Privacy Policy - Man With A Van Homerton

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With A Van Homerton collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing removal, transportation, delivery, and related services. It applies to all Man With A Van Homerton customers in the area, including anyone requesting a quote, making a booking, receiving a service, or communicating with us in connection with our work. We are committed to handling personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Man With A Van Homerton acts as the data controller for personal data collected in connection with our services. This means we determine why and how your personal data is used. We only process personal data that is relevant, adequate, and limited to what is necessary for the purposes described in this policy.

2. Personal Data We Collect

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

Identity information such as your name and title.
Contact information such as your telephone number and email address.
Service details including pickup and delivery addresses, moving dates, property access notes, item lists, and special handling instructions.
Payment information such as payment status and transaction records. Where card payments are processed, payment data may be handled by a secure third-party provider.
Communication records including enquiries, quotes, messages, complaints, and feedback.
Technical information such as IP address, device information, and browsing activity if you interact with us online.
Operational information relating to service fulfilment, such as booking history, job notes, and proof of completion.

We generally do not intentionally collect special category data unless you choose to provide it and it is necessary for a specific service request, for example where access or support needs make disclosure relevant. If such information is provided, we will treat it with appropriate care and only process it where a lawful basis applies.

3. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotes and respond to enquiries.
To arrange, manage, and complete removals and transport services.
To communicate with you about bookings, schedule changes, and service updates.
To process payments, refunds, and account-related matters.
To maintain accurate records of our services and customer relationships.
To handle complaints, disputes, and claims.
To improve our operations, customer service, and service quality.
To meet legal, regulatory, accounting, and tax obligations.
To protect against fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.

We only use personal data for purposes that are compatible with the reason it was originally collected, unless we have a lawful basis to do otherwise.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis before processing your personal data. We rely 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 providing quotations at your request, confirming bookings, carrying out moves, and handling payment-related administration.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing our business, improving services, keeping records, preventing fraud, and responding to customer queries. We balance our interests against your privacy rights before relying on this basis.

Legal Obligation

We process some data to comply with legal obligations, including tax, accounting, insurance, record-keeping, and regulatory requirements.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where you agree to receive certain types of marketing communication. If we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

Vital Interests

In exceptional cases, we may process data to protect someone’s vital interests, such as in an emergency involving health or safety during a service.

5. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to deliver our services or meet legal obligations. These third parties act as processors or, in some cases, separate controllers. We only share the minimum information required and use contractual safeguards to protect your data.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

Payment processors who securely handle transactions.
IT and cloud storage providers that host email, scheduling, or record-keeping systems.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers who support financial administration.
Communication service providers used for email, messaging, or call handling.
Insurance providers, legal advisers, or dispute resolution services where needed to manage claims or legal matters.

We may also disclose personal data to law enforcement, regulators, courts, or other authorities where required by law or necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims. If business systems or service providers are located outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections.

6. Data Retention

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

Quotation and enquiry records are generally kept for a limited period to manage follow-up queries and service history.
Booking and service records may be retained for several years to support customer support, dispute handling, and business records.
Financial and tax records are kept for the period required by law.
Complaint or claims records may be retained longer where needed to resolve disputes or comply with legal obligations.

When data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in a way that prevents unnecessary access.

7. Data Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, loss, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and controlled sharing with third parties. While no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, we take appropriate steps to reduce risk and safeguard the information we hold.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights regarding your personal data. These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal exceptions. You may have the right to:

Access a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Rectification of inaccurate or incomplete information.
Erasure of your personal data in certain circumstances.
Restriction of processing in certain situations.
Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Data portability for data you have provided to us, where applicable.
Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

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

9. Marketing Communications

Where permitted by law, we may send limited service-related communications or marketing messages. If we rely on consent, you may opt out at any time. If we rely on legitimate interests for certain non-intrusive communications, you still have the right to object. We will respect your preferences and stop sending marketing where required.

10. Cookies and Online Data

If you interact with our online presence, basic technical information may be collected automatically through cookies or similar technologies. Such data may help with security, performance, and understanding how users interact with our services. Where required, we will provide appropriate notice and obtain consent for non-essential cookies. You can manage browser settings to control cookies, though some features may not function properly if cookies are disabled.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is necessary in connection with a customer’s move or service request and only to the extent required for service delivery or safety. If we become aware that we have collected data unlawfully from a child, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data handling practices. Any updates will take effect when published in the revised version. We encourage you to review this policy periodically so that you remain informed about how we protect your personal data.

13. Summary of Key Principles

Man With A Van Homerton is committed to handling personal data in a way that is lawful, fair, transparent, and proportionate. We collect only what we need, use it for clear purposes, retain it for no longer than necessary, and share it only with processors or other parties where appropriate safeguards exist. This policy applies to all customers in the area and is designed to ensure your personal information is respected and protected throughout our service relationship.