Privacy Policy - Stpancras Storage

This Privacy Policy explains how Stpancras Storage collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with the services it provides. It applies to all Stpancras Storage customers in area, including prospective customers, current customers, former customers, and anyone who contacts us or otherwise interacts with our services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, transparent, and secure manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and other applicable privacy laws.

By using our services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this Privacy Policy. We only collect and use personal data where we have a valid reason to do so and where processing is necessary for our business operations, legal obligations, or the delivery of storage-related services.

1. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect the following categories of personal data when you enquire about, purchase, or use our services:

Identity information such as your name, date of birth, and proof of identity where required for verification.
Contact information such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Account and contract information including your customer reference details, storage unit details, service start and end dates, and payment status.
Payment information such as billing details, transaction history, and limited payment records. We do not intentionally store full card details unless required by our payment provider.
Security information such as access logs, entry and exit records, CCTV footage, and vehicle registration details where applicable.
Communications including emails, phone call notes, complaint records, service requests, and other correspondence.
Usage and technical data such as website interaction data, device information, IP address, and cookies if you interact with our digital services.

We may also receive personal data from third parties, such as payment processors, identity verification providers, insurers, or legal and regulatory authorities, where this is permitted by law and relevant to the services we provide.

2. How We Use Personal Data

Stpancras Storage uses personal data for the following purposes:

To provide storage services and manage customer accounts.
To verify identity and prevent fraud, theft, or misuse of our services.
To process payments, manage invoices, and maintain financial records.
To communicate with customers about bookings, changes, service issues, and account matters.
To maintain site security, protect property, and monitor access where necessary.
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations, including tax, accounting, and record-keeping duties.
To manage complaints, disputes, and claims.
To improve our services, operations, and customer experience.
To defend our legal rights and interests where necessary.

We will only use personal data for the purposes for which it was collected unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another compatible purpose and that use is lawful.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. Depending on the type of data and the context, we rely on one or more of the following bases:

Performance of a contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes setting up your storage agreement, managing your account, taking payment, and providing access to your storage unit.

Legal obligation

We process personal data where necessary to comply with legal requirements, such as tax obligations, accounting rules, fraud prevention laws, and lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. These legitimate interests may include managing our business, improving services, securing our premises, preventing fraud, and resolving disputes.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain types of optional marketing communications or non-essential cookies. Where consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time.

4. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including for legal, accounting, insurance, and reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the nature of the data and the reason for processing.

For example:

Customer contract and billing records may be retained for several years after the end of the service relationship to comply with financial and tax laws.
Security records such as access logs or CCTV footage are retained for a limited period unless needed for an investigation, legal claim, or incident review.
Correspondence and complaint records may be retained for as long as necessary to address the matter and for a reasonable period afterwards in case of follow-up or dispute.
Marketing preferences are retained while your consent or legitimate objection status remains relevant.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with applicable retention requirements and our internal policies.

5. Processors and Data Sharing

We may share personal data with carefully selected third parties who act as processors or independent controllers, where necessary to operate our business and provide services. These may include:

IT and cloud service providers who support storage, email, system hosting, and data security.
Payment processors and financial service providers who handle transactions and billing functions.
Identity verification and fraud prevention providers where checks are required.
Professional advisers such as accountants, auditors, insurers, and legal advisers.
Security and monitoring providers where access control or CCTV is in use.
Public authorities, regulators, law enforcement, or courts where disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect rights and safety.

Where a third party processes personal data on our behalf, we require appropriate contractual safeguards to protect the data and ensure it is processed only in accordance with our instructions and applicable law. If data is transferred outside the UK or European Economic Area, we will ensure suitable safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections.

6. Your Rights

You have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to legal limitations, these include:

Right of access – to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – to request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction – to request that we limit processing in certain situations.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or to direct marketing.
Right to data portability – to request certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

We may need to verify your identity before responding to a request. We aim to respond within the time limits set by law. If we are unable to comply fully with a request, we will explain why where appropriate.

7. Security of Personal Data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure systems, staff training, and physical security safeguards. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Marketing and Preferences

Where permitted by law, we may send service-related communications that are necessary for managing your account or providing our services. We will only send marketing communications where permitted and, where required, with your consent. You may opt out of marketing at any time. Your choice will be respected promptly.

9. Children

Our services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidentally provided in connection with a customer’s lawful use of our services. If we become aware that we have collected such data without appropriate authorisation, we will take reasonable steps to remove it.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or privacy practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how personal data is handled.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

At Stpancras Storage, we value privacy and handle personal data responsibly. We collect only what is necessary, use it for clear and lawful purposes, retain it for appropriate periods, and share it only with trusted processors or where required by law. We also respect your rights and aim to maintain transparency at every stage of our relationship with you.

In short: we process personal data fairly, securely, and lawfully for all Stpancras Storage customers in area, and we are committed to protecting your information throughout its lifecycle.