Privacy Policy - Man With Van Somerstown

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With Van Somerstown collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Man With Van Somerstown customers in the Somerstown area, including individuals who request quotes, make bookings, receive moving or transport services, or otherwise interact with us in connection with our services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

By using our services, you acknowledge that we may process personal data as described in this policy. We only collect information that is necessary for legitimate business purposes, service delivery, compliance, and customer support. Where required, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect the information we hold.

1. Data We Collect

We collect and process personal data that is relevant to providing moving, transport, and related services. The categories of data may include:

Identity data such as your name and title.
Contact data such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Service data such as move dates, property access details, item descriptions, inventory details, and service preferences.
Billing and payment data such as invoice details, payment status, and transaction records.
Communication data such as messages, call notes, complaint records, and feedback.
Technical data where relevant, such as basic device or website interaction information used for security and analytics.
Verification data where needed for fraud prevention, identity confirmation, or service protection.

We may also process limited sensitive information only when it is necessary for the service, for example where a customer voluntarily provides access requirements, mobility needs, or other information that helps us perform a move safely and appropriately. We do not seek to collect special category data unless there is a lawful reason to do so and only with suitable safeguards.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and manage bookings.
To plan, deliver, and complete moving and transport services.
To communicate with customers about schedules, access arrangements, and service updates.
To process payments, issue invoices, and maintain financial records.
To handle complaints, queries, and customer support requests.
To maintain records of services provided and to improve operational efficiency.
To protect against fraud, misuse, or unauthorised access.
To comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations.

We only use personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably determine that we need to use it for a compatible purpose or a lawful requirement.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only where we have a valid lawful basis under UK GDPR. Depending on the context, this may include one or more of the following:

Contract

We process data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotes at your request, managing bookings, carrying out the move, and dealing with associated service tasks.

Legal Obligation

We may process data where necessary to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, including tax, accounting, insurance, record-keeping, and fraud prevention obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is in our legitimate interests to run and improve our business, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. Examples include maintaining service records, handling customer communications, improving service quality, and preventing misuse or security incidents.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time, although this will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

4. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties that assist us in operating our services. These parties act as processors when they process data on our behalf and under our instructions. They are required to protect the data and use it only for the purpose we specify.

Processors and service providers may include:

Payment service providers that handle card or transaction processing.
Accounting or bookkeeping providers that help manage financial records.
IT and cloud storage providers that support secure data storage and communication systems.
Customer management or scheduling systems used for operational administration.
Professional advisers such as insurers, legal advisers, or auditors where necessary.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, to enforce our rights, to protect the safety of our customers, staff, or property, or in connection with legal proceedings. We do not sell personal data.

5. International Transfers

If any processor or service provider stores or accesses personal data outside the United Kingdom, we take appropriate steps to ensure that the transfer is protected by suitable safeguards. These may include recognised contractual protections and transfer mechanisms that help ensure an equivalent level of data protection.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of record and the reason it is held. In general:

Quotation and booking records may be retained for a period needed to manage customer relationships and business administration.
Invoice, payment, and tax-related records may be retained for the statutory period required by law.
Complaint and communication records may be retained for a reasonable time to support dispute resolution and service improvement.
Security or incident-related records may be retained for a period necessary to investigate and manage risk.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or destroy it in accordance with our retention practices.

7. Data Security

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

Although we work to protect your data, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. We therefore encourage customers to provide only the information necessary for their move and to notify us promptly if they believe data has been compromised.

8. Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you may have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

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 in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests.
Right to data portability – to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format, where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage customers to raise concerns directly first so that we can address them promptly.

9. Children's Data

Our services are intended for adults arranging moving and transport services. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidentally included in service-related information provided by an adult customer. If we become aware that we have collected such data without an appropriate basis, we will take reasonable steps to delete it.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

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

11. Summary of Our Approach

Man With Van Somerstown treats privacy as an important part of our customer service. We collect only the data needed to provide our services, process it under a valid lawful basis, retain it for no longer than necessary, and use trusted processors where appropriate. We also respect your rights under data protection law and aim to maintain transparency, security, and accountability in all our data practices.

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