Privacy Policy - Man And A Van Tooting

This Privacy Policy explains how Man And A Van Tooting collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data when providing moving, transport, and related services. It applies to all Man And A Van Tooting customers in the area, including individuals, families, landlords, tenants, and businesses who book or enquire about 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.

1. Who We Are

Man And A Van Tooting provides local and regional moving services, including item transport, furniture removal, loading and unloading, and similar logistics support. In the course of delivering these services, we may process personal information about customers, recipients, and other individuals connected to a booking. We only collect data that is necessary for service delivery, administration, safety, and compliance.

2. Information We Collect

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

Identity details: name, title, and, where relevant, business name.
Contact details: telephone number, email address, and service address.
Booking details: moving date, collection and delivery locations, property access information, service notes, and item descriptions.
Payment and billing details: payment status, invoice records, and transaction references. We do not retain full card details where payment processing is handled by third-party providers.
Communication records: emails, messages, call notes, and other correspondence related to enquiries, quotes, complaints, or service updates.
Operational data: details needed to plan and carry out the service, such as parking instructions, floor level, lift access, and item sizes or weights.
Technical data: limited information collected through digital systems, such as IP address, device type, and basic usage data, where applicable for security and performance purposes.

We may also receive information from third parties where necessary to complete a booking, such as estate agents, landlords, tenants, business contacts, or payment processors. Where this occurs, we treat the information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data only where there is a valid legal basis and a clear purpose. Typical uses include:

processing enquiries and providing quotations;
arranging bookings and delivering moving services;
communicating about schedules, access requirements, and service changes;
issuing invoices, handling payments, and keeping financial records;
managing complaints, claims, and customer support;
maintaining safety, security, and operational efficiency;
meeting legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
preventing fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity; and
improving our services, systems, and customer experience.

We do not use personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the reason it was collected unless we have a lawful basis to do so and the change is permitted by law.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for every use of personal data. We rely on the following bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with a customer. This includes taking bookings, confirming service details, providing moving services, and managing payment or delivery arrangements.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain records to comply with legal requirements, including tax, accounting, insurance, and business record-keeping obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests do not override your rights and freedoms. These interests may include business administration, service improvement, fraud prevention, dispute handling, and maintaining accurate records.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where it is required for optional communications or specific processing activities. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time, and this will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

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

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

Payment processors: to process card or electronic payments securely.
IT and cloud service providers: to store data, support email systems, and manage booking records.
Accounting providers: to manage invoicing, bookkeeping, and tax reporting.
Communication tools: to help us send booking updates or respond to customer queries.
Professional advisers: such as insurers, legal advisers, or auditors where necessary.

We require processors to handle personal data securely, to use it only for the agreed purpose, and to follow appropriate confidentiality and data protection obligations. We do not sell personal data.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the nature of the service.

Booking and customer records: retained for a period necessary to manage the service, handle queries, and resolve disputes.
Financial records: retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Communication records: retained for a reasonable period for customer support, service improvement, and evidence of instructions or complaints.
Security and technical records: retained for limited periods unless a longer period is required for investigation or legal reasons.

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

7. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, and limiting access to personal information to authorised personnel only. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take data protection seriously and regularly review our practices.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights regarding your personal data. These rights may apply in full or in part depending on the circumstances:

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 some cases, you can ask us to delete your data.
Right to restriction: you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object: you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability: where applicable, you can request your data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent: if we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with legal requirements and may need to verify your identity before acting on your request.

9. 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 for a family moving arrangement and provided by a parent or guardian. If we become aware that we have collected information unlawfully, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

10. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place as required by law. This may include using approved contractual protections or transferring data only to countries with adequate protection standards.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect legal, operational, or service changes. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we handle personal data.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Man And A Van Tooting is committed to protecting customer privacy, using personal data responsibly, and meeting all applicable data protection requirements. We only collect data that is needed to provide our services, we use it for clear and lawful purposes, we share it only with trusted processors or where required by law, and we retain it only for as long as necessary. Your privacy matters to us, and we aim to handle your information with care, transparency, and respect.