Privacy Policy - Man With A Van Acton

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With A Van Acton collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data relating to its customers and potential customers in the Acton area. It applies to all Man With A Van Acton customers in area, including individuals who request quotes, book removals or van services, make enquiries, or otherwise interact with us in connection with our services.

We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent way, in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and other applicable privacy laws. This policy explains what data we collect, the lawful basis we rely on, how long we keep data, the types of processors we may use, and the rights available to individuals.

1. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data needed to provide and manage our services effectively. The information we may collect includes:

• Identity details, such as your name and, where relevant, business name.
• Contact details, such as your telephone number, email address, and service address.
• Booking and service details, including move date, collection and delivery addresses, property access information, inventory details, and service preferences.
• Payment information, such as billing details and transaction records. We do not store full card details where payment processing is handled securely by a third party.
• Communication records, including emails, telephone notes, quote requests, complaint details, and correspondence relating to service arrangements.
• Operational information, such as route planning, scheduling notes, vehicle allocation, and delivery instructions.
• Technical information if you visit a digital channel used for enquiries, including basic device and usage data collected through cookies or similar technologies, where applicable.

We generally collect personal data directly from you. In some cases, we may also receive data from third parties, such as a landlord, letting agent, business partner, or person authorised to make arrangements on your behalf.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• to respond to enquiries and provide quotes;
• to arrange, confirm, and perform removal or van services;
• to manage scheduling, logistics, and service delivery;
• to process payments and issue invoices or receipts;
• to communicate about bookings, changes, delays, or service updates;
• to handle complaints, claims, or customer support requests;
• to maintain business records and internal administration;
• to comply with legal, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
• to protect against fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity;
• to improve our services, operations, and customer experience.

We only use personal data where we have a valid legal reason to do so and where the processing is compatible with the purpose for which the data was collected.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must identify a lawful basis before processing personal data. We rely on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotes, confirming bookings, coordinating the move, handling payment, and delivering agreed services.

Legal Obligation

We may process certain data to comply with legal requirements, including tax, accounting, insurance, record-keeping, and any obligation to respond to lawful requests from public authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include service improvement, operational planning, fraud prevention, business administration, and maintaining secure systems.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where you agree to receive certain optional communications or where cookie consent is required. When consent is used, you may 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 act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. We only share data where necessary and subject to appropriate safeguards.

Examples of processors may include:

• IT and cloud service providers that store data or support email, scheduling, or document management systems;
• Payment service providers that process card or online payments securely;
• Accounting and invoicing providers that support financial record-keeping;
• Customer relationship or booking tools used to manage quotes and service records;
• Communication providers that assist with telephone, messaging, or email services;
• Professional advisers, such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers, where necessary;
• Subcontractors or partner service providers involved in fulfilling a booking, if required to complete the service.

We require processors to handle personal data securely, only on our instructions, and in line with data protection law. We do not sell personal data.

We may also disclose data where required by law, court order, regulation, or to protect our rights, customers, staff, or the public.

5. International Transfers

If any processor stores or accesses personal data outside the UK, we will take appropriate steps to ensure adequate protection. This may include using UK-approved transfer mechanisms and contractual safeguards to protect your data to a level consistent with UK GDPR requirements.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, insurance, and dispute-resolution requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of information and the reason for processing.

In general:

• Quote and enquiry records may be kept for a limited period to manage follow-up, customer service, and business administration.
• Booking and transaction records are typically retained for several years to meet financial and contractual obligations.
• Complaint, claim, or dispute records may be retained longer where necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.
• Marketing preferences are kept until you opt out or withdraw consent, where applicable.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or destroy it.

7. Security of Personal Data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and careful management of third-party systems.

While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take reasonable steps to reduce risks and to respond appropriately if an issue arises.

8. Your Rights

You have rights over your personal data under data protection law. These rights may include:

• Right of access - to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification - to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to erasure - to request deletion of personal data in certain circumstances.
• Right to restriction - to ask us to restrict processing 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 or direct marketing.
• Right to withdraw consent - where processing is based on consent.
• Right to lodge a complaint - to the Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data has been mishandled.

These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal limits. If we cannot comply with a request, we will explain why where permitted by law.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a service booking arranged by an adult customer. Where such data is processed, it will be handled carefully and only for the relevant service purpose.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, operations, or service practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it takes effect. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how personal data is handled.

11. Summary of Key Points

Man With A Van Acton collects only the information needed to provide quotes, manage bookings, deliver services, handle payments, and meet legal obligations. We process data on lawful bases such as contract, legal obligation, legitimate interests, and consent where applicable. Data may be shared with trusted processors who support our operations, and it is retained only as long as necessary. Customers have rights to access, correct, erase, restrict, object to, or port their data, and to complain to the relevant supervisory authority if needed.

This policy is intended to ensure transparent and responsible handling of customer information for all services provided in the Acton area.