Privacy Policy - Man With A Van Blackfriars

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With A Van Blackfriars collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing removals, delivery, transport, and related services. It applies to all Man With A Van Blackfriars customers in the area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and business clients who enquire about, book, or receive services from us. We are committed to handling personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

For the purpose of data protection law, Man With A Van Blackfriars acts as the data controller for the personal data we collect and use in connection with our services. This means we decide why and how your data is processed. We take data protection seriously and only process personal data where we have a lawful basis to do so.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the data that is necessary to provide our services effectively, manage customer relationships, and meet legal or operational requirements. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity data such as your name, title, and, where relevant, business name.
Contact data such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Service data such as booking details, move dates, collection and delivery addresses, item descriptions, access information, and service preferences.
Payment data such as transaction records, invoice details, and payment status.
Communication data such as enquiries, correspondence, complaints, feedback, and notes from phone calls or messages.
Technical data such as basic website or device information if you contact us online, including IP address and browser information where applicable.
Special instructions that you choose to provide, for example access arrangements, property details, or fragility of items.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless you choose to provide it and it is necessary for a specific request. If such information is received, we handle it carefully and only where a lawful basis applies.

3. How We Collect Your Data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

Request a quotation or make a booking;
Communicate with us by phone, email, text, or online form;
Provide details needed for a move, delivery, or collection;
Pay for services or request an invoice;
Leave a review or provide feedback.

We may also receive personal data from third parties where necessary for service delivery, such as landlords, estate agents, solicitors, business contacts, or payment providers. Where this happens, we expect those third parties to have a proper basis for sharing the information.

4. Why We Use Your Personal Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and manage bookings;
To plan and carry out removals, deliveries, and other requested services;
To communicate with you about your booking or enquiry;
To issue invoices, process payments, and maintain financial records;
To handle complaints, claims, or service issues;
To improve our services, administration, and customer experience;
To comply with legal obligations such as tax, accounting, and record-keeping requirements;
To protect our business, staff, and customers from fraud or misuse.

We only use your data where it is necessary and relevant to these purposes, and we do not use it for unrelated activities without a valid legal basis.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each use of personal data. Depending on the circumstances, Man With A Van Blackfriars may rely on the following lawful bases:

Contract — to take steps at your request before entering into a contract and to perform the contract once services are booked.
Legal obligation — to comply with laws relating to tax, accounting, insurance, or regulatory duties.
Legitimate interests — to manage and improve our services, respond to enquiries, protect our operations, and maintain appropriate business records, provided these interests do not override your rights.
Consent — where we ask for your permission, for example for certain optional communications or where special category data is involved and no other lawful basis applies.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider the impact on your privacy and only proceed where the processing is proportionate and necessary.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason it was collected. In general:

Booking and service records are retained for a period reasonably necessary to manage the service and any follow-up issues;
Financial and accounting records are kept for the period required by tax and accounting laws;
Correspondence and complaints may be retained for as long as needed to resolve the matter and maintain business records;
Data collected on the basis of consent is retained until consent is withdrawn or the data is no longer needed.

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete, anonymise, or securely archive it in line with our retention practices. This helps ensure that data is not kept longer than necessary.

7. Sharing Your Personal Data

We may share personal data with trusted third parties only where necessary for the operation of our services, compliance with law, or legitimate business functions. These third parties may include:

Payment processors who handle card or electronic payments;
Accounting or bookkeeping providers who support financial administration;
IT and cloud service providers that store or secure business records;
Subcontractors or operational partners assisting with service delivery;
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers;
Public authorities where disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect legal rights.

We do not sell your personal data. When we use processors, they act on our instructions and are required to protect your data, use it only for the specified purpose, and maintain appropriate security measures.

Processors

Where a third party processes personal data on our behalf, that party acts as a processor. We only appoint processors that provide sufficient guarantees of security, confidentiality, and compliance. We seek to ensure that processor contracts require appropriate technical and organisational safeguards, limited use of data, and assistance with data subject rights where relevant.

8. International Transfers

If personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. This may include adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections. We take steps to ensure that any international transfer is lawful and that your data remains protected to a standard consistent with UK GDPR requirements.

9. Data Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, restricted permissions, and staff awareness of confidentiality obligations. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we aim to maintain a level of protection appropriate to the nature of the data and risks involved.

10. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and the legal basis for processing. They include:

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 situations;
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 we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time;
Right to complain — to raise concerns with the Information Commissioner's Office if you believe your data has been mishandled.

We may need to verify your identity before responding to a rights request. We will respond within the time limits set by law and provide clear information about any actions taken or any reasons why a request cannot be fulfilled.

11. 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 the course of providing a service arranged by a parent, guardian, or responsible adult. Where children’s data is involved, we take appropriate care to process it lawfully and securely.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business practices, or the services we provide. Any updates will take effect when published in the revised version. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is used.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Man With A Van Blackfriars is committed to processing personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and legitimate purposes, retain it for appropriate periods, share it only with trusted processors or where required by law, and respect your rights under data protection legislation. If you are a customer in the Blackfriars area and use our services, this policy applies to the personal data we handle in connection with your booking, enquiry, or service request.