Privacy Policy - Man With A Van Lewisham

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With A Van Lewisham collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data relating to customers, prospective customers, and other individuals in the Lewisham area. It applies to all Man With A Van Lewisham customers in the area, whether you use our services once or on multiple occasions, and whether you contact us directly or through a third party. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This policy is intended to help you understand what data we process, why we process it, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and what rights you have over your personal information. By using our services, you acknowledge that we may process personal data as described in this policy.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide moving and related transport services efficiently and safely. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity details: name, title, and, where relevant, business or trading name.
Contact details: telephone number, email address, and postal address.
Service information: details of your move, item descriptions, access information, collection and delivery addresses, preferred dates, and service requirements.
Payment and transaction information: records of payments made, invoices issued, and relevant billing details. We do not necessarily store full card details if payment processing is handled by a third-party provider.
Communication records: emails, call notes, quotations, instructions, and any feedback or complaints you provide.
Special instructions: details about fragile items, parking restrictions, access issues, or other information needed to complete the service safely.
Technical information: if you interact with us online, we may collect limited technical data such as device type, browser information, and basic usage logs for security and operational purposes.

We do not intentionally collect more personal data than is necessary. We also avoid collecting special category data unless it is explicitly provided by you and is required for a specific and lawful reason, such as accommodating health-related access needs. Where possible, we encourage you not to share unnecessary sensitive information.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data to manage enquiries, arrange services, deliver moving and transport work, process payments, keep accurate records, and improve the quality and reliability of our service. The main purposes for which we process data are:

to provide quotations and respond to requests for services;
to plan, book, and carry out removals and transport services;
to communicate with customers before, during, and after a booking;
to issue invoices, manage payments, and maintain financial records;
to handle complaints, claims, and service disputes;
to comply with legal, tax, accounting, and insurance obligations;
to protect our business, staff, and customers from fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity;
to improve service delivery, scheduling, and customer experience;
to retain evidence of instructions and transactions where needed.

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

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each type of processing. Depending on the circumstances, we rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotations, arranging a move, carrying out the agreed service, processing payment, and handling post-service matters tied to that contract.

Legal Obligation

We process certain data to comply with legal requirements, including tax rules, accounting obligations, record-keeping duties, and any lawful requests from public authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests do not override your rights and freedoms. Examples include maintaining internal records, preventing fraud, improving service quality, managing customer communications, and protecting our property, staff, and customers.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, particularly where we process optional information or send certain marketing communications if permitted. Where consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who support the operation of our business. These third parties act either as independent controllers or as processors acting on our behalf. When they act as processors, they only process data under our instructions and must keep it secure.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

Payment processors: to handle secure card or electronic payments.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers: to manage invoices, financial reporting, and tax-related records.
IT and cloud storage providers: to securely store business data, communications, and backups.
Communication providers: to facilitate email, telephone, or messaging services used to manage bookings and customer support.
Insurance-related service providers: where required to handle claims or verify service-related incidents.
Professional advisers: such as accountants, legal advisers, or auditors where necessary.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, regulation, court order, or to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims. We do not sell personal data.

Where a processor is used, we take steps to ensure appropriate contractual safeguards are in place and that data is handled securely and lawfully.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including for legal, accounting, tax, or insurance reasons. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the nature of the relationship with you.

Quotation and enquiry records: kept for a reasonable period to manage follow-up questions and business records.
Booking and service records: kept for as long as needed to complete the service and address any post-service issues.
Invoice and payment records: typically kept for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Complaint or dispute records: kept until the matter is resolved and for a further period where needed for legal protection.
General correspondence: kept only as long as reasonably necessary for business purposes.

When personal data is no longer required, we securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in a controlled manner.

6. Your Rights

You have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights apply subject to certain legal conditions and exemptions. They 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 request deletion of your data where there is no good reason for us to keep it.
Right to restriction: to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to data portability: to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format, where applicable.
Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests, and to direct marketing where relevant.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

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

7. Security of Your Data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, encryption where appropriate, and staff awareness of data protection responsibilities. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take reasonable steps to reduce risk and safeguard information.

8. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place so that your information remains protected to a standard consistent with UK data protection law. Any such transfers will be carried out only where lawful and necessary for our business operations or service providers.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data protection practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is used.

10. Summary of Our Commitment

Man With A Van Lewisham is committed to processing personal data responsibly, securely, and transparently. We collect only the information we need, use it for clear and lawful purposes, keep it only for as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or where required by law. We respect your rights and aim to make data protection simple, fair, and reliable for every customer in the Lewisham area.

Privacy and trust matter to us. We will always aim to handle your personal data with care and in accordance with applicable law.