Privacy Policy - Man With A Van Stepney

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With A Van Stepney collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing removal, delivery, and related moving services. It applies to all Man With A Van Stepney customers in the area, including individuals who request a quote, make a booking, receive a service, or otherwise interact with us in connection with our operations. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, transparent, and secure manner in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Information We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for the services we provide, the management of customer relationships, and the fulfilment of legal and operational obligations. The categories of information we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name and title.
Contact details such as address, email address, and phone number.
Booking and service information such as moving date, collection and delivery locations, property access notes, inventory details, service preferences, and special handling requirements.
Payment and invoicing data such as billing address, payment status, transaction references, and other financial records needed for accounting purposes.
Communication records including enquiries, quotes, complaints, feedback, and correspondence related to your booking or service.
Technical information such as limited website or device data if you contact us online, where applicable, for security and service improvement purposes.

We do not seek to collect more data than is needed. If you provide information about a third party, such as another household member or business contact, you should ensure you have the right to share it and that they understand how it will be used.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for clearly defined business and legal purposes connected with our services. These include:

responding to enquiries and providing quotes;
managing bookings and carrying out moving or delivery services;
planning routes, assigning staff, and coordinating service delivery;
issuing invoices, processing payments, and managing accounts;
communicating service updates, confirmations, changes, or follow-up information;
handling complaints, claims, and customer support matters;
maintaining business records and improving service quality;
meeting legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations;
protecting against fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.

We may also use aggregated or anonymised information for internal analysis. Where data has been anonymised so that it can no longer identify an individual, it is no longer treated as personal data.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only where we have a lawful basis under data protection law. Depending on the activity, we rely on the following grounds:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes taking bookings, arranging services, providing moving assistance, and issuing invoices.

Legal Obligation

We may process data where we are required to comply with legal obligations, such as tax compliance, accounting requirements, insurance claims, and record-keeping duties.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is reasonably necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your interests and rights do not override those interests. This may include service administration, customer support, internal record management, quality control, and fraud prevention.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where you choose to receive certain optional communications or where another specific processing activity requires consent. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

4. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as data processors or independent controllers, but only where necessary and subject to appropriate safeguards. Our processors may include:

Payment service providers who handle transaction processing.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers who support financial administration.
IT and cloud service providers who store or maintain business systems securely.
Communication service providers who support email, messaging, and telephone operations.
Insurance providers, legal advisers, and claims handlers where needed to manage disputes, risks, or legal matters.
Subcontractors or operational partners who assist in service delivery under our instructions.

Where a processor is used, we require them to handle data only on our documented instructions, implement appropriate security measures, and respect confidentiality. We do not sell personal data.

We may also disclose data where required by law, court order, law enforcement request, or other legitimate public authority request. If business operations are transferred, reorganised, or sold, personal data may be shared with relevant parties as part of that process, subject to legal safeguards.

5. 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, tax, insurance, or dispute resolution requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of record and the reason for processing.

In general, we may retain:

booking and service records for a reasonable period after completion of the service;
financial and invoice records for the period required by law;
communication and complaint records for as long as needed to manage service issues or legal claims;
security-related records for a limited period necessary to protect our systems and operations.

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer be linked to an individual. In some cases, we may need to keep data longer if there is an ongoing dispute, legal obligation, or regulatory requirement.

6. Security of Personal Data

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, staff confidentiality obligations, secure storage, and limited access to systems containing personal data.

While we do our best to protect information, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. If we become aware of a personal data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will take appropriate steps in line with applicable law.

7. Your Rights Under GDPR

You have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and legal basis for processing:

Right of access – you may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – you may request deletion of your data in certain situations.
Right to restrict processing – you may ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
Right to object – you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – you may request that certain data be provided to you or another controller in a structured format.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data has been handled unlawfully. Exercising your rights will not usually involve a fee, although requests that are manifestly unfounded or excessive may be subject to legal restrictions.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are aimed at adults and business customers arranging removals or transport services. We do not intentionally collect personal data from children. If we become aware that we have collected information relating to a child without appropriate justification, we will take steps to delete it where required.

9. International Transfers

Where personal data is stored or accessed outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect it in accordance with data protection law. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful 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 protection practices. Any updates will take effect when published or otherwise communicated through appropriate means. We encourage customers to review the policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Man With A Van Stepney is committed to protecting customer privacy and using personal data responsibly. We collect only the information needed to provide our services, rely on lawful grounds for processing, share data only with necessary processors or legal recipients, retain data for appropriate periods, and respect your rights under GDPR. This policy applies to all Man With A Van Stepney customers in area, and it reflects our intention to manage personal information with care, transparency, and accountability.

By using our services, requesting a quote, or making a booking, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.