Privacy Policy - Man With Van Kingstonuponthames

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With Van Kingstonuponthames collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data when providing moving, transport, and related services. It applies to all Man With Van Kingstonuponthames customers in the area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and business clients who request quotations, make bookings, or otherwise interact with our services.

We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy sets out what data we collect, why we collect it, the lawful basis for processing, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and the rights available to you.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the information needed to provide our services, manage bookings, communicate with customers, and meet legal or operational obligations. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name and, where needed, company name.
Contact details such as telephone number, email address, and moving address details.
Service details including the date of move, collection and delivery addresses, property access information, item descriptions, and any special handling requirements.
Payment information such as billing details and transaction records. We do not store card details unless this is necessary for a specific payment arrangement and is processed securely.
Communication records including emails, booking notes, messages, complaints, and customer service correspondence.
Technical data where applicable, such as basic website or device information if you contact us through digital channels.

We do not intentionally collect sensitive personal data unless it is necessary and you provide it voluntarily, for example if it is relevant to access needs, health-related moving requirements, or safeguarding a property during the move. Where special category data is involved, we apply additional care and safeguards.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and arrange moving services.
To confirm bookings, manage schedules, and complete deliveries.
To contact you about access, timing, item handling, or service changes.
To issue invoices, process payments, and maintain accounting records.
To respond to queries, complaints, and feedback.
To maintain records for insurance, legal, and tax purposes.
To improve service quality, training, and business planning.
To protect against fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We only use your information for the purpose it was collected for unless we reasonably believe another compatible purpose applies or we are required by law to do otherwise.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under GDPR, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Depending on the situation, we rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process your data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotations at your request, arranging move dates, transporting items, and completing the services you have booked.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain records to comply with accounting, tax, insurance, and other legal requirements. This can include invoices, payment logs, and relevant service records.

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. Examples include managing business operations, improving services, preventing fraud, handling disputes, and maintaining service records. We always consider whether the processing is necessary and whether it is reasonable for you to expect it.

Consent

Where we rely on consent, we will ask for it clearly and separately. You can withdraw consent at any time, and this will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

4. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the nature of the service.

Booking and service records are generally kept for a period necessary to manage the customer relationship and resolve any follow-up queries.
Financial and accounting records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Complaints and dispute records may be kept for longer where needed to defend legal claims or manage insurance matters.
General correspondence is retained only as long as needed for service delivery and administration.

When personal data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in a safe manner.

5. Processors and Third Parties

We may share personal data with trusted processors and service providers who assist us in delivering our services. These parties act on our instructions and are required to protect your information appropriately. Examples may include:

Payment processors for secure handling of transactions.
Accounting or bookkeeping providers for financial administration.
IT and cloud storage providers for secure data storage, communications, and system support.
Insurance providers where a claim or incident requires disclosure.
Professional advisers such as legal or tax advisers where necessary.

We may also disclose data to public authorities, regulators, courts, or law enforcement where required by law or where necessary to protect our rights, property, customers, or staff.

Where processors are used, we take reasonable steps to ensure they only process personal data for the agreed purpose and that appropriate technical and organisational measures are in place.

6. Data Security

We use appropriate security measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality requirements, and limiting access to data to those who need it for their work.

Although no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a level of protection that is suitable for the type of data we handle and the risks involved.

7. Your Rights

You have rights over your personal data under GDPR. Depending on the circumstances, these may include:

Right of access ??? you may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification ??? you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure ??? you may request deletion of your data where there is no legal reason to keep it.
Right to restriction ??? you may ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to data portability ??? where applicable, you may request your data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to object ??? you may object to processing based on legitimate interests in certain circumstances.
Right to withdraw consent ??? where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, you should make a clear request and provide enough information for us to identify your records. We may need to verify your identity before acting on your request.

Please note that these rights are not absolute. In some cases, we may be required or permitted by law to continue processing or retaining certain data.

8. International Transfers

Where personal data is stored or processed outside the UK, we will take appropriate steps to ensure it is protected to a standard that is consistent with UK GDPR requirements. This may include using approved contractual safeguards or relying on other lawful transfer mechanisms.

9. Children???s Data

Our services are intended for adults arranging household or business moves. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is incidentally included in service arrangements, such as household contact details, and only where necessary for the move. If we become aware that we have collected data unlawfully, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data protection practices. The latest version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers to review the policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

11. Summary of Your Data Protection Position

In short, Man With Van Kingstonuponthames collects only the personal data needed to provide moving services, manage payments, keep proper business records, and meet legal obligations. We process your data on lawful grounds such as contract, legal obligation, legitimate interests, and consent where appropriate. We keep data only as long as necessary, share it only with trusted processors or where required by law, and respect the rights available to you under GDPR.

This policy is intended to apply to all Man With Van Kingstonuponthames customers in the area and forms part of our commitment to privacy, transparency, and responsible data handling.