Privacy Policy - Man With Van Silvertown

Effective date: This Privacy Policy applies to all Man With Van Silvertown customers in the area and explains how personal data is collected, used, stored, shared, and protected when services are requested or delivered.

1. Introduction

Man With Van Silvertown is committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy explains what information may be collected, the lawful basis for using it, how long it is kept, which third parties may process it on our behalf, and the rights available to individuals.

We recognise the importance of privacy and are committed to safeguarding the personal information of customers, prospective customers, suppliers, and other individuals whose data we process in connection with our moving and van services.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data depending on the service requested:

Identity details: name, title, and any relevant identification information.
Contact details: address, email address, telephone number, and moving addresses.
Booking details: service date, time, route, item descriptions, access notes, and special instructions.
Payment details: billing information and limited payment records necessary to complete transactions.
Service records: quotes, invoices, correspondence, complaint records, and job completion notes.
Technical data: website or device information if you contact us through digital channels, such as IP address or browser type, where applicable.
Special category data: we do not ordinarily seek this information. If such data is shared with us incidentally, for example in delivery instructions, we will process it only where necessary and in accordance with data protection law.

We generally collect data directly from you when you request a quote, make a booking, communicate with us, or provide information during a move. In some cases, data may be received from third parties acting on your behalf, such as landlords, letting agents, or business representatives.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data to deliver services effectively, communicate with customers, and meet legal and operational requirements. Typical uses include:

providing quotes and confirming bookings;
planning and carrying out moving or van services;
communicating about schedules, access, delays, or service changes;
issuing invoices and processing payments;
handling complaints, claims, and customer service matters;
maintaining business records and service histories;
meeting tax, accounting, insurance, and legal obligations;
improving our operations, training, and service quality.

We will only use personal data for the purposes described in this policy unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another compatible purpose or we are required to do so by law.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a valid lawful basis to process personal data. Depending on the situation, 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 preparing a quotation, confirming a booking, completing a move, invoicing, and delivering related customer service.

Legal Obligation

We may process data where required to comply with legal obligations, such as keeping accounting records, meeting tax requirements, or responding to lawful requests from public authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include improving services, preventing fraud, managing business operations, and maintaining records of customer interactions. When relying on this basis, we consider whether the processing is reasonable, proportionate, and necessary.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where you have actively agreed to receive optional communications or where specific processing requires consent by law. You may withdraw consent at any time, although this will not affect processing already carried out before withdrawal.

5. Retention of Data

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

Booking and service records: retained for a reasonable period to manage customer service, disputes, and operational review.
Financial records: retained for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
Correspondence and complaints: retained as needed to resolve issues and demonstrate compliance.
Marketing preferences: kept until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent, where applicable.

When data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or destroyed using appropriate technical and organisational measures. We do not keep personal data indefinitely.

6. Processors and Third Parties

We may share personal data with trusted processors and service providers who help us run our business. These third parties only process data on our instructions and are required to protect it appropriately.

Examples of processors may include:

payment service providers;
accounting and bookkeeping providers;
IT hosting, cloud storage, and software providers;
customer communications and email systems;
insurance and claims handling partners;
professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers;
subcontracted drivers or operational partners where necessary to complete a service.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, to protect our rights, to enforce agreements, or to prevent fraud or misuse. We do not sell personal data.

7. International Transfers

Where any processor stores or accesses data outside the UK, we take appropriate steps to ensure that an adequate level of protection is in place. This may include the use of approved contractual safeguards or transfer mechanisms required under data protection law.

8. Security of Personal Data

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff awareness, and restricted data sharing. While no system can be guaranteed to be fully secure, we aim to maintain a level of protection appropriate to the risks involved.

9. Your Rights

Subject to applicable law, individuals have a number of rights regarding their personal data. These 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 information.
Right to erasure: to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restrict processing: to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability: to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format where legally applicable.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We will respond within the time limits required by law and may not always be able to comply if an exemption applies.

10. 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 connection with a household move or where supplied by an authorised adult. If we become aware that data has been collected inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it where required.

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. Any revised version will take effect when made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

12. Summary of Key Commitments

Transparent collection: we collect only the data needed to provide and manage our services.
Lawful processing: we rely on contract, legal obligation, legitimate interests, and consent where appropriate.
Controlled retention: data is retained only as long as necessary and then securely disposed of.
Limited sharing: data is shared only with trusted processors or where legally required.
User rights: customers can access, correct, delete, restrict, object, and port their data where permitted.

This policy is intended to give clear and fair information about how personal data is handled. By using Man With Van Silvertown services in the area, customers acknowledge that their information may be processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable data protection law.