Privacy Policy - Man With A Van Hornchurch

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With A Van Hornchurch collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing moving, delivery, transport, and related services. It applies to all Man With A Van Hornchurch customers in the Hornchurch area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and business clients who request our 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.

By using our services, requesting a quote, making an enquiry, or entering into an agreement with us, you acknowledge that we may process personal data as described in this policy.

1. Data We Collect

We only collect information that is necessary for providing our services, managing our business, and meeting legal obligations. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity information: your name, title, and, where relevant, business name.
Contact information: telephone number, email address, and service address.
Service details: moving dates, collection and delivery addresses, inventory details, access notes, and service preferences.
Billing information: payment records, invoice details, and transaction information.
Communications: messages, call notes, complaint records, and any correspondence you send to us.
Operational information: special handling instructions, parking restrictions, property access details, and items requiring care.
Technical information: limited information that may be collected through our digital systems, such as device or usage details if you contact us online.

We do not intentionally collect more data than is needed to deliver our services. Where we process special category data, such as health-related access needs, we do so only where necessary and with appropriate safeguards.

2. How We Use Your Data

Your personal data is used for clear and legitimate business purposes. We may use it to:

provide quotations and confirm bookings;
plan and carry out removals, collections, and deliveries;
communicate with you about service arrangements;
issue invoices and process payments;
respond to enquiries, feedback, and complaints;
manage records, quality control, and business administration;
comply with legal, tax, accounting, and insurance obligations;
protect our business, staff, customers, and property from fraud or misuse.

We only use personal data in ways that are compatible with the purposes for which it was collected, unless we are required or permitted by law to do otherwise.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process your personal data. Depending on the situation, we may rely on one or more of the following grounds:

Contract

We process data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing a quote, booking a service, carrying out a move, and managing payments.

Legal obligation

We may process and retain certain data to comply with laws and regulations, including tax, accounting, insurance, and record-keeping requirements.

Legitimate interests

We may process data for our legitimate business interests, such as managing operations, improving service quality, preventing fraud, handling disputes, and maintaining secure records. When relying on this basis, we balance our interests against your rights and freedoms.

Consent

In limited cases, we may ask for your consent, for example where we need to process optional information that is not essential to the service. You may withdraw consent at any time, where consent is the lawful basis.

Vital interests

In rare emergency situations, we may process information to protect someone’s vital interests, such as health or safety.

4. Sharing Your Information

We may share personal data only when necessary and only with parties that support our operations. These may include:

Payment providers who help process transactions securely;
Accountants and professional advisers who assist with tax, audit, and compliance matters;
IT and storage providers who support our systems, data hosting, and record management;
Insurance providers where required to handle claims or incidents;
Subcontractors or processors engaged to help provide services on our behalf;
Regulators, law enforcement, or public authorities where disclosure is required by law.

We do not sell your personal data. Where third parties process data for us, they must do so under contract, use the data only for instructed purposes, and apply appropriate security measures.

5. Processors and Third Parties

We may appoint data processors to support service delivery and administration. A processor is a third party that handles personal data on our behalf. Typical processors may include:

booking and scheduling software providers;
email and communication platforms;
cloud storage and backup services;
invoicing and accounting systems;
website or IT maintenance providers;
secure payment processing services.

We take reasonable steps to ensure that any processor we use provides adequate protection for personal data and acts in accordance with data protection law. Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, and no longer than required by law. Retention periods depend on the type of information and the purpose of processing.

Quotation and booking records may be retained for a reasonable period to manage enquiries, service history, and follow-up matters.
Invoice and payment records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Complaint and dispute records may be retained for longer where necessary to resolve issues or defend legal claims.
Operational service notes are kept only as long as needed for service completion and internal administration.

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

7. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff awareness, and restricted use of information. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take data protection seriously and regularly review our safeguards.

8. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have a number of rights under UK data protection law. Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

access the personal data we hold about you;
rectify inaccurate or incomplete information;
erase your data in certain situations;
restrict how we process your data in certain cases;
object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing;
data portability for data you provided to us, where applicable;
withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve any issue promptly and fairly.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are generally directed to adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a service arrangement made by an adult customer, such as family household removals. Where children’s information is involved, we handle it carefully and only to the extent required for service delivery.

10. Marketing and Communications

We may send service-related communications that are necessary for booking, delivery, administration, or follow-up. We do not send unnecessary marketing without an appropriate lawful basis. If any optional marketing communication is provided, you may opt out where applicable.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, technology, or business practice. The most recent version will apply to the processing of your personal data. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically so you remain informed about how we protect your information.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Man With A Van Hornchurch is committed to protecting your privacy and using personal data responsibly. We collect only the information needed to provide our services, rely on appropriate lawful bases, retain data for limited periods, use trusted processors under strict controls, and respect your rights under data protection law. This policy applies to all Man With A Van Hornchurch customers in the Hornchurch area and is designed to ensure transparency, accountability, and trust in every aspect of our service.