Privacy Policy - Man With Van Sydenham

Man With Van Sydenham is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in our service area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information when you use our moving and transport services. It applies to all Man With Van Sydenham customers in area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and business clients who arrange or receive services from us.

We process personal data in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy should be read carefully so you understand what data we hold, why we need it, and what rights you have.

1. Information We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for providing our services, managing bookings, completing removals, and meeting legal or operational obligations. The information we may collect includes:

Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, the name of an organisation or household representative.
Contact details such as telephone number, email address, and service address.
Booking and service details including dates, property access information, move size, items being transported, and special handling instructions.
Billing information such as invoice details, payment status, and transaction records.
Communication records including enquiries, complaints, service updates, and correspondence.
Identification and verification details where needed for fraud prevention, security, or lawful business checks.
Technical information if you interact with our digital systems, such as device data, IP address, and usage patterns.

We do not intentionally collect sensitive personal data unless it is required for a specific service request or legal reason. If you choose to provide special category data, we will handle it with additional care and only where a lawful basis exists.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use the information we collect to deliver our services effectively and lawfully. Typical uses include:

processing enquiries and quotations;
confirming and managing bookings;
planning routes, allocating vehicles, and organising staff;
communicating about service times, access issues, and changes;
issuing invoices and managing payments;
handling complaints, claims, and service follow-up;
maintaining internal records and business accounts;
improving our services, processes, and customer experience;
meeting legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations.

We will always aim to use the minimum amount of data necessary. Where practical, we use data minimisation and purpose limitation principles so your information is not used in ways you would not reasonably expect.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis before processing personal data. We rely on the following lawful bases depending on the situation:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes handling your booking, arranging the move, communicating logistics, and completing payment or invoicing steps.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights do not override those interests. This may include administrative record-keeping, business improvement, fraud prevention, service quality checks, and responding to enquiries or disputes. We always consider whether the processing is proportionate and reasonable.

Legal Obligation

We may retain or use certain information to comply with legal requirements, including tax rules, accounting duties, insurance obligations, and lawful requests from public authorities.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where you provide optional information that is not necessary for the service. If consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal will not affect processing that has already taken place lawfully.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to provide our services, operate our business, or comply with the law. These third parties may act as processors or independent controllers depending on the circumstances.

Examples of processors or service providers may include:

accounting and invoicing providers;
IT and cloud storage suppliers;
customer communication platforms;
payment processing services;
vehicle tracking, scheduling, or routing systems;
professional advisers such as insurers, legal advisers, or auditors;
subcontracted crews or logistics partners who assist with service delivery.

Where we use processors, they are required to act only on our instructions, protect personal data, and meet appropriate security and confidentiality standards. We do not sell personal data.

We may also share information if required by law, court order, regulatory authority, police investigation, or to protect our rights, staff, customers, or property.

5. International Transfers

Where a processor or service provider stores or accesses data outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, approved contractual clauses, or equivalent legal protections designed to keep your information secure and compliant with data protection law.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy. Retention periods depend on the type of information, the nature of the service, and applicable legal requirements.

In general:

booking and service records are retained for a period necessary to manage the job, resolve disputes, and maintain business records;
financial and accounting records are kept for the period required by tax and accounting law;
complaints, claims, and correspondence may be retained for longer where needed to defend legal claims or manage ongoing issues;
information collected with consent is retained only until consent is withdrawn or the purpose ends;
data that is no longer required is securely deleted, anonymised, or archived in line with our retention procedures.

We regularly review stored information to ensure we are not keeping it for longer than necessary. Retention is based on business need and legal obligation, not convenience.

7. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality expectations, and careful handling of records. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take reasonable steps to reduce risk and protect your information.

8. Your Rights

You have several rights under data protection law in relation to your personal data. Subject to legal limits, these may include:

Right of access – you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – you can request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in some situations.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – you can request that we provide certain information 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 wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with data protection law. We may need to verify your identity before acting on your request. In some cases, legal exceptions may apply, meaning we may not be able to complete a request fully.

9. Cookies and Similar Technologies

If you interact with our online systems, we may use cookies or similar technologies for basic functionality, security, and performance analysis. These tools help us understand how services are used and improve usability. Where consent is required, we will obtain it before setting non-essential cookies.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where necessary in connection with a household move or related service arrangement provided by an adult customer. Where information about children is included in booking details, we handle it with care and only for the relevant service purpose.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or operational 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.

12. Summary of Key Principles

In summary, Man With Van Sydenham processes personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently. We collect only the information needed to provide moving and transport services, rely on lawful bases such as contract, legitimate interests, consent, and legal obligation, and share data only with trusted processors or where required by law. We retain personal data only for as long as necessary and respect the rights of all customers in our area.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Man With Van Sydenham customers in area.