Privacy Policy - Dagenham Storage

Effective date: This Privacy Policy applies to all Dagenham Storage customers in the area and explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We are committed to handling personal information fairly, lawfully, and transparently. This policy applies to information collected from customers, prospective customers, visitors, and other individuals who interact with Dagenham Storage in connection with storage services, administration, billing, security, access management, and customer support.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the personal data necessary to provide our services, maintain security, and meet legal obligations. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity information: name, date of birth, and identification details where needed for verification.
Contact information: address, email address, and telephone number.
Account and service information: storage unit details, booking records, payment status, and correspondence relating to your account.
Financial information: payment and transaction records, billing history, and limited payment-related information used to process fees.
Security information: access logs, CCTV footage, alarm records, incident reports, and records of site entry where applicable.
Communication records: messages, complaint details, support requests, and notes from telephone or written communications.

We may also collect technical information when you interact with our systems, such as device data, browser information, or usage logs, where this is required for security, service performance, or fraud prevention.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data only for specified, explicit, and legitimate purposes. These include:

creating and managing customer accounts;
providing storage services and administering unit access;
processing payments, invoices, refunds, and account changes;
verifying identity and preventing unauthorised access;
responding to enquiries, complaints, and service requests;
maintaining the safety and security of our premises, staff, customers, and property;
detecting and preventing fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity;
meeting legal, regulatory, tax, accounting, and insurance requirements;
improving service quality, internal records, and operational efficiency.

We do not use personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons for which it was collected unless we have a lawful basis to do so and, where required, we inform you accordingly.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. The lawful bases we rely on may include:

Contract

We process your information when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes setting up storage arrangements, managing access, billing, and customer support related to your agreement with us.

Legal obligation

We may process data where required to comply with legal duties, such as accounting, tax, record-keeping, security, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include site security, fraud prevention, service administration, and internal record management. We carry out assessments to ensure this processing is proportionate and appropriate.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain optional communications. Where consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

4. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as processors or independent controllers, but only where necessary and in line with applicable law. Processors are only permitted to act on our instructions and must protect your information appropriately.

Processors and service providers may include:

Payment service providers: to process card and other payments securely.
IT and hosting providers: to store and maintain customer records and support systems.
Security providers: to support monitoring, alarm services, and site protection.
Administrative and accounting providers: to assist with invoicing, record-keeping, and finance functions.
Professional advisers: such as legal, insurance, or audit advisers where necessary.

We may also disclose information to law enforcement, regulators, courts, or other authorities where required by law or to protect our rights, property, customers, or staff. We do not sell your personal data.

5. International Transfers

If any of our service providers process data outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent legal mechanisms designed to protect your personal data to the required standard.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, including legal, accounting, reporting, security, and dispute-resolution requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the purpose of processing.

As a general approach:

Customer account records: retained for the duration of the service relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards to manage claims or queries.
Financial and tax records: retained for the period required by law and standard accounting practice.
Security records and access logs: retained for a limited period unless needed longer for investigation or legal reasons.
CCTV footage: retained for a limited time unless an incident requires longer storage.
Communication records: retained as long as needed to resolve issues and maintain accurate records.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or destroy it.

7. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure systems, encryption where appropriate, staff training, and regular review of our procedures.

While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we take reasonable and proportionate steps to reduce risk and protect your information.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to certain conditions and exemptions, these rights may include:

Right of access: to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure: to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restrict processing: to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to data portability: to receive some data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent.

You also have the right to raise concerns about how we handle your personal data. If you believe your rights have been infringed, you may seek assistance from the relevant data protection authority.

9. Automated Decision-Making

We do not usually make decisions about you based solely on automated processing that produce legal or similarly significant effects. If this changes, we will provide appropriate information about the logic involved and your rights.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and businesses. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary and lawful, for example where a parent or guardian provides information in connection with a customer arrangement.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our services, or our data handling practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed.

12. Summary of Our Approach

Dagenham Storage processes personal data fairly, securely, and only for legitimate business and legal purposes. We collect the minimum information needed to provide storage services, rely on proper lawful bases for processing, use trusted processors under contract, retain data only as long as necessary, and respect your rights under the GDPR.

This policy applies to all Dagenham Storage customers in the area.