Privacy Policy - Man And Van Fitzrovia

This Privacy Policy explains how Man And Van Fitzrovia collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Man And Van Fitzrovia customers in the area, including individuals and businesses who request or receive moving, transport, delivery, loading, unloading, packing, or related services. We are committed to handling personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Man And Van Fitzrovia is a service provider that arranges and carries out transport and removals services for customers in Fitzrovia and surrounding locations. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as the data controller for the personal data we collect and use in connection with our services, unless otherwise stated.

This policy applies to personal data collected from:

individual customers;
business customers and their representatives;
people making enquiries or booking services;
recipients of services at collection or delivery addresses;
individuals whose data is provided to us by a customer for service coordination.

2. Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary to provide our services, manage bookings, comply with legal obligations, and improve service quality. The type of information we may collect includes:

2.1 Information provided directly by you

Identity data such as name and title;
Contact data such as email address, telephone number, and address;
Booking details such as collection and delivery addresses, dates, times, property access notes, volume of items, and service preferences;
Payment information such as billing details and transaction records;
Communication records such as emails, messages, complaints, and enquiries;
Service notes including instructions, inventory details, and special handling requirements.

2.2 Information collected automatically

When you interact with us, we may collect technical and operational information such as:

date and time of communications;
service logs and booking history;
device or browser information where relevant to digital communications;
basic usage data used for administration and security.

2.3 Information from third parties

We may receive personal data from third parties where necessary to provide services, including:

payment providers;
business partners or subcontractors involved in service delivery;
insurance providers, where a claim or incident is reported;
customers who provide details of other persons connected with a booking.

Where you give us information about another person, you must ensure that you have the authority to share it and that they are aware of this policy where appropriate.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to respond to enquiries and provide quotes;
to manage bookings and schedule services;
to perform moving, transport, and related services;
to communicate about access, timing, delays, and service updates;
to process payments, refunds, and invoices;
to keep records of services provided;
to handle complaints, disputes, and insurance claims;
to maintain safety, security, and fraud prevention;
to meet legal and regulatory obligations;
to improve our operations, training, and customer service;
to defend legal claims or establish our rights where necessary.

We do not use personal data for purposes that are incompatible with those described in this policy unless we have a lawful basis to do so.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. We rely on the following lawful bases depending on the context:

4.1 Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes handling bookings, organising services, communicating about the job, and processing payment.

4.2 Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided that your rights and interests do not override those interests. Examples include:

responding to enquiries;
managing customer records;
preventing fraud and abuse;
maintaining service quality and internal administration;
handling complaints and protecting against legal claims.

4.3 Legal Obligation

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

4.4 Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where optional communications or certain non-essential processing are involved. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties acting as processors or independent controllers, only where necessary and with appropriate safeguards. Our processors may include:

payment processing providers;
accounting and invoicing service providers;
IT, cloud storage, and system support providers;
communications providers used for email, telephone, or message handling;
subcontractors or operational partners assisting with service delivery;
insurance providers and claims handlers;
professional advisers such as legal or financial advisers;
public authorities, regulators, or law enforcement where required by law.

We require processors to handle personal data securely, to act only on our instructions, and to use appropriate technical and organisational measures. We do not sell personal data.

6. International Transfers

If any processor or service provider stores or accesses data outside the United Kingdom, we will take appropriate steps to protect that data. This may include the use of standard contractual clauses, adequacy regulations, or other lawful safeguards recognised under UK data protection law.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including for legal, accounting, tax, insurance, and dispute-resolution purposes. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason for processing.

In general:

booking and service records are kept for a period necessary to manage the customer relationship and resolve queries;
financial and invoicing records are kept for the period required by law;
correspondence and complaint records are retained for as long as needed to evidence decisions or handle claims;
data no longer required is securely deleted or anonymised.

We review retention on a regular basis and restrict access to data that is retained for compliance or operational reasons.

8. Data Security

We use reasonable and appropriate security measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and limited data sharing on a need-to-know basis.

While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take data protection seriously and aim to reduce risks through policies, training, and monitoring.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

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 data in certain circumstances;
Right to restrict processing – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases;
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;
Right to complain – to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your rights have been breached.

These rights are subject to certain legal conditions and exemptions. We may need to verify your identity before responding to a request.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are generally intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a booking or service and provided by an adult with authority to do so. Where children’s data is involved, we apply heightened care and process it only when necessary.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, service practices, or operational needs. The latest version will apply to all customers in the Fitzrovia area from the date it becomes effective. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we handle personal data.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Man And Van Fitzrovia is committed to treating your personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently. We only collect information that is relevant to our services, we use it for clear and legitimate purposes, we share it only when necessary, and we retain it only for as long as required. We also respect your rights and aim to handle every customer’s data with care, confidentiality, and accountability.