Privacy Policy - Man With Van Pettswood

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With Van Pettswood collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Man With Van Pettswood customers in the area, including anyone who requests a quotation, makes a booking, receives moving or delivery services, or otherwise interacts with our business. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Man With Van Pettswood provides van hire, removals, transport, and related customer services. In the course of operating these services, we may process personal data relating to customers, household members, business contacts, payment contacts, and individuals whose property is being moved or delivered. This policy describes the way we manage that information.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the information that is necessary for us to provide our services properly and efficiently. Depending on the service requested, we may collect the following categories of data:

Identity data such as your name and, where needed, proof of identity.
Contact data such as address, telephone number, and email address.
Booking and service details including moving dates, collection and delivery addresses, property access information, item lists, and service preferences.
Payment information such as billing details and transaction records.
Correspondence including messages, service queries, complaints, and feedback.
Technical data where our systems may record basic information such as device type, IP address, and usage logs for security and operational purposes.
Special category data only where it is strictly necessary and you choose to provide it, for example information relating to accessibility needs or health-related moving requirements.

We do not intentionally collect more information than is needed. If you provide information about another person, you should only do so where you have the right to share it and where the person understands how their information will be used.

3. How We Use Personal Data

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

responding to enquiries and providing quotations;
planning and carrying out removals, transport, and related services;
confirming bookings, managing schedules, and communicating service updates;
processing payments, issuing invoices, and maintaining financial records;
dealing with complaints, claims, and customer support requests;
maintaining safety, security, and quality standards;
meeting legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
preventing fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity;
improving our internal operations and service delivery.

We will always aim to use your data in a way that is necessary, proportionate, and relevant to the service being provided.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. We rely 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 quotes at your request, arranging bookings, carrying out the removal or transport service, and managing payments.

Legal Obligation

We process certain information where required to comply with applicable laws, such as tax law, accounting requirements, insurance obligations, and record-keeping duties.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided that your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include managing our services, improving operations, maintaining security, protecting our business from fraud, and keeping appropriate records. We consider the impact on individuals before relying on this basis.

Consent

Where required, we may rely on your consent, for example if you voluntarily provide certain optional information or agree to specific forms of communication. You may withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.

Vital Interests and Public Interest

These bases are not usually relied upon in the ordinary course of our services, but may apply in rare situations where necessary to protect someone’s vital interests or where processing is required by law in the public interest.

5. Sharing Personal Data and Processors

We do not sell personal data. We may share personal information only where necessary and appropriate for the purposes described in this policy. In some cases, we use trusted service providers who act as processors on our behalf. These processors are required to handle data securely and only according to our instructions.

Examples of processors may include:

IT and hosting providers who support our systems, data storage, and communications;
payment service providers who process card or electronic payments;
accounting and bookkeeping providers who assist with financial administration;
customer communication tools that help us manage bookings and service messages;
insurance providers and claims handlers where handling an incident, complaint, or claim requires disclosure;
professional advisers such as lawyers, auditors, or consultants where necessary for legal or business purposes.

We may also share information with third parties where required by law, by a court order, or with law enforcement where appropriate. If a business reorganisation, sale, or transfer occurs, personal data may be disclosed as part of that transaction, subject to legal safeguards.

6. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. This may include using approved contractual protections or transferring data only to countries recognised as providing an adequate level of protection. We take steps to make sure your information remains protected when processed outside the UK.

7. 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 vary depending on the type of information and the reason it is held.

Quotation and booking records are generally kept for a reasonable period to manage follow-up queries, disputes, and service history.
Payment and invoicing records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Correspondence and complaint records may be kept for the time needed to resolve matters and defend legal claims.
Operational and safety records may be retained where needed for insurance, incident management, or legal compliance.

When data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in a safe and appropriate way. We regularly review the information we hold to ensure it is not kept for longer than necessary.

8. Your Rights

You have a number of rights under data protection law. Subject to legal limitations, these may include:

Right of access – to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit how we use your data in specific situations.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing, where applicable.
Right to data portability – to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format, where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We aim to deal with requests promptly and within the time limits required by law.

9. Security of Your Data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff awareness procedures, and data minimisation practices. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work hard to maintain a high standard of protection.

10. Data Accuracy and Your Responsibility

We rely on you to provide accurate and up-to-date information. Please let us know if your contact details, service requirements, or other relevant information change. Keeping records accurate helps us provide a better and more reliable service.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidentally included in service-related communications or property details. If we become aware that we have collected such data without a lawful basis, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or our internal practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is issued. We encourage customers to review the policy periodically so they remain informed about how personal data is handled.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Man With Van Pettswood is committed to respecting your privacy and processing your personal data responsibly. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and lawful purposes, keep it only for as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or where legally required. You remain in control of your data through your data protection rights, and we will always aim to handle your information with care, fairness, and transparency.

This policy applies to all Man With Van Pettswood customers in the area.