Privacy Policy - Man With A Van Tooting

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With A Van Tooting collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Man With A Van Tooting customers in the area, including anyone who enquires about, books, or receives our moving, delivery, loading, unloading, packing, or related removal services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Man With A Van Tooting provides local and surrounding-area van and moving services. In the context of data protection law, we are the data controller for personal information we collect about customers, prospective customers, and other individuals connected with our services. This means we decide why and how personal data is used.

We take privacy seriously and aim to collect only the information necessary to provide our services efficiently, safely, and lawfully. We also require any third parties who process personal data on our behalf to meet appropriate security and confidentiality standards.

2. Information We Collect

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

Identity information such as your name and, where needed, the name of another contact person.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details including booking information, moving dates, property access notes, inventory details, delivery instructions, and service preferences.
Billing and payment information such as invoice details, payment status, and limited transaction records.
Communication records including emails, calls, text messages, complaint details, and notes from enquiries or service updates.
Technical information if you interact with our digital systems, such as device identifiers, IP address, browser type, and basic usage data.
Special category data only where necessary and only if you choose to share it, for example access needs, health-related mobility requirements, or other information needed to support service delivery. We handle such data with extra care and only when there is a valid lawful basis.

We generally collect personal data directly from you, but we may also receive it from a person acting on your behalf, such as a family member, landlord, estate agent, or business client arranging a move or delivery.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
to arrange and deliver moving, transport, and removal services;
to confirm bookings and service instructions;
to manage payments, invoices, and account records;
to communicate about changes, delays, or service issues;
to handle complaints, disputes, and customer support requests;
to maintain business records and comply with legal obligations;
to improve our services, operational planning, and customer experience;
to prevent fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity;
to keep internal records for insurance, audit, and safety purposes.

We do not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the reason it was collected, unless we are required or permitted to do so by law.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis before processing your personal data. Depending on the circumstances, we rely on one or more of the following:

Performance of a contract — when we process data to provide a quotation, arrange a booking, perform a move, or manage payment for services you have requested.
Legitimate interests — when processing is necessary for the operation of our business, such as record keeping, service improvement, fraud prevention, and responding to customer queries, provided your rights do not override those interests.
Legal obligation — when we must keep records or disclose information to comply with tax, accounting, consumer, or regulatory requirements.
Consent — in limited situations where we rely on your clear permission, for example for certain optional communications or the handling of sensitive information not otherwise covered by another lawful basis.

Where special category data is processed, we will only do so if an additional condition under data protection law is met, such as your explicit consent or where it is necessary for health, safety, or legal reasons.

5. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. The retention period depends on the type of data, the purpose of processing, and any legal obligations that apply.

In general:

enquiry records may be retained for a limited period after the enquiry ends;
booking, invoice, and payment records are usually kept for a longer period to satisfy tax and accounting rules;
complaint and dispute records may be retained until the matter is resolved and for a reasonable period afterward;
health or access-related notes are retained only as long as necessary for the relevant service;
technical records are retained only for operational, security, or legal purposes.

When data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you.

6. Processors and Third Parties

We may share personal data with trusted third-party service providers who act as processors on our behalf. These parties only process data under our instructions and are required to protect it appropriately. Examples may include:

payment service providers;
booking, scheduling, or administrative software providers;
email, messaging, and customer communication platforms;
accounting and invoicing services;
IT support, hosting, or cloud storage providers;
insurance providers, legal advisers, or professional consultants where necessary;
subcontracted moving or transport personnel engaged to help deliver the service;
public authorities, regulators, or law enforcement where required by law.

We only share the minimum amount of data necessary for the relevant purpose. Where third parties process data outside the UK or the EEA, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as an adequacy decision or approved transfer mechanism.

7. Data Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and limited access to personal data on a need-to-know basis.

However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. While we do our best to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If a personal data breach occurs, we will assess the risk and act in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

8. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have several rights under data protection law. Subject to certain conditions and exemptions, you may have the right to:

access the personal data we hold about you;
rectification of inaccurate or incomplete data;
erasure of your data, also known as the right to be forgotten;
restriction of processing in specific situations;
data portability for information you provided to us, where applicable;
object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing;
withdraw consent where we rely on consent as the lawful basis.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data protection rights have been breached. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve any issue promptly and fairly.

How We Respond to Requests

When you exercise your rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We aim to respond within one month, although this can be extended where requests are complex or numerous. There is usually no fee unless a request is manifestly unfounded or excessive.

9. Cookies and Similar Technologies

If we use any online tools that place cookies or similar technologies, these may be used for essential functionality, security, analytics, or performance. Where required, we will seek consent before placing non-essential cookies. You can usually manage cookie settings through your browser.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults arranging moving and transport services. We do not knowingly collect children’s personal data unless it is necessary for a service arrangement and provided by a parent, guardian, or authorised adult. Where we do process such data, we will do so carefully and only where lawful.

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 data processing practices. Any updated version will take effect when published or otherwise made available. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically so you remain informed about how your data is used.

12. Summary of Our Commitments

Man With A Van Tooting is committed to respecting your privacy, limiting data collection to what is necessary, and using personal information fairly and lawfully. We retain data only as long as needed, use reputable processors under proper safeguards, and support your rights under data protection law. Our approach is designed to protect the personal data of all Man With A Van Tooting customers in the area while enabling us to provide reliable and professional services.

This policy applies to all customers, prospective customers, and related service contacts in the Man With A Van Tooting area.

By using our services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this Privacy Policy.