Privacy Policy - Man With A Van Paddington

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With A Van Paddington collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with the services we provide. It applies to all Man With A Van Paddington customers in the area, including individuals, households, and businesses that use our moving, delivery, transport, loading, unloading, and related services. We are committed to handling personal information fairly, lawfully, and transparently in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

By using our services, you acknowledge that we may process personal data as described in this policy. We only collect information that is necessary for legitimate operational, contractual, legal, and service-related purposes. We also take reasonable steps to ensure that the information we hold is accurate, secure, and retained only for as long as needed.

1. Data We Collect

We collect and process different types of personal data depending on how you interact with us and the services you request. The data we collect may include:

Identity details: name, title, and any relevant business or company name.
Contact details: address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information: pickup and delivery addresses, moving dates, inventory details, access instructions, parking notes, and job requirements.
Billing and payment information: payment records, invoicing details, and transaction history. We do not normally store full card details where payments are processed by secure third-party providers.
Communication records: messages, enquiries, booking details, complaints, feedback, and correspondence.
Operational data: records of completed services, route notes, load details, and staff observations needed to perform the job safely and efficiently.
Technical data: limited device or usage information where applicable, such as IP address or browser data collected through our systems or service platforms.

In some circumstances, we may also process sensitive or special category data if it is voluntarily provided by you and necessary for a specific service need, such as health-related access requirements or vulnerability considerations. Where this occurs, we apply additional safeguards and only process such data when a lawful basis exists.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data to deliver and manage our services effectively. The main purposes for processing include:

providing quotations and confirming bookings;
planning and carrying out removals, deliveries, and transportation services;
communicating with you about scheduling, access, delays, or service updates;
issuing invoices, taking payments, and maintaining financial records;
responding to enquiries, feedback, complaints, or claims;
maintaining operational records and service quality;
meeting legal, accounting, insurance, and regulatory obligations;
protecting our business, customers, staff, and property from fraud, misuse, or damage;
improving our services and internal processes.

We do not use personal data for unrelated purposes without a valid legal basis. If we need to use data for a new purpose, we will ensure that this use is compatible with the original reason it was collected or we will seek your consent where required.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under GDPR, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Man With A Van Paddington relies on the following lawful bases depending on the context:

Contract

We process data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotations, managing bookings, completing removals or transport services, and handling payment or service communication.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal information when needed to comply with legal obligations, such as tax, accounting, insurance, or lawful record-keeping requirements.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include managing operational efficiency, preventing fraud, keeping service records, and resolving disputes.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, particularly where processing is optional or relates to certain marketing communications or special category data. You may withdraw consent at any time where consent is the basis for processing.

4. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us operate our business. These third parties act as processors when they process data on our instructions, or as independent controllers where they determine their own purposes. We only share information when necessary and only with appropriate safeguards in place.

Examples of processors or service providers may include:

IT and hosting providers who store or support our systems;
Payment service providers who handle secure payment transactions;
Accounting or invoicing providers who assist with finance records;
Communication providers who support email, phone, or messaging services;
Insurance, legal, or claims support providers where needed to handle disputes or loss events;
Subcontractors or operational partners who help deliver a booking and need relevant job details.

We require processors to protect personal data, use it only for the agreed purpose, and apply appropriate security measures. We do not sell your personal data. If data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that suitable safeguards are in place in accordance with applicable law.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil 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 context in which it was collected.

Booking and service records: retained for a reasonable period after completion to manage queries, disputes, or follow-up matters.
Financial and tax records: retained for the period required by law or accounting practice.
Communications and complaints: retained long enough to resolve the issue and maintain a business record of the outcome.
Security and incident records: retained for the duration necessary to investigate, defend, or prevent incidents.

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete, destroy, or anonymise it securely. In some cases, we may retain limited data for legal defence or compliance purposes even after the service relationship ends.

6. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure systems, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our data handling practices.

Although no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we aim to reduce risks through careful management and appropriate safeguards. If we become aware of a personal data breach that poses a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will respond in accordance with legal requirements.

7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to the personal data we hold about you. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and the legal basis relied upon:

Right of access: you may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure: you may request deletion of your data in certain situations.
Right to restriction: you may ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
Right to object: you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability: where applicable, you may request a copy of your data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent: where we rely on consent, you can 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 been handled unlawfully. We encourage you to raise any concerns directly so we can address them promptly and fairly.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is incidentally provided in connection with a household move or service arrangement and is necessary for the job to be completed safely. Where children’s data is involved, we take care to process it only as required and with appropriate protection.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or how we process data. Any updated version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal information.

Man With A Van Paddington is committed to respecting your privacy, keeping your information secure, and processing personal data responsibly. This policy is intended to provide clear and transparent information about how we handle your data in connection with our services across the Paddington area.