Privacy Policy - Man And Van Hornchurch

This Privacy Policy explains how Man And Van Hornchurch collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. It applies to all Man And Van Hornchurch customers in the area, including anyone who requests, books, receives, or enquires about our moving and transport services. By using our services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this policy.

1. Who We Are

Man And Van Hornchurch provides man and van, moving, delivery, and related transport services. In the course of delivering these services, we may need to collect and use personal data about customers, booking contacts, property access points, recipients, and other relevant individuals. We act as a data controller for the personal data we determine the purposes and means of processing.

2. Information We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for arranging, carrying out, and managing our services. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity information such as your name and any company name you provide.
Contact information such as your telephone number, email address, and service address.
Booking details including move dates, collection and delivery addresses, item descriptions, access notes, and service preferences.
Payment information such as billing records and payment status. We do not intentionally store full card details unless required by a secure payment provider.
Communication records including emails, messages, call notes, and any instructions you give us.
Service records such as quotations, invoices, job notes, and completion details.
Technical information if you contact us electronically, which may include basic device or usage data needed to operate our systems securely.

We may also process limited information about third parties where you provide it to us, for example where a landlord, building manager, recipient, or representative is involved in the move. Please make sure you have the appropriate authority to share their information with us.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for legitimate business purposes connected to providing our services, including:

responding to enquiries and providing quotations;
planning and delivering removals, transport, and related services;
confirming bookings and managing schedules;
communicating about service changes, access requirements, and job updates;
issuing invoices, processing payments, and maintaining accounting records;
handling complaints, queries, and service disputes;
maintaining internal records and service quality;
protecting against fraud, misuse, and security risks;
meeting legal, regulatory, and tax obligations.

We will not use your data for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons it was collected unless we have a valid lawful basis to do so.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for each activity involving personal data. Depending on the situation, Man And Van Hornchurch may rely on the following bases:

Contract

We process your data where it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract or to perform a contract with you. This includes managing bookings, carrying out moves, and handling related customer administration.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing our operations, maintaining customer records, improving service delivery, preventing fraud, and resolving disputes.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain data where required by law, including tax, accounting, insurance, safety, and regulatory obligations.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where you voluntarily agree to receive certain types of communication not required for service delivery. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to provide our services or manage our business effectively. These third parties act as data processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. Processors may include:

IT and hosting providers that store or support our business systems;
email and communication providers used to manage enquiries and service updates;
accounting and bookkeeping providers that support invoicing, taxes, and financial records;
payment service providers that process payments securely;
customer management or scheduling tools used to organise bookings;
professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers where necessary.

We require our processors to handle personal data securely, to act only on our instructions where appropriate, and to comply with applicable data protection law. We do not sell your personal data.

6. International Transfers

If any of our service providers process data outside the UK, we will take appropriate steps to ensure that your personal data is protected to a standard consistent with UK GDPR requirements. This may include using approved contractual safeguards or ensuring the destination country is subject to an adequacy decision.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for 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 the purpose for which it is used. In general:

quotation and booking records may be retained for a reasonable period to manage customer relations and follow-up;
invoice, payment, and tax records are usually retained for the period required by law;
communications and service notes may be kept as long as needed to resolve queries or protect our legitimate interests;
where data is no longer required, it will be securely deleted, anonymised, or archived in line with our retention practices.

When determining retention periods, we consider the nature of the data, potential legal claims, audit needs, and any regulatory requirements. Once data is no longer necessary, it is disposed of securely.

8. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff awareness, password protection, and limiting access to information on a need-to-know basis. While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

9. 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 or direct marketing.
Right to data portability - to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent - where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage you to raise concerns with us first so that we can try to resolve the matter promptly.

10. Marketing Communications

We may send service-related communications where necessary to manage your booking or contract. If we send optional promotional messages, we will do so only where permitted by law and, where required, with your consent. You may opt out of non-essential marketing at any time.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is provided incidentally in connection with a household move or delivery arrangement and is necessary to perform the service. If we become aware that we have collected unnecessary child-related data, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data handling practices. The updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise made available. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal data.

13. Summary of Key Points

Man And Van Hornchurch collects only the personal data needed to provide services, relies on lawful bases such as contract, legitimate interests, consent, and legal obligation, uses trusted processors, and retains data only as long as necessary. Customers in the area have rights over their personal data, including access, correction, erasure, restriction, objection, and portability.

By using the services of Man And Van Hornchurch, you confirm that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.