Privacy Policy - Man And Van Northwood

This Privacy Policy explains how Man And Van Northwood collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Man And Van Northwood customers in area, including individuals who request quotes, make bookings, receive removals or delivery services, or otherwise interact with our services. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who This Policy Applies To

This policy applies to anyone whose personal data is processed in connection with our services. This includes customers, potential customers, business contacts, and any other person whose details are provided to us as part of arranging or delivering a service. By using our services, you acknowledge that your information may be processed as described in this policy.

2. Data We Collect

We collect only the information needed to provide and manage our services effectively. The type of personal data we may collect includes:

Identity information such as your name and title.
Contact information such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details including move date, collection and delivery addresses, item descriptions, access notes, and special instructions.
Billing and payment information where required to process payments, issue invoices, or manage refunds.
Communication records such as emails, messages, call notes, and service-related correspondence.
Technical information if you interact with us through digital systems, such as device type or basic usage data, where applicable.
Any additional information you choose to provide when requesting a quote, booking a service, or making a complaint.

We do not seek to collect excessive or unnecessary information. Where special category data is accidentally disclosed to us, we will handle it with additional care and only where there is a lawful reason to do so.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations and assess service requirements;
to arrange, deliver, and manage removal or van services;
to communicate about bookings, timing, access, and service updates;
to issue invoices, process payments, and maintain financial records;
to manage complaints, disputes, claims, and customer support;
to improve our operations, planning, and service quality;
to comply with legal and regulatory obligations;
to prevent fraud, misuse, or other unlawful activity;
to keep appropriate business records and evidential documentation.

We only use your personal data where we have a valid lawful basis to do so and only for the purposes set out in this policy.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. Depending on the situation, we rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process your personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotations, confirming bookings, completing services, issuing invoices, and handling related communications.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain information to comply with legal requirements, such as accounting, tax, insurance, and record-keeping obligations.

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 service administration, internal record management, fraud prevention, and responding to customer enquiries or complaints.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where we need permission for a specific optional purpose. Where consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us operate our business. These parties act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. They are required to handle data securely and only in accordance with applicable law and our instructions, where relevant.

Examples of processors may include:

payment service providers;
accounting and bookkeeping providers;
IT support and data storage providers;
communication and messaging service providers;
professional advisers, including legal or insurance advisers, where necessary;
subcontractors or operational partners involved in service delivery.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, court order, regulatory request, or to protect our rights, property, staff, customers, or the public. We do not sell personal data.

6. International Transfers

Where any processor or service provider stores or processes data outside the United Kingdom, we will take appropriate steps to ensure that your data remains protected. This may include using approved safeguards and ensuring that equivalent standards of security and privacy are maintained.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. The length of time may vary depending on the nature of the data and the service provided.

Quotation and enquiry data may be retained for a reasonable period to manage follow-up questions and service administration.
Booking and customer records are generally retained for the duration of the service relationship and for a subsequent period needed for claims, disputes, or legal compliance.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Complaint or incident records may be kept longer where necessary to resolve issues or defend legal claims.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, destroy, or anonymise it.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures are designed to reflect the nature of the information we hold and the risks associated with processing it. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we take reasonable steps to safeguard the data entrusted to us.

9. Your Rights

As a data subject under UK GDPR, you have important rights over your personal data. These include:

The right to be informed about how your data is used.
The right of access to obtain a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
The right to rectification if information we hold is inaccurate or incomplete.
The right to erasure in certain circumstances, also known as the right to be forgotten.
The right to restrict processing in certain situations.
The right to data portability where applicable.
The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing, where applicable.
Rights related to automated decision-making, if such processing is ever used.

You also have the right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent. Exercising one of these rights will not normally affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before your request.

10. How We Respond to Rights Requests

We will assess any request you make and respond within the time limits required by law. In some cases, we may need to verify your identity before acting on a request. If we are unable to comply fully, we will explain the reason, unless the law prevents us from doing so.

11. Complaints

If you are concerned about the way your personal data has been handled, you may raise the issue with us so that we can review and address it. You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, regulatory guidance, or our business practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage you to review this policy periodically so that you remain informed about how your data is handled.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

We are committed to processing personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner. We only collect information that is necessary, we use it for legitimate service-related purposes, we retain it for no longer than needed, and we ensure that any processors handling it do so securely and appropriately. Our approach is grounded in privacy by design and respect for individual rights.

Man And Van Northwood treats customer privacy as a core responsibility. This policy applies to all Man And Van Northwood customers in area and sets out the standards we follow when handling personal data in connection with our services.