Privacy Policy - Man With Van Balham

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With Van Balham collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Man With Van Balham customers in the area, including anyone requesting, booking, paying for, or receiving moving and transport services. We are committed to handling personal information in a fair, lawful, transparent, and secure manner in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Man With Van Balham provides removals, item transport, collection, delivery, and related moving services. In providing these services, we act as a data controller for the personal information we collect directly from customers, prospects, and website or enquiry users. Where we use third-party service providers to support our operations, they may act as data processors on our behalf, or as independent controllers where appropriate.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary for providing our services, managing bookings, and meeting legal or operational obligations. The categories of data we may collect include:

Identity data: name, title, and any details needed to identify you.
Contact data: address, email address, telephone number, and other communication details.
Booking and service data: move date, pickup and delivery locations, property access information, item lists, special handling needs, and service preferences.
Payment and transaction data: billing details, payment status, and records of charges or refunds.
Communications data: messages, calls, complaint details, feedback, and correspondence with us.
Technical data: limited device or usage information if you interact with our digital systems, where applicable.
Special category data: we do not seek to collect special category data unless you choose to provide it and it is strictly necessary for a service-related reason, such as access needs or health-related handling requirements.

We do not intentionally collect more data than is needed. Where information is optional, we will make that clear.

3. How We Use Your Data

We process personal data for the following purposes:

to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
to manage bookings and deliver moving services;
to communicate about scheduling, access, delays, or service updates;
to process payments, invoices, and related financial records;
to handle complaints, disputes, and customer support requests;
to maintain business records and service history;
to comply with legal, tax, and accounting obligations;
to prevent fraud, misuse, or other unlawful activity;
to improve service quality, operational planning, and staff training.

We use your information only where it is necessary and proportionate to the purpose concerned. We do not sell personal data.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each processing activity. Depending on the circumstances, Man With Van Balham relies on one or more of the following bases:

Contract

We process data when it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract or to perform a contract with you. This includes handling booking details, moving services, and payment administration.

Legal Obligation

We may process data where needed to comply with legal duties, such as tax records, bookkeeping, insurance matters, or lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include service improvement, operational management, fraud prevention, and responding to customer queries. Where we rely on legitimate interests, we assess the impact on your privacy and act proportionately.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where you voluntarily provide certain optional information or agree to specific communications. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. Sharing Your Information and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary for service delivery, administration, or legal compliance. These may include:

Payment providers for processing card or transfer payments.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers for financial record management.
IT and cloud service providers that store or support our systems.
Communication providers used for calls, texts, or email handling.
Subcontractors or operational partners assisting with the service you requested.
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers.
Authorities or regulators where disclosure is required by law.

When a third party acts as a data processor, they are required to process personal data only on our instructions and to apply appropriate security measures. We use written arrangements to ensure processors handle data responsibly and lawfully. If data is shared with an independent controller, that party will be responsible for its own privacy obligations.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, and to satisfy legal, accounting, or operational requirements. The exact retention period depends on the type of information and the context in which it was used.

Booking and service records are kept for a period needed to manage the service, resolve disputes, and support business administration.
Payment and invoice records are retained for tax and accounting compliance in line with applicable law.
Customer correspondence may be kept for a reasonable period to maintain service history and address follow-up issues.
Complaint or claim records may be kept longer where necessary to defend legal claims or meet insurance requirements.

When personal data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in a safe and lawful way. Retention is never indefinite unless a legal reason requires it.

7. Data Security

We take the protection of your information seriously. Appropriate technical and organisational measures are used to reduce the risk of unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and careful handling of records. While no system can be guaranteed 100% secure, we aim to keep personal data protected to a high standard.

8. Your Rights Under GDPR

You have rights over your personal data. These rights may apply in full or in part depending on the legal basis and processing activity. Subject to legal limits, you may have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you.
Rectification of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Erasure of data in certain circumstances.
Restriction of processing in certain situations.
Data portability for information provided by you and processed by automated means on the basis of consent or contract.
Object to processing based on legitimate interests or to direct marketing where applicable.
Withdraw consent at any time where consent is the basis for processing.

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

9. International Transfers

Where any service provider stores or processes data outside the UK, we take steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. This may include relying on adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent protection measures, depending on the destination and service used. We only allow transfers where suitable legal protections exist.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults arranging moving and transport services. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary and provided by an adult customer in connection with a service request, such as access arrangements or family-related moving needs.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, operational practice, or service arrangements. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Man With Van Balham is committed to protecting personal data and respecting privacy rights. We collect only the information needed to provide and improve our services, rely on lawful bases for processing, use processors carefully, retain data only as long as necessary, and support users in exercising their rights. This policy is designed to be transparent, fair, and GDPR-compliant for all customers in the Balham area.