Privacy Policy - Man With A Van Coulsdon

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With A Van Coulsdon collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing removals, moving, delivery, and related services. It applies to all Man With A Van Coulsdon customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, former customers, and anyone who contacts us for a quote or service enquiry. We are committed to handling personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Man With A Van Coulsdon acts as a data controller for the personal data we collect and use in connection with our services. This means we decide how and why your personal data is processed. We only collect information that is relevant to arranging and delivering moving services, managing customer relationships, maintaining records, and meeting legal and operational obligations.

We take privacy seriously and aim to keep data use limited, secure, and proportionate to the services we provide.

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 address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details, including pickup and delivery addresses, moving dates, item lists, access notes, and service preferences.
Payment and billing information, such as payment status, transaction records, and invoice details.
Communication records, including emails, messages, call notes, and customer service interactions.
Booking and contract information, such as quotes, confirmations, service agreements, and scheduling records.
Operational information, such as job completion notes, complaints, damage reports, and feedback.
Technical information if you interact with us through digital tools, such as IP address, device information, or basic usage data, where applicable.

We generally do not seek to collect special category data. However, if you voluntarily provide such information, for example in relation to access needs or health-related delivery considerations, we will only process it where necessary and appropriate safeguards are in place.

3. How We Collect Your Data

We collect personal data in several ways:

When you request a quote or make a booking.
When you contact us by phone, email, or other communication methods.
When you provide details during the planning or delivery of a move.
When you make a payment or receive an invoice.
When you submit feedback, a complaint, or a support request.
When third parties involved in your move share information necessary to complete the service, such as landlords, letting agents, property managers, or business clients.

We may also receive information from trusted processors or service providers assisting with administration, accounting, or secure storage.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for each type of processing. We rely on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes managing quotes, arranging bookings, carrying out the move, processing payments, and resolving issues related to the service.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include business administration, service improvement, fraud prevention, record keeping, and handling customer enquiries. We ensure that such processing is proportionate and respectful of your privacy.

Legal Obligation

We may need to process and retain certain information to comply with legal requirements, such as accounting records, tax obligations, and regulatory requests.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, particularly where processing is optional and not necessary for the service. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data to:

Provide and manage removals and van services.
Prepare quotes and confirm bookings.
Communicate with you about schedules, access, and service details.
Process payments and issue invoices.
Maintain job records and customer history.
Handle complaints, claims, or service issues.
Improve our operations, customer service, and service quality.
Meet legal, tax, and accounting requirements.

We do not use personal data for unrelated purposes without informing you and ensuring a valid lawful basis.

6. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with carefully selected third parties who act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. These third parties are used only where necessary and are required to handle data securely and in accordance with applicable law.

Examples of processors may include:

Accounting and bookkeeping providers for financial administration and tax records.
IT and cloud storage providers for secure data hosting, backup, and system support.
Communication service providers for email, messaging, and customer contact management.
Payment service providers for processing card or electronic payments.
Business administration tools used for scheduling, invoicing, and record keeping.

Where processors act on our behalf, they may only use your personal data according to our instructions and must not use it for their own purposes. We take steps to ensure appropriate contractual safeguards are in place.

We may also disclose data if required by law, court order, regulatory authority, or to protect our legal rights, safety, or the security of our business and customers.

7. International Transfers

Where personal data is stored or accessed outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate legal safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections. We aim to keep transfers to the minimum necessary and only to reputable providers.

8. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, and operational requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the nature of the service.

In general:

Booking and service records are kept for a reasonable period to manage follow-up queries, disputes, and business records.
Financial and tax records are kept for the period required by law.
Customer correspondence is retained only as long as needed to respond to the enquiry or maintain accurate records.
Complaint and claim records may be retained longer where necessary to defend or establish legal claims.

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

9. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, and restricted access to personal records.

While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take reasonable and proportionate steps to protect the information entrusted to us.

10. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights regarding your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances:

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 situations.
Right to restrict processing - to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
Right to object - to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing, where applicable.
Right to data portability - to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format, where legally required.
Right to withdraw consent - where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in line with legal requirements and may need to verify your identity before taking action.

11. Automated Decision-Making

We do not normally use automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects. If this changes, we will update this policy and provide appropriate information about your rights.

12. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not intentionally collect personal data from children unless it is necessary for a service and provided by an adult customer or authorised representative. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without appropriate permission, we will take reasonable steps to address it.

13. 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 updated version will apply from the date it is published. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is used.

14. Summary of Our Commitment

Man With A Van Coulsdon is committed to processing personal data fairly, lawfully, and securely. We collect only the information needed to provide our moving services, rely on appropriate lawful bases, retain data only for as long as necessary, and use processors that meet required data protection standards. We respect your rights and aim to handle all customer information with care, transparency, and accountability.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Man With A Van Coulsdon customers in the area.