Privacy Policy - Man And Van Barnsbury

This Privacy Policy explains how Man And Van Barnsbury collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing removal, delivery, transport, lifting, loading, unloading, and related services. It applies to all Man And Van Barnsbury customers in the Barnsbury area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and business customers who use our services. We are committed to handling personal data 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

For the purposes of data protection law, Man And Van Barnsbury acts as the data controller for the personal data we collect and use in connection with our services. This means we determine why and how your personal information is processed. In some situations, we may also process data on behalf of a customer or another organisation, in which case we will act according to the instructions given to us and applicable law.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for us to deliver our services, manage bookings, communicate effectively, and meet legal obligations. The categories of data we may collect include:

Identity information such as your name and title.
Contact details such as telephone number and email address.
Address information such as collection, delivery, billing, and service locations.
Booking and service details including moving date, items to be moved, access notes, and service preferences.
Payment and transaction information relating to invoices, payments, refunds, and accounting records.
Communication records such as emails, call notes, messages, and complaint correspondence.
Service history including previous bookings, quotes, and customer preferences.
Technical information if you interact with us through digital systems, such as device data or usage logs, where applicable.

We do not seek to collect special category data unless it is necessary and lawful to do so. Special category data may include information revealing health, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, or similar sensitive details. If such information is provided voluntarily, for example to support access needs or service arrangements, we will process it only where a lawful basis applies and appropriate safeguards are in place.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotes and manage bookings.
To plan, deliver, and complete removal or transport services.
To contact you about scheduling, access, changes, or service requirements.
To process payments, issue invoices, and maintain financial records.
To respond to enquiries, complaints, and customer support requests.
To maintain business records and service quality.
To comply with legal, accounting, tax, and insurance obligations.
To prevent fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We may also use aggregated or anonymised data for internal analysis, planning, and service improvement. Such data does not identify you and is not personal data under data protection law.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We will only process your personal data where we have a valid lawful basis under UK GDPR. Depending on the context, our lawful bases may include:

Contract – processing is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract or to perform our service contract with you.
Legal obligation – processing is necessary to comply with legal requirements such as tax, accounting, or record-keeping laws.
Legitimate interests – processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as improving our services, managing operations, preventing fraud, and maintaining customer relationships, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests.
Consent – in limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where you voluntarily provide special category data and consent is the appropriate basis. You may withdraw consent at any time where it is being used.

We assess each processing activity to ensure the lawful basis is appropriate and documented. Where we rely on legitimate interests, we carry out balancing tests to confirm that our interests do not unfairly override your privacy rights.

5. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We do not sell your personal data. We may share data only where necessary and lawful, including with trusted processors and third parties that support our services. These may include:

Payment providers that handle transactions securely.
Accounting and bookkeeping processors that help manage invoices and financial records.
IT and hosting providers that support storage, communication, and system maintenance.
Customer communication tools used for booking confirmations or service updates.
Insurance or legal advisers where required to handle claims, disputes, or compliance matters.
Public authorities if we are required to do so by law or to protect legal rights.

All processors are required to handle personal data only on our instructions, keep it secure, and comply with data protection law. We use appropriate contractual safeguards to ensure processors protect your information and do not use it for their own purposes.

In rare cases, data may be transferred outside the UK. If this happens, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations or approved contractual measures, so that your data remains protected.

6. Data Retention

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

Typical retention approach

Booking and customer records are retained for the period needed to provide services and handle follow-up matters.
Payment and accounting records are kept for the period required by tax and financial legislation.
Correspondence and complaint records may be retained for a reasonable period to manage disputes, support service quality, and maintain accurate records.
Security and audit information is retained only as long as necessary for operational and legal purposes.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete it, anonymise it, or otherwise dispose of it safely.

7. Data Security

We take reasonable and 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, limited internal access, and staff awareness procedures. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to reduce risks and to respond promptly if an incident occurs.

8. Your Rights Under Data Protection Law

You have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to legal conditions and exemptions, 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 certain situations.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests, and to direct marketing where applicable.
Right to data portability – to request transfer of data you provided to us, where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to complain to the UK data protection supervisory authority if you are unhappy with how your data has been handled. We encourage you to raise concerns directly first so that we can address them promptly and fairly.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are generally intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a service arrangement and lawfully provided by a parent, guardian, or authorised adult. If we become aware that we have collected data without an appropriate basis, we will take steps to delete or correct it.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or how we process personal data. Any updates will apply from the time they are published. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Man And Van Barnsbury is committed to processing personal data responsibly, securely, and lawfully. We collect only what is necessary, use it for clear and legitimate purposes, share it only with trusted processors or where required by law, and retain it only for as long as needed. We respect your rights and aim to ensure that all customers in the Barnsbury area can use our services with confidence and trust.