Privacy Policy - Man With Van Soho

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With Van Soho collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing services to customers in Soho and the surrounding area. It applies to all Man With Van Soho customers in the area, including individuals, households, businesses, and anyone who enquires about, books, or receives moving services. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Privacy is important to us. We only collect information that is necessary to deliver our services, manage bookings, communicate with customers, process payments, meet legal obligations, and improve our operations. This policy sets out what information we collect, why we use it, how long we keep it, who we may share it with, and what rights you have over your data.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect personal data directly from you, from your representative, or from third parties involved in arranging or carrying out a move. The type of information we collect depends on the service requested.

Information you provide

Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, company name.
Contact details such as telephone number and email address.
Service details including pickup and delivery addresses, access information, item descriptions, preferred dates, and special handling instructions.
Payment and billing details where needed for invoicing, payment processing, and accounting.
Communication records such as enquiries, quotes, complaints, feedback, and notes from calls or messages.
Special instructions relating to fragile, valuable, or restricted items, or access needs at the property.

Information collected automatically or indirectly

Technical information may be collected when you use electronic communication channels, such as device type, browser type, and general usage data.
Transaction information may be generated when services are booked, invoiced, or paid for.
Third-party information may come from landlords, agents, business partners, or payment providers where necessary to complete the service.

We do not intentionally collect more information than is needed for legitimate business and service purposes. We also do not collect special category data unless you voluntarily provide it and it is necessary for a specific service, for example to accommodate an access requirement. Where such information is provided, we treat it with additional care and only use it when appropriate legal safeguards are in place.

2. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use personal data to provide reliable, efficient, and safe removal and transport services. Typical uses include:

Preparing quotations and confirming bookings.
Planning and carrying out removals, deliveries, and related services.
Communicating with you before, during, and after a service.
Processing payments, issuing invoices, and maintaining business records.
Handling complaints, claims, or disputes.
Meeting legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations.
Improving service quality, training staff, and maintaining operational standards.
Preventing fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We do not sell your personal data. Any use of information is limited to the purposes described in this policy or to purposes reasonably compatible with those purposes.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

We only process personal data where we have a valid lawful basis under the UK GDPR. Depending on the situation, we may rely on one or more of the following:

Contract - processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as providing a move or delivery service.
Legal obligation - processing is necessary to comply with tax, accounting, insurance, or other legal requirements.
Legitimate interests - processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as managing enquiries, improving services, preventing fraud, and maintaining security, provided your rights do not override those interests.
Consent - in limited cases, we may ask for your consent, for example where we need to use certain optional information or send specific marketing messages. You can withdraw consent at any time.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we ensure that our interests are balanced against your privacy rights and that the data use is proportionate and necessary.

4. Sharing Your Information and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us deliver our services or operate our business. These third parties act as processors when they process personal data on our behalf and under our instructions. Examples may include:

Payment processors that handle card or electronic payments.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that support invoicing, record-keeping, and tax compliance.
IT and cloud service providers that host data, manage communications, or maintain digital systems.
Customer management or scheduling tools used to organise bookings and service delivery.
Professional advisers such as insurers, legal advisers, or auditors where necessary.
Subcontractors or operational partners involved in carrying out a booking, only to the extent required.

We require processors to handle personal data securely, use it only for the agreed purpose, and comply with applicable data protection laws. Where a transfer is made to a processor outside the UK or EEA, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, court order, regulatory authority, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Man With Van Soho, our customers, or others.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or for as long as required by law. Retention periods depend on the nature of the data and the purpose of processing.

Enquiry and quotation records are generally retained for a limited period after the enquiry unless they lead to a booking or further legitimate business need.
Booking, invoicing, and transaction records are retained for accounting, tax, and legal compliance purposes.
Customer communication records may be kept for quality assurance, dispute resolution, or service follow-up.
Claims or complaint records may be retained longer where needed to investigate or defend legal matters.

When data is no longer needed, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in a safe and appropriate manner. Retention is reviewed regularly to make sure information is not kept longer than necessary.

6. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several 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 a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification - you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure - you can request deletion of your data where there is no good reason for us to keep it.
Right to restrict processing - you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to data portability - you may request certain data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to object - you can object to processing based on legitimate interests, including direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent - where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

We will respond to valid rights requests within the timeframes required by law. In some cases, we may need to verify your identity before fulfilling your request or explain why a request cannot be fully met, for example where retention is required by law.

7. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to safeguard personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure systems, staff training, and limited access to data on a need-to-know basis. Although no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, we work diligently to protect all information we handle.

8. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we take steps to ensure it is protected to a standard that is essentially equivalent to UK data protection requirements. This may include approved contractual safeguards or relying on an adequacy decision where available.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data protection 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 data is handled.

In summary, Man With Van Soho processes personal data only where necessary, uses it responsibly, and applies this policy to all customers in the Soho area. We aim to remain transparent, accountable, and respectful of your privacy at every stage of our service.