Privacy Policy - Man With A Van Stjohnswood

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With A Van Stjohnswood collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Man With A Van Stjohnswood customers in the area, including individuals who request quotations, make bookings, use our moving services, or otherwise interact with us in connection with removals, deliveries, and van services.

We are committed to handling personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy sets out what data we collect, the lawful basis for processing, how long we keep information, the third parties that may process data on our behalf, and the rights available to you.

1. Data Collection

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

Identity information: name, title, and any details you provide when requesting a service.
Contact information: phone number, email address, billing address, and collection/delivery addresses.
Booking and service details: moving date, inventory notes, property access information, and service preferences.
Payment information: payment status, transaction references, and limited billing information. We do not intentionally store full card details where payment is handled securely by a payment provider.
Communication records: emails, messages, call notes, and any correspondence relating to quotes, bookings, complaints, or service updates.
Technical information: if you use our digital services, we may collect IP address, browser type, device information, and basic usage data.
Special instructions: any information you choose to share that is necessary for completing the service, such as access requirements or fragile-item instructions.

We usually collect data directly from you when you enquire, book, or communicate with us. In some cases, we may receive information from a third party, such as a landlord, estate agent, family member, business client, or payment provider where they are arranging or supporting the service.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotes and manage bookings;
to deliver moving, transport, and related services;
to communicate with you about appointments, delays, or service changes;
to process payments and manage invoices;
to handle customer service enquiries, complaints, and claims;
to maintain business records and service quality;
to comply with legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations;
to protect against fraud, misuse, and security risks.

We only collect data that is relevant and necessary for these purposes. We do not use personal data for unrelated purposes without a lawful basis.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each type of processing. We rely on the following bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to perform a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract. This includes providing quotations, managing bookings, carrying out removals, and processing payments.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain data where required to meet legal obligations, including accounting, tax, insurance, and record-keeping obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include service administration, internal record keeping, improving operations, preventing fraud, and responding to disputes. We carry out appropriate assessments to ensure these interests are balanced fairly.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where optional marketing communication is offered or where you provide information that is not strictly required for the service. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third-party service providers who act as data processors on our behalf. These processors only handle data according to our instructions and are required to protect it appropriately.

Examples of processors may include:

Payment service providers: to process secure transactions;
Accounting and bookkeeping providers: to support invoicing, tax, and financial records;
IT and hosting providers: to store, secure, or maintain business systems;
Communication service providers: to support email, messaging, or booking communications;
Insurance or claims-related service providers: where necessary to handle a complaint, dispute, or claim;
Professional advisers: such as accountants or legal advisers acting under confidentiality obligations.

We may also disclose data where required by law, by a court order, or where it is necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims. If a business transfer or restructure occurs, personal data may be transferred as part of that process, subject to appropriate safeguards.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including any legal, accounting, tax, or insurance requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason for processing.

Booking and service records: typically retained for a period necessary to manage the service, resolve issues, and maintain operational records.
Financial and tax records: retained for the duration required by law.
Complaint and dispute records: retained for as long as needed to address the matter and protect our legal position.
Marketing data: retained until you withdraw consent or object where applicable.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so it can no longer identify you.

6. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, data minimisation, staff confidentiality obligations, and supplier oversight. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a level of protection appropriate to the risks involved.

7. Your Rights

Subject to legal conditions and exemptions, you have rights over your personal data. 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 information;
Right to erasure: to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances;
Right to restriction: to request limited use of your data in certain situations;
Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing;
Right to data portability: to receive certain information in a structured, commonly used format where applicable;
Right to withdraw consent: where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to raise concerns about how your data is handled. If you believe your rights have not been respected, you may seek guidance from the relevant data protection authority.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in the context of a service arrangement and provided appropriately by an adult or authorised representative.

9. International Transfers

Where personal data is processed by providers outside the UK, we will take steps to ensure suitable safeguards are in place so that your information receives an adequate level of protection.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, business practices, or service arrangements. The latest version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise made available.

11. Summary of Key Principles

Man With A Van Stjohnswood processes personal data only where necessary, uses it for clear and lawful purposes, limits access to trusted processors, and retains it only for as long as required. We aim to protect your information, respect your rights, and provide a transparent service experience for all customers in the area.

This policy is designed to reflect GDPR principles of lawfulness, fairness, transparency, purpose limitation, data minimisation, accuracy, storage limitation, integrity, confidentiality, and accountability.