Privacy Policy - Man With Van Barnsbury

Man With Van Barnsbury is committed to protecting the privacy of all customers in the Barnsbury area and anyone who uses our moving and transport services. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data, and sets out your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy applies to all Man With Van Barnsbury customers in the area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and business customers who request or receive our services.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary to provide our services, manage bookings, communicate with you, and meet legal and operational obligations. Depending on the nature of your enquiry or booking, we may collect the following categories of data:

Identity information such as your name and title.
Contact information such as telephone number and email address.
Service details such as collection and delivery addresses, moving dates, property access details, and service preferences.
Payment information such as billing details and payment confirmation records. We do not knowingly store full card details where secure payment processors are used.
Communication records including emails, messages, call notes, and quotations.
Technical information such as basic device or browser data if you visit our online channels, where applicable.
Special instructions relevant to the move, for example parking notes, lift access, or fragile item handling.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and you choose to provide it, for example if it is relevant to access arrangements or service requirements. Where such information is shared, we only use it to the extent permitted by law and to deliver the requested service.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations and confirm bookings;
to plan, deliver, and manage moving and van services;
to communicate with customers before, during, and after a service;
to process payments, refunds, and accounting records;
to respond to queries, complaints, and service issues;
to maintain operational, safety, and service quality standards;
to comply with legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations;
to prevent fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity;
to keep appropriate business records.

We only use data in ways that are compatible with the purpose for which it was collected, unless we have a lawful reason to do otherwise.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. We rely on one or more of the following bases depending on the situation:

Contract

Contract is the main basis for processing when we need your data to provide a quote, arrange a booking, complete a move, or take steps at your request before entering into a contract. Without this information, we may be unable to deliver the service.

Legal Obligation

We process certain information because we are required to do so by law, such as record-keeping for tax, accounting, insurance, and business compliance purposes.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include managing customer service, improving operations, protecting our business against fraud, and maintaining secure records. When relying on legitimate interests, we assess the impact on your privacy and limit the use of data to what is necessary.

Consent

In limited cases, we may ask for your consent, for example for certain optional communications or to use non-essential information. If consent is used as the lawful basis, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.

4. Sharing and Processors

We do not sell personal data. We may share personal information only where necessary and proportionate, and only with trusted service providers or when required by law.

Examples of categories of processors and third parties may include:

Payment processors that handle secure payment transactions;
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that support financial administration;
IT and cloud service providers that store or support business records and communications;
Communication tools used for email, messaging, or customer administration;
Insurance providers where needed for claims handling or risk management;
Professional advisers such as accountants, auditors, or legal advisers;
Public authorities where disclosure is required by law or to protect rights and safety.

All processors are required to handle personal data in accordance with applicable data protection law and to use it only for the services they provide to us. Where required, we put appropriate contractual safeguards in place.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, insurance, or reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of record and the reason it is held.

Booking and service records are retained for a period necessary to manage the service, handle follow-up issues, and maintain business records.
Financial and tax records are retained in line with legal requirements.
Complaint and dispute records may be retained for a longer period where needed to resolve or defend a claim.
Routine communications are retained only as long as needed for customer service and administration.

When data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or destroyed. Retention is based on necessity and compliance obligations, not indefinite storage.

6. Your Rights

You have rights over your personal data under data protection law. Subject to legal conditions and exemptions, these 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 – to ask for your data to be deleted where there is a valid legal basis;
Right to restriction – to request limited use of your data in certain circumstances;
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing, where applicable;
Right to data portability – to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format;
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent;
Right to complain – to raise concerns with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your rights have not been respected.

To protect your privacy, we may need to verify your identity before responding to a request. We aim to deal with rights requests within the time limits set by law.

7. Data Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and appropriate data handling procedures. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place as required by law. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, contractual protections, or other approved transfer mechanisms.

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 the context of a household move and provided by an adult customer or authorised representative. If we become aware that we have collected data inappropriately, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our services, or our data handling practices. The most current version will apply to all Man With Van Barnsbury customers in the area. 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 Van Barnsbury processes personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it for clear business and service purposes, keep it only as long as necessary, and share it only with processors and other third parties where required. We respect your rights and aim to handle personal information with care, accountability, and respect.