Privacy Policy - Man With A Van Hillingdon

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With A Van Hillingdon collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing removal, transport, delivery, and related services. It applies to all Man With A Van Hillingdon customers in the area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and business clients who use our services within Hillingdon and surrounding locations covered by our operations.

We are committed to handling personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy is intended to be clear, fair, and transparent about the information we process and the rights available to you.

1. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process personal data directly from you, from someone acting on your behalf, or from third parties involved in arranging or supporting a service. The type of information we collect depends on the nature of the booking and the service requested.

Information you provide

Identity details such as your name.
Contact details such as telephone number and email address.
Service information such as move date, collection and delivery addresses, property access details, and instructions related to the job.
Payment-related details necessary to process invoices, quotations, and payment records.
Customer communications including enquiries, complaints, service feedback, and any special requirements you share.
Inventory or move details if you provide information about items to be transported, including fragile, valuable, or bulky goods.

Information collected automatically

When you contact us digitally or interact with our service systems, we may collect limited technical information such as device type, approximate location, and usage data needed for service administration, security, and troubleshooting. We do not use this information to make decisions about you that have legal or similarly significant effects without appropriate safeguards.

Information from third parties

In some cases, we may receive information from landlords, estate agents, letting agents, property managers, or business partners where this is necessary to coordinate a move or deliver a service you have requested. We may also receive information from payment providers, subcontractors, or insurers when relevant to the service and lawful to do so.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data only where we have a valid reason to do so. The main purposes are:

to provide quotations and manage bookings;
to plan, carry out, and complete removal or transport services;
to communicate with customers about the service;
to process payments, refunds, and invoices;
to maintain business records and internal administration;
to handle complaints, claims, and customer support;
to comply with legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations;
to protect our business, staff, contractors, customers, and property;
to improve our services and operational efficiency.

We will not use your data for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons it was originally collected unless we have a lawful basis to do so and have informed you where required.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. Depending on the situation, Man With A Van Hillingdon relies on one or more of the following bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes taking bookings, managing service delivery, communicating about the job, and completing invoicing or payment steps.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and interests do not override those interests. Examples include business administration, service improvement, fraud prevention, internal record keeping, and responding to customer enquiries. We always consider whether such processing is necessary and proportionate.

Legal obligation

We may process and retain data where required to comply with laws, regulations, tax rules, accounting obligations, or requests from public authorities.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where it is the most appropriate lawful basis for a specific optional activity. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

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

Examples of processors and service providers

Payment processors who handle card or electronic payments.
IT and cloud service providers that host or support our data systems.
Communication providers used for sending messages or managing customer enquiries.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers who assist with invoicing, financial administration, and tax records.
Subcontracted movers or drivers where additional support is needed to complete a booking.
Insurance or claims handlers where data is required to assess a claim or incident.

We ensure that processors are subject to appropriate contractual obligations requiring them to keep personal data secure, process it only on our instructions, and comply with applicable data protection laws.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, to respond to lawful requests from authorities, to protect rights and safety, or in connection with a business restructuring, transfer, or legal dispute.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the nature of the data and the relationship between us.

Booking and service records are typically kept for a period needed to manage the contract, handle follow-up issues, and maintain business records.
Financial and invoice records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Correspondence and complaint records may be kept for a reasonable period to resolve disputes, monitor service quality, and support legitimate business interests.
Claims or incident records may be retained longer where required for insurance, legal defence, or compliance purposes.

When data is no longer needed, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in a safe and appropriate manner.

6. Data Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, restricted user permissions, secure storage, staff training, and confidentiality expectations for anyone handling data.

Although we take appropriate steps to safeguard information, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If a personal data breach occurs and we are legally required to do so, we will notify the relevant authority and affected individuals in line with applicable law.

7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to legal limitations and exemptions.

Right of access

You may request confirmation of whether we hold personal data about you and, if so, obtain a copy of that information.

Right to rectification

You may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

Right to erasure

You may request that we delete your personal data in certain circumstances, for example where it is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was collected.

Right to restriction

You may ask us to restrict the processing of your data in certain situations, such as while we verify its accuracy or consider an objection.

Right to object

You may object to processing based on legitimate interests. We will review your request and stop processing unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds or another lawful reason to continue.

Right to data portability

Where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means, you may request that your personal data be provided in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format where applicable.

Rights related to consent

Where we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with applicable legal timeframes and requirements.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are generally intended for adults arranging removals or transport. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a household move or similar service and only where appropriate safeguards are in place.

9. International Transfers

If any service provider processes personal data outside the UK, we will take appropriate steps to protect that information in line with applicable legal requirements. This may include using approved contractual safeguards or ensuring equivalent levels of protection.

10. 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. The most current version will apply from the date it is issued or made available. We encourage you to review this policy periodically so you remain informed about how we handle personal data.

Man With A Van Hillingdon is committed to treating your information with care, fairness, and accountability. If you use our services in Hillingdon, you can expect your personal data to be handled responsibly and only for legitimate business and legal purposes.