Privacy Policy - Man With Van Balham

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With Van Balham collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with its moving and transport services. It applies to all Man With Van Balham customers in the area, including individuals who request quotes, book services, receive deliveries, or otherwise interact with our team. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We take privacy seriously and aim to ensure that any personal data we process is limited to what is necessary for providing our services, meeting legal obligations, and improving customer experience. This policy should help you understand what data we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and what rights you have over your information.

1. Data We Collect

We may collect and process different categories of personal data depending on how you use our services. The types of data we collect may include:

Identity information: name, title, and any details needed to identify you as a customer or contact person.
Contact information: address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details: moving date, collection and delivery locations, property access information, item descriptions, and service preferences.
Payment information: billing details and transaction records. Where card payments are processed, payment card data is handled by secure payment processors and not stored by us unless required for legal or accounting purposes.
Communications: messages, emails, call notes, and any feedback, complaints, or enquiries you submit.
Technical and usage data: if you interact with digital systems we use, we may collect limited technical data such as IP address, browser type, device information, and log records.

We generally collect personal data directly from you when you request a quote, make a booking, complete a form, communicate with us, or use our services. In some cases, we may receive information from third parties, such as a family member arranging a move on your behalf, a landlord, estate agent, or business partner involved in the service arrangement.

2. How We Use Your Data

We only use personal data where we have a valid reason to do so. The information we collect may be used for the following purposes:

to provide quotations and manage bookings;
to plan, deliver, and complete removal or transport services;
to communicate with you about your booking, service changes, delays, or important updates;
to issue invoices, process payments, and maintain financial records;
to handle complaints, claims, or service-related disputes;
to comply with legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations;
to improve our operations, customer service, and internal record keeping;
to protect against fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.

We will not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the original reason for collecting it unless we have a lawful basis to do so and, where necessary, have provided you with appropriate notice.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for every processing activity. The lawful bases we rely on may include:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotations, confirming bookings, arranging logistics, and delivering the services you have requested.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain personal data where we are required to do so by law. This can include accounting, taxation, insurance, and record-keeping obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided that those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing operations, preventing fraud, maintaining service quality, and responding to enquiries or complaints. We always consider whether the processing is necessary and whether your interests require extra protection.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent. For example, if we wish to send certain optional marketing communications or use data in a way that requires permission, we will ask for consent clearly and separately. You may withdraw consent at any time.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We do not sell personal data. However, we may share information with trusted third parties where it is necessary to run our business and provide services to you. These parties act as processors or independent data controllers depending on the context.

Examples of processors or service providers may include:

IT and cloud service providers that support our data storage, scheduling, and communication systems;
payment processors that securely handle card or electronic payments;
accounting and bookkeeping providers who help us manage invoices and financial records;
customer management or booking platform providers used for service administration;
professional advisers such as insurers, auditors, legal advisers, or consultants when necessary;
delivery partners or subcontractors who assist with completing a service you have requested.

Where we use processors, we require them to process personal data only on our instructions, keep it secure, and comply with data protection law. We may also disclose data if required by law, to prevent crime or fraud, or to protect our legal rights.

5. Data Retention

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

Quotation and booking records: retained for a reasonable period to manage services, customer queries, and disputes.
Financial and tax records: retained for the period required by applicable law.
Correspondence and complaint records: retained as long as needed to resolve issues and maintain business records.
Technical logs: kept only for short operational or security purposes unless longer retention is required.

When data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention practices. We do not keep personal data indefinitely and regularly review the information we hold.

6. Security of Your Information

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include restricted access, password protection, secure storage, staff awareness, and supplier due diligence. While no system can guarantee complete security, we take reasonable steps to reduce risk and to respond promptly if an issue arises.

7. Your Rights Under GDPR

Depending on the legal basis for processing and the circumstances of your case, you may have the following rights under data protection law:

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 your data in certain circumstances;
Right to restriction: to ask us to limit processing in specific situations;
Right to data portability: to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format;
Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing;
Right to withdraw consent: where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time;
Right to complain: to raise concerns with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your rights have been infringed.

To help protect your privacy, we may need to verify your identity before responding to a request. Some rights are subject to legal exceptions, and we will explain if a request cannot be fully granted.

8. International Transfers

If any of our processors or service providers store or access data outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms designed to protect your information to the required standard.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary for a booking or service arrangement made by a parent, guardian, or authorised adult. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without appropriate authority, 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 our services, legal obligations, or data processing practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their personal data is handled.

In summary: Man With Van Balham processes personal data only when necessary, relies on valid lawful bases, uses trusted processors under contract, retains information for limited periods, and respects the rights of all customers in the area. We are committed to managing information responsibly, securely, and transparently.