Privacy Policy - Beckenham Storage

This Privacy Policy explains how Beckenham Storage collects, uses, shares, retains, and protects personal data relating to its customers and prospective customers. It applies to all Beckenham Storage customers in the area, including individuals and business users who enquire about, reserve, rent, access, or manage storage services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This policy should be read carefully so you understand what information we collect, why we use it, and what rights you have. By using our services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described below.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect and process different categories of personal data depending on how you interact with us. The information collected is limited to what is necessary for the operation of our storage services and related business activities.

Types of data collected

Identity data: name, title, date of birth, and identification details where required for verification.
Contact data: postal address, email address, and telephone number.
Account and contract data: customer references, service preferences, rental details, payment status, and contract history.
Payment data: billing information and transaction records. We generally do not store full card details where a secure payment provider is used.
Security and access data: CCTV records, access logs, gate entry details, and incident reports where applicable to site security.
Correspondence data: communications with us by phone, email, forms, or other channels.
Technical data: limited information collected through our systems such as device and browser identifiers if relevant to service administration and security.

In some cases, we may also collect information from third parties where it is necessary to verify identity, manage payments, prevent fraud, or enforce contractual obligations.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data only for legitimate business purposes connected to our storage services. These purposes may include:

setting up and managing customer accounts;
providing storage facilities and administering rental agreements;
processing payments and handling invoices, charges, or refunds;
verifying identity and preventing fraud or misuse;
maintaining security at our premises and protecting property;
communicating with customers about their account, service changes, or operational matters;
dealing with complaints, disputes, and legal claims;
complying with legal and regulatory obligations;
improving our services, systems, and customer experience.

We will not use your data for purposes that are incompatible with the original reason it was collected unless permitted or required by law.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

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

Contract

We process your data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes managing bookings, providing storage, collecting payment, and administering your account.

Legal obligation

We may process data where needed to comply with legal duties, such as tax, accounting, fraud prevention, and record-keeping obligations.

Legitimate interests

We may process data for our legitimate business interests where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This includes protecting our premises, preventing theft or damage, ensuring the security of our services, and managing business operations efficiently.

Consent

Where we rely on consent, such as for certain optional communications or specific non-essential processing, you may withdraw consent at any time. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

We do not rely on consent where another lawful basis is more appropriate and available.

4. How We Share Personal Data

We may share personal data with trusted third parties, known as processors, who act on our instructions and provide services to us. These processors are required to protect your data and may only use it for the purposes we specify.

Categories of processors

Payment processors: to handle secure card or bank transactions.
IT and cloud service providers: to host systems, maintain software, and store data securely.
Security providers: to support alarm, CCTV, and site monitoring functions where used.
Professional advisers: including accountants, auditors, insurers, and legal advisers.
Maintenance and facility contractors: where access to limited customer-related data is necessary to carry out services.
Debt recovery or enforcement partners: where required for unpaid balances or contractual enforcement.

We may also disclose data to public authorities, law enforcement, regulators, or courts where required by law or necessary to protect rights, property, or safety.

Where processors are used, we take appropriate contractual and organisational measures to ensure data security and compliance with data protection law.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the nature of our relationship with you.

Retention principles

contract and account records are retained for the duration of the service relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards;
financial and tax-related records are retained for the period required by applicable law;
security records, such as CCTV footage and access logs, are retained only for limited periods unless needed for an investigation or legal claim;
correspondence and complaint records may be retained while the matter is active and for a further period if needed for evidence or compliance;
once data is no longer needed, it is securely deleted, destroyed, or anonymised.

We may retain data longer where necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims, prevent fraud, or comply with legal obligations.

6. Your Rights

You have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to legal restrictions and exemptions, but we will always assess requests carefully and respond appropriately.

Rights available to you

Right of access: you may request confirmation of whether we process your data and obtain a copy of that data.
Right to rectification: you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure: in certain circumstances, you may request deletion of your personal data.
Right to restriction: you may ask us to limit processing in specific situations.
Right to data portability: where applicable, you may request your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
Right to object: you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data has been mishandled. We encourage you to raise any concerns with us first so we can try to resolve them.

7. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, disclosure, or alteration. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, encryption where appropriate, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular system review.

While no system is completely secure, we work continuously to reduce risk and maintain a high standard of protection.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and businesses. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless such information is inadvertently provided in connection with a customer account or legal requirement. Where we become aware that we have collected data from a child without a valid basis, we will take steps to delete it where appropriate.

9. International Transfers

In some cases, our processors may store or access data outside the UK. Where this occurs, we ensure suitable safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent legal mechanisms approved for international data transfers.

10. Changes to This Policy

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

11. Summary of Key Commitments

We collect only the data needed to deliver and secure storage services.
We process personal data on lawful bases including contract, legal obligation, legitimate interests, and consent where appropriate.
We share data only with trusted processors and authorities when necessary.
We retain data only for as long as needed and then delete or anonymise it securely.
We respect your rights under UK data protection law.

Beckenham Storage is dedicated to handling personal data responsibly, transparently, and in line with data protection principles. If you are a customer in the area, this policy sets out how your information is treated throughout your relationship with us.