Privacy Policy - Man With Van Hackney

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With Van Hackney collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data relating to customers, website users, and anyone who engages our services. This policy applies to all Man With Van Hackney customers in the area and is designed to comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Man With Van Hackney provides removal, transport, and related moving services. In delivering these services, we may process personal data about individuals such as customers, recipients of deliveries, landlords, tenants, and business contacts. We act as a data controller for the personal data we decide to collect and use for our own business purposes.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary for providing our services, managing bookings, maintaining records, and meeting legal obligations. The types of data we may collect include:

Identity details such as name, title, and business or household role.
Contact details such as telephone number, email address, and service address.
Booking and service information such as moving dates, item lists, property access details, and special handling instructions.
Payment information such as billing details, transaction records, and invoice history.
Communication records including emails, messages, and notes from calls or enquiries.
Technical data such as basic website usage information if you interact with our online services.
Photographs or supporting evidence where needed for quotations, damage claims, or service planning.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and lawful to do so. Special category data includes information about health, religion, ethnicity, political opinions, trade union membership, sex life, or sexual orientation. If such data is ever provided to us, we will only use it where there is a valid legal basis and appropriate safeguards.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and confirm bookings.
To carry out moving, transport, loading, and delivery services.
To communicate with customers about schedules, changes, and service requirements.
To issue invoices, process payments, and manage accounts.
To maintain internal records and business administration.
To deal with complaints, claims, and service-related disputes.
To comply with legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations.
To protect our business, staff, customers, and property from fraud, misuse, or unsafe conduct.

We will only use your data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably believe we need to use it for a compatible purpose or are required by law to do otherwise.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

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

Contract

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

Legal Obligation

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

Legitimate Interests

We may process data for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights do not override those interests. Examples include managing customer relationships, preventing fraud, improving services, maintaining internal records, and resolving disputes. When we rely on this basis, we consider the impact on your privacy and take steps to minimise any unnecessary intrusion.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where you agree to receive certain non-essential communications. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties that help us operate our business. These parties act as processors when they process data on our instructions, or as independent controllers where required by law or their own professional obligations.

Examples of processors may include:

Payment providers that handle card or transfer transactions.
Accounting and bookkeeping services that support invoicing and tax compliance.
IT and cloud storage providers that host systems, email, or document storage.
Customer management tools that help us organise bookings and communications.
Professional advisers such as insurers, lawyers, or auditors where necessary.

We require processors to keep personal data secure, use it only for permitted purposes, and comply with data protection law. We may also disclose data to public authorities, law enforcement, courts, or regulators if legally required or necessary to protect our rights or the rights of others.

Where data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as an adequacy decision or standard contractual protections, so that your data remains protected.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, and no longer than required by law or business need. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason for processing.

Booking and service records are usually kept for a reasonable period to manage queries, claims, and business administration.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Communication records may be retained to evidence agreements, resolve disputes, or improve service quality.
Security-related records may be kept for a shorter or longer period depending on the risk involved and the need to investigate incidents.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention practices.

7. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our systems and processes. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we take reasonable steps to reduce risk and protect the information entrusted to us.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to certain limits and exemptions.

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 data.
Right to erasure ??? to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction ??? 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.
Right to data portability ??? to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent ??? where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the UK Information Commissioner???s Office if you believe your data protection rights have not been respected. We encourage you to contact us first so we can review and respond to your concerns promptly.

9. Children???s Data

Our services are generally intended for adults and business or household customers arranging removals and transport. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a service arrangement and only where a lawful basis exists. If we become aware that we have collected data improperly, we will take appropriate steps to delete or protect it.

10. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our services, or our data handling practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is made available. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically so that you remain informed about how your personal data is used.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Man With Van Hackney is committed to treating personal data with care, fairness, and transparency. We collect only the information necessary to provide our services, process it lawfully, keep it secure, retain it for no longer than needed, and respect your rights under data protection law. Protecting your privacy is an important part of how we operate, and we aim to ensure that all processing is proportionate, responsible, and compliant.