Privacy Policy - Man With Van Ealing

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With Van Ealing collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data relating to all customers in the Ealing area. It applies to every individual who uses our moving, collection, delivery, transport, or related services, whether the booking is made by phone, email, online form, or through any other communication method. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, transparent, and secure manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

By using our services, you acknowledge that this policy applies to your personal data. We only collect information that is necessary for providing moving services, managing customer relationships, meeting legal obligations, and improving the quality of our operations.

1. Information We Collect

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

Identity details: name, title, and any identification information you provide when arranging a service.
Contact details: address, email address, telephone number, and alternative contact details.
Service details: moving addresses, collection and delivery locations, property access information, inventory lists, and special handling instructions.
Payment and transaction information: billing details, payment status, invoices, and records of payments received or refunded.
Communication records: emails, messages, notes from calls, complaints, feedback, and service-related correspondence.
Technical data: if you contact us digitally, we may receive limited technical information such as device type, IP address, and browser data where applicable.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and you choose to provide it, for example if it is relevant to a delivery instruction or access requirement. Where such information is provided, we handle it with extra care and only when lawful to do so.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations and arrange bookings;
to plan, carry out, and manage moving services;
to communicate with customers about scheduling, access, and service updates;
to process invoices, payments, and refunds;
to respond to enquiries, complaints, and claims;
to maintain internal records and service histories;
to comply with legal, tax, accounting, and insurance obligations;
to monitor and improve service quality, training, and operational efficiency;
to prevent fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We only use your data where it is necessary for legitimate business purposes and where your rights and interests do not override those purposes.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. Depending on the nature of the activity, we rely on the following lawful bases:

Performance of a Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to provide a quote, confirm a booking, carry out a move, or manage any service requested by the customer. Without this information, we may be unable to deliver the service properly.

Legal Obligation

We may process data to comply with tax laws, accounting requirements, regulatory duties, insurance obligations, and record-keeping rules.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is reasonably necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as improving service quality, managing customer communications, maintaining security, and handling disputes, provided your rights are not unfairly affected.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where you voluntarily provide optional information that is not essential to the service. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

4. Sharing Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to operate our business and deliver our services. These third parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the service provided.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

IT and hosting providers: to store data, maintain systems, and secure digital records;
payment processors: to handle card or electronic payments;
accounting and bookkeeping providers: to assist with financial records and compliance;
insurance providers: where a claim, liability issue, or policy matter must be addressed;
professional advisers: such as legal or financial advisers where necessary;
subcontractors and operational partners: where they support fulfilment of a booked service.

We only use processors that provide appropriate safeguards and process data under written agreements requiring confidentiality, security, and lawful handling. We do not sell your personal data.

Where required by law, we may also disclose information to public authorities, regulators, courts, or law enforcement agencies.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, insurance, and dispute-resolution requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the nature of the service.

Booking and service records: retained for a reasonable period to manage service history, complaints, and follow-up matters.
Financial records: retained for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
Correspondence and complaints: retained as long as needed to resolve the matter and protect legal rights.
Technical and operational records: kept only as necessary for security, maintenance, and service improvement.

When data is no longer required, it is deleted, anonymised, or securely destroyed.

6. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and careful management of third-party access. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to reduce risks and respond promptly to any suspected incident.

7. Your Rights Under GDPR

As a data subject, you have a number of rights under data protection law. Subject to legal limits, you may have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you;
Rectification of inaccurate or incomplete data;
Erasure of your data in certain circumstances;
Restriction of processing in certain situations;
Data portability for data you have provided to us where applicable;
Object to processing based on legitimate interests;
Withdraw consent where we rely on consent;
Complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your rights have been breached.

We will respond to valid requests within the time limits set by law and may ask for information to verify your identity before taking action.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adult customers and business contacts. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is unavoidably included in service-related communications and only to the extent necessary to complete the service lawfully and appropriately.

9. International Transfers

If any service provider processes data outside the UK, we will ensure suitable safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections, so that your personal data remains protected to a standard consistent with UK GDPR.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect legal, operational, or service changes. Any revised version will apply to all Man With Van Ealing customers in the area from the date it becomes effective. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how their data is handled.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Man With Van Ealing respects your privacy and is committed to processing personal data responsibly. We collect only what we need, use it for clear purposes, keep it secure, and retain it only for as long as necessary. We also work with trusted processors under appropriate safeguards and recognise your rights under data protection law.

This policy applies to all Man With Van Ealing customers in the Ealing area. By engaging our services, you trust us with your information, and we take that responsibility seriously.