Privacy Policy - Man With Van Islington

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With Van Islington collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. It applies to all Man With Van Islington customers in the area, including individuals and businesses who request moving, delivery, loading, unloading, collection, packing, storage-related, or any other associated transport services.

We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent way. This policy is intended to help customers understand what information we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and what rights individuals have in relation to their data.

1. Data We Collect

We collect only the information that is necessary to provide services efficiently, manage bookings, comply with legal obligations, and improve our operations. The categories of data we may collect include:

Identity data such as full name and title.
Contact data such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information such as moving date, collection and delivery locations, property access details, item lists, floor levels, parking instructions, and special handling requirements.
Payment data such as payment status, billing records, and transaction references. We do not retain card details unless required by a secure payment provider.
Communication data such as correspondence sent to us by phone, email, forms, or messages.
Usage and technical data if you interact with our digital services, including basic logs, IP information, device details, and cookies where applicable.
Proof and record data such as photographs, inventory lists, signatures, and service completion confirmations where necessary.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is provided voluntarily and is strictly required for a legitimate service reason, such as a health-related access need. Where such data is collected, it is handled with additional care and only when necessary.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To process enquiries and confirm bookings.
To plan and carry out removals, deliveries, and related services.
To communicate service details, updates, and operational changes.
To prepare quotations, invoices, and payment records.
To manage complaints, claims, or service issues.
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations.
To keep records for accounting, insurance, and audit purposes.
To improve service quality, safety, and efficiency.
To defend legal claims or establish, exercise, or protect legal rights.

We only process personal data where there is a valid reason to do so and where the processing is compatible with the original purpose for which the information was collected.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. Depending on the situation, we rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes handling booking information, service delivery details, invoicing, and any follow-up required to complete the agreed work.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain data where required by law, including tax, accounting, insurance, fraud prevention, and record-keeping obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data for our legitimate business interests, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include managing operations, improving services, preventing misuse, maintaining security, and resolving disputes. Where we rely on this basis, we assess the impact on privacy and use data in a proportionate way.

Consent

In limited cases, we may ask for your consent, for example when processing optional marketing communications or certain non-essential categories of data. Where consent is used, it can be withdrawn at any time.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. These parties only process information on our instructions or for their own lawful purposes where appropriate. Typical processors and recipients may include:

Payment service providers that securely process card or electronic payments.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that support invoicing, tax, and financial records.
IT and hosting providers that store data, maintain systems, or manage secure communications.
Customer management or scheduling tools used to organise bookings and operational updates.
Insurance providers and claims handlers where required for risk management or claims resolution.
Professional advisers such as lawyers, auditors, or consultants when necessary.
Public authorities or law enforcement agencies where disclosure is required by law.

Where processors are used, we take reasonable steps to ensure they provide appropriate technical and organisational security measures and only handle data for specified purposes. We do not sell personal data.

5. International Transfers

If any processor stores or accesses data outside the UK, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections. These safeguards are intended to maintain a level of data protection consistent with UK GDPR.

6. Data Retention

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

Booking and service records are generally retained for the period needed to administer the service and handle any follow-up issues.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Claims and dispute records may be kept until the matter is fully resolved and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Marketing preferences are retained until consent is withdrawn or the individual opts out.

When data is no longer needed, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in a safe and appropriate manner.

7. Data Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, misuse, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and data minimisation practices. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we aim to reduce risks by applying appropriate safeguards.

8. Your Rights

Individuals whose data we process have rights under UK GDPR. Subject to legal limitations, these rights include:

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 data.
Right to erasure – to request deletion of data in certain circumstances.
Right to restrict processing – to ask us to limit how we use 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 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.

If you believe your data is being handled unlawfully, you may also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). We encourage individuals to raise concerns first so that we can address them quickly and fairly.

9. Automated Decision-Making

We do not generally use fully automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects. If this changes, we will update this policy and provide the relevant information required by law.

10. Cookies and Similar Technologies

If we use cookies or similar technologies on any digital service, they may be used for essential functionality, basic analytics, or preference management. Where consent is required, we will seek it before placing non-essential cookies. You may change browser settings to restrict cookies, though some features may not work properly as a result.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect legal, operational, or technical changes. The updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about how your data is handled.

12. Our Commitment

Man With Van Islington respects your privacy and is committed to handling personal information responsibly. We will only use data where we have a lawful basis, retain it for no longer than necessary, and apply appropriate safeguards throughout its lifecycle. This policy applies to all Man With Van Islington customers in the area and is intended to ensure transparency, fairness, and compliance with applicable data protection laws.