Privacy Policy - Man And Van Eastham

This Privacy Policy explains how Man And Van Eastham collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data in connection with the services we provide. It applies to all Man And Van Eastham customers in the Eastham area, including individuals, households, and business customers who use our removal, transport, delivery, loading, and related services. We are committed to handling personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Man And Van Eastham provides moving and transport services for local customers. In the course of carrying out our services, we may process personal data relating to customers, prospective customers, property occupiers, payment contacts, and individuals involved in the booking or completion of a job. We act as a data controller for the personal data we determine the purposes and means of processing.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the data necessary to provide our services effectively, manage bookings, and meet legal and operational obligations. Depending on the nature of your enquiry or service request, we may collect the following categories of personal data:

Identity information such as name and title.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Booking information including pickup and delivery addresses, dates, preferred times, and service requirements.
Payment information such as billing details and payment confirmation records.
Service-related notes including access instructions, item lists, and special handling requirements.
Correspondence exchanged by phone, email, or message in relation to a quote, booking, or completed job.
Technical information such as limited device or usage data if you interact with our digital systems, where applicable.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you provide it voluntarily, for example where such information is relevant to access arrangements or service safety. If we do receive sensitive information, we will handle it with appropriate care and additional safeguards.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for legitimate business purposes connected with the provision of our services. This may include:

Preparing quotations and confirming bookings.
Planning, delivering, and completing moves or transport services.
Communicating with customers about service arrangements, changes, or updates.
Processing payments and keeping appropriate financial records.
Responding to enquiries, complaints, or service issues.
Maintaining internal records and service history.
Meeting legal, tax, accounting, insurance, and regulatory obligations.
Preventing fraud, misuse, or unauthorised access to our systems or services.

We will only use personal data in ways that are compatible with the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably believe that another compatible purpose or lawful basis applies.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. We rely on the following lawful bases where appropriate:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes taking bookings, delivering services, managing customer instructions, and arranging payment for completed work.

Legal obligation

We may process personal data where necessary to comply with legal requirements, including tax, accounting, business record-keeping, and any applicable transport or safety obligations.

Legitimate interests

We may process certain information where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include service administration, internal record-keeping, customer support, quality control, and protection against fraud or misuse.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example if you choose to provide optional information or agree to specific communications outside the normal service relationship. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, insurance, and reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason for processing.

Booking and service records are retained for a period that allows us to manage customer history, resolve disputes, and provide evidence of service completion.
Financial records are retained in line with applicable tax and accounting laws.
Correspondence and complaint records may be retained for a reasonable period to support customer service and issue resolution.
Safety, insurance, or incident-related records may be retained longer where required to defend legal claims or satisfy insurance requirements.

When personal data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in a safe manner.

6. Processors and Third Parties

We may use trusted third-party service providers, known as processors, to help us operate our business. These processors may handle personal data only on our instructions and must implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures. Examples may include:

Payment service providers that process transactions securely.
IT and cloud storage providers used for record management and communications.
Accounting or bookkeeping providers supporting financial administration.
Customer management or scheduling tools used to organise service bookings.

We may also disclose personal data to professional advisers, insurers, or public authorities where necessary and lawful. We do not sell personal data. Where a third party acts as an independent controller, they are responsible for their own compliance with data protection law.

7. International Transfers

Where any processor stores or accesses personal data outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent legal protections, depending on the destination and the nature of the transfer.

8. Data Security

We take reasonable and proportionate measures to protect personal data from accidental loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access restrictions, secure storage, staff awareness, and careful handling of records. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain appropriate protection based on the nature of the data and our operations.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to exceptions and limitations depending on the circumstances. Your rights may include:

The right of access to obtain confirmation of whether we process your data and a copy of it.
The right to rectification to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
The right to erasure in certain circumstances, sometimes called the right to be forgotten.
The right to restriction of processing in limited situations.
The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing, where applicable.
The right to data portability for information processed by automated means and based on consent or contract, where relevant.
The right to withdraw consent where processing relies on consent.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with applicable law. We may need to verify your identity before responding to a request in order to protect your information.

10. Data Minimisation and Accuracy

We aim to collect only the personal data that is necessary for the specific service requested. We also take reasonable steps to keep information accurate and up to date. If you tell us that your information has changed, we will update our records where appropriate. Using clear, relevant, and limited data helps us provide an efficient service while reducing privacy risks.

11. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we process personal data, you should let us know so that we can review the issue. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK data protection supervisory authority if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage customers to raise concerns promptly so that we can try to resolve them fairly and quickly.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, service arrangements, or internal practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is made available. We recommend reviewing it periodically so that you remain informed about how your personal data is handled.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Man And Van Eastham is committed to processing personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently. We collect only the information needed to deliver our services, use it for clear and legitimate purposes, retain it only as long as necessary, and apply safeguards when engaging processors. We also respect the rights of our customers and handle all personal data with care, accountability, and respect for privacy.