Privacy Policy - Man With A Van Ilford

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With A Van Ilford collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing moving, delivery, and related removal services. It applies to all Man With A Van Ilford customers in the area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and businesses that request or receive our services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Man With A Van Ilford is a service provider offering transport, moving, collection, and delivery services. In the context of this policy, we act as a data controller for the personal information we collect and use in connection with our services. This means we decide why and how your personal data is processed.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for booking, delivering, managing, and improving our services. Depending on the nature of your request, we may collect the following categories of information:

Identity information such as your name and title
Contact information such as your address, email address, and telephone number
Booking details such as collection and delivery addresses, dates, times, property access notes, and service preferences
Payment information such as payment status, billing details, and transaction references
Service-related information such as inventory details, special handling instructions, and item descriptions
Communications including enquiries, complaints, feedback, and correspondence with our team
Technical information if you interact with us online, such as device type, browser data, and basic usage records

We do not seek to collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you have provided such information voluntarily, for example where it is relevant to access arrangements or vulnerable customer support. In such cases, we apply additional safeguards.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for clear and limited purposes connected to delivering our services. These purposes include:

Processing enquiries and quotations
Managing bookings and scheduling jobs
Providing moving, removal, transport, and delivery services
Contacting you about service updates, access issues, or changes to arrangements
Processing payments and issuing records
Handling customer support, claims, and complaints
Maintaining business records and meeting legal obligations
Improving our service quality, efficiency, and customer experience
Preventing fraud, misuse, and security incidents

We will not use your information for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons it was originally collected, unless we have a lawful basis to do so and you would reasonably expect such use.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a valid lawful basis to process personal data. We rely on the following bases where appropriate:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes taking bookings, arranging transport, completing removals, and managing related customer requests.

Legal Obligation

We may process data where required to comply with legal duties, such as tax, accounting, insurance, record-keeping, and regulatory requirements.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data for our legitimate business interests where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include improving operations, keeping service records, preventing fraud, and managing business communications. We always consider whether such processing is necessary and proportionate.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, particularly for optional communications or the collection of any sensitive information that is not otherwise necessary. If we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us provide services or support our operations. These parties act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. We ensure that appropriate contracts and safeguards are in place before sharing any personal information.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

Payment processors for handling card or electronic payments
IT and hosting providers for secure storage, communication, and system support
Accounting and bookkeeping services for financial administration
Communication platforms used to manage customer enquiries and job updates
Professional advisers such as insurers, lawyers, or auditors where necessary

We may also disclose data to public authorities, law enforcement, or other parties where required by law or where disclosure is necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

We do not sell your personal data.

6. International Transfers

If any processor stores or accesses personal data outside the United Kingdom, we will take steps to ensure that suitable safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent protective measures. Our goal is to keep your data protected wherever it is processed.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, insurance, and reporting obligations. Retention periods depend on the type of information and the reason for keeping it.

Booking and service records are usually retained for a reasonable period after the job is completed, to deal with disputes, queries, or follow-up matters
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law
Customer communications may be retained for administrative and service history purposes
Complaint or claim records may be kept longer where needed to resolve a matter or defend a legal claim

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in accordance with our retention practices. This approach ensures that data is not kept indefinitely without a valid reason.

8. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure systems, staff awareness, and data minimisation. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we take data protection seriously and work to reduce risks wherever possible.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to certain conditions or exceptions, but we will always assess your request carefully and respond in accordance with the law.

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 data
Right to erasure – in some cases, you can ask us to delete your personal data
Right to restriction – you can request that we limit how we use your data in certain situations
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing
Right to data portability – you can ask for certain data in a structured, commonly used format
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 may need to verify your identity before responding. This is to protect your privacy and prevent unauthorised disclosure.

10. Cookies and Similar Technologies

If we use online tools that place cookies or similar technologies on your device, these may be used for basic functionality, analytics, or performance monitoring. Where required, we will provide appropriate notice and obtain consent before using non-essential cookies. Any such use will be limited and proportionate.

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 connection with a household moving arrangement or similar service and provided by an adult on their behalf. Where this occurs, we handle the information with care and only for the relevant service purpose.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or the way we process personal data. The most recent version will apply to your use of our services. We encourage customers in the Ilford area to review this policy periodically so they remain aware of how their information is protected.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Man With A Van Ilford is committed to handling personal data responsibly, lawfully, and transparently. We collect only the information needed to provide our services, rely on valid lawful bases for processing, share data only with trusted processors where necessary, and keep personal information only for as long as it is required. We also respect your rights and aim to make privacy a practical part of how we operate for every customer in the area.