Privacy Policy - Man With Van Fitzrovia

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With Van Fitzrovia collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing moving, packing, loading, unloading, and related services. It applies to all Man With Van Fitzrovia customers in the area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and businesses using our services within Fitzrovia and the surrounding local area.

We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary to arrange and deliver our services, manage bookings, process payments, and meet our legal and operational obligations. The categories of data we may collect include:

Identity information: name, title, and any relevant business or household details.
Contact information: address, email address, and telephone number.
Booking details: moving date, pickup and delivery locations, property access information, item inventory, and service preferences.
Payment information: billing details and transaction records. We do not store card details unless required by a secure payment provider.
Communication records: messages, call notes, complaints, and service-related correspondence.
Technical information: limited website or device data such as IP address, browser type, and cookies, where applicable.
Special category data: we do not intentionally collect sensitive personal data. If such information is shared with us incidentally, we will only process it where lawful and necessary.

We aim to keep our data collection minimal and relevant to the services requested.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We process personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations and confirm bookings;
to plan, carry out, and complete moving services safely and efficiently;
to communicate with customers about service arrangements, changes, and updates;
to issue invoices, take payments, and maintain accounting records;
to manage customer support, complaints, and dispute resolution;
to comply with legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory requirements;
to protect our operations, staff, vehicles, and customers from fraud, misuse, or security risks;
to improve service quality and business operations.

We do not use personal data for unrelated purposes without first ensuring there is a lawful basis to do so.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each use of personal data. Depending on the situation, Man With Van Fitzrovia may rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with a customer. This includes booking services, delivering moves, handling payments, and communicating about the services requested.

Legal Obligation

We may process data to meet legal obligations, including recordkeeping, tax compliance, accounting requirements, and responding to lawful requests from public authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may use data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by the rights and freedoms of the individual. Examples include service management, customer support, fraud prevention, internal administration, and improving operations.

Consent

Where required, we will ask for consent before processing personal data for specific optional purposes. If consent is used as the lawful basis, it may be withdrawn at any time.

Vital Interests

In rare circumstances, we may process personal data to protect someone’s life or physical safety, such as in an emergency.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties only when necessary for the running of our services and only to the extent permitted by law. These third parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on their role.

Processors may include:

IT and cloud service providers that store or support our systems;
payment processors that handle secure transactions;
accounting and bookkeeping providers that support financial records;
communication platforms used for booking confirmations and customer correspondence;
subcontracted movers or logistics partners who assist with service delivery;
professional advisers such as insurers, lawyers, or auditors;
public authorities where disclosure is required by law.

All processors are expected to handle data securely, act only on our instructions where applicable, and use appropriate safeguards. We do not sell personal data.

5. International Transfers

If any processor stores or accesses personal data outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that suitable safeguards are in place, such as an adequacy regulation, standard contractual clauses, or another lawful transfer mechanism recognized under UK data protection law.

6. Retention of Personal Data

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, tax, insurance, and administrative requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the nature of the service.

Booking and service records are typically retained for the period needed to manage the customer relationship and resolve any post-service issues.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Complaint or dispute records may be retained for longer if necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify an individual.

7. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our handling practices.

While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to ensure that data is handled with an appropriate level of care and proportionate security.

8. User Rights

Individuals whose personal data we process have rights under UK GDPR. Subject to legal conditions and exemptions, these rights include:

Right of access: to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
Right to rectification: to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data;
Right to erasure: to request deletion of data in certain circumstances;
Right to restriction: to request limitation of processing in certain situations;
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, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and 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 such data inappropriately, we will take reasonable steps to delete it.

10. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Where applicable, we may use cookies or similar technologies to support basic website functionality, understand site performance, and improve user experience. Any non-essential cookies will only be used where permitted and, if required, after obtaining the appropriate consent. Users may manage cookie settings through their browser or device controls.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or operational practices. The most current version will apply to personal data processed by Man With Van Fitzrovia. 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 Fitzrovia is committed to respecting privacy, protecting personal data, and being transparent about our processing activities. We collect only what is needed, use it for lawful and limited purposes, retain it responsibly, and provide individuals with clear rights over their information. This policy applies to all customers in the Fitzrovia area who use our services.