Privacy Policy - Man With Van Hammersmith

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With Van Hammersmith collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing moving, delivery, and related services. It applies to all Man With Van Hammersmith customers in the area, including people who request a quote, book a service, communicate with us, or use our services in any other way.

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. This policy is designed to help you understand what personal information we collect, why we use it, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and what rights you have over your information.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

Identity information: your name and, where relevant, the name of your business or organisation.
Contact details: telephone number, email address, and service address.
Booking and service information: details about the move, location, item descriptions, access notes, dates, times, and any special handling requirements.
Payment information: billing details and transaction records. We do not retain full payment card details where payment processing is handled by a secure third-party processor.
Communication records: emails, messages, call notes, complaints, reviews, and feedback.
Technical information: limited website or device information such as IP address, browser type, and general usage data if you interact with our online services.
Additional information you provide: any other details you choose to share with us to help us perform our services safely and effectively.

In some cases, we may also process sensitive or special category data if you voluntarily provide it and it is necessary for the service, for example access requirements linked to disability or health-related needs. We only do this where there is a lawful basis and appropriate safeguards in place.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotes, arrange bookings, and perform moving services;
to communicate with you about your booking, arrival time, and service details;
to manage payments, invoices, and accounting records;
to respond to enquiries, complaints, and customer service requests;
to improve our services, operations, and customer experience;
to meet legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations;
to prevent fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity;
to maintain internal records and business administration.

We only collect the data necessary for the relevant purpose and we do not use personal data in ways that are incompatible with those purposes.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. We rely on the following lawful bases:

Contract

Contractual necessity applies where processing is needed to prepare for and perform a service you request, such as providing quotes, arranging a move, or completing a booking.

Legal obligation

We process certain data where required to comply with legal obligations, including tax, accounting, insurance, and record-keeping requirements.

Legitimate interests

We may process data based on our legitimate business interests, such as improving services, maintaining security, managing customer relationships, and defending legal claims. When we rely on legitimate interests, we make sure our interests do not override your rights and freedoms.

Consent

Where consent is required, such as for optional marketing communications or certain types of special category data, we will ask for your clear consent. You can withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

Vital interests or public task

These bases are unlikely to apply in most cases, but they may be used if necessary in exceptional circumstances.

4. Sharing Your Information and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary for service delivery, legal compliance, or business operations. These third parties may act as data processors or independent controllers depending on the circumstances.

Typical processors and service providers may include:

Payment processors: to securely handle card or electronic payments;
IT and cloud service providers: to store and manage data systems, emails, and backups;
Administrative software providers: to support booking, invoicing, scheduling, and customer management;
Professional advisers: such as accountants, auditors, insurers, or legal advisers;
Subcontractors or service partners: where needed to complete a move or related service;
Regulatory, law enforcement, or public authorities: where disclosure is required by law.

We take reasonable steps to ensure that any processor acting on our behalf only processes personal data under our instructions, keeps it secure, and complies with data protection law. We do not sell your personal data.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, and reporting obligations.

Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the reason for processing. As a general approach:

booking and service records are kept for a period necessary to manage the customer relationship and handle follow-up matters;
financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law;
complaints, claims, or dispute-related records may be kept longer where needed to resolve or defend a claim;
marketing records are retained until you opt out or withdraw consent, where applicable.

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

6. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and reviewing our providers’ security arrangements.

Although we work hard to safeguard information, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If we become aware of a data security incident affecting your personal data, we will act in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

7. Your Rights

Under 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 data portability: to receive some of your 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, you can withdraw it at any time.

Some rights may be limited where we have a legal obligation to keep or use the information, or where other lawful grounds apply.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with data protection law and may ask for information to verify your identity before taking action.

8. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other legally recognised protections.

9. Marketing

We may send limited marketing communications where permitted by law or where you have given consent. You can opt out of marketing at any time. Even if you opt out, we may still send important service-related messages such as booking confirmations, invoices, or policy updates.

10. Cookies and Similar Technologies

If you interact with our online services, we may use cookies or similar tools for basic functionality, security, and understanding how our services are used. Where required, we will provide information about these technologies and any choices available to you. Non-essential cookies will only be used where permitted.

11. Children

Our services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is provided by a parent, guardian, or authorised adult in connection with a service arrangement.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or data handling practices. The latest version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise made available.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Man With Van Hammersmith is committed to processing personal data responsibly, securely, and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it only for legitimate purposes, keep it no longer than necessary, and respect your rights under data protection law. If you are a customer in the area, this policy explains how your information is handled when you use our services.