Privacy Policy - Man With Van Highgate

Man With Van Highgate is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers and prospective customers in the Highgate area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy applies to all Man With Van Highgate customers in the area, including individuals and businesses who request quotes, book services, communicate with us, or otherwise engage with our moving and van services.

1. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary to provide and manage our services, respond to enquiries, and meet legal and operational obligations. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, the name of your business or organisation.
Contact details including telephone number and email address.
Service details such as collection and delivery addresses, preferred dates, property access notes, inventory information, and instructions relating to your move.
Payment and billing information where needed to process transactions, issue invoices, and keep financial records.
Communication records including emails, call notes, messages, and any feedback or complaints you provide.
Technical information if you interact with our online services, such as device identifiers, basic usage data, and browser information, where applicable.

We may also collect limited information about special circumstances that affect your move, for example access constraints, fragile items, or timing requirements. We do not intentionally collect special category data unless you choose to provide it and it is necessary for the service. If such information is shared with us, we will handle it carefully and only for a lawful and specific purpose.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotes and respond to enquiries.
To arrange, manage, and deliver moving and van services.
To communicate about bookings, schedules, changes, and service updates.
To process payments, issue invoices, and maintain accounting records.
To handle customer support, complaints, and service improvements.
To meet legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations.
To protect our business, staff, and customers from fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We only use personal data in ways that are compatible with the reasons it was collected, unless we have a valid legal basis for a new purpose.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. Depending on the situation, we rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract or to perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes, confirming bookings, carrying out your move, and managing payments.

Legal Obligation

We process certain information where we need to comply with legal requirements, such as accounting, tax, record-keeping, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include improving our services, managing internal administration, preventing fraud, ensuring service quality, and keeping appropriate business records.

Consent

Where consent is required, we will ask for it clearly and separately. For example, if we need to use certain optional information for a specific purpose that is not covered by another lawful basis, we will rely on your consent. You may withdraw consent at any time.

4. Sharing Data and Processors

We do not sell your personal data. We may share it only when necessary and appropriate, and only with trusted third parties who help us run our services. These third parties act as data processors or independent controllers depending on the context.

Processors may include:

Payment service providers that process card or transfer payments.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that manage invoices and financial records.
IT and hosting providers that support secure storage, communication, or system maintenance.
Administrative and communication tools used to schedule jobs, manage customer records, or send updates.
Professional advisers such as insurers, auditors, or legal advisers where needed.

Where we use processors, we ensure they are bound by appropriate data protection obligations and only process your information on our instructions. We require them to use suitable technical and organisational measures to protect data.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, to enforce our terms, to protect our rights, or to prevent harm or unlawful activity.

5. International Transfers

If any of our processors store or access personal data outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections designed to keep your data secure and compliant with UK GDPR requirements.

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, insurance, and reporting requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the nature of the service.

Booking and service records are usually kept for a reasonable period after completion of the service so we can handle queries, disputes, or follow-up matters.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Communication records may be retained for operational and evidential purposes where appropriate.
Enquiry data that does not lead to a booking may be kept for a limited period and then deleted or anonymised.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, destroy, or anonymise it.

7. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, or alteration. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, limited staff access, and internal procedures designed to safeguard data. While we work hard to protect information, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

8. Your Rights

Depending on the circumstances and the legal basis for processing, you have the following rights under data protection law:

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 information.
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 certain situations.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing, where applicable.
Right to data portability – to receive certain information in a structured, commonly used format or have it transmitted to another controller, where technically feasible.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

To protect your privacy, we may need to verify your identity before responding to a request. If you believe your rights have been infringed, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) or your local supervisory authority.

9. 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 incidental to arranging a service requested by an adult customer. If we become aware that we have collected data inappropriately, we will take steps to remove it where required.

10. Changes to This Privacy 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 communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how their information is used.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

We process personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently; we keep it secure; we retain it only as long as needed; and we respect your rights. Man With Van Highgate recognises the importance of privacy for all customers in the area and is committed to handling data responsibly throughout every stage of the service.