Privacy Policy - Man And Van Balham

This Privacy Policy explains how Man And Van Balham collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing removal, delivery, packing, and related moving services. It applies to all Man And Van Balham customers in the area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and business clients who use our services or communicate with us in connection with a booking, quotation, or service inquiry.

We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy is intended to help you understand what personal data we process, why we process it, how long we keep it, who may receive it, and what rights you have over your information.

1. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process different types of personal data depending on how you interact with us and the services you request. The categories of information we may collect include:

Identity data such as your name, title, and any details needed to verify your identity.
Contact data such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Booking and service data such as moving date, collection and delivery addresses, property access details, inventory lists, and instructions relating to the move.
Payment data such as payment status, billing information, and transaction records. We do not store more payment information than is necessary for processing and accounting purposes.
Communications data such as emails, messages, call notes, complaints, and service feedback.
Technical data if you visit any digital service associated with our operations, such as device type, browser information, and basic usage information.
Special instructions relating to access needs, fragile items, parking arrangements, or other requirements necessary to complete a move safely and effectively.

In most cases, we collect personal data directly from you. We may also receive information from third parties where it is necessary to deliver the service, such as landlords, letting agents, property managers, insurers, or payment providers.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data only where we have a valid reason to do so. Typical uses include:

Providing quotes and managing bookings.
Planning, scheduling, and delivering moving and transport services.
Communicating with you about the service, timing, access, or any issues.
Processing payments, refunds, and invoices.
Maintaining internal records, accounts, and business administration.
Responding to complaints, queries, and claims.
Meeting legal, regulatory, insurance, and tax obligations.
Improving our service quality, efficiency, and customer experience.

We will not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with those listed above unless we have a lawful basis to do so and, where required, we have informed you.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for each activity involving personal data. We rely on the following lawful bases:

Contract – where processing is necessary to provide a quotation, make a booking, perform the moving service, or manage payment and service-related obligations.
Legitimate interests – where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include service improvement, record keeping, fraud prevention, and responding to customer queries.
Legal obligation – where we are required to process and retain information to comply with laws relating to tax, accounting, insurance, or other statutory duties.
Consent – where we ask for your clear permission, for example for certain marketing communications or optional data processing activities. You may withdraw consent at any time.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we carefully assess the impact on your privacy and only process data when it is reasonable and proportionate to do so.

4. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, and no longer than required by law. Retention periods depend on the type of information and the reason it is held.

Booking and service records are usually retained for a period necessary to manage follow-up matters, complaints, and service history.
Financial and accounting records are retained for the period required under tax and accounting laws.
Correspondence and customer care records may be retained for a reasonable period to support service quality and dispute resolution.
Marketing preferences are retained until you opt out or request deletion where appropriate.

When data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention procedures. We do not keep personal data indefinitely, and we regularly review the information we hold to ensure it remains necessary.

5. Processors and Data Sharing

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as processors on our behalf or with independent controllers where required. Such parties may include:

Payment providers for processing card or electronic payments.
IT and software providers that support booking management, record storage, communications, or accounting systems.
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, legal advisers, and auditors.
Subcontractors or operational partners where necessary to complete a move or associated service.
Regulators, courts, and law enforcement where disclosure is required by law.

Where a third party processes personal data on our behalf, they are required to handle it securely, use it only for specified purposes, and comply with data protection requirements. We do not sell personal data.

International Transfers

If any processor stores or accesses data outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections, so your personal data remains protected.

6. Security of Your Information

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and limited data access based on need.

Although we work to protect your information, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If a personal data breach occurs and we are required to notify you or a regulator under GDPR, we will do so in accordance with applicable law.

7. Your Rights Under GDPR

You have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be exercised subject to legal restrictions and exemptions:

Right of access – you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure – you can ask us to delete your data where there is a valid basis to do so.
Right to restrict processing – you can ask us to limit how your data is used in certain circumstances.
Right to data portability – you can request that certain data be provided in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond within the time limits set out by law. We may need to confirm your identity before acting on your request to protect your privacy.

8. Marketing Preferences

If we send marketing communications, we will do so only where allowed by law. You may opt out of marketing at any time. When you opt out, we will stop sending you promotional messages, although we may still send service-related or transactional communications where necessary.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults arranging removals or related logistics. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidental to a move and necessary for the service or safety of the household. If we become aware that we have collected children’s data improperly, we will take steps to remove it.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data handling practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise made available. We encourage you to review this policy periodically so you remain informed about how your data is handled.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Man And Van Balham is committed to treating your personal information with care and respect. We collect only the data needed to provide our services, rely on lawful bases under GDPR, keep information only for as long as necessary, and use trusted processors with appropriate safeguards. You also have meaningful rights over your information, and we will work to support those rights in a clear and timely way.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Man And Van Balham customers in the area.