Privacy Policy - Man With A Van Hammersmith

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With A Van Hammersmith collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing moving, transport, delivery, and related services. It applies to all Man With A Van Hammersmith customers in the area, including prospective customers, existing customers, and individuals who contact us on behalf of a customer. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

By using our services, requesting a quote, making an enquiry, or communicating with us in relation to a booking, you acknowledge that your personal data will be processed as described in this policy.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect personal data directly from you, from third parties acting on your behalf, and from service providers involved in the delivery of our work. The type of information we collect depends on the nature of the service requested and the communication you have with us.

Information you provide

Identity details: name, title, and similar identifiers.
Contact details: telephone number, email address, billing address, and service address.
Booking details: move date, collection and delivery locations, property access information, inventory, and service preferences.
Payment information: details necessary to process payments, issue invoices, or confirm transactions.
Communications: messages, call notes, quotes, complaints, feedback, and any records of correspondence.
Special instructions: information relating to fragile items, parking restrictions, access needs, or security requirements.

Information collected automatically

When you interact with us by phone, email, or online enquiry forms, we may collect limited technical and usage data. This may include:

IP address and device-related information.
Time and date of contact.
Basic service usage information required to manage and improve our operations.

We do not collect more information than is necessary for the services we provide.

Information from third parties

We may receive personal data from:

Estate agents, landlords, tenants, businesses, or authorised representatives acting for you.
Payment providers that confirm the status of transactions.
Subcontractors or logistics partners involved in completing a job.

Where third parties provide data about you, they are responsible for ensuring they have a lawful basis to share it.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data only where it is necessary for a legitimate and lawful business purpose. The main purposes for processing include:

Providing quotations, planning moves, and confirming bookings.
Delivering removal, transport, loading, unloading, and associated services.
Communicating with you about service details, timing, access, and any changes.
Processing payments, refunds, invoicing, and accounting records.
Managing complaints, claims, disputes, and service issues.
Maintaining security, preventing fraud, and protecting our operations.
Meeting legal, tax, and regulatory obligations.
Improving customer service, operational efficiency, and service quality.

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

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data under one or more lawful bases under UK GDPR. These may include:

Contract

We process your data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotations, confirming bookings, carrying out moving services, and handling billing.

Legal obligation

We may process data to comply with legal requirements, such as tax, accounting, insurance, record-keeping, and regulatory duties.

Legitimate interests

We may process personal data where it is in our legitimate interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights. This may include managing customer relationships, operating our business efficiently, preventing fraud, securing our systems, and maintaining service records. Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider the impact on your privacy and apply appropriate safeguards.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where specific optional communications or data uses require it. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to provide our services and operate our business. These organisations act either as independent controllers or as processors acting on our behalf.

Processors we may use

Payment processors: to handle secure card or electronic payments.
Accounting and invoicing providers: to manage financial records and reporting.
IT and cloud service providers: to host systems, store files, and support communications.
Customer management tools: to organise enquiries, bookings, and service notes.
Operational subcontractors: where needed to complete parts of a move or delivery.

We require processors to handle personal data securely, use it only on our instructions, and protect it with appropriate technical and organisational measures.

Other disclosures

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, to law enforcement, to defend legal claims, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of our customers, staff, or business.

5. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, and to meet legal, accounting, or reporting obligations. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the reason for holding it.

Booking and service records: retained for a period necessary to manage the contract, handle queries, and resolve disputes.
Financial and tax records: retained for the period required by applicable law.
Correspondence and complaints: retained long enough to evidence communications and support quality control.
Optional marketing or consent-based records: retained until consent is withdrawn or the data is no longer needed.

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

6. International Transfers

Where service providers or systems are located outside the UK, personal data may be transferred internationally. In such cases, we take steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as approved contractual protections or other legally recognised transfer mechanisms.

7. Data Security

We take reasonable and proportionate steps to protect personal data from unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, restricted permissions, staff awareness, and supplier due diligence. While no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, we work to reduce risks and maintain appropriate safeguards.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have rights in relation to your personal data. Depending on the circumstances, these may include:

Right of access: to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure: to request deletion of your data in certain situations.
Right to restrict processing: to request that we limit how your data is used in certain cases.
Right to data portability: to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

Please note that these rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal exceptions or operational requirements.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary for a service request and is provided by an adult with authority to do so. If we become aware that we have collected data inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, business practices, or service arrangements. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage you to review this policy periodically so that you remain informed about how your personal data is handled.

11. Complaints

If you have concerns about the way your personal data is handled, you may raise them with us so that we can review the issue and respond appropriately. 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 infringed.

12. Summary

This Privacy Policy sets out how Man With A Van Hammersmith processes personal data for customers in the area. We collect only the information needed to provide moving and related services, process it on lawful grounds, retain it for appropriate periods, and share it only with trusted processors or where required by law. We respect your rights and aim to handle all personal data responsibly, securely, and transparently.