Privacy Policy - Ham Removals

Last updated: This Privacy Policy explains how Ham Removals collects, uses, shares, stores, and protects personal data when providing removals and related services. It applies to all Ham Removals customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and individuals who interact with us in connection with a move, delivery, or associated service.

1. Introduction

We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. This Privacy Policy sets out what information we collect, why we collect it, the legal grounds we rely on, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and the rights you have over your information.

By using our services, requesting a quote, making an enquiry, or otherwise dealing with us, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this policy.

2. Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary for delivering our services, managing our business, and meeting legal obligations. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity details: your name, title, and, where relevant, the names of other people linked to the move.
Contact details: address, email address, telephone number, and moving addresses.
Service details: information about the property, access conditions, inventory items, dates, volume of goods, and special handling requirements.
Payment and billing information: invoice records, payment status, and limited transaction details. We do not unnecessarily store full payment card details where payment processing is handled securely by third parties.
Communication records: emails, messages, call notes, complaint details, and any correspondence relating to your booking or service.
Operational data: job schedules, delivery notes, photographs taken for operational or evidence purposes, and records of damage, claims, or incidents.
Technical data: basic website or device information such as IP address, browser type, and usage patterns if you interact with our digital services.

We may also receive data from third parties such as estate agents, landlords, solicitors, letting agents, comparison platforms, or individuals acting on your behalf when necessary to provide the service you requested.

3. How We Use Your Data

Ham Removals uses personal data for several business purposes, including:

responding to enquiries and providing quotes;
arranging surveys, bookings, collections, deliveries, and related logistics;
performing the removal service safely and efficiently;
issuing invoices, managing payments, and handling refunds or disputes;
communicating service updates, changes, delays, or important notices;
managing complaints, insurance matters, and claims;
maintaining business records, accounting records, and operational controls;
meeting legal, tax, regulatory, and contractual requirements;
preventing fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity;
improving our services, customer experience, and internal processes.

We will only use your personal data in ways that are compatible with the purpose for which it was collected, unless we have a valid legal reason to use it for another purpose.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each activity involving personal data. Depending on the context, Ham Removals may rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing a quote, organising your move, carrying out the removal, and managing related customer support.

Legal obligation

We may process certain data to comply with legal obligations, including tax, accounting, insurance, and record-keeping requirements, as well as responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include business administration, service improvement, fraud prevention, claims handling, and internal record management. Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider the potential impact on your privacy.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example for specific optional communications or uses not covered by another lawful basis. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to operate our business and deliver our services. These organisations act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. We require processors to handle data securely, keep it confidential, and use it only for authorised purposes.

Examples of processors and service partners may include:

IT and cloud storage providers;
email, messaging, and communications platforms;
accounting, invoicing, and bookkeeping systems;
payment service providers;
surveying, scheduling, and operational software providers;
professional advisers such as insurers, auditors, legal advisers, and claims handlers;
subcontracted removal teams or specialist service providers where required to complete the job.

We may also disclose data where necessary to comply with law, enforce agreements, protect our rights, or prevent harm. If we share data outside the UK, we will do so only where appropriate safeguards are in place.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, including for legal, accounting, insurance, or reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of record and why we hold it.

In general:

quote and booking records are kept for as long as needed to manage the service and any follow-up issues;
invoice and payment records are retained to meet accounting and tax obligations;
complaints, claims, and incident records may be retained longer where needed for legal defence or insurance purposes;
routine correspondence is deleted or archived when no longer relevant.

When data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you.

7. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have rights under data protection law in relation to your personal data. These may include:

Right of access: you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure: in certain circumstances, you can ask us to delete your personal data.
Right to restriction: you can request that we limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object: you can object to processing based on legitimate interests and to direct marketing where applicable.
Right to data portability: where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means, you may request a copy in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent: where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

To protect your privacy, we may need to verify your identity before responding to a request. We aim to respond within the time limits set by law.

If you believe we have not handled your data properly, you also have the right to raise a concern with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

8. Security of Your Data

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 limited access to sensitive records. While we take security seriously, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary for the provision of a service and provided by a parent, guardian, or authorised adult. If we become aware that data has been collected inappropriately, 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 obligations, or data handling practices. Any updates will take effect when published. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

11. Summary of Key Points

We collect only the personal data needed to provide removals services and manage our business.
We rely on contract, legal obligation, legitimate interests, and, where appropriate, consent.
We share data with trusted processors who help deliver our services and keep records secure.
We retain data only as long as necessary and delete it securely when it is no longer needed.
You have rights over your personal data, including access, correction, deletion, restriction, objection, and portability.

Ham Removals is committed to respecting your privacy and processing your personal data responsibly, transparently, and in accordance with the law.