Privacy Policy - Man And A Van St Johns Wood

This Privacy Policy explains how Man And A Van St Johns Wood collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data. It applies to all Man And A Van St Johns Wood customers in the area, including individuals who request quotes, book services, receive moving assistance, or otherwise interact with our moving and transport services.

We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent way. We respect your privacy and aim to keep your data secure and only use it for clear and legitimate purposes. This policy is written in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Man And A Van St Johns Wood provides local moving, transport, loading, unloading, and related services. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as the data controller for the personal data we collect and use in connection with our services.

This means we decide why and how personal data is processed, while making sure it is handled in a way that complies with data protection requirements.

2. Personal Data We Collect

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

Identity information such as your name and title.
Contact information such as your phone number and email address.
Address information including collection, delivery, billing, and property access details.
Booking details such as requested dates, service type, move size, and special handling requirements.
Payment information needed to process transactions and issue receipts.
Service history including records of quotes, bookings, and completed jobs.
Communication records such as messages, call notes, and correspondence about your booking or enquiry.
Technical information if you interact with us electronically, such as device or usage data where relevant for security and service improvement.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and you provide it voluntarily, for example if you share information about access needs, health-related assistance, or other details relevant to your move. Where this occurs, we only process it when a lawful basis applies and additional safeguards are in place.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotes and manage bookings.
To plan and carry out moving and transport services.
To communicate with you about service details, timing, and any changes.
To process payments and maintain financial records.
To respond to queries, complaints, and service feedback.
To maintain accurate business and customer records.
To improve our services, customer experience, and operational efficiency.
To comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations.
To protect against fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We only use personal data for the specific purposes set out in this policy, or for purposes that are compatible with them.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. We rely on the following lawful bases where appropriate:

Performance of a Contract

We process your data when it is necessary to provide a quote, make a booking, carry out a move, collect payment, or take steps at your request before entering into a contract.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include managing customer relationships, improving services, maintaining records, preventing fraud, and ensuring the security of our operations. We always consider whether such processing is proportionate and appropriate.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain records to meet legal requirements, including tax, accounting, insurance, and regulatory duties.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example if we need permission to use optional information not otherwise necessary for the service. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us deliver our services. These parties act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. We only share data where necessary and we require appropriate safeguards.

Examples of processors may include:

Payment processors that handle card or electronic payments securely.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that support financial administration.
IT and cloud service providers that store or protect our business records.
Communication service providers that help us send messages or manage business communications.
Operational partners who assist with delivery, logistics, or scheduling where needed.

We may also disclose information if required by law, court order, regulator request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of our business, customers, staff, or the public.

Where processors handle personal data on our behalf, they are required to act only on our instructions, protect the data, and implement suitable technical and organisational measures.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, or reporting obligations.

Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the reason it is held. In general:

Booking and service records are retained for a reasonable period after completion of the service.
Financial records are kept for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Communication records are retained as long as needed to manage enquiries, complaints, or service follow-up.
Data held on the basis of consent is kept until consent is withdrawn or no longer necessary.

When data is no longer needed, we take steps to securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in accordance with our retention practices.

7. Security of Your Data

We use appropriate measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff awareness, and limiting data access to those who need it for business purposes.

While no method of transmission or storage is completely risk-free, we work to ensure that your information is handled responsibly and with care.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to conditions or exceptions depending on the circumstances.

Right of access – to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data in certain situations.
Right to restriction – to request limited processing in some cases.
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 relies on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data has been mishandled. We encourage you to raise any concerns so 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 for marketing or unrelated purposes. If information about a child is incidentally provided as part of a household move, we will only use it where necessary for the service and in accordance with this policy.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or data protection practices. Any updates will take effect when published in the revised version. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your personal data.

11. Summary of Key Points

We collect only the data needed to provide and manage our services.
We use data on lawful grounds such as contract, legitimate interests, consent, and legal obligation.
We share data only with trusted processors and where legally required.
We keep data for no longer than necessary.
You have rights over your personal data, including access, correction, deletion, and objection.

Man And A Van St Johns Wood is committed to respecting privacy and protecting personal information for every customer in the area. By using our services, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy.