Privacy Policy - Man And Van Whitechapel

This Privacy Policy explains how Man And Van Whitechapel collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Man And Van Whitechapel customers in the area, including individuals and businesses who request, receive, or enquire about our moving, delivery, collection, and related services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, transparent, and secure manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We recognise that privacy is important. This policy sets out what information we collect, why we collect it, the lawful bases we rely on, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and the rights available to you as a data subject.

1. Who We Are

Man And Van Whitechapel acts as the data controller for personal data collected in connection with our services. This means we decide how and why your personal data is processed. In some circumstances, we may also act as a data processor where we handle data on behalf of another controller, such as a business client arranging removals for its staff or customers.

We take data protection seriously and aim to ensure that any personal data we process is adequate, relevant, and limited to what is necessary for the purposes for which it is collected.

2. Data We Collect

We may collect and process several categories of personal data, depending on the nature of your enquiry or booking. The information we collect may include:

Identity information such as your name and, where relevant, the name of your business or organisation.
Contact details including telephone number, email address, and service address or collection address.
Booking and service details such as moving dates, item descriptions, access requirements, and instructions related to your move or collection.
Payment-related information needed to manage invoices, payments, refunds, and records of transactions.
Correspondence including messages, enquiries, complaints, and notes from communications with us.
Operational information such as delivery preferences, estimated volumes, and service history.
Technical data where applicable, including limited device or usage information if you interact with our digital systems.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and you provide it voluntarily. Special category data includes information about health, religion, ethnicity, biometric data, political opinions, sexual orientation, or similar sensitive information. If such data is required for a legitimate service-related reason, we will only process it where permitted by law and with appropriate safeguards.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotes and manage bookings;
to deliver moving, transport, packing, lifting, and related services;
to communicate with you about appointments, scheduling, and service updates;
to process payments, issue invoices, and maintain financial records;
to deal with complaints, claims, and customer support requests;
to improve our services, planning, and operational efficiency;
to comply with legal and regulatory obligations;
to prevent fraud, misuse, and unlawful activity;
to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims where necessary.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another compatible purpose and the law allows us to do so.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

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

Contract – where processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as arranging and completing a move or delivery.
Legitimate interests – where we have a genuine business reason to process data and your rights do not override those interests. This may include service administration, record keeping, fraud prevention, and improving operations.
Legal obligation – where we need to process data to comply with tax, accounting, employment, health and safety, or other legal requirements.
Consent – where we ask for your clear permission, for example in limited cases involving optional communications or special categories of information. You may withdraw consent at any time where consent is the basis relied upon.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we assess whether our interests are balanced against your privacy rights. We only process what is necessary and apply safeguards to reduce risk.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including for legal, accounting, and reporting obligations. Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the reason for holding it.

Booking and service records are generally retained for a period that allows us to manage follow-up issues, complaints, and customer history.
Financial and tax records are kept for the period required by law.
Correspondence and complaints may be held for a reasonable period to evidence service handling and resolve disputes.
Marketing preferences, where applicable, are retained until you withdraw consent or object.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention procedures.

6. Processors and Sharing of Data

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as processors on our behalf. These processors only handle data according to our instructions and are bound by confidentiality and data protection obligations.

Examples of processors may include:

IT and cloud service providers that host or support our systems;
Payment service providers that process card or online payments;
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that assist with financial administration;
Administrative and communications providers that support booking, scheduling, or record management;
Subcontractors or operational partners where necessary to complete a service.

We may also disclose personal data to professional advisers, insurers, law enforcement, regulators, or courts where necessary and lawful. If data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place so that your data remains protected.

7. Data Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from accidental loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, limited access on a need-to-know basis, staff awareness, and record management procedures.

While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we take appropriate steps to reduce risk and to respond promptly to any suspected personal data breach.

8. Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances:

Right of access – you may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – you may request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction – you may ask us to limit processing in certain situations.
Right to object – you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – you may request transfer of certain data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to raise concerns with the Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage you to contact us first so that we can try to resolve any issue promptly and fairly.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are generally intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary for a service arrangement and provided by a parent, guardian, or authorised adult. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without appropriate authority, we will take steps to delete it where required.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our services, or how we process personal data. Any changes will take effect when published in the revised version. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically so that you remain informed about how your data is handled.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Man And Van Whitechapel is committed to protecting privacy, using data responsibly, and maintaining transparent practices. We will only collect what we need, use it for clear and lawful purposes, keep it only as long as necessary, and respect your rights at every stage. Our approach is designed to be fair, secure, and compliant for all customers in the Whitechapel area.