Privacy Policy - Man And Van Ruislip

This Privacy Policy explains how Man And Van Ruislip collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing moving, delivery, loading, unloading, and related services. It applies to all Man And Van Ruislip customers in the area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and business clients who use our services within Ruislip and surrounding locations.

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. This policy is designed to help customers understand what information we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and what rights individuals have in relation to their data.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary to provide our services, manage bookings, comply with legal obligations, and improve service quality. The information we may collect includes:

Identity details such as name and title.
Contact details such as phone number and email address.
Service location details such as pickup and delivery addresses, access notes, and property information.
Booking information such as service date, time, number of items, moving requirements, and special instructions.
Payment information such as billing records, payment status, and transaction references.
Communication records such as enquiries, complaints, feedback, and correspondence.
Service-related records such as quotes, invoices, job notes, and delivery confirmations.
Technical information where applicable, such as basic website or device usage data if you interact with our digital services.

We generally do not seek to collect special category data, such as information about health, religion, or ethnicity, unless you voluntarily provide it and it is necessary for a specific service request. If such data is provided, we will handle it with enhanced care and only where a valid legal basis applies.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotations.
To arrange and manage bookings for moving and van services.
To plan routes, allocate staff, and complete deliveries efficiently.
To issue invoices, process payments, and maintain accounting records.
To communicate service updates, access requirements, or schedule changes.
To handle complaints, claims, and customer support requests.
To meet legal, tax, and regulatory obligations.
To protect our business, staff, and customers from fraud or misuse.
To improve our services, training, and operational performance.

We only use personal data in ways that are compatible with the original purpose for which it was collected, unless we have a lawful reason to use it for another purpose.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each type of processing. Depending on the circumstances, Man And Van Ruislip may rely on one or more of the following legal bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotes, confirming bookings, delivering services, and managing payments.

Legal Obligation

We may process data where required to comply with legal duties, including tax, accounting, insurance, and record-keeping obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data for our legitimate business interests, provided that these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include service improvement, customer communications, fraud prevention, internal administration, and business record management.

Consent

Where required by law, we will ask for your consent before processing your data. If consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time, although this will not affect processing already carried out lawfully before withdrawal.

Vital Interests

In rare situations, we may process information where it is necessary to protect someone’s life or physical safety.

4. Sharing Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us operate our business. These organisations act as processors or independent controllers depending on the service they provide. Examples may include:

Payment providers that handle card or transfer transactions.
Accounting and bookkeeping processors that help maintain financial records.
IT and hosting providers that support our systems, data storage, and communication tools.
Customer management or scheduling processors that assist with bookings and service coordination.
Insurance providers and claim handlers where necessary for risk management or dispute resolution.
Professional advisers such as accountants, auditors, or legal advisers.
Public authorities where disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect rights, safety, or property.

When we engage processors, we ensure that appropriate written agreements are in place and that they only process personal data on our instructions, with suitable security measures and confidentiality obligations.

We do not sell personal data. If information is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, and reporting obligations. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the reason it is held.

Booking and service records are typically retained for a reasonable period after the service is completed to handle queries, disputes, and operational review.
Invoice and accounting records are retained for the period required by tax and financial regulations.
Complaint or claim records may be kept longer where needed to resolve disputes or protect legal rights.
Marketing preferences are kept until you opt out or withdraw consent where applicable.

When data is no longer needed, we will delete, anonymise, or securely destroy it. Our retention decisions are based on necessity, proportionality, and legal requirements.

6. Security of Your Data

We take 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, restricted permissions, and staff confidentiality obligations.

Although no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a level of security that is appropriate to the risks involved in processing personal data for moving and transport services.

7. Your Rights

Individuals have a number of rights under data protection law. Subject to legal conditions and exemptions, you may have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you.
Rectify inaccurate or incomplete information.
Erase your data in certain circumstances.
Restrict how we process your data in certain situations.
Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Data portability for data you provided to us where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

You also have the right to be informed about how your data is used and the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your rights have been infringed.

We may need to verify your identity before responding to certain requests to protect your data and prevent unauthorised disclosure.

8. Automated Decision-Making

We do not generally use automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects on customers. If this changes in the future, we will update this policy and provide relevant information about the logic involved and the possible consequences.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults arranging moving and transport services. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in a family-moving context and provided by an adult with authority to do so. If we become aware that we have collected data unlawfully, we will take steps to delete it where appropriate.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business operations, or data handling practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published. We encourage customers to review the policy periodically so they remain informed about how personal data is handled.

11. Contact and Complaints

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights, or are concerned about how your data has been handled, you may contact us through the appropriate service channels. We will aim to respond within a reasonable timeframe and in line with applicable data protection requirements.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to raise a complaint with the supervisory authority responsible for data protection in the UK.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Man And Van Ruislip customers in the area and is intended to ensure transparent, lawful, and secure handling of personal data.