Privacy Policy - Southgate Storage

This Privacy Policy explains how Southgate Storage collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with our services. It applies to all Southgate Storage customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, former customers, and any individuals who interact with us in relation to storage services, bookings, account management, billing, site access, and customer support.

1. Introduction

Southgate Storage is 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. We respect the privacy of everyone who uses our services and aim to collect only the data that is necessary for legitimate and specific purposes.

This policy describes the types of personal data we collect, the reasons we collect it, the legal grounds that allow us to use it, how long we keep it, the third parties that may process it on our behalf, and the rights available to individuals under data protection law.

2. Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

Identity data: name, title, date of birth, and identification details where required for security, verification, or legal compliance.
Contact data: address, email address, telephone number, and emergency contact information where relevant.
Account and service data: booking details, storage unit allocation, payment status, account history, correspondence, and records of customer instructions.
Payment data: transaction information, billing details, and partial payment card data processed through secure payment systems.
Access and security data: entry logs, CCTV footage, gate access records, alarm events, and incident reports.
Technical data: IP address, device information, browser type, and usage data if you interact with our digital systems.
Communication data: records of emails, messages, phone calls, complaints, claims, and support requests.

We do not intentionally collect special category personal data unless it is strictly necessary and lawful to do so. If such data is provided to us accidentally, we will handle it carefully and only where permitted by law.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to manage enquiries, quotations, reservations, and customer accounts;
to provide storage services and administer access to facilities and units;
to process payments, issue invoices, and manage debts or refunds;
to verify identity and help prevent fraud, misuse, and unauthorised access;
to monitor site security, protect property, and investigate incidents;
to comply with legal, regulatory, tax, insurance, and record-keeping obligations;
to communicate service updates, notices, or contract-related information;
to handle complaints, disputes, claims, and customer support matters;
to improve our services, operations, and customer experience;
to defend or establish legal rights where necessary.

We will only use personal data in ways that are compatible with the purposes for which it was collected, unless we have a valid legal basis to do otherwise.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. Southgate Storage relies on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes setting up an account, providing storage services, managing access, and processing payments.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data where necessary to comply with legal requirements, such as tax, accounting, anti-fraud, safety, or regulatory obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests or those of a third party, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include site security, service improvement, fraud prevention, debt recovery, and maintaining business records.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example for optional marketing communications or where the law specifically requires consent. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing and Processors

We do not sell personal data. However, we may share information with trusted third parties who act as processors or independent controllers, depending on the situation.

Our processors may include:

IT and software providers: for account management, document storage, communications, and system maintenance;
payment service providers: to process transactions securely;
security providers: including CCTV, alarm monitoring, and access control support;
professional advisers: such as accountants, auditors, lawyers, and insurers;
debt recovery or legal service providers: where necessary to recover outstanding balances or enforce rights;
service contractors: who assist with operations, maintenance, or administrative functions.

Where a third party acts as our processor, they are required to process personal data only on our instructions, keep it secure, and use it only for agreed purposes. We take appropriate steps to ensure that contracts and safeguards are in place before any data is shared.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, court order, regulatory authority, or if necessary to protect our rights, customers, staff, or the public.

6. International Transfers

Some processors may store or process data outside the UK. If this happens, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place so that personal data receives a level of protection that is essentially equivalent to UK standards. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other approved transfer mechanisms.

7. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including any legal, accounting, insurance, or reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason it is held.

Customer and contract records: kept for the duration of the contract and for a reasonable period afterwards in case of disputes or legal claims.
Payment and accounting records: retained for the period required by tax and financial regulations.
Security records: including access logs and CCTV footage, retained only as long as necessary for safety, incident review, or investigation purposes.
Communications and complaints: retained for the time needed to manage the issue and to maintain evidence of resolution.

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete, anonymise, or securely destroy it in a manner appropriate to the format in which it is held.

8. Security of Personal Data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, encryption, secure storage, staff training, monitoring, and limiting access to personal data on a need-to-know basis.

Although no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we review our security practices regularly and work to reduce risk wherever possible.

9. Your Rights

Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, you may have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

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 situations.
Right to restriction: to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability: to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format and transmit it to another controller, where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent: where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.

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

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business users. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in relation to a lawful service arrangement or legal requirement. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without an appropriate basis, we will take steps to delete it.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal obligations, or operational requirements. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Southgate Storage is committed to handling personal data responsibly, securely, and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and lawful purposes, keep it only for as long as necessary, and apply safeguards when sharing it with trusted processors. We also recognise and respect the rights of individuals whose data we process.

By using Southgate Storage services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable data protection law.