Privacy Policy - Man And A Van Surrey

This Privacy Policy explains how Man And A Van Surrey collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Man And A Van Surrey customers in the area, including anyone who uses our moving, delivery, collection, or related services. 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 And A Van Surrey provides transport and relocation services for domestic and commercial customers. In the course of delivering our services, we may process personal data relating to customers, recipients, suppliers, and other individuals involved in a booking or job. This policy applies to all such processing carried out by us as a data controller, unless we act solely on the instructions of another controller.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the information that is necessary to arrange, deliver, manage, and improve our services. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity details such as name, title, and, where relevant, company name.
Contact details including address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information such as pickup and delivery addresses, property access notes, moving dates, item descriptions, and job instructions.
Payment-related information such as billing details and transaction records, though we do not necessarily store full card data if payment is processed by a third party.
Communication records including enquiries, emails, text messages, quotes, complaint details, and service updates.
Technical information where applicable, such as basic device or usage data collected through website or online enquiry tools.
Special category data only where strictly necessary and where you choose to provide it, for example information about mobility access needs or health-related requirements that affect the delivery of our service.

We aim to avoid collecting unnecessary personal data. Please do not share sensitive information unless it is needed for your move or service arrangement.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotes, confirm bookings, and manage moving or delivery arrangements.
To communicate with customers about schedules, service details, changes, or issues.
To prepare invoices, process payments, and maintain accounting records.
To carry out operational planning, route coordination, and load management.
To handle complaints, claims, and customer support requests.
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations.
To protect our business, staff, and customers from fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.
To improve our services, internal processes, and customer experience.

We will only use your data in ways that are compatible with the purposes described in this policy.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. Depending on the circumstances, we rely on one or more of the following bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes, arranging bookings, carrying out removal or delivery services, and managing payment or service administration.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data where required to meet legal obligations, such as maintaining tax records, accounting records, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is reasonably necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing our operations, preventing fraud, improving services, and communicating with existing customers about service matters.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, particularly for optional communications or where special category data is provided for a specific purpose. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

Vital Interests

In rare circumstances, we may process personal data to protect someone’s vital interests, for example where emergency action is needed to prevent serious harm.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We do not sell personal data. However, we may share information with trusted third parties where necessary to operate our business and deliver our services. These parties act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers.

Processors may include:

Payment processors who handle transactions securely.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers who help with invoicing, tax, and record keeping.
IT and hosting providers who support our systems, communications, and data storage.
Customer management or scheduling tools used to organize jobs and enquiries.
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers, where required.
Subcontractors or operational partners involved in delivering services on our behalf.

We require processors to handle personal data securely, use it only on our instructions, and comply with applicable data protection law. Where data is shared with independent controllers, they are responsible for their own privacy practices.

6. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. This may include the use of adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms. We will take reasonable steps to ensure your data remains protected to a standard consistent with UK GDPR.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, tax, insurance, and dispute resolution requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the nature of the information and the service provided.

Booking and service records are typically retained for a period necessary to manage the customer relationship and any follow-up matters.
Financial and invoicing records are generally kept for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Complaint or claim records may be retained longer where needed to defend legal claims or resolve disputes.
Marketing or consent-based records are kept until you withdraw consent or ask us to stop using them.

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

8. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorized access, accidental loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of data handling practices. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a level of protection appropriate to the risks involved.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and the legal basis for processing.

Right of access – you can request confirmation of whether we hold your personal data and obtain a copy of it.
Right to rectification – you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – you can ask us to delete personal data in certain situations.
Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – you can request certain data in a structured, commonly used format where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

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 you to raise concerns with us first so we can try to resolve the matter promptly.

10. Children's Data

Our services are generally intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in the context of a household move or related service and provided by an adult customer. Where children’s data is involved, we will limit processing to what is necessary and appropriate.

11. Automated Decision-Making

We do not use personal data for automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects. If this changes in the future, we will update this policy and ensure any such processing complies with applicable law.

12. 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. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise made available. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your data.

Last updated: This policy is intended to provide a clear overview of how Man And A Van Surrey processes personal data for customers in the area, while remaining compliant with applicable data protection laws.