Privacy Policy - Man With Van Friernbarnet

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With Van Friernbarnet collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Man With Van Friernbarnet customers in the Friern Barnet area, including anyone who requests a quote, makes a booking, receives moving services, or communicates with us in connection with our services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Man With Van Friernbarnet provides removals, transport, and related moving services to customers in and around Friern Barnet. In the context of this Privacy Policy, we act as the data controller for the personal information we collect and process about our customers, prospective customers, suppliers, and website or enquiry users where applicable.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the information that is necessary to provide our services, manage our business, and meet legal obligations. The personal data we may collect includes:

Identity details: name, title, and any relevant identification information needed to confirm your booking or access arrangements.
Contact details: telephone number, email address, and correspondence details.
Service details: move dates, pickup and delivery addresses, inventory information, property access notes, and service preferences.
Billing and payment information: invoicing details, payment status, and transaction records.
Communication records: emails, messages, call notes, complaints, and service-related correspondence.
Operational information: instructions for loading, parking, access, timing, and other logistics required to complete the move.
Technical information: if you interact with digital systems we may collect device or usage data such as IP address or browser type where relevant for security and service performance.

We do not intentionally collect more data than is needed for the purpose for which it was provided. We also avoid collecting special category data unless it is strictly necessary and we have an appropriate lawful basis to do so.

3. How We Collect Personal Data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

request a quote or make an enquiry;
book a moving service;
communicate with us by phone, email, text message, or other means;
provide instructions or changes relating to a service;
make a payment or receive an invoice;
submit feedback, complaints, or service requests.

We may also receive information from third parties where necessary for a service, such as a customer’s representative, property manager, or business partner involved in the move. In limited cases, we may receive data from payment providers, bookkeeping services, or other operational processors that support our activities.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only when a lawful basis under the UK GDPR applies. Depending on the activity, the lawful basis may be one or more of the following:

Contract

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

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data where needed to comply with legal requirements, such as record-keeping, tax, accounting, insurance, or regulatory obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your interests and rights do not override those interests. This may include managing customer relations, improving service quality, preventing fraud, maintaining business records, and protecting our operations.

Consent

In some situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where you voluntarily agree to receive certain communications or where consent is required for specific processing activities. You may withdraw consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations and respond to enquiries;
to schedule and deliver removals and transport services;
to verify booking details and service instructions;
to communicate with you about your service;
to issue invoices, process payments, and manage accounts;
to maintain internal records and business administration;
to handle complaints, disputes, and insurance matters;
to improve our services and customer experience;
to comply with legal, tax, or regulatory requirements;
to protect against misuse, fraud, or security incidents.

We only use your information for the purposes stated in this policy or for closely related purposes that you would reasonably expect.

6. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third-party processors that support our business operations. These processors act on our instructions and are required to protect your data. They may include:

Payment processors: to process card or online payments securely.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers: to manage financial records, invoices, and tax reporting.
IT and cloud service providers: to store data, manage communications, and maintain secure systems.
Customer management or scheduling tools: to help organise bookings and service records.
Insurance providers or advisors: where required for claims, risk management, or legal advice.

We may also disclose personal data to law enforcement, regulators, courts, or other public authorities where we are legally required to do so or where disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, customers, or business operations.

Where a processor is used, we take reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate contractual safeguards are in place, including confidentiality obligations, security measures, and restrictions on further processing.

7. International Transfers

If any processor or service provider stores or accesses personal data outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that adequate safeguards are in place. These may include approved transfer mechanisms and contractual protections designed to preserve a level of protection essentially equivalent to that required by UK data protection law.

8. 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. The retention period depends on the type of data and the purpose of processing. In general:

booking and service records are retained for a period necessary to manage the customer relationship and any follow-up matters;
financial and invoice records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting laws;
complaints, claims, and dispute-related information may be retained for longer if needed to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims;
information collected with consent is retained until consent is withdrawn or the data is no longer needed.

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

9. Data Security

We take the protection of personal data seriously and use reasonable technical and organisational measures to reduce the risk of unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff awareness, and supplier oversight. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to maintain a level of protection appropriate to the nature of the information we hold.

10. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have certain rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and the basis on which we process your information. They 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 information.
Right to erasure: to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restrict processing: to ask us to limit how your data is used in certain situations.
Right to data portability: to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to object: to 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.

To exercise your rights, you may make a request using the usual communication channels you have used with us. We may need to verify your identity before responding. We will respond within the time required by applicable law unless an extension is permitted.

If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

11. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults arranging removals and transport services. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If we become aware that we have collected such data without appropriate authority, we will take steps to delete it as soon as reasonably possible.

12. 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 protection practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers in the Friern Barnet area to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their personal data is handled.

Last reviewed: This policy is intended to provide a clear and lawful explanation of how Man With Van Friernbarnet manages personal data for all customers in the area.