Privacy Policy - Man And A Van Harringay

This Privacy Policy explains how Man And A Van Harringay collects, uses, shares, stores, and protects personal data. It applies to all Man And A Van Harringay customers in the area, including individuals and businesses who request, book, receive, or enquire about our moving, transport, delivery, loading, unloading, and related services. We are committed to handling personal information in a fair, lawful, transparent, and secure manner in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

By using our services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed in accordance with this policy. We only collect information that is necessary for service delivery, administration, legal compliance, and legitimate business operations. We do not sell personal data.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of personal data depending on how you interact with us:

Identity data: name, title, and, where relevant, business name.
Contact data: address, email address, telephone number, and correspondence details.
Service details: moving date, pickup and delivery addresses, property access information, volume and type of items, special handling requirements, and parking or access notes.
Payment data: payment method information, billing details, and transaction records. We do not store full card details unless required by a secure payment provider.
Communication data: messages, booking notes, complaints, feedback, and call records where applicable.
Technical data: basic usage information such as device identifiers, browser type, and IP-related data if collected through digital systems used to manage enquiries or bookings.
Verification data: information necessary to confirm identity, prevent fraud, or validate service requests.

We may also receive personal data from third parties, such as referrals, property managers, estate agents, payment processors, or subcontracted service partners, when this is necessary to deliver the service you requested.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotations.
To manage bookings and deliver moving or transport services.
To communicate about timing, access, and service arrangements.
To process payments, refunds, and invoices.
To manage customer support, complaints, and service follow-up.
To maintain records, improve operations, and ensure quality control.
To comply with legal, tax, accounting, and insurance obligations.
To detect, investigate, and prevent fraud, misuse, or security incidents.
To defend or establish legal claims where needed.

We only use your personal data when we have a valid reason to do so and when the processing is proportionate to the purpose.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we rely on one or more of the following lawful bases when processing personal data:

Contract

We process data when it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, or to perform a contract with you. This includes handling quotes, booking details, service arrangements, and payment processing.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This includes service administration, record keeping, internal quality improvement, fraud prevention, and limited business communications. We ensure such processing is relevant and limited to what is necessary.

Legal Obligation

We process personal data where required to comply with legal duties, such as tax, accounting, insurance, safety, or regulatory obligations.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where we need permission for a specific optional purpose. When consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting processing carried out before withdrawal.

4. Sharing Your Information

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary and appropriate. These may include:

Payment providers who process secure transactions.
Accountants and professional advisers for financial, legal, or compliance support.
IT and system providers who host, maintain, or secure our business systems.
Subcontractors or service partners who assist with moving or transport services under our instruction.
Insurers and claims handlers where a claim or incident must be assessed.
Authorities and regulators when disclosure is required by law or to protect rights, safety, or property.

All processors and service providers are expected to handle data securely, only on our instructions, and in compliance with applicable data protection laws. We do not permit them to use your information for their own purposes unless they are an independent controller with a lawful basis of their own.

5. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, tax, and insurance requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the nature of the service provided.

Booking and service records: retained for a reasonable period to manage follow-up, disputes, and service history.
Financial records: retained for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
Complaint and claim records: retained until the matter is resolved and for any subsequent limitation period.
Consent-based records: retained until consent is withdrawn or the purpose ends.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in accordance with our retention procedures.

6. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unlawful access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access restrictions, password protection, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and careful selection of processors.

While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no system can be guaranteed completely secure. If a data incident occurs that is likely to pose a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will respond in accordance with legal requirements.

7. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other legally recognised transfer mechanisms. We only transfer data where necessary for the operation of our services and where adequate protection can be maintained.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you may have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

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 object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests.
Right to data portability: to receive certain information in a usable format where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent.

These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal or practical limits. If a request cannot be fulfilled in full, we will explain why.

9. How We Handle Requests

We may need to verify your identity before responding to a request. This helps us protect your data from unauthorised access. We aim to respond within the time limits required by law and will keep you informed if an extension is necessary due to complexity or volume.

If you believe your data has been handled incorrectly, you may raise a concern and ask for the matter to be reviewed. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office if you are unhappy with how your data has been processed.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults arranging moving and transport services. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is incidentally provided as part of a service request, such as household occupancy details. Where this occurs, we process it only to the extent necessary and with appropriate care.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal obligations, operational practices, or service arrangements. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal data.

12. Summary of Our Commitments

Man And A Van Harringay is committed to using personal data responsibly, transparently, and only where there is a lawful basis to do so. We collect only what we need, retain it only as long as required, use trusted processors, and respect your data protection rights. This policy applies to all customers in the area and is designed to support clear, fair, and lawful processing at every stage of the service relationship.