Storage Welling Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Storage Welling collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data relating to our customers and prospective customers within our service area. It also explains your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and related data protection laws. By using our services, visiting our premises, or communicating with us, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.
Scope of this Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy applies to all Storage Welling customers and prospective customers in our operating area, including individuals and representatives of business customers who enquire about or use our storage facilities and related services. It covers personal data collected online, by telephone, in person at our premises, and through any other communication channels we operate.
Personal Data We Collect
We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:
Identification data such as full name, title, and date of birth where required for identity verification.
Contact details such as residential or business address, correspondence address, and any other delivery or billing addresses you provide.
Account and contract information such as storage unit number, contract start and end dates, rental terms, payment history, and communications related to your contract.
Payment and billing details such as partial payment card details, billing address, and transaction information. We do not store full payment card numbers or security codes; these are handled by our payment processors.
Communication data such as emails, letters, and records of phone conversations where relevant to your contract, queries, complaints, or feedback.
Security and access information such as CCTV images recorded on our premises, access control data such as gate or unit entry logs, and vehicle registration numbers when recorded for security reasons.
Website and usage information such as IP address, device and browser details, and pages visited when you use our online services. This may be collected through cookies or similar technologies where permitted by law.
Marketing preferences such as your consent to receive marketing communications and your choices regarding how we contact you.
Lawful Basis for Processing Your Data
Storage Welling processes personal data only when there is a lawful basis to do so under data protection laws. Depending on the circumstances, we rely on the following legal grounds:
Contract: We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into, manage, or perform a contract with you. This includes setting up a storage unit, administering your account, taking payments, and providing customer support.
Legal obligation: We process personal data where we are required to comply with legal and regulatory obligations. This may include record keeping for tax and accounting purposes, fraud prevention, and responding to lawful requests from authorities.
Legitimate interests: We process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. Our legitimate interests include ensuring the security of our premises and customers, recovering debts, improving our services, and managing and developing our business operations.
Consent: In some cases we rely on your explicit consent to process your personal data. This mainly applies to certain types of marketing communications and the use of optional cookies or similar technologies. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before your withdrawal.
How We Use Your Personal Data
We use personal data for the following purposes:
To provide storage and related services, including setting up and managing your account, allocating storage units, handling access permissions, and managing day to day operations.
To process payments, manage billing, handle deposits and refunds, and maintain accurate financial records.
To communicate with you about your contract, including service updates, renewal reminders, changes to terms and conditions, and important information about the safety and security of our premises.
To respond to queries, requests, complaints, or disputes, and to provide customer support before, during, and after your contract.
To ensure the safety and security of our customers, staff, and property, including through the use of CCTV and access control systems.
To manage debt recovery and protect our business against fraud, misuse of our facilities, and breaches of contract.
To improve and develop our services, including by analysing usage data and feedback to understand how our services are used.
To send you marketing communications about our services, promotions, or offers where you have given consent or where we are otherwise permitted by law. You can opt out of marketing communications at any time.
Data Sharing and Processors
We do not sell your personal data. We may share personal data with third parties for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, but only when we have a lawful basis to do so and appropriate safeguards in place.
Service providers and processors: We may use carefully selected third party processors to support our operations. These may include payment processing providers, IT and cloud hosting providers, customer relationship management systems, security and CCTV maintenance providers, professional advisers such as accountants, and debt collection agencies. These processors are only permitted to process personal data on our instructions and must protect it in accordance with data protection laws and our contractual requirements.
Authorities and law enforcement: We may disclose personal data to law enforcement agencies, regulators, or other authorities when required to comply with a legal obligation, to protect the safety of individuals, or to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.
Business transfers: In the event of a restructuring, sale, or transfer of all or part of our business, personal data may be transferred to a new owner or operator as part of the transaction. Any such transfer will be carried out in accordance with data protection laws.
Data Retention
We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected and to meet any legal, accounting, or reporting obligations.
In general, we retain contract and billing records for a period required by tax and accounting laws after your contract ends. CCTV footage and access records are kept for a shorter period, only as long as needed for security, investigation of incidents, or compliance with legal requirements. Marketing preferences and basic contact details may be retained while you remain an active customer or until you withdraw consent or object to processing.
When personal data is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymise it in accordance with our data retention policies and applicable legal requirements.
International Data Transfers
Where we use service providers located outside the United Kingdom or European Economic Area, or where personal data is otherwise transferred internationally, we take steps to ensure that an adequate level of protection is in place. This may include relying on adequacy regulations, entering into standard contractual clauses, or using other appropriate safeguards permitted by data protection laws.
Security of Your Personal Data
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, or damage. These measures include physical security at our premises, restricted access to personal data, use of secure systems and encryption where appropriate, staff training, and regular review of our security practices.
While we work to protect your personal data, no system can be completely secure. You also have a role in protecting your information, for example by keeping account details and access codes confidential and informing us promptly if you suspect any misuse.
Your Rights under Data Protection Law
You have a number of rights in relation to the personal data we hold about you, subject to certain conditions and exemptions under data protection law.
Right of access: You have the right to request confirmation that we process your personal data and to receive a copy of that data, along with information about how it is used.
Right to rectification: You have the right to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data we hold about you.
Right to erasure: In certain circumstances, you have the right to request that we delete your personal data, for example where it is no longer required for the purposes for which it was collected or where you withdraw consent.
Right to restriction: You may ask us to restrict the processing of your personal data in certain situations, for example where you contest its accuracy or object to our use of it.
Right to data portability: You have the right to receive certain personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine readable format and to transmit that data to another controller where technically feasible.
Right to object: You have the right to object to processing based on our legitimate interests, including profiling, and we will stop processing unless we have compelling legitimate grounds to continue. You always have the right to object to direct marketing, and we will comply with such requests.
Right to withdraw consent: Where we rely on consent to process your personal data, you may withdraw that consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority if you believe that your rights have been infringed.
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. Any 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 personal data.
