Privacy Policy - Man And Van Eltham

This Privacy Policy explains how Man And Van Eltham collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. It applies to all Man And Van Eltham customers in the area, including individuals, households, and business clients who enquire about, book, or receive our moving and van services. We are committed to handling personal information in a fair, lawful, transparent, and secure way.

1. Scope of This Policy

This policy applies whenever we process personal data connected with our services, including quotes, bookings, collections, deliveries, and customer support. It also applies to data received from third parties when necessary to provide our services. We aim to use only the information needed to complete our work and maintain service quality. We take privacy seriously and try to ensure that all personal data is kept safe, accurate, and limited to the purpose for which it was collected.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect different types of personal data depending on the service requested. This can include:

Identity information such as full name and title.
Contact information such as phone number, email address, and service address.
Booking and service details such as moving dates, property access information, inventory notes, and delivery instructions.
Payment-related information such as transaction status, billing details, and invoice records.
Communication records including enquiries, complaints, confirmations, and feedback.
Technical data such as IP address, device type, or browser information if data is collected through digital forms or systems.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you have provided it to us voluntarily, or unless another lawful basis applies. We ask customers not to provide unnecessary sensitive information unless it is required for the service arrangement.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotes and respond to enquiries.
To arrange, manage, and complete removals or van services.
To communicate about booking changes, arrival times, and service updates.
To issue invoices, process payments, and maintain financial records.
To handle complaints, claims, or service-related disputes.
To improve our operations, customer experience, and service planning.
To comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations.

We will only process your data where it is necessary and where a valid lawful basis exists. We do not sell personal data. We also avoid using customer information for unrelated purposes.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. We rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. For example, we use your name, address, and service details to provide the moving or van service you requested.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests and where your rights do not override those interests. This can include managing bookings, preventing fraud, maintaining security, improving services, and keeping internal records. We always consider whether the processing is proportionate and respectful of your privacy.

Legal Obligation

We may need to process and retain certain data to comply with legal obligations, including tax law, accounting requirements, record keeping, and responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where specific optional communications or non-essential processing are involved. If consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third-party service providers, also known as processors, when they support our business operations. These processors only act on our instructions and are required to protect your data. Examples may include:

Payment processing providers.
Accounting and bookkeeping services.
IT and cloud storage providers.
Customer communication tools.
Administrative support services.

Where personal data is shared, we take steps to ensure appropriate contractual and security measures are in place. We do not give processors permission to use your data for their own independent purposes. We may also disclose data when required by law, to enforce our terms, to protect rights and safety, or to deal with legal claims.

6. International Transfers

If any processor stores or accesses personal data outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place before any transfer takes place. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful mechanisms designed to protect personal information to a standard consistent with UK GDPR.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, to meet legal obligations, and to resolve any disputes. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of record and the reason for holding it.

Quote and enquiry data may be kept for a limited period to manage follow-up, service history, and business administration.
Booking and service records may be retained for the duration of the customer relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and accounting records are generally kept for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
Complaints or claims records may be retained for as long as needed to manage the issue and any related legal obligations.

When data is no longer required, we delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you. We aim to retain data only for the minimum period necessary.

8. Data Security

We use 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, limited staff access, and data minimisation. While no system can be guaranteed fully secure, we work to reduce risk and maintain strong safeguards. Our team is expected to treat customer information with care and confidentiality.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have rights regarding your personal data. These rights may be subject to conditions and exemptions, but we will always assess requests carefully and respond appropriately. Your rights include:

Right of access – you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure – in certain cases, you may request deletion of your data.
Right to restrict processing – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in specific circumstances.
Right to object – you may object to processing based on legitimate interests.
Right to data portability – where applicable, you may request certain data in a structured format.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond within the legal time limits and may request information to verify your identity. We may not always be able to comply fully if legal exceptions apply, but we will explain our decision clearly. Your privacy rights matter to us.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is provided in connection with a customer’s moving arrangement and only where appropriate. If we become aware that personal data has been collected inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it securely.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business practices, or service arrangements. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review the policy periodically to remain informed about how we protect personal data. Continued use of our services after changes take effect will be treated as acceptance of the updated policy, where permitted by law.

12. Contact and Complaints

If you have concerns about how your personal data is handled, you should contact us using the usual service channels provided at the time of booking or enquiry. You also have the right to raise a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage customers to contact us first so we can try to resolve the matter promptly and fairly.

In summary: Man And Van Eltham processes personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently; uses it only for legitimate service and legal purposes; keeps it secure; and respects the rights of every customer in the area.