Storage East Ham Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Storage East Ham collects, uses, stores and protects personal data relating to individuals who use our storage services or otherwise interact with us. It applies to all Storage East Ham customers and prospective customers located in the Storage East Ham service area, as well as visitors to our premises or users of our services.
Scope and Data Controller
Storage East Ham is the controller of the personal data described in this Privacy Policy. This means we decide how and why your personal data is processed. This notice covers all personal data processed in connection with the provision of storage and related services at Storage East Ham locations.
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 any other identifiers you provide to us during registration or correspondence. We also collect email address where provided, and any other contact preferences you choose to share with us.
Contract and account information, such as storage unit number, contract start and end dates, payment status, invoices, account history, and records of communications relating to your contract, including service queries and complaints.
Payment and transaction data, such as payment method details you provide to our payment processors, recurring payment instructions, and records of amounts paid or refunded. We do not store full card details on our own systems where this is not necessary; instead we rely on secure payment processors for that purpose.
Security and access data, such as CCTV footage at our facilities, access control logs, unit access times, vehicle registration numbers where captured for site security, and incident reports. These measures are primarily used for the safety of customers, staff, and property.
Usage and communication data, such as enquiries, complaints, feedback, and information you provide when you contact us in person or through correspondence. This may include notes made by our staff to record the nature of your query and how it was resolved.
How We Collect Your Data
We collect personal data directly from you when you sign a storage agreement, set up an account, make a payment, visit our site, contact us, or otherwise use our services. We may also collect data indirectly from third parties, for example from payment service providers confirming that a payment has been authorised or declined.
Lawful Basis for Processing
We process your personal data only when we have a lawful basis under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and associated data protection law. The main lawful bases we rely on are:
Contract performance. We process data that is necessary to enter into, manage, and fulfil your storage agreement or other contract with us. This includes processing required to provide you with access to your unit, to administer your account, and to handle payments and billing.
Legal obligations. We process certain information to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, such as financial record keeping, tax rules, and safety or security obligations imposed by law.
Legitimate interests. We process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided that your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. This may include using CCTV for site security, preventing fraud, collecting overdue payments, maintaining and improving our services, and protecting our property and that of other customers.
Consent. Where required by law, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain optional communications. Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw your consent at any time, although this will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
How We Use Your Data
We use your personal data for the following purposes:
To set up and manage your customer account, including verifying your identity where appropriate, opening and administering storage agreements, and providing access to your allocated storage unit.
To process payments, handle direct debits or other payment instructions, manage debt recovery where necessary, and issue invoices, statements, and receipts.
To maintain safety and security at our facilities, including the use of CCTV, access control systems, and incident reporting, helping us respond to security issues, damage, or theft.
To communicate with you regarding your contract, service updates, changes to terms, maintenance affecting your storage unit, or other information required to provide our services.
To comply with legal obligations relating to record keeping, accounting, tax, health and safety, security, and regulatory reporting where applicable.
To manage and improve our services, including internal reporting, quality assurance, staff training, and resolving queries or complaints.
Data Retention
We keep your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting obligations.
Customer contract and billing records are generally retained for a period required by law for financial and tax records after the end of your contract. Security data such as CCTV recordings is usually kept for a shorter retention period, unless it is needed for an ongoing investigation, dispute, or legal claim.
When we no longer need your personal data, we will securely delete or anonymise it. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the nature of our relationship with you.
Data Sharing and Processors
We may share your personal data with trusted third parties who process data on our behalf, known as processors. These may include providers of payment processing services, customer management systems, IT hosting and support, security and CCTV maintenance, and document storage or shredding services.
These processors are only permitted to process your personal data in accordance with our instructions and under a written contract that requires them to implement appropriate data protection and security measures.
We may also share your personal data with other third parties where required by law, such as law enforcement, regulatory authorities, or courts, or where it is necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.
We do not sell your personal data to third parties. Where we need to transfer data outside the United Kingdom or European Economic Area, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with data protection law.
Security of Your Data
We take reasonable and appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, or damage. These measures may include access controls, staff training, secure storage systems, and regular review of our security procedures.
Your Data Protection Rights
Under data protection law, you have various rights in relation to your personal data, subject to certain conditions and exemptions.
Right of access. You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you and to obtain information about how we process it.
Right to rectification. You have the right to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data that we hold about you.
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 purposes for which it was collected, or where you withdraw consent and no other lawful basis applies.
Right to restriction of processing. You may ask us to restrict our processing of your data in certain situations, such as if you contest its accuracy or object to our processing.
Right to data portability. Where processing is based on consent or contract and is carried out by automated means, you may be entitled to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and to request that we transfer it to another controller where technically feasible.
Right to object. You may object to our processing of your personal data based on legitimate interests, including profiling related to those interests. We will stop processing unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds or the processing is required for legal claims.
Rights in relation to automated decision-making. You have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces legal effects concerning you or similarly significantly affects you, unless certain conditions are met.
Exercising Your Rights and Complaints
If you wish to exercise any of your data protection rights, you can contact us using your usual Storage East Ham communication channels. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request. We aim to respond within the time limits set out in data protection law.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection supervisory authority if you believe that your data has been processed in a way that does not comply with applicable law. We would, however, welcome the opportunity to address your concerns directly first.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or data protection practices. The updated version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we handle your personal data.
