Removals to Germany Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Removals to Germany collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data relating to our customers and prospective customers. It also explains your rights under applicable data protection law, including the General Data Protection Regulation. This Privacy Policy applies to all Removals to Germany customers and users of our services in our service area.

Scope of this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to all personal data we process in connection with providing removals, relocation, and associated services to and from Germany, as well as any related enquiries, quotations, and follow-up communication. By using our services or contacting us, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

Data Controller

Removals to Germany is the data controller responsible for determining the purposes and means of processing your personal data in relation to our services. Where we work with external service providers, they may act as data processors on our behalf, or as separate data controllers if they determine their own purposes and means of processing.

Categories of Personal Data We Collect

We collect and process different categories of personal data depending on how you interact with us and which services you use. This may include the following information:

Identification and contact details: name, postal address, service addresses for collection and delivery, country of origin and destination, email address, and other contact details you provide to us.

Service and contract details: information about your move such as move date, property type, inventory or list of items, any special handling requirements, access details, and any instructions you provide to us.

Communication data: information contained in enquiries, emails, contact forms, and other communication you send to us, along with records of our responses.

Payment and billing data: payment method details limited to what is necessary to process your payment, billing address, invoices, and records of transactions. We do not store full payment card details when we use secure payment processors.

Technical data: basic technical information related to your use of our website or online tools, such as IP address, browser type, and approximate location, where this is necessary for website functionality, security, or analytics.

Purposes and Lawful Bases for Processing

We process your personal data only when we have a valid legal basis under the GDPR. The main purposes and corresponding lawful bases are as follows:

To provide quotations and respond to enquiries: We process your identification, contact, and service-related data to respond to your requests, provide estimates, and prepare for a potential contract. The legal basis is taking steps at your request prior to entering into a contract and our legitimate interests in responding to potential customers.

To perform a contract with you: Once you engage us, we process your personal data to plan, manage, and deliver the removals service, including arranging transport, logistics, and customer support. The legal basis is the performance of a contract to which you are a party.

To manage billing and payments: We process payment and billing data to issue invoices, receive payments, and manage any refunds or queries. The legal basis is performance of a contract and compliance with legal obligations in accounting and taxation.

To comply with legal obligations: We may process your data to meet our obligations under applicable laws, including tax, customs, accounting, and regulatory requirements. The legal basis is compliance with legal obligations.

To improve and secure our services: We may use technical data and limited service information to monitor performance, maintain security, and improve our website and services. The legal basis is our legitimate interests in ensuring the security, efficiency, and quality of our services.

To communicate about our services: We may use your contact details to send you important service updates and necessary information regarding your move. The legal basis is performance of a contract and our legitimate interests in effective service communication. Where required by law for certain types of marketing, we will rely on your consent and you can withdraw that consent at any time.

Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this Privacy Policy or to comply with legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

For enquiries that do not lead to a contract, we generally retain data for a limited period that allows us to manage follow-up communication, after which it is deleted or anonymised.

For customers with whom we enter into a contract, we retain relevant contract and billing data for the duration of the contractual relationship and for the period required by applicable laws, such as tax and statutory limitation periods. After this period, data is securely deleted or anonymised unless further retention is required by law or is necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

Use of Data Processors and Third Parties

We may engage carefully selected third-party service providers to support our operations and the delivery of removals services. These may include logistics partners, storage facilities, IT and hosting providers, payment service providers, and professional advisers.

Where these third parties process personal data on our behalf, they act as data processors. We only share the minimum amount of personal data necessary for them to provide their services, and we ensure that appropriate contractual and technical safeguards are in place, including data processing agreements, to protect your personal data and ensure GDPR compliance.

Some third parties may act as independent data controllers, such as payment providers and certain professional advisers. In such cases, they are responsible for their own compliance with data protection laws and will provide you with their own privacy information where applicable.

International Data Transfers

In the course of providing removals to and from Germany, your personal data may be transferred to or accessed from countries outside the European Economic Area, for example when coordinating moves with partners in other jurisdictions. Where such transfers occur, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy decisions, standard contractual clauses, or other mechanisms recognised under the GDPR, to ensure a level of protection for your data that is essentially equivalent to that within the European Economic Area.

Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures include restricted access to personal data on a need-to-know basis, secure storage, and safeguards on our IT systems. While we strive to protect your data, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, and you should take care when providing your personal information online.

Your Data Protection Rights

Under the GDPR and applicable data protection laws, you have several rights in relation to your personal data processed by Removals to Germany. These include:

Right of access: You can request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and obtain a copy of that data, along with information about how we use it.

Right to rectification: You can ask us to correct or complete any personal data that is inaccurate or incomplete.

Right to erasure: In certain circumstances, you can request the deletion of your personal data, for example where it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or if you withdraw consent and there is no other legal basis for processing.

Right to restriction of processing: You can request that we restrict the processing of your personal data in certain situations, such as when you contest the accuracy of the data or object to our processing.

Right to data portability: Where processing is based on your consent or on a contract and carried out by automated means, you may request to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, and to have it transmitted to another controller where technically feasible.

Right to object: You have the right to object at any time, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to processing of your personal data based on our legitimate interests. We will stop such processing unless we demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds to continue that override your interests, rights, and freedoms, or where processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims. You also have the right to object at any time to the processing of your personal data for direct marketing.

Right to withdraw consent: Where we rely on your consent as the legal basis for processing, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before it was withdrawn.

Right to lodge a complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if you believe that our processing of your personal data infringes data protection law. You may contact the authority in the member state of your habitual residence, place of work, or place of the alleged infringement.

Updates to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our processing activities, legal requirements, or industry best practices. Any updated version will apply to all Removals to Germany customers and users of our services in our service area from the date it is made available. You are encouraged to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your personal data.