Privacy Policy - Man And Van Islington

This Privacy Policy explains how Man And Van Islington collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Man And Van Islington customers in the area, including anyone who requests a quotation, books a service, receives a service, or communicates with us in connection with our moving, transport, packing, storage, and related logistics services.

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. We only collect information that is necessary for our business operations and for providing services effectively, safely, and professionally.

1. Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

Identity data such as your name and title.
Contact data such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details such as moving date, pickup and delivery locations, property access information, item descriptions, and service preferences.
Payment and billing data such as invoice details, payment confirmation, and transaction records.
Communication data such as messages, emails, call notes, complaints, feedback, and service requests.
Technical data such as basic website interaction data, device information, browser type, and IP-related data where relevant.
Operational data such as job history, records of quotes, scheduling information, and service performance notes.

In some situations, we may also process sensitive information if it is necessary for the delivery of a service, for example access needs, mobility considerations, or other information you choose to provide. We only collect such information where it is relevant and necessary, and we apply additional care to its handling.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and manage bookings.
To plan and deliver moving and transport services.
To communicate with customers about appointments, service updates, and job progress.
To issue invoices, process payments, and maintain accounting records.
To handle enquiries, complaints, and customer support requests.
To improve our services, operations, and customer experience.
To meet legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations.
To prevent fraud, misuse, or unauthorised access to our systems and services.

We only use personal data where we have a valid lawful basis and where the use is compatible with the original purpose for which the information was collected.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for every processing activity. We rely on the following bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotations, confirming bookings, completing removals, and managing payment and service delivery.

Legal Obligation

We may process data when required to comply with legal obligations, such as accounting, tax recordkeeping, insurance requirements, and responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include service improvement, internal administration, record management, communication about existing services, and maintaining security. We always consider whether the processing is necessary and proportionate.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where we process optional information or use certain marketing-related communications. If consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing already carried out.

Vital Interests

In rare cases, we may process data where it is necessary to protect someone’s vital interests, such as in an emergency or where health and safety concerns arise during a service.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with carefully selected third parties who act as data processors or independent controllers, but only when necessary for legitimate business purposes or legal compliance.

Typical processors and recipients may include:

Payment service providers that process card or transfer payments.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that help manage invoices, tax records, and financial reporting.
IT and cloud service providers that store or support our operational systems.
Communication service providers that assist with email, scheduling, or customer messaging.
Insurance providers where a claim or incident requires assessment.
Professional advisers such as accountants, auditors, or legal advisers.
Public authorities where disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect rights and safety.

All processors are expected to protect personal data, act only on our instructions where applicable, and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures. We do not sell personal data.

5. International Transfers

If any processor or service provider stores or accesses data outside the United Kingdom, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent legal protections to ensure your data remains protected to a standard consistent with UK GDPR.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, tax, and insurance obligations. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the context in which it was collected.

As a general approach:

Quotation and booking records may be retained for a reasonable period after the service ends.
Invoice and payment records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Correspondence and complaint records are retained as long as needed to resolve the matter and maintain evidence of service history.
Technical and security-related logs are kept only as long as needed for monitoring, troubleshooting, and protection.

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

7. Security of Personal Data

We take reasonable and appropriate measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff awareness, limited access permissions, and appropriate system security practices. While no method of transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we strive to use safeguards proportionate to the nature of the data we handle.

8. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have rights under data protection law. Subject to legal conditions and exceptions, you may have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you.
Rectify inaccurate or incomplete data.
Erase your data in certain circumstances.
Restrict processing in certain situations.
Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Data portability for information provided by you in certain circumstances.
Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed.

We may need to verify your identity before responding to a request. We will respond within the time limits required by law, normally within one month, unless the request is complex or numerous.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults or authorised representatives arranging services on behalf of others. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a specific service arrangement and only where appropriate lawful basis and safeguards apply.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect legal, operational, or service changes. Any updates will take effect when published in their revised form. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how we handle personal data.

11. Contact and Further Information

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, your personal data, or how we process information, you may raise a privacy concern through the appropriate customer service or administrative channels used in connection with our services. We will review concerns carefully and respond in accordance with applicable law.

Man And Van Islington is dedicated to respecting privacy, maintaining trust, and using personal data responsibly for all customers in the area. By engaging our services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this policy, subject always to your rights and the protections provided under data protection law.