Storage Upminster Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Storage Upminster collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data relating to customers and prospective customers. It applies to all Storage Upminster customers and users of our services in the Upminster area, whether you contact us online, by post, or in person at our premises.
We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data in a transparent and lawful way, in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and applicable data protection legislation.
Scope of this Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy covers personal data we process in connection with the operation of Storage Upminster, including enquiries, bookings, storage contracts, payments, access to storage units, and related customer service. By using our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.
Types of personal data we collect
We only collect personal data that we need for clearly defined purposes. The categories of personal data we may collect include:
Identification and contact details such as full name, postal address, billing address, contact address, and any other address you provide, as well as information necessary to verify your identity.
Communication details such as the content of your messages and correspondence with us, and records of your requests, enquiries, and complaints.
Contract and account information such as details of your storage unit, rental period, move-in and move-out dates, payment history, and service preferences.
Financial information such as payment card details or other payment-related information required to process your transactions, which may be handled by our payment processors on our behalf.
Security and access information such as access codes, key or fob numbers, records of site access times, and any incident reports relating to security events.
Technical information such as basic usage data when you visit our website, including data that your browser supplies. We do not seek to identify you from this information unless it is necessary and lawful to do so.
How we collect your personal data
We collect personal data directly from you when you make an enquiry, request a quotation, sign a storage agreement, make a payment, visit our site, or otherwise interact with us. This includes main account holders and any authorised users you nominate.
We may also receive personal data from third parties, for example payment service providers, credit reference agencies where applicable, or law enforcement bodies where they lawfully share information with us.
Lawful bases for processing your data
We rely on one or more of the following lawful bases for processing your personal data:
Performance of a contract. We process your data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a storage contract with you, including taking steps at your request before entering into a contract, such as providing a quote.
Legal obligation. We process your data where we are required to comply with legal or regulatory obligations, such as tax, accounting, or law enforcement requirements, or obligations relating to health and safety and security.
Legitimate interests. We may process your data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing our relationship with you, ensuring the security of our premises, preventing fraud, and improving our services.
Consent. In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain types of marketing communications where consent is required. Where we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time.
Purposes for which we use your personal data
We use your personal data for the following purposes:
To respond to enquiries and provide information about our storage services.
To set up, manage, and administer your storage contract and account.
To process payments, issue invoices, and maintain financial records.
To manage access to our site and storage units and to maintain the security and integrity of our premises.
To provide customer support, handle complaints, and resolve disputes.
To meet our legal and regulatory obligations, including record-keeping and responding to lawful requests from public authorities.
To protect our rights, property, customers, staff, and the public, including the prevention and detection of crime.
Use of processors and sharing of data
We may share your personal data with carefully selected third parties that act as data processors on our behalf. These include:
Payment service providers who process your payments securely.
IT and hosting providers who support our website, systems, and data storage.
Professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers who provide services to us.
These processors are only permitted to process your personal data in accordance with our instructions and for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. They must implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your information.
We may also share your personal data with other third parties where required by law or where it is necessary to protect our legitimate interests, for example with law enforcement agencies, regulatory bodies, courts, or insurers.
We do not sell your personal data to third parties.
International transfers
Where it is necessary to transfer personal data outside the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful mechanisms that provide an equivalent level of protection to that required under data protection law.
Data retention
We retain personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.
In general, we will retain customer account and contract records for a period that reflects applicable statutory limitation periods and regulatory guidance. Payment records will be retained for the period required by tax and financial regulations. Security and access data will typically be kept for a shorter period, unless needed for an investigation or legal claim.
When the retention period for a particular category of data expires, we will either delete the data securely or anonymise it so that it no longer identifies you.
Security of your personal data
We take the security of your personal data seriously and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it against unauthorised or unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction, or damage. Measures may include controlled access to systems and premises, secure storage, and staff training in data protection responsibilities.
Your data protection rights
Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights apply to all Storage Upminster customers and prospective customers in the Upminster area, subject to certain legal limitations and exemptions.
Right of access. You have the right to request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and to receive a copy of that data, together with certain information about how we use it.
Right to rectification. You have the right to request that inaccurate or incomplete personal data we hold about you is corrected or completed.
Right to erasure. In certain circumstances, you have the right to request that we delete your personal data. This right does not apply where we need to retain the data to comply with a legal obligation or to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.
Right to restriction. You may ask us to restrict the processing of your personal data in certain situations, for example while we investigate a concern you have raised about its accuracy.
Right to data portability. For data that you have provided to us, and that we process on the basis of consent or contract by automated means, you have the right to request that we provide it to you or another controller in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format, where technically feasible.
Right to object. You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data where we rely on legitimate interests as the lawful basis. We will stop processing unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests, rights, and freedoms, or where the processing is for the establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims.
Right to withdraw consent. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before you withdrew your consent.
Exercising your rights and complaints
If you wish to exercise any of your data protection rights or have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, you can contact us using the contact details provided on our website or in your storage agreement documentation.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority for data protection in the United Kingdom.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or for operational reasons. Any changes will take effect when the updated policy is made available. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy regularly so that you remain informed about how we use and protect your personal data.
