Storage West Harrow Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Storage West Harrow collects, uses, stores and protects personal data of its customers and prospective customers in the Storage West Harrow service area. It is intended to be compliant with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and relevant UK data protection law. By using our storage services, visiting our site, or communicating with us, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.
Scope of this Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy applies to all Storage West Harrow customers and prospective customers located in the Storage West Harrow service area. It covers personal data that we collect directly from you, data we generate in the course of providing storage services, and certain information we may receive from third parties acting on your behalf or providing services to us.
Data Controller
For the purposes of data protection law, Storage West Harrow is the data controller responsible for determining how and why your personal data is processed. Where we use third party providers to process data on our behalf, they act as data processors and must comply with our written instructions, this Privacy Policy, and applicable data protection legislation.
Personal Data We Collect
We collect and process different types of personal data depending on how you interact with us and the services you use. This may include the following categories of data.
Identification and contact details such as full name, postal address, billing address, region, and other location information relevant to the Storage West Harrow area, as well as data you provide to confirm your identity for security or anti-fraud purposes.
Account and contract data such as customer reference numbers, storage unit numbers, lease or licence details, contract start and end dates, payment history, and records of your communications with us.
Payment and billing information such as payment method details provided to enable us to process payments and information necessary for invoicing and accounting. We do not store full payment card details when payment is processed by an authorised payment processor.
Access, security and operational data such as records of visits to the storage site, access logs, CCTV footage where systems are in place, and incident reports in relation to safety, security, or property damage.
Marketing and communication preferences such as your choices regarding receiving service updates, promotions, or customer satisfaction surveys and your preferred communication channels, for example post or telephone.
How We Collect Your Data
We collect personal data from you directly when you enquire about storage services, request a quote, sign a contract, arrange a site visit, make a payment, or contact us by any communication method. We may also collect data automatically through security and access systems used to manage and protect our storage facilities.
In some cases we may receive information about you from third parties, such as credit reference agencies, payment service providers, or individuals acting on your behalf. When this happens, we take steps to ensure that the data was collected lawfully and that you were informed about the sharing of your information where required.
Lawful Bases for Processing
We only process your personal data where we have a lawful basis to do so under data protection law. Depending on the situation, one or more of the following lawful bases may apply.
Performance of a contract. We process your data to provide our storage services to you, including setting up your account, administering your storage unit, taking payment, communicating about your contract, and handling enquiries or complaints.
Compliance with legal obligations. We may need to process and retain certain data to comply with legal, regulatory, tax, or accounting obligations, and to respond to lawful requests from public authorities or law enforcement bodies.
Legitimate interests. We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests or those of a third party, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights. These interests include running and improving our storage operations, ensuring site security, preventing fraud, protecting our property and the property stored with us, and maintaining accurate business records.
Consent. In limited circumstances, we may rely on your explicit consent, for example in certain marketing activities where this is required by law. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
How We Use Your Personal Data
We use the personal data we collect for the following purposes.
To provide storage services and manage your account, including booking units, managing access, responding to your queries, and providing customer support.
To process payments, issue invoices, handle refunds or debt recovery where needed, and maintain internal accounting and financial records.
To maintain the safety and security of our premises, staff, customers, and stored goods, including operating security systems and carrying out appropriate checks where necessary.
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations and to cooperate with law enforcement or other authorities where required by law.
To improve our services, plan capacity, and analyse how customers use our storage facilities so we can make them more efficient and user friendly.
To send you important service messages about your contract, changes to terms, or essential operational information that you need to know in relation to your use of our services.
To send you marketing information about our storage services in accordance with your communication preferences and applicable law, where we have a lawful basis to do so.
Data Retention
We retain personal data only for as long as it is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and to meet legal, regulatory, tax, or accounting requirements. The specific retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the relevant legal obligations.
Data relating to contracts and payments is generally kept for a period required under applicable tax and accounting rules after the end of your relationship with us. Security and access records, such as CCTV footage and access logs, are typically retained for a shorter period, unless they are required to investigate an incident, address a dispute, or assist law enforcement, in which case they may be kept for longer.
When data is no longer required, we will securely delete it or anonymise it so that it can no longer be associated with you.
Data Processors and Third Parties
We may share your personal data with carefully selected third parties who act as data processors on our behalf. These processors are engaged to support the operation of our storage services and must only process your data in accordance with our instructions and applicable law.
Examples of such processors include providers of payment processing services, customer management or billing systems, security and CCTV maintenance services, and professional advisers who support our business operations. We put in place contractual safeguards to ensure that these processors protect your data and keep it confidential.
Where we are required to do so by law, or where it is necessary to protect our rights, the rights of our customers, or the safety of individuals, we may also share data with law enforcement agencies, regulatory authorities, or other official bodies.
International Data Transfers
Where we or our processors transfer personal data outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as using standard contractual clauses approved by the relevant data protection authorities or ensuring that the destination country offers an adequate level of data protection. We take steps to ensure that your rights continue to be protected when your data is transferred in this way.
Your Data Protection Rights
Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to the personal data we hold about you. These rights apply to all Storage West Harrow customers and prospective customers within our service area, subject to certain legal limitations and exemptions.
Right of access. You have the right to request confirmation that we process your personal data and to obtain a copy of that data, along with information about how we use it.
Right to rectification. You have the right to ask us to correct or complete personal data that is inaccurate or incomplete.
Right to erasure. In certain circumstances, you may 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 and there is no other legal basis for processing.
Right to restriction of processing. You may ask us to restrict the processing of your data in specific situations, such as while we verify the accuracy of data you believe is incorrect or when you object to our processing based on legitimate interests.
Right to object. You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data when we are relying on legitimate interests as the lawful basis, including profiling related to those interests. You also have the right to object at any time to the use of your data for direct marketing.
Right to data portability. Where our processing is based on your consent or on a contract and carried out by automated means, you may have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine readable format and to transmit it to another controller, where technically feasible.
Right to withdraw consent. Where we rely on your consent as the legal basis for processing, you may withdraw that consent at any time. This will not affect processing that has already taken place but may impact our ability to provide certain services.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your rights have been infringed. We would encourage you to contact us first to allow us to address your concerns promptly and fairly.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, how we process personal data, or legal requirements. Any updates will apply from the date they are made available. We recommend that you review this Policy periodically so that you remain informed about how Storage West Harrow handles your personal data.
