Storage Strawberry Hill Customer Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Storage Strawberry Hill collects, uses and protects personal data relating to our self-storage and associated services. It applies to all Storage Strawberry Hill customers and prospective customers in our service area, as well as any individuals who contact us, visit our site or otherwise interact with us in the course of using or enquiring about our services.
We are committed to complying with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 and to handling your personal data lawfully, fairly and transparently.
Personal data we collect
We may collect and process different types of personal data depending on how you interact with us and which services you use. This can include:
Identification and contact data, such as your name, postal address, billing address, and any other contact details you choose to provide.
Account and contract data, such as customer reference numbers, unit numbers, contract start and end dates, payment terms, and records of services you have purchased.
Payment and transaction data, such as records of payments made, outstanding balances, payment method used and invoices. We do not store full card details if payment is taken by card, but payment processors may do so in accordance with their own privacy notices.
Communication data, such as enquiries, complaints, feedback, and correspondence with us, including notes of telephone conversations and records of messages you send to us.
Security and access data, which may include vehicle registration numbers, access logs, entry and exit times, and CCTV footage recorded on our premises where in operation for safety and security purposes.
Usage and technical data, such as information about how you use our services and interact with our website, including basic diagnostic and traffic information collected through standard web technologies.
How we collect personal data
We collect personal data in several ways, including:
Directly from you when you make an enquiry, request a quote, sign a storage agreement, make a payment, or contact us by any communication channel.
Automatically when you visit our premises where CCTV is in use, or when access control systems record entry and exit events.
Automatically via our website, through logs and basic usage data that are collected when you browse or interact online.
From third parties, where lawful, for example confirmation of payments from payment processors or information from debt collection agencies in the event of unpaid accounts.
Lawful bases for processing
We rely on different lawful bases under the UK GDPR to process your personal data, depending on the purpose.
Contractual necessity: We process your personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, for example to set up your account, provide a storage unit, manage payments, and communicate with you about your booking or contract.
Legal obligation: We process certain data because we are required to do so by law, for example for tax and accounting records, responding to requests from competent authorities, and complying with health and safety or security obligations.
Legitimate interests: We process some personal data because it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and those of our customers, provided your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. This includes ensuring the security of our premises and stored goods, preventing and detecting crime, managing and improving our services, handling customer enquiries and complaints, and pursuing or defending legal claims.
Consent: In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example if we wish to send certain types of optional marketing communications or use your information in a way that is not covered by the other lawful bases. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.
How we use personal data
We use your personal data for the following purposes:
To provide you with storage and related services, including setting up accounts, issuing contracts, arranging access, processing payments, and managing your bookings.
To respond to enquiries, provide quotes, and communicate with you about our services before, during, and after your contract.
To manage our relationship with you, including handling feedback, resolving issues, sending important service or policy updates, and maintaining accurate records.
To maintain security and safety at our facilities, including use of CCTV, access control, and incident records to protect customers, staff, visitors, and property.
To meet our legal and regulatory obligations, for example retaining certain records for tax and accounting requirements.
To protect our business interests, including debt recovery, fraud prevention, and the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.
To analyse and improve our services and operations, such as monitoring usage patterns and service performance.
Data retention
We keep personal data only for as long as it is reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, and to meet any legal, accounting or reporting requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the applicable legal obligations.
Generally, we will retain customer account and contract information for a period after your contract ends in order to answer queries, manage any disputes, comply with financial record-keeping requirements, and demonstrate that we have fulfilled our obligations.
CCTV footage and access records are normally retained for a limited period necessary for security and incident review, unless a specific incident requires us to keep footage or logs for a longer period in connection with an investigation or legal claim.
When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete it or anonymise it so that it can no longer be associated with an identifiable individual.
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 service providers are only permitted to process your personal data in accordance with our instructions and for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy, and they must implement appropriate security measures.
Such processors may include:
Payment processing and merchant service providers who handle card and electronic payments.
IT, hosting, and system support providers who help us operate and maintain our websites, booking systems, and business software.
Security and access control system providers who maintain CCTV and entry systems.
Professional advisers, such as legal or accounting firms, where this is necessary for the services they provide to us.
Where necessary and lawful, we may also share personal data with other third parties such as law enforcement bodies, courts, regulatory authorities, or debt collection agencies, for example in cases of suspected crime, non-payment, or legal disputes.
We do not sell your personal data to third parties.
International transfers
Where any of our service providers or their systems are located outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws, such as using standard contractual clauses or equivalent legal mechanisms where required.
Your data protection rights
Under the UK GDPR, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These include:
The right of access: You can request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and obtain a copy of that data, along with certain other information.
The right to rectification: You can ask us to correct or complete personal data that you believe is inaccurate or incomplete.
The right to erasure: In certain circumstances, you can ask us to delete your personal data, for example where it is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was collected, or where you withdraw consent and there is no other legal basis for processing.
The right to restrict processing: You can ask us to limit the way we use your personal data in certain situations, for example while we are verifying its accuracy or considering an objection you have raised.
The right to object: You can object to our processing of your personal data based on legitimate interests, including profiling, and we will stop processing unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds or the processing is required for legal claims.
The right to data portability: In some circumstances, you can ask us to provide your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, or to transmit it directly to another controller where this is technically feasible.
Where we rely on consent to process your personal data, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.
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. These measures include access controls, secure storage, and regular review of our security practices.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or how we process personal data. Any significant changes will be made available through our usual communication channels. Your continued use of our services after any changes take effect will signify your understanding of the updated Privacy Policy.
This Privacy Policy applies to all Storage Strawberry Hill customers and prospective customers within our service area and is intended to provide clear information about how we handle personal data in connection with our storage and related services.
