Privacy Policy - Man And Van Merton

This Privacy Policy explains how Man And Van Merton collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Man And Van Merton customers in the area, including individuals who request quotes, make bookings, receive moving services, or otherwise interact with our services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Man And Van Merton provides removals, transport, delivery, and related moving services. In providing these services, we may process personal information about customers, suppliers, and other individuals connected to a booking. This policy describes the information we collect and the reasons for processing it. It also explains the rights available to individuals whose personal data we hold.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for business and service purposes. The information we collect may include:

Identity details such as your name.
Contact details such as address, phone number, and email address.
Booking information such as moving dates, property access details, inventory lists, and service preferences.
Payment information such as billing details and payment status. We do not store card information unless it is needed for a specific payment process.
Communication records such as emails, messages, call notes, and service enquiries.
Service-related details such as item descriptions, special handling instructions, and delivery notes.
Technical data if you interact with our digital systems, including IP address, browser type, and device information where relevant.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless you choose to provide it, and only where it is necessary and lawful to do so. Please avoid sharing sensitive information unless it is required for the service.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data only for defined and legitimate purposes. These include:

Providing quotes and managing bookings.
Planning and carrying out removal or transport services.
Communicating with customers before, during, and after a service.
Processing payments, invoices, refunds, and accounting records.
Handling complaints, claims, and service queries.
Meeting legal, regulatory, tax, and insurance obligations.
Maintaining internal records, quality control, and business administration.
Preventing fraud, misuse, or unauthorised access to services and systems.

We will not use your data for unrelated purposes without first ensuring that such use is lawful and appropriate.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. Depending on the context, Man And Van Merton may rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotes, confirming bookings, organising moves, and completing payment processing.

Legal Obligation

We may process data to comply with legal obligations, including tax, accounting, insurance, and record-keeping requirements.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include service improvement, internal administration, fraud prevention, and maintaining operational security.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where you expressly agree to receive certain optional communications. Where consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where this is necessary for the delivery of our services or for compliance with legal obligations. These third parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the nature of the service.

Examples of processors may include:

Payment processors that help us process invoices and payments securely.
IT and cloud service providers that support our systems, storage, and communications.
Accounting and administrative service providers that assist with bookkeeping and records.
Insurance or claims support providers where relevant to service-related incidents.

We require processors to handle personal data securely, to use it only on our instructions, and to comply with applicable data protection laws. Where required, we put appropriate contractual safeguards in place. We may also disclose personal information to professional advisers, regulatory bodies, law enforcement, or courts where necessary and lawful.

We do not sell personal data.

6. Data Retention

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

Booking and service records are usually retained for a period necessary to manage the relationship and resolve possible disputes.
Financial and tax records are retained in accordance with legal obligations.
Correspondence may be kept for a reasonable period to support customer service, complaint handling, and business administration.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention procedures. Retention is reviewed regularly to ensure data is not kept for longer than necessary.

7. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, restricted permissions, and staff awareness procedures. Although no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a high level of data protection and operational security.

8. Your Rights

As a data subject under UK GDPR, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to legal conditions and exemptions.

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 – in certain circumstances, you can request deletion of your data.
Right to restrict processing – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to data portability – you can request that we provide 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.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with applicable law. We may need to verify your identity before acting on your request. Some rights may not apply in every case, especially where we need to retain information to meet legal obligations.

9. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that suitable safeguards are in place to protect it. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent measures required by law.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults arranging moving and transport services. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is unavoidably provided in the context of a household move. If we become aware that we have collected data unlawfully, we will take appropriate steps to delete it or obtain lawful authority where required.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data protection practices. The latest version will apply to your personal data from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal information.

12. Summary of Key Commitments

Man And Van Merton is committed to processing personal data responsibly and lawfully. We collect only what we need, use it for clear purposes, keep it only as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or where the law requires it. We respect the rights of our customers and aim to maintain transparency in every stage of our data handling practices. Your privacy is important to us, and we take it seriously across all services provided in the area.