Privacy Policy - Man With A Van Balham

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With A Van Balham collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing moving, delivery, and related services. It applies to all Man With A Van Balham customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and anyone who communicates with us in connection with a booking, quote, or service enquiry. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, transparent, and secure manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for the delivery of our services, the management of customer relationships, and compliance with legal obligations. The types of data we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name and title.
Contact information such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details including collection and delivery addresses, access notes, property type, item descriptions, and moving dates.
Billing and payment information where required for invoicing and payment processing.
Communication records such as emails, call notes, messages, quotes, complaints, and service feedback.
Technical data if you interact with our digital systems, including basic device or usage information where applicable.
Special instructions you choose to provide, for example about fragile items, parking, entry restrictions, or preferred handling requirements.

We do not intentionally collect more information than is needed. Where you choose to provide additional information, we will only use it for the purpose for which it was given, unless another lawful basis applies.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data to organise and complete our services efficiently and safely. Common uses include:

Preparing quotes and confirming bookings.
Planning routes, timing, and logistics for removals and deliveries.
Communicating with customers about service details, changes, or issues.
Issuing invoices, processing payments, and maintaining financial records.
Managing customer support, complaints, and service quality.
Meeting legal, regulatory, accounting, and insurance obligations.
Preventing fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.
Improving our service standards and internal processes.

We will not use personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the original reason it was collected, unless we have a lawful basis to do so.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

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

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes at your request, arranging the move, handling payments, and delivering the services you have booked.

Legal obligation

We may process and retain certain information to comply with legal obligations, including tax rules, accounting requirements, insurance obligations, and record-keeping duties.

Legitimate interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This includes managing business operations, preventing fraud, protecting property, improving services, and resolving disputes.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where you ask us to use information beyond what is needed for the contract or where a specific processing activity requires consent. When consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary for the running of our business and the provision of services. These third parties act as data processors or independent controllers, depending on the circumstances.

Payment processors to handle card or electronic payments securely.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers to support invoicing, tax, and financial reporting.
IT and cloud service providers used to store emails, files, scheduling data, or customer records.
Communication service providers that help deliver messages or manage business communications.
Insurance providers, legal advisers, and dispute resolution professionals where necessary to manage claims or legal issues.
Subcontractors or operational partners involved in delivering the requested service, where appropriate and subject to confidentiality obligations.
Public authorities if required by law, court order, or other lawful request.

All processors are required to handle personal data securely and only on our instructions, using appropriate technical and organisational safeguards. We take care to use processors that provide sufficient guarantees regarding data protection compliance.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or for as long as required by law. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of record and the reason it is held.

Booking and service records are kept for a reasonable period to support administration, queries, and evidence of services provided.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by accounting and tax law.
Complaint and dispute records may be held for longer where necessary to deal with claims or legal matters.
Enquiry records may be retained for a limited period if no booking follows, unless a longer period is justified.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you. In some cases, we may retain limited information if required to protect our legal rights or comply with official obligations.

6. Data Security

We use appropriate security measures to protect personal data from accidental loss, unlawful access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and careful management of electronic records.

While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we review our practices regularly and take reasonable steps to reduce risk and protect the information entrusted to us.

7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to legal limits and verification of identity, these rights may 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 in certain circumstances, such as where data is no longer needed.
Right to restriction to limit how your data is used in some situations.
Right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing, where applicable.
Right to data portability where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
Right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data rights have not been respected. We encourage you to raise concerns directly so we can address them promptly and fairly.

8. International Transfers

If any personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as an adequacy decision or other legally recognised transfer mechanism. We only permit international transfers where suitable protection is provided and the transfer is lawful under data protection rules.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is necessary in connection with a service request made by an adult customer. If we become aware that data has been collected inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it where required.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business practices, or the way we process personal data. The most recent version will apply to your use of our services. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their information is handled.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Man With A Van Balham is committed to processing personal data responsibly, transparently, and securely. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and lawful purposes, keep it no longer than necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or where required by law. By using our services, you acknowledge that this Privacy Policy applies to all Man With A Van Balham customers in the area and that we will handle your data in line with applicable GDPR requirements.