Privacy Policy - Man With A Van Ruislip

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With A Van Ruislip collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data when providing removals, transport, loading, unloading, and related moving services. It applies to all Man With A Van Ruislip customers in the area, including private individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and business customers who engage our services.

We are committed to handling personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and other applicable privacy laws. We aim to be clear, fair, and transparent about what data we collect and why we use it.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Man With A Van Ruislip is the data controller for the personal data we collect and process in connection with our services. This means we decide how and why your personal data is used.

Our services may include local removals, item collection and delivery, furniture transport, loading and unloading support, and associated operational arrangements. In delivering these services, we may need to process personal data from customers, recipients, suppliers, and other individuals involved in a booking.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary for the provision and management of our services. The information we may collect includes:

Identity details such as your name, title, and, where relevant, business name.
Contact details such as your phone number, email address, and address.
Booking details such as collection and delivery locations, move date, property type, inventory information, access notes, and service requirements.
Payment information such as billing details and transaction records.
Communication records including emails, messages, call notes, and service-related correspondence.
Service history including quotations, bookings, cancellations, amendments, and complaints.
Operational information such as vehicle allocation, crew notes, and completion records.

We generally do not seek to collect special category data. However, such data may occasionally be provided by you incidentally, for example if it appears in messages or service instructions. Where this happens, we will only process it where a lawful basis applies and where it is necessary.

3. How We Collect Data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

request a quotation;
make a booking;
communicate with us by phone, email, or message;
provide service instructions or access information;
submit feedback, a complaint, or a query;
make a payment or request an invoice.

We may also receive data from third parties where necessary for the service, such as someone arranging a move on your behalf, a business client, a landlord, a letting agent, or a recipient who needs to confirm delivery details.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process your personal data. Depending on the activity, we rely on the following lawful bases:

Performance of a Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to provide a quote, manage a booking, deliver moving services, issue invoices, and fulfil our obligations under a contract with you.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your interests and rights do not override those interests. This may include service planning, fraud prevention, record keeping, responding to enquiries, and improving our services.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain information where we are required to do so by law, such as for tax, accounting, or regulatory compliance purposes.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where you have agreed to receive certain optional communications. If consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations and confirm bookings;
to plan and carry out removals and transport services;
to communicate with you about your booking or enquiry;
to manage payments, invoices, and receipts;
to keep records of services provided;
to respond to complaints or disputes;
to comply with legal, tax, and accounting requirements;
to improve our operations and customer service;
to prevent misuse, fraud, or unlawful activity.

We will not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the original reason it was collected unless we have a valid lawful basis to do so.

6. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us run our business and deliver our services. These third parties act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. We only share data where it is necessary and proportionate.

Examples of processors may include:

Payment providers who process card or electronic payments;
Accounting or bookkeeping providers who help manage financial records;
IT and cloud service providers who store, secure, or support business systems;
Communication service providers who help us manage email, telephone, or messaging systems;
Administrative service providers who assist with scheduling, record keeping, or document management.

Where we use processors, we put in place appropriate contractual safeguards to ensure they only process data on our instructions and in compliance with data protection law.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, to comply with a lawful request, or to protect our rights, property, safety, customers, or the public.

7. International Transfers

If any service provider stores or processes data outside the United Kingdom, we will take steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other legally recognised transfer mechanisms.

8. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of record and the nature of the service.

Quotation and booking records are typically retained for a reasonable period to manage enquiries, disputes, and service history.
Payment and invoice records are retained for the periods required by tax and accounting law.
Correspondence and complaint records may be retained for longer where needed to resolve issues or demonstrate compliance.
Operational notes are retained only as long as necessary for service delivery and internal record keeping.

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

9. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures are designed to reflect the nature of the data and the risks involved.

While we take data security seriously, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. We therefore encourage customers to share only the information needed for the service.

10. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to limitations, depending on the circumstances and legal obligations.

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 – in some cases, you can request that we delete your data.
Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – in some cases, you can request your data in a structured format.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with applicable law. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling a request.

11. Complaints and Supervisory Authority

If you are concerned about how your personal data has been handled, we encourage you to raise the issue with us first so that we can try to resolve it. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data protection rights have been breached.

12. 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 updates will apply from the date they are published or otherwise communicated. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically.

13. Summary

Man With A Van Ruislip collects and uses only the personal data needed to provide moving and transport services, manage bookings, process payments, and meet legal obligations. We rely on lawful bases including contract, legitimate interests, legal obligation, and, in limited cases, consent. We share data only with trusted processors or where required by law, retain it only as long as necessary, and respect your rights to access, correct, erase, restrict, or object to processing.

This policy applies to all Man With A Van Ruislip customers in the area.