Privacy Policy - Rubbish Removal Richmond Upon Thames

This Privacy Policy explains how personal data is collected, used, shared, stored, and protected by Rubbish Removal Richmond Upon Thames. It applies to all Rubbish Removal Richmond Upon Thames customers in the area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, businesses, and any other people who use our rubbish removal and waste collection services. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, transparent, and secure way in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary to provide, manage, and improve our services. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name and title.
Contact details such as email address, telephone number, and service address.
Service information such as booking dates, collection instructions, access notes, item descriptions, and waste volume estimates.
Payment-related information such as billing details and payment status.
Communication records such as enquiries, complaints, service updates, and correspondence.
Technical data such as IP address or device information when you interact with our digital systems, where applicable.
Site and job records such as photographs taken for service verification, quotation, compliance, or dispute resolution purposes.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is provided to us by you and is strictly necessary for a specific service-related purpose, such as access requirements or other operational needs. Where such data is involved, we apply additional protection and limit use to what is necessary.

2. How We Use Your Data

Your personal information is used to deliver reliable rubbish removal services and to meet legal and operational requirements. We may use your data to:

process bookings and provide quotations;
plan and complete collections;
communicate service updates or changes;
issue invoices, confirm payments, and manage accounts;
respond to enquiries, complaints, and feedback;
maintain internal records and service quality;
comply with waste handling, tax, and business record obligations;
detect, investigate, and prevent fraud or misuse;
defend or establish legal claims where necessary.

We only use your personal data for the purpose it was collected for, unless we reasonably consider that another compatible purpose applies or we are otherwise permitted by law.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Depending on the circumstances, we rely on the following bases:

Performance of a Contract

We process your data when it is necessary to provide rubbish removal services, prepare quotations, confirm bookings, carry out collections, and manage payments. Without this information, we may be unable to deliver the service you requested.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain data to comply with legal duties, including accounting rules, waste duty of care requirements, tax obligations, and other regulatory or record-keeping 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 operations, improving services, preventing misuse, handling complaints, and maintaining security. We always consider whether the processing is necessary and proportionate.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where it is appropriate to use optional information or certain types of marketing communication. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

4. Sharing Your Information and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties when necessary to run our business and provide services. These recipients act as data processors or, in some cases, independent controllers.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

Payment processors to handle card and other payment transactions;
IT and cloud service providers that store data or support booking and administrative systems;
Accounting and invoicing providers that help manage records and financial administration;
Communication tools used for email, messaging, scheduling, and customer support;
Waste transfer and disposal partners where information is needed to complete lawful waste collection and disposal processes;
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers, where necessary.

We require processors to keep your information secure, to use it only on our instructions, and to comply with applicable data protection law. We do not sell your personal data.

5. International Transfers

In some cases, service providers may store or process data outside the UK. If this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent legal protections approved under data protection law.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of information and the reasons for processing.

Booking and service records are retained for a period that supports operational administration and dispute handling.
Financial records are retained for the period required by law and accounting practice.
Complaint and correspondence records are kept long enough to resolve the issue and to demonstrate fair handling.
Photos or job notes are retained only as long as needed for proof of service, safety, or compliance.

When data is no longer required, we securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention procedures. We review retention regularly to avoid keeping information longer than necessary.

7. How We Protect Your Data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, staff confidentiality obligations, and limited data access on a need-to-know basis.

Although no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we take data protection seriously and work to maintain appropriate safeguards proportional to the nature of the data processed.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to conditions or legal exceptions.

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 – you can request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit how your data is used in certain situations.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – you may request certain data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with legal requirements. We may need to verify your identity before acting on your request.

9. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Where online systems are used, cookies or similar technologies may be employed to support basic functionality, measure performance, or improve user experience. Any such use will be limited and handled in line with applicable law. Where consent is required, it will be requested appropriately.

10. Complaints and Supervisory Authority

If you have concerns about how your personal data is handled, we encourage you to raise them with us first so we can try to resolve the matter. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect legal, operational, or service changes. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about how your information is protected.

12. Scope of This Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to all Rubbish Removal Richmond Upon Thames customers in the area, regardless of the type of service used or whether the booking is made by an individual, business, landlord, tenant, or authorised representative. By using our services, you acknowledge that your data will be processed in accordance with this policy and applicable data protection law.

Summary: This policy explains how Rubbish Removal Richmond Upon Thames collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects customer data, plus lawful basis, retention, processors, and rights.