Privacy Policy - Man With Van East Dulwich

Man With Van East Dulwich is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in the East Dulwich area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information when we provide moving, removal, and van services. It applies to all Man With Van East Dulwich customers in area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and business clients who use our services.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Man With Van East Dulwich acts as a data controller when we decide how and why your personal data is processed. In some cases, we may also act as a data processor where we handle data on behalf of another party, such as a landlord, estate agent, or business customer.

We are required to process personal data in a fair, lawful, and transparent way in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect the data that is necessary to provide and manage our services. Depending on the nature of your booking, we may collect the following categories of personal information:

Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, the name of your company or organisation.
Contact details including email address, telephone number, and moving address details.
Booking and service information such as move date, size of property, item list, access notes, and service preferences.
Billing and payment information such as payment status, invoice records, and transaction references.
Communication records including emails, messages, and notes about your booking or service request.
Operational details such as parking instructions, access arrangements, and delivery or collection notes.
Claims or complaints information if you raise an issue, make a complaint, or request compensation.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is required for a specific service request or you choose to provide it. If you do share sensitive information, we will only process it where a lawful basis applies and where it is necessary for the service or legal compliance.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

To provide moving, transport, packing, loading, and related services.
To manage bookings, quotations, schedules, and customer requests.
To communicate with you before, during, and after a service.
To issue invoices, process payments, and manage accounting records.
To handle complaints, disputes, damage claims, and service queries.
To maintain business records and support internal administration.
To comply with legal obligations, including tax and accounting requirements.
To improve our services, efficiency, and customer experience.

We only use personal data in ways that are compatible with the purpose for which it was collected. We will not sell your personal information.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Depending on the situation, we rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

Contract is the main lawful basis when we need your data to provide the service you requested, such as preparing a quote, confirming a booking, completing a move, or handling payment.

Legal Obligation

We may process data where required to meet legal obligations, including record-keeping, tax reporting, financial compliance, and responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may use personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests do not override your rights and freedoms. This may include service management, fraud prevention, business administration, and improving our operations.

Consent

In limited cases, we may ask for your consent. For example, if we wish to use optional information or send certain types of non-essential communication where consent is the appropriate basis. You can withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.

5. Sharing Your Information and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to run our business and deliver services. These parties may act as processors or independent controllers, depending on the relationship.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

Payment providers that process card or bank transactions.
Accounting and bookkeeping systems used for invoicing and financial records.
IT and cloud storage providers that host email, scheduling, or data storage systems.
Customer communication tools used to manage bookings and service updates.
Subcontractors or workers assisting with a move, where they need limited data to perform the service.
Professional advisers such as accountants, legal advisers, or insurers.

We only share the minimum data necessary for the relevant purpose. All processors are expected to protect your data and process it only under our instructions, unless they are independently responsible under law.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, to protect our rights, to prevent fraud, or to respond to lawful requests from public authorities.

6. International Transfers

Where any processor or service provider stores or accesses data outside the United Kingdom, we will take appropriate safeguards to ensure your information remains protected. These safeguards may include contractual protections or other approved transfer mechanisms required by data protection law.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, and to meet legal, tax, accounting, or operational requirements.

Typical retention periods may include:

Booking and service records: kept for a reasonable period after the service is completed to manage queries, claims, and administration.
Invoice and payment records: retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Correspondence and complaint records: kept as long as needed to resolve the matter and maintain evidence of decisions.
Marketing preferences: retained until you withdraw consent or object, where applicable.

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

8. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and careful selection of service providers.

While no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, we work to reduce risk and review our practices regularly.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have important rights in relation to your personal information. Subject to legal conditions and exemptions, you may have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you.
Rectify inaccurate or incomplete information.
Erase your data in certain circumstances.
Restrict how we use your data in certain situations.
Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Data portability for information you provided to us in a structured, commonly used format, where applicable.
Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data rights have been breached. However, we encourage you to raise any issue with us first so we can try to resolve it promptly.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults arranging moving and transport services. We do not knowingly collect children’s personal data except where it is unavoidable for service delivery, such as household-related records provided by an adult customer. In such cases, we will process the information only as necessary and in accordance with data protection law.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business operations, or service providers. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

12. Contact and Further Information

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, your personal data, or how we handle information, you can raise them through our usual service communication channels. We will respond in line with our legal obligations and will aim to deal with requests fairly and promptly.

Man With Van East Dulwich values privacy, transparency, and responsible data handling. We process personal data only where necessary, keep it secure, and respect your rights as a customer in East Dulwich and the surrounding area.