Privacy Policy - Man And A Van Watford

This Privacy Policy explains how Man And A Van Watford collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with the services we provide. It applies to all Man And A Van Watford customers in the area, including individuals who request quotations, make bookings, receive removals or delivery services, or otherwise interact with us before, during, or after a service is provided.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Man And A Van Watford acts as a data controller in relation to the personal data we collect and use for our own business purposes. This means we determine the purposes and means of processing personal information in order to deliver moving, transport, and related customer services.

We are committed to handling personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We only process personal information where we have a lawful basis to do so and where it is necessary, proportionate, and fair.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect different types of personal data depending on how you use our services. The data we collect may include:

Identity data such as your name and title.
Contact data such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details such as moving dates, collection and delivery locations, property access information, and item descriptions.
Payment and billing data such as invoice details, payment status, and records of transactions.
Communication data such as messages, notes, complaints, requests, and any correspondence you send to us.
Operational data such as vehicle allocation, booking schedules, service history, and records needed to complete the work.
Technical data where relevant, such as limited device or browsing information if you communicate with us electronically.

In some cases, you may provide us with information about other people, for example when arranging a move for a household or business. If you do this, you should ensure that you have the authority to share that information with us and that the other person is aware of this Privacy Policy where appropriate.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data only for legitimate business and legal purposes. These may include:

providing quotations and assessing service requirements;
managing bookings and carrying out removals or transport services;
communicating with customers about schedules, changes, and service updates;
processing payments, issuing invoices, and maintaining accounting records;
handling complaints, claims, and customer support requests;
maintaining internal records, service quality, and operational efficiency;
meeting legal, tax, and regulatory obligations;
protecting our business, staff, customers, and property from fraud, misuse, or security risks.

We only use personal data for the purposes for which it was collected unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for a compatible purpose or another lawful reason.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each type of processing. Depending on the circumstances, we rely on the following lawful bases:

Contract – where processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as arranging a booking, delivering a service, or handling payment.
Legal obligation – where processing is necessary to comply with applicable law, including tax, accounting, and record-keeping obligations.
Legitimate interests – where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include service administration, customer support, operational planning, fraud prevention, and business record management.
Consent – in limited situations where we rely on your consent, such as specific optional communications or permissions, you may withdraw consent at any time.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we make sure to consider the impact on your privacy and only process data in ways that are expected, necessary, and respectful of your rights.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties when necessary to provide our services or comply with legal obligations. These third parties may act as processors or independent controllers depending on the service they provide.

Processors may include:

Payment service providers who process card or online payments on our behalf.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers who support invoicing, tax, and financial administration.
IT and cloud service providers who store data securely or support business systems.
Communication service providers who assist with email, messaging, or booking-related communications.
Professional advisers such as insurers, legal advisers, or auditors where necessary.

We require processors to act only on our instructions, to keep personal data secure, and to use it only for the purposes we specify. Where data is shared with independent third parties, they are responsible for their own compliance with data protection law.

We do not sell personal data. We also do not share information unnecessarily. If disclosure is required by law, court order, or regulatory authority, we may need to provide relevant information.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, insurance, and operational requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of record and the purpose of processing.

As a general rule, we retain:

booking and service records for the period needed to manage the contract and deal with follow-up matters;
financial and tax records for the period required by applicable law;
correspondence and complaint records for as long as needed to resolve issues and maintain service history;
records related to claims or disputes for as long as necessary to defend or establish legal rights.

When personal 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 take the security of personal data seriously and use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect it from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include restricted access, secure storage, password protection, staff awareness, and careful selection of service providers.

However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If a data breach occurs, we will respond in accordance with legal requirements and take appropriate steps to reduce risk and protect affected individuals.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to legal limits and exemptions, these may 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 data.
Right to erasure – you can ask us to delete your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction – you can request that we limit how we use your data in certain cases.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests, and in some cases to direct marketing.
Right to data portability – you may request that certain data be provided to you or another organisation in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We will aim to respond within the time limits required by law.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are generally directed to adults arranging removals, transport, or related services. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a household move or another lawful service-related purpose and appropriate care is taken.

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 issued. We encourage customers to review the policy periodically so they remain informed about how personal data is processed.

11. How This Policy Applies

This Privacy Policy applies to all Man And A Van Watford customers in the area, including anyone who uses, enquires about, or receives our services. By engaging with us, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this policy and in line with applicable law.

Key Principles

We are committed to the following principles:

lawfulness, fairness, and transparency;
purpose limitation;
data minimisation;
accuracy;
storage limitation;
integrity and confidentiality.

We aim to process only the personal data that is necessary, retain it only for as long as needed, and protect it using appropriate safeguards. If you have concerns about how your personal information is handled, you have the right to raise those concerns with the relevant data protection authority.

Last updated: This Privacy Policy is effective from the date of publication and should be read as part of our commitment to responsible and lawful data processing.