Privacy Policy - Man With Van Acton

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With Van Acton collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with the services we provide. It applies to all Man With Van Acton customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and individuals who interact with us in relation to moving, delivery, packing, loading, unloading, and related services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

For the purpose of data protection law, Man With Van Acton is the data controller for the personal data we collect and use in the ordinary course of providing our services. This means we decide why and how your personal data is processed. We take our responsibilities seriously and aim to use personal data only where there is a valid legal basis to do so.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process different categories of personal data depending on the service you request and how you interact with us. The information collected may include:

Identity information such as your name.
Contact details such as address, email address, and phone number.
Service details such as moving date, pickup and delivery locations, property access information, inventory details, and requested service type.
Billing and payment information where needed to process invoices and payments.
Communication records such as messages, notes from calls, complaints, and feedback.
Technical information if you interact with us through digital systems, such as IP address or device-related data used for security and administration.

We may also receive personal data from third parties when it is necessary for a move or delivery, such as building managers, landlords, estate agents, or other authorised representatives. In such cases, we only use the data for the relevant service purpose.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data to provide our services effectively and to manage our relationship with customers. The main purposes for processing include:

Responding to enquiries and preparing quotations.
Planning, arranging, and delivering moving services.
Managing bookings, scheduling, and route coordination.
Processing payments, issuing invoices, and maintaining records.
Communicating service updates, changes, or operational information.
Handling complaints, claims, and customer support matters.
Meeting legal, tax, accounting, and insurance obligations.
Protecting against fraud, misuse, or unauthorised access.

We only process personal data where we have a lawful basis under data protection law.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we must identify a lawful basis for each type of processing activity. We may rely on one or more of the following bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes managing bookings, carrying out the move, invoicing, and communicating about the service you have requested.

Legal obligation

We may process personal data when required to comply with legal obligations, including tax rules, accounting requirements, record-keeping duties, and compliance with applicable regulations.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include service improvement, operational planning, fraud prevention, security, and maintaining business records. We always assess whether our interests are appropriate and proportionate.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain optional communications or specific uses not covered by other lawful bases. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law. Retention periods depend on the nature of the data and the reason for processing. In general:

Customer service and booking records may be kept for a reasonable period to manage follow-up queries, complaints, and repeat services.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by accounting and tax law.
Claims and dispute records may be retained until the matter is resolved and for a further period where legally necessary.
General correspondence is kept only as long as needed for administrative and operational purposes.

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

6. Sharing Personal Data and Processors

We do not sell personal data. However, we may share it with trusted third parties where necessary to operate our business and provide services. These third parties may act as processors or independent controllers depending on the service provided.

Processors may include:

IT and hosting providers that support our systems, storage, and security.
Accounting and invoicing providers that help us manage financial records.
Payment service providers that process transactions securely.
Communication service providers that facilitate email, messaging, or customer support tools.
Operational partners or subcontractors involved in carrying out parts of a move or delivery where needed.

Where processors act on our behalf, they are required to process personal data only according to our instructions, maintain appropriate security measures, and comply with data protection law. We take steps to ensure that any third party handling personal data does so responsibly and with adequate safeguards.

7. International Transfers

In some cases, personal data may be processed outside the UK if a service provider uses systems or infrastructure located elsewhere. Where this happens, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent protective measures required by law.

8. Data Security

We use technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and internal procedures for handling data securely. Although no system is completely immune to risk, we work to maintain a high standard of protection.

9. Your Rights

As a data subject under the UK GDPR, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be exercised in certain circumstances and may be subject to legal exceptions. They include the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you.
Rectification of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Erasure of your data in appropriate circumstances.
Restriction of processing in certain situations.
Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Data portability where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
Withdraw consent where we rely on consent as the lawful basis.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner???s Office (ICO) if you believe your data has been handled unlawfully. We encourage you to raise concerns with us first so we can try to resolve the issue promptly and fairly.

10. Children???s Data

Our services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a service and provided by an authorised adult. Where children???s data is incidentally involved, it is treated with the same care and safeguards as other personal data.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business practices, or service arrangements. Any revised version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal data.

12. Summary of Our Approach

Man With Van Acton is committed to privacy, transparency, and compliance. We collect only the data needed to provide and manage our services, we process it on a valid legal basis, we retain it only as long as necessary, and we use trusted processors under proper safeguards. We also respect your rights and aim to handle all personal data in a lawful, secure, and responsible manner.