Privacy Policy - Man With A Van Harringay

Man With A Van Harringay is committed to protecting the privacy of our customers and other individuals whose personal data we handle. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information in a way that is consistent with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. It applies to all Man With A Van Harringay customers in the area, as well as to people who make enquiries, receive quotations, book services, or otherwise interact with us in connection with our moving and transport services.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Man With A Van Harringay acts as the data controller in relation to the personal data we collect and use in the course of providing our services. This means we determine the purposes and means of processing your personal data. We take our responsibilities seriously and aim to process personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect and process only the information that is necessary for our business operations and service delivery. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name and title.
Contact details such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Booking information including service dates, property addresses, access details, and moving requirements.
Payment-related information such as billing details and transaction records.
Communication records including emails, messages, quotation requests, and notes from phone calls.
Service history such as previous bookings, customer preferences, and relevant instructions.
Technical information that may be gathered when you interact with our digital systems, such as IP address or device information, where applicable.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and lawful to do so. If such information is provided to us voluntarily, for example where it is relevant to access needs, we will handle it with appropriate care and safeguards.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data to manage customer relationships and deliver our services effectively. Typical uses include:

Providing quotations and responding to enquiries.
Making and managing bookings.
Delivering moving, loading, unloading, and transport services.
Processing payments and issuing invoices or receipts.
Communicating about service updates, arrangements, or changes.
Handling complaints, disputes, and customer support requests.
Maintaining records for business administration, tax, and legal compliance.
Improving our services, internal processes, and customer experience.

We only process personal data where we have a valid reason to do so and where the processing is limited to what is necessary for the relevant purpose.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for each use of personal data. Depending on the circumstances, we rely on one or more of the following bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes taking bookings, providing moving services, and handling payment and service administration.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data where required to comply with legal obligations, such as accounting, tax record keeping, fraud prevention, or responding to lawful requests from public authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing our operations, improving service quality, preventing misuse, and maintaining secure and efficient records. Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider the impact on your privacy and apply safeguards where necessary.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where it is appropriate for optional communications or specific uses not covered by another lawful basis. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to operate our business and provide services. These third parties act either as independent controllers or as processors acting on our behalf. Where we use processors, they are required to protect your data and process it only according to our instructions.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

Payment processors who handle card or electronic payments.
IT and cloud storage providers who support our record keeping, communications, and data security.
Accounting or bookkeeping providers who help with invoices, tax, and financial records.
Customer communication tools used to manage emails, scheduling, or service updates.
Professional advisers such as lawyers, insurers, or auditors where necessary.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, to defend legal claims, to protect our rights, or to prevent fraud or unlawful activity. We do not sell personal data.

6. International Transfers

Where a processor or service provider stores or accesses data outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. This may include using contractual protections approved for international data transfers and ensuring that personal data remains protected to an adequate standard.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or for as long as required by law. Retention periods vary depending on the nature of the information and our legal obligations.

In general, we may retain:

Customer and booking records for the duration of the relationship and for a further period where needed for accounting, warranty, complaint handling, or legal purposes.
Financial records for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Communications and service notes for a reasonable period to support customer service and dispute resolution.
Technical and security records only as long as needed for monitoring, troubleshooting, and safeguarding our systems.

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

8. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and careful selection of processors. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work hard to reduce risks and maintain a high level of protection.

9. Your Rights

You have a number of rights under data protection law. These rights may be subject to certain limits and exemptions, but we will always explain our position clearly if we cannot fully satisfy a request.

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 information.
Right to erasure – in some situations, you can ask us to delete your personal data.
Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
Right to data portability – you may request certain data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to object – you can 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.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in line with applicable legal requirements. We may need to verify your identity before dealing with your request to ensure your data is protected.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adult customers and business contacts. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is necessary for a lawful service arrangement and appropriate safeguards are in place. If we become aware that we have collected data in error, we will take steps to remove it promptly.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or operational needs. The latest version will apply to your use of our services from the date it takes effect. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how we use personal data.

12. Summary of Key Principles

In summary, Man With A Van Harringay collects only the personal data needed to provide moving and transport services, uses it under clear lawful bases, keeps it only as long as necessary, and shares it only with trusted processors or where legally required. We aim to be transparent, fair, and respectful of your privacy at all times.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Man With A Van Harringay customers in the area.