Privacy Policy - Blackwall Storage

Blackwall Storage is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of its customers, visitors, and users. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, store, and protect personal information in connection with our storage services. It applies to all Blackwall Storage customers in the area and should be read together with any service terms that apply to your storage agreement.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Blackwall Storage acts as the data controller in relation to personal data collected and used for the operation of our storage services, customer management, billing, security, administration, and compliance. This means we determine the purposes and means of processing personal data in line with applicable legal requirements.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary and relevant to provide and manage our services, maintain the security of our premises, and meet legal obligations. Depending on your interaction with us, we may collect the following categories of information:

Identification data: name, title, date of birth, and identification details required for account creation or verification.
Contact details: address, email address, and telephone number.
Account and contract data: customer reference number, storage unit allocation, service history, payment records, and correspondence relating to your account.
Payment information: bank account details, card payment records, billing status, and transaction confirmations. We do not intentionally store full payment card details unless required by a secure payment provider.
Security and access data: CCTV recordings, entry logs, access timestamps, alarm records, and event reports related to the use of our premises.
Communications data: messages you send to us, including requests, complaints, and service notices.
Technical data: device or browser information if you use any digital service or portal connected with your account.

We generally do not seek to collect special category data. If such data is provided to us unintentionally, we will handle it with appropriate safeguards and only where permitted by law.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

setting up and managing customer accounts;
providing storage services and allocating units;
processing payments and managing invoices;
communicating service updates, notices, and account matters;
maintaining site security and preventing fraud or misuse;
complying with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory requirements;
resolving disputes, enforcing agreements, and protecting our rights;
improving service quality, operations, and customer experience.

We will only use your personal data in ways that are compatible with the purposes explained in this Policy.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Depending on the context, Blackwall Storage relies on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes creating accounts, managing storage access, billing, and service delivery.

Legal obligation

We may process personal data to comply with legal obligations, including accounting, tax, security, and record-keeping requirements.

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. This may include protecting our property, preventing theft or misuse, improving services, and maintaining internal administration.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where it is required for certain optional communications or additional services. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties that help us operate our business. These third parties act as processors when they process data on our behalf and only under our instructions, or as independent controllers where they determine their own purposes.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

IT and cloud service providers that host systems, data backups, or customer records;
payment processors that handle billing and transaction processing;
security service providers that support CCTV, alarms, monitoring, or access control;
professional advisers such as accountants, auditors, insurers, and legal advisers;
maintenance and support providers that assist with facilities management;
debt recovery or collection partners where necessary to recover unpaid balances in accordance with law;
public authorities or law enforcement where required by law or to protect rights, property, or safety.

We require processors to implement appropriate security measures and to process personal data only for the agreed purpose. We do not sell personal data.

6. International Transfers

If any processor or service provider processes data outside the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as standard contractual clauses or other legally recognised transfer mechanisms, to protect personal data in line with applicable law.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason for processing.

Customer and contract records: kept for the duration of the contract and for a reasonable period after it ends to manage disputes, enforce rights, and meet legal obligations.
Payment and accounting records: kept for the period required by tax and financial laws.
Security records such as CCTV and access logs: retained for limited periods unless required longer for investigation, incident handling, or legal proceedings.
Communications and support records: retained as needed to deal with enquiries, complaints, and service history.

When data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or destroy it in accordance with our retention practices.

8. Security of Personal Data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, encryption, restricted permissions, monitoring, and staff training. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to maintain a level of protection that is appropriate to the risks involved.

9. Your Rights

Depending on your location and the legal basis for processing, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

Right of access: to request confirmation of whether we process your data and to obtain a copy of that data.
Right to rectification: to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure: to request deletion of your 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 for direct marketing.
Right to data portability: to receive 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.

These rights are not absolute, and we may retain or continue processing data where permitted or required by law. We may ask for information to verify your identity before responding to a request.

10. Automated Decision-Making

Blackwall Storage does not use automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects about you, unless we clearly inform you and the law allows such processing. If this changes, we will provide appropriate notice and safeguards.

11. Children

Our services are intended for adults and business users. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected such data, we will take appropriate steps to delete it where required.

12. Changes to This Policy

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

13. Contact and Complaints

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, or if you wish to exercise your rights, you may contact Blackwall Storage through the usual service channels provided to customers. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your personal data has been processed unlawfully.

By using Blackwall Storage services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.