Privacy Policy - Man With Van Crouchend

Man With Van Crouchend is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers, prospective customers, suppliers, and website users who use our services in the Crouchend area and surrounding local area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. It applies to all Man With Van Crouchend customers in the area, whether you contact us by phone, email, online form, or through any other service-related communication.

1. Who We Are

Man With Van Crouchend provides removals, man and van, delivery, loading, unloading, and related transport services. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as the data controller when we decide why and how your personal information is used. This means we are responsible for ensuring that your information is processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide our services effectively, manage bookings, and meet legal and contractual obligations. The data we may collect includes:

Identity details such as your name and title.
Contact details such as telephone number, email address, and property address.
Service details including moving date, collection and delivery locations, item descriptions, access requirements, and special handling instructions.
Billing and payment information where required for invoicing, payment processing, or proof of payment.
Correspondence records including messages, notes from calls, and service-related communications.
Usage and technical information if you interact with any digital booking or enquiry systems, such as device information, IP address, or browser data.
Optional information that you choose to share with us, including any accessibility requirements or circumstances relevant to the safe delivery of our services.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you choose to provide it. If such information is shared with us, we will process it only where a lawful basis exists and appropriate safeguards are in place.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and confirm bookings.
To plan, manage, and complete removals and transport services.
To communicate with you about your booking, timing, pricing, or service changes.
To process payments, send invoices, and maintain financial records.
To handle complaints, queries, or claims.
To maintain internal records and improve the quality of our services.
To comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations.
To prevent fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We will not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons it was collected unless we have a valid legal basis to do so.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only when we have a lawful basis under data protection law. Depending on the circumstances, our lawful bases include:

Contract: when processing is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract or to perform the contract for services you have requested.
Legal obligation: when we must process information to comply with tax, accounting, transport, insurance, or other legal requirements.
Legitimate interests: when processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as managing bookings, preventing fraud, improving operations, and keeping records, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.
Consent: where you have given us clear permission to use your data for a specific purpose, for example certain marketing communications, if applicable.

Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal.

5. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us run our business. These organisations act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. We only share the information needed for the relevant purpose and require appropriate data protection safeguards.

Examples of processors or service providers may include:

Payment processors that handle card or electronic payments.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers used for financial administration and tax compliance.
IT and cloud service providers that store data or support business communications.
Scheduling or booking systems used to manage jobs and customer records.
Professional advisers such as insurers, legal advisers, or auditors where necessary.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, where necessary to protect our legal rights, or where we need to respond to lawful requests by public authorities. We do not sell your personal data.

6. Data Retention

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

In general:

Booking and service records are kept for the duration needed to manage the service and resolve any follow-up issues.
Financial and invoicing records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Correspondence and complaint records are kept for a reasonable period to support service management and legal defence.
Data that is no longer required is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in line with our retention procedures.

Where there is a legal claim, dispute, or investigation, we may retain relevant information for a longer period until the matter is fully resolved.

7. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

You have rights over your personal data. Subject to legal conditions and exemptions, these rights include:

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 information.
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 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, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in line with data protection law. We may need to verify your identity before completing your request. Some rights may not apply in every case, for example where we must keep information to comply with legal obligations.

8. Security of Your Data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and appropriate provider safeguards. While we do our best to protect your information, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

9. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that suitable safeguards are in place and that the transfer complies with applicable data protection law. This may include using approved contractual clauses or relying on other legally recognised transfer mechanisms.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data handling practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how personal data is handled.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Man With Van Crouchend is committed to handling customer information responsibly, securely, and lawfully. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and legitimate purposes, retain it only as long as necessary, and respect your rights as a data subject. This policy applies to all Man With Van Crouchend customers in the area and is intended to give you clear information about how your personal data is processed.