process certain data when required to comply with tax, accounting, insurance, health and safety, or other legal obligations.

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 includes managing bookings, protecting our property, improving operations, responding to enquiries, and maintaining secure records.

Consent

Where required by law, we will rely on your consent, for example if we need to process optional sensitive information not essential to the service. You may withdraw consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

Vital interests

In rare circumstances, we may process information to protect someone’s vital interests, such as in an emergency involving health or safety.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties when necessary to deliver our services or meet legal requirements. These third parties may include processors acting on our instructions and under written contracts that require them to protect your data.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

payment service providers for secure payment handling;
accounting and bookkeeping providers;
IT, hosting, and cloud storage providers;
customer communication systems;
insurance providers and claims handlers;
subcontracted removal or logistics partners, where needed to complete a service;
professional advisers, such as lawyers, auditors, or insurers;
regulators, law enforcement, or courts where disclosure is legally required.

We require all processors to use appropriate technical and organisational measures to safeguard personal data and to process it only for authorised purposes. We do not sell personal data.

6. International Transfers

In some cases, service providers may process data outside the UK. Where this happens, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms. These safeguards are designed to ensure your personal data receives a level of protection that is essentially equivalent to UK standards.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, and for any additional period required by law. Retention periods depend on the type of information and the reason we hold it.

Quotation and enquiry data is generally kept for a limited period if no booking follows, so we can manage follow-up questions or recurring service requests.
Contract and service records are kept for the duration of the service and for a reasonable period afterwards to handle disputes, warranties, or claims.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Complaint or incident records may be kept longer where needed for legal defence, insurance, or regulatory purposes.
Special category data is retained only for as long as needed for the specific purpose and then securely deleted or anonymised.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete, destroy, or anonymise it.

8. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff training, confidentiality obligations, and regular reviews of our data handling practices. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take reasonable and proportionate steps to protect the information entrusted to us.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights regarding your personal data. Subject to legal limits, these include:

The right of access to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
The right to rectification to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
The right to erasure to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
The right to restriction to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
The right to data portability to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format.
The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
The right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your rights have not been respected. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve any issue promptly and fairly.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are aimed at adults and businesses. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidental to a household move and necessary for service delivery. In such cases, we limit use to what is required and handle the information with care.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data handling practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal data.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Docklands Movers is committed to protecting your privacy, using personal data responsibly, and keeping you informed about how your information is handled. We only collect data that is necessary, use it for clear and lawful purposes, share it only with trusted processors or where required by law, and keep it only as long as needed. If you choose our services, you can expect your personal information to be treated with care, confidentiality, and respect.