Privacy Policy - Man With A Van Charlton

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With A Van Charlton collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing moving, delivery, packing, loading, unloading, and related transport services. It applies to all Man With A Van Charlton customers in the area, including private individuals, families, landlords, tenants, and business clients who use our services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Man With A Van Charlton is a service provider that helps customers move goods safely and efficiently. In the course of delivering our services, we may act as a data controller for personal information that we determine the purpose and means of processing. This means we decide how and why certain personal data is used for service delivery, administration, record keeping, and legal compliance.

2. Information We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for providing our services, managing our business, and meeting our legal obligations. The information we may collect includes:

Identity details: name, title, and, where relevant, company name.
Contact details: phone number, email address, and service address.
Booking information: move date, collection and delivery addresses, access details, and service preferences.
Payment information: billing details, transaction records, and payment confirmation information.
Service-related information: inventory lists, item descriptions, special handling instructions, and notes required to complete the job safely.
Communication records: messages, call notes, complaint details, and customer feedback.
Technical information: limited data such as IP address or device details if collected through digital systems used for administration and security.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and supported by a valid legal basis. Customers should avoid including sensitive personal information unless it is relevant to the service and they choose to share it.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations and process bookings;
to plan and carry out removal or delivery services;
to communicate with customers about schedules, access, and service requirements;
to process payments and issue invoices or receipts;
to manage complaints, disputes, or claims;
to maintain business records and improve our services;
to comply with legal, tax, accounting, and insurance obligations;
to protect our business, customers, staff, and property from fraud, misuse, or unsafe activity.

We will only use personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably determine that it is necessary for a compatible purpose or a legal requirement applies.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis before processing personal data. Depending on the circumstance, Man With A Van Charlton may rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to prepare for and perform a contract with the customer. This includes handling booking details, moving addresses, service instructions, and payment processing.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data where necessary to comply with legal duties, such as record keeping, tax requirements, accounting obligations, insurance matters, and responding to lawful requests from public authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided these interests are not overridden by the rights and freedoms of the individual. Examples include service improvement, internal administration, fraud prevention, and maintaining secure operations. When we rely on legitimate interests, we consider the impact on individuals and ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on consent, for example where a customer asks us to use certain optional communication methods or provides information that is not otherwise required for the service. Where consent is used, it can be withdrawn at any time.

5. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties only when necessary and only to the extent required to provide our services or meet legal obligations. These third parties may act as data processors or, in some cases, independent controllers.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

Payment processors that handle card or electronic payments securely;
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that support financial administration;
IT and cloud service providers that store or manage business records and communications;
Customer management tools used to organise bookings and service notes;
Insurance providers where required for claims handling or risk management;
Professional advisers such as legal, financial, or tax advisers;
Public authorities where disclosure is required by law.

All processors are required to handle personal data securely, process it only on our instructions, and keep it confidential. We do not sell personal data. Where data is transferred outside the UK, we take appropriate steps to ensure it remains protected in line with applicable law.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of record and the reason it is held.

Booking and service records: retained for a reasonable period to manage service history, disputes, and customer support.
Financial and tax records: retained for the period required by law and accounting standards.
Complaint or claim records: retained long enough to resolve the matter and manage legal obligations.
Communication records: retained only as long as needed for administration or service follow-up.

When personal data is no longer required, we securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in accordance with our internal retention practices.

7. Data Security

We use appropriate 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 limiting access to information on a need-to-know basis. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take reasonable steps to reduce risk and respond appropriately if an incident occurs.

8. Your Rights

Individuals whose personal data we process have rights under data protection law. Subject to legal limits and verification of identity, these may include the right to:

be informed about how your data is used;
access the personal data we hold about you;
rectify inaccurate or incomplete data;
erase your data in certain circumstances;
restrict how we process your data in certain situations;
object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing;
data portability for information processed by automated means under certain conditions;
withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage customers to raise concerns directly with us first so we can address them promptly and fairly.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are generally intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where necessary in connection with a customer’s moving arrangements, such as household composition or access arrangements, and only where it is appropriate and lawful to do so.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or our data handling practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how personal data is protected.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

At Man With A Van Charlton, we handle personal data responsibly and with respect for privacy. We collect only the information needed to deliver our services, rely on clear lawful bases for processing, share data only with trusted processors when necessary, and retain records for no longer than required. Above all, we aim to ensure that all Man With A Van Charlton customers in the area receive a professional service that respects their rights and protects their information.