Storage Earls Court Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Storage Earls Court collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data relating to our storage services. It applies to all Storage Earls Court customers and prospective customers in the Earls Court area and anyone who contacts us about our services.
Storage Earls Court is committed to complying with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. We only collect and process personal data where we have a clear and lawful reason to do so, and we handle your data in a fair, transparent, and secure manner.
Who this Privacy Policy applies to
This Privacy Policy applies to all individuals who use, have used, or enquire about Storage Earls Court services in the local area. This includes customers renting storage units, individuals making bookings on behalf of others, visitors to our premises, and people who contact us with questions or requests about our services.
Types of personal data we collect
We collect and process different categories of personal data depending on how you interact with us. This may include:
Identification and contact details such as name, postal address, billing address, contact address, and sometimes proof of address.
Contact information such as email address and any other contact details you choose to provide so we can respond to your enquiries and manage your booking or account.
Account and contract information such as storage unit number, contract start and end dates, payment history, communication records, and service preferences.
Payment and billing information such as payment method, billing details, and records of payments made. Card details are handled and stored securely by our authorised payment processors and are not retained by us beyond what is necessary for payment processing and legal obligations.
Security and access data such as CCTV recordings on and around our premises, access control logs, and records of visits. This data is collected to maintain the safety and security of customers, staff, and property.
Communication records such as emails, forms, or notes of telephone conversations, including enquiries, complaints, and feedback, so we can manage our relationship with you and improve our services.
How we collect your personal data
We collect personal data in several ways:
Directly from you when you request a quote, make a booking, sign a contract, visit our premises, or contact us with a question or complaint.
Automatically when you visit our premises, for example via CCTV footage and access control systems.
From third parties where lawful and relevant, for example payment providers confirming a transaction, or where a business customer provides contact details of their authorised representatives.
Lawful basis for processing your data
We only process your personal data where a lawful basis under data protection law applies. Depending on the circumstances, we may rely on the following lawful bases:
Contract. We process data to enter into and perform our contract with you, such as setting up and managing your storage agreement, arranging payment, and providing customer support.
Legal obligation. We process certain data to comply with our legal duties, such as tax and accounting requirements, evidence retention, and obligations relating to security and crime prevention.
Legitimate interests. We process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. This includes maintaining security on our premises, improving our services, managing customer relationships, and protecting our business against fraud and misuse.
Consent. In limited circumstances we may rely on your consent, for example if you explicitly ask to receive certain types of marketing communications. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.
How we use your personal data
We use the personal data we collect for the following purposes:
To provide storage services including processing bookings, managing access to units, and administering your account.
To manage payments including processing payments, handling billing queries, and keeping appropriate financial and contractual records.
To communicate with you such as responding to enquiries, sending service messages about your booking or account, and providing important updates relating to your storage unit or our services.
To ensure safety and security including operating CCTV on and around our premises, monitoring access to storage units, and investigating incidents or suspected criminal activity.
To manage our business including internal reporting, planning, quality assurance, and staff training, where this can be done in a way that respects your privacy.
To meet legal and regulatory requirements including keeping records as required by law, responding to lawful requests from authorities, and defending our legal rights.
Data retention and how long we keep your information
We keep your personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, and to meet any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.
Customer account and contract information is generally kept for a period after your contract ends. This allows us to respond to queries, manage any disputes, and meet record-keeping obligations. After this period, data is securely deleted or anonymised.
Payment and transaction records are kept for the period required by tax and accounting laws. After that, they are deleted or anonymised where possible.
CCTV footage and access logs are retained for a limited period to maintain security and investigate incidents. Unless an issue is being investigated or we are required by law to retain it longer, this data is routinely overwritten or securely deleted after a defined retention period.
Communications such as emails or correspondence are kept for as long as necessary to manage our relationship with you and to maintain appropriate business records, after which they are deleted or archived in a secure and minimised form.
Sharing your data and use of processors
We do not sell your personal data. We may share it with third parties only where necessary and lawful. This may include:
Service providers acting as data processors who provide services such as secure data hosting, payment processing, customer management systems, document storage, or IT support. These processors are only permitted to process your data in accordance with our instructions, under appropriate contracts, and must keep your data secure.
Professional advisers such as accountants, auditors, or legal advisers where this is necessary to obtain professional advice or manage legal matters.
Authorities and law enforcement where required by law or where we consider it necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of our customers, staff, or others.
If any of our processors are based outside the UK or European Economic Area, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your personal data in line with data protection laws, such as standard contractual clauses or equivalent measures.
Your data protection rights
Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to certain conditions and legal exceptions. Your rights include:
Right of access. You can request confirmation of whether we hold personal data about you and request a copy of that data.
Right to rectification. You can ask us to correct inaccurate personal data and to complete incomplete information.
Right to erasure. In certain circumstances, you can request that we delete your personal data, for example where it is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was collected or where you have withdrawn consent.
Right to restriction. You can ask us to restrict the processing of your data in certain situations, for example while we are dealing with a request to correct inaccurate data.
Right to data portability. Where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means, you may request that we provide your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format or transfer it to another controller where technically feasible.
Right to object. You can object to our processing of your personal data where we rely on legitimate interests as our lawful basis, including in relation to direct marketing activities.
Right to withdraw consent. Where we rely on your consent to process your data, you can withdraw that consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of any processing that took place before you withdrew consent.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority if you are concerned about how your personal data is being handled. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve your concerns.
Security of your personal data
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, or damage. These measures include secure systems, restricted access to personal data, staff training, and regular review of our procedures.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, changes in the law, or improvements in how we handle personal data. The most recent version will always apply, and any significant changes will be made clear where appropriate.
