Privacy Policy - Man And A Van Brent

This Privacy Policy explains how Man And A Van Brent collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with the moving and transport services we provide. It applies to all Man And A Van Brent customers in the area, including individuals and businesses who request, book, receive, or enquire about our services. We are committed to handling personal information lawfully, fairly, and transparently, in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Man And A Van Brent is a local removals and transport service provider. In the context of data protection law, we are the data controller for the personal information described in this policy. This means we decide how and why personal data is processed for the purposes of delivering our services, managing customer relationships, and meeting our legal obligations.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the information needed to provide our services, manage bookings, and operate our business responsibly. Depending on the nature of your interaction with us, we may collect the following categories of data:

Identity information: name, title, and any business name you provide.
Contact details: phone number, email address, and service address or collection and delivery locations.
Booking and service details: moving date, property access information, inventory details, special handling instructions, and service preferences.
Payment information: limited financial details needed to process payments, issue invoices, and keep accounting records. We do not store full card details unless required through a secure payment provider.
Communication records: emails, messages, notes from calls, complaint records, and service feedback.
Usage and technical data: information collected when you interact with our digital services, such as device details, IP address, and cookies where applicable.
Special instructions: any information you choose to share that is relevant to the move, such as access needs or item fragility.

We do not intentionally collect sensitive personal data unless it is strictly necessary and you voluntarily provide it, for example where an access requirement or safety issue requires additional information. If we ever need to process special category data, we will do so only where the law allows it and with appropriate safeguards.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and confirm bookings.
To plan, manage, and complete removals or transport services.
To communicate with you about your booking, arrival times, and service changes.
To issue invoices, process payments, and manage refunds where applicable.
To respond to queries, complaints, and customer service requests.
To keep business, accounting, and tax records.
To improve our operations, service quality, and customer experience.
To protect our business, staff, customers, and property from fraud, misuse, or legal claims.

We only use your personal information for purposes that are compatible with the reasons it was collected, unless we have a lawful reason to use it differently.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis before we process your personal data. 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, arranging your move, and delivering the services you have requested.

Legal Obligation

We process certain information to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, such as tax, accounting, and record-keeping obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. Examples include managing our operations, preventing fraud, improving service quality, and maintaining evidence in the event of a dispute. We ensure that any such processing is proportionate and limited to what is necessary.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, such as where you voluntarily agree to receive certain non-essential communications or where consent is required by law. Where processing is based on consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We do not sell personal data. However, we may share information with trusted third parties where necessary to run our business and provide our services. These third parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on their role.

Examples of processors and service partners may include:

Payment service providers that securely handle card or online payments.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that assist with invoicing and financial records.
IT and cloud storage providers that support email, file storage, scheduling, and data security.
Customer communication tools used to manage service messages and booking confirmations.
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers where necessary.

Where we use processors, we ensure that they are bound by appropriate contracts and only process personal data on our instructions and in accordance with the law. We may also disclose data where required to comply with legal obligations or to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

6. Retention of Personal Data

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

Booking and service records: retained for a reasonable period after service completion to manage queries, complaints, or disputes.
Financial and tax records: retained for the period required by accounting and tax legislation.
Communication records: retained for as long as needed to resolve service issues and maintain evidence.
Marketing-related data: retained until you withdraw consent or object, where applicable.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention practices. We do not keep data longer than necessary.

7. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against accidental loss, unauthorised access, misuse, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, password protection, secure storage, limited staff access, and contractual safeguards with our processors.

While we do our best to protect your data, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If a personal data breach occurs that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will take the steps required by law, including notification where appropriate.

8. Your Rights

As a customer of Man And A Van Brent, you have a number of rights under data protection law. These rights apply subject to legal conditions 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 data.
Right to erasure: you can ask us to delete your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction: you can request that we limit how we use your data in certain cases.
Right to object: you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability: you can ask for data you provided to us in a structured, commonly used format where the law allows.
Right to withdraw consent: where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your data has not been handled lawfully. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve any issue promptly and fairly.

9. Cookies and Online Data

If we use a website or digital booking tools, we may collect limited technical data through cookies or similar technologies. These are used to support functionality, improve performance, and understand how visitors interact with our services. Where required, we will provide notice and obtain consent before placing non-essential cookies. You can manage cookie settings through your browser or device preferences.

10. Children

Our services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidentally provided in the context of a household move and only where necessary to deliver the service safely. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without appropriate justification, we will take steps to delete it.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data handling practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or communicated, as appropriate. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Man And A Van Brent is committed to processing personal data responsibly, securely, and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and lawful purposes, retain it only as long as necessary, and work with processors under proper safeguards. We respect your rights and aim to handle all customer information with care and integrity.

This policy applies to all Man And A Van Brent customers in area.