Privacy Policy - Man And Van Ilford

Effective date: This Privacy Policy applies to all Man And Van Ilford customers in the area and explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Introduction

We respect your privacy and are committed to handling your personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently. This policy applies whenever you request, book, receive, or enquire about our man and van, moving, transport, packing, loading, unloading, or related services. It also applies to all customers, prospective customers, and authorised representatives of customers in the Ilford area.

By using our services or making an enquiry, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this policy.

2. Data We Collect

We collect only the data needed to provide our services, manage customer relationships, meet legal obligations, and protect our legitimate business interests. Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following categories of information:

Identity data: name, title, and any identification details required for service delivery or verification.
Contact data: address, email address, phone number, and any alternative contact information you provide.
Booking and service data: service date, collection and delivery locations, inventory details, access information, property type, and special instructions.
Payment data: payment status, billing details, transaction references, and limited financial information needed to process payments and refunds.
Communication data: messages, call notes, enquiry details, complaints, feedback, and any correspondence related to a service.
Technical data: basic website or device information, such as IP address, browser type, and usage patterns, where relevant to security or analytics.
Special category data: we do not intentionally collect sensitive data. If such information is shared by you, for example where access needs relate to health or mobility, we will process it only where lawful and necessary.

We generally collect data directly from you, but we may also receive it from third parties acting on your behalf, such as family members, landlords, estate agents, building managers, or payment service providers.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
to arrange, deliver, and manage moving and transport services;
to communicate about bookings, access, timing, and service requirements;
to process payments, issue invoices, and maintain accounts;
to handle complaints, claims, and customer support requests;
to meet legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
to maintain business records and improve service quality;
to protect against fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity;
to manage our internal operations and legitimate business interests.

We only use your data in ways that are relevant, proportionate, and necessary for these purposes.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under GDPR, we must have a lawful basis to process your personal data. Depending on the situation, we rely on one or more of the following bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as arranging a move, processing a booking, or providing customer support connected to that service.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain data where required to comply with tax rules, accounting obligations, insurance requirements, or other legal duties.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is reasonably necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include service administration, fraud prevention, security, record keeping, and responding to disputes.

Consent

Where required by law, we rely on your consent, for example for certain optional communications or the processing of special category data. You may withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.

Vital Interests

In rare cases, we may process data to protect someone’s vital interests, such as in an emergency.

5. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties, but only when necessary and only under appropriate contractual and security safeguards. These third parties act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. Processors may include:

Payment processors that handle card or bank transactions;
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that support financial administration;
IT and hosting providers that store data securely or maintain our systems;
Communication service providers used for sending messages or managing customer enquiries;
Vehicle, logistics, or operational support providers assisting with service delivery;
Professional advisers such as insurers, lawyers, or auditors where needed;
Public authorities when required by law or legal process.

We do not sell your personal data. If we ever need to transfer data outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as an adequacy decision or approved contractual protections.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, insurance, and operational requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the nature of the relationship.

Quotation and enquiry data: retained for a reasonable period to manage follow-up and customer service.
Booking and service records: retained for the duration of the service relationship and afterwards where needed for disputes, claims, or record keeping.
Financial and accounting data: retained for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
Complaints and claims: retained long enough to investigate, resolve, and defend legal rights.
Security and technical logs: retained for a limited period unless further retention is needed for investigation or compliance.

When data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you.

7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights regarding your personal data. These rights may be limited in certain circumstances, but we will always explain our decision where applicable.

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 request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restrict processing: you can ask us to limit how we use your data in some situations.
Right to data portability: you can request certain data 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 processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.
Right to complain: you have the right to raise concerns with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data has been mishandled.

To protect your privacy, we may need to verify your identity before fulfilling your request.

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 storage, staff awareness, and limited sharing on a need-to-know basis.

While we take security seriously, no method of transmission or storage is completely risk-free. If a personal data breach occurs, we will respond in accordance with legal obligations and take steps to reduce any impact.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business or household customers arranging moving-related services. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a service request made by an adult or legal guardian and only where appropriate safeguards are applied.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal duties, or data handling practices. When we make significant changes, we will revise the policy so that it remains clear and up to date. We encourage you to review it periodically.

11. Summary of Key Points

In short: we collect only the data needed to provide and manage our services; we process it on lawful bases such as contract, legal obligation, legitimate interests, and consent; we share it only with trusted processors and authorities where necessary; we retain it only for as long as required; and you have rights over your personal data.

This policy is designed to be transparent, fair, and compliant with data protection law for all Man And Van Ilford customers in the area.