Privacy Policy - Man With Van Richmond Upon Thames

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With Van Richmond Upon Thames collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. It applies to all Man With Van Richmond Upon Thames customers in the area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and businesses that use our removal and transport services.

We are committed to handling personal information lawfully, fairly, and transparently. This policy sets out what data we collect, why we collect it, the lawful basis we rely on, how long we keep data, the third parties we use to process data on our behalf, and the rights available to you under data protection law.

1. Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to anyone who:

requests a quote or makes an enquiry
books or receives a man and van service
communicates with us by phone, email, text, or online forms
pays for services or receives an invoice
is named on a booking, delivery, or collection
interacts with us as a customer, supplier, or representative of a customer

If you provide us with another person’s personal data, you should make sure you are authorised to do so and that they understand how their information will be used.

2. Personal data we collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide our services, manage our business, and meet legal obligations. The categories of data we may collect include:

Information you give us

Identity details such as your name or business name
Contact details such as address, phone number, and email address
Booking details such as moving dates, collection and delivery locations, access information, and service requirements
Payment and billing details such as payment confirmations, invoice details, and transaction references
Communication records including enquiries, complaints, and service-related correspondence
Special instructions relevant to the job, such as fragile items, parking restrictions, or access limitations

Information we collect automatically

Technical information such as device type, browser type, and basic system data if you contact us electronically
Usage information relating to how you interact with our digital services, where applicable

We do not seek to collect unnecessary sensitive information. However, if you voluntarily provide information that could reveal special category data, we will only process it where permitted by law and where it is needed for a legitimate operational purpose.

3. How we use personal data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotes, confirm bookings, and deliver removal or transport services
to plan jobs, assign staff, and manage routes and logistics
to communicate with you before, during, and after a service
to issue invoices, process payments, and handle refunds where applicable
to keep business and financial records
to resolve disputes, complaints, and claims
to maintain service quality and improve our operations
to comply with legal and regulatory obligations
to prevent fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity

We do not use personal data for unrelated purposes unless we have a lawful basis to do so and, where required, we have informed you.

4. Lawful basis for processing

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

Contract

We process your personal data where it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, or to perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes, managing bookings, carrying out the service, and handling payment.

Legal obligation

We may process data where required to meet legal duties, such as maintaining tax and accounting records or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate interests

We may process data for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and interests do not override those interests. Examples include managing our operations, securing our systems, improving customer service, and preventing fraud. We always consider whether the processing is necessary and proportionate.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where it is required for optional communications or specific uses of information. If we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, and reporting requirements.

Booking and service records are typically retained for up to six years to comply with legal and tax obligations.
Communication records may be kept for a reasonable period to manage service history and resolve disputes.
Payment and invoice records are retained in line with accounting requirements.
Information collected for enquiries that do not lead to a booking is kept only for as long as needed to manage the enquiry and follow-up process.

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

6. Processors and third parties

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who process data on our behalf. These organisations act as data processors and are only allowed to use your information according to our instructions and applicable law.

Examples of processors may include:

accounting and bookkeeping providers
payment processing services
IT, cloud storage, and software providers
customer communication and email systems
professional advisers such as lawyers or accountants

We may also disclose personal data to independent controllers where required, such as banks, insurers, regulators, law enforcement bodies, or courts. Where data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections.

7. Data security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and supplier checks.

Although we take reasonable steps to safeguard information, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. If a personal data breach occurs and it presents a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will handle it in line with legal requirements.

8. Your rights under GDPR

You have several rights regarding your personal data. Subject to legal limits, you may have the right to:

Access your personal data and obtain a copy of it
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 information you provided to us, where applicable
Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data has not been handled properly. We would, however, appreciate the opportunity to address any concern directly before you escalate it.

9. Automated decision-making

We do not usually use automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects. If this changes, we will update this policy and provide any additional information required by law.

10. Children’s data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a household move or similar service arrangement and provided by an adult customer or authorised representative.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or data handling practices. The latest version will apply to all current and future customers in the Richmond Upon Thames area. We encourage you to review this policy periodically so you remain informed about how we protect your data.

12. Summary of our approach

In short, Man With Van Richmond Upon Thames collects only the data needed to deliver services efficiently, uses it only for clear and lawful purposes, retains it for appropriate periods, and shares it only with trusted processors or where required by law. We treat your information with care and respect, and we are committed to maintaining privacy, transparency, and accountability in everything we do.