Privacy Policy - Walthamstow Man And Van

This Privacy Policy explains how Walthamstow Man And Van collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Walthamstow Man And Van customers in the area, including prospective customers, existing customers, and anyone who contacts us to request a quotation, book a service, or make an enquiry.

We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy is intended to help you understand what data we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and what rights you have over your information.

1. Personal data we collect

We collect only the information that is necessary to provide our moving and transport services, manage our business, and comply with legal obligations. Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following categories of data:

Identity details: name, title, and any related identification details needed to arrange a booking.
Contact details: phone number, email address, billing address, and moving or collection addresses.
Booking information: dates, times, service preferences, property access details, and inventory information about items to be moved.
Payment and transaction data: payment status, invoice details, and limited payment-related information needed to process or record a transaction.
Communication records: enquiries, quotes, complaints, service updates, and any correspondence you send to us.
Usage and technical data: limited website or device information if you visit our online services, such as IP address, browser type, and basic analytics data.
Special category data: we do not routinely seek special category data. If such information is shared with us inadvertently, we will only use it where necessary and permitted by law.

We usually collect personal data directly from you. In some cases, we may receive data from third parties such as landlords, letting agents, business clients, payment providers, or referral partners where they are involved in organising the move or settlement of a service.

2. How we use personal data

We use personal data only where there is a valid reason to do so. Typical purposes include:

providing quotations and responding to enquiries;
booking, scheduling, and carrying out moving services;
managing deliveries, collections, and route planning;
issuing invoices, processing payments, and handling refunds where applicable;
keeping records of services provided;
communicating with you about your booking or service changes;
responding to complaints or disputes;
maintaining business and financial records;
meeting tax, accounting, insurance, and regulatory obligations;
protecting against fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity;
improving service quality and internal operations.

We only process personal data for the purposes for which it was collected unless we reasonably believe we need to use it for another compatible purpose and the law allows it.

3. Lawful basis for processing

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

Contract: to take steps at your request before entering into a contract and to perform our services once a booking is made.
Legal obligation: to comply with laws relating to accounting, tax, record keeping, and other regulatory duties.
Legitimate interests: to manage and improve our business, communicate with customers, prevent fraud, keep records, and defend legal claims, provided these interests do not override your rights and freedoms.
Consent: where we rely on your consent for certain optional communications or processing activities, you may withdraw consent at any time.

When we process data on the basis of legitimate interests, we balance our needs against your privacy rights. Where we rely on consent, we will make sure it is freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous.

4. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law. Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the reason for processing.

Quotation and enquiry data: usually kept for a limited period to manage follow-up and business records.
Booking and transaction records: retained for the time needed to complete the service and maintain business, tax, and accounting records.
Correspondence and complaint records: kept for as long as needed to resolve the matter and for evidential purposes.
Legal and compliance records: retained for the period required by applicable laws or regulations.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in a way that prevents unnecessary access. In some cases, we may retain data longer where needed to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

5. Data processors and third parties

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us run our business and deliver our services. These parties act as data processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. We only share the minimum information necessary and require appropriate safeguards.

Examples of processors may include:

Payment providers: to process payments securely.
Accounting and bookkeeping services: to manage invoices, payments, and tax records.
IT and cloud service providers: to store, back up, and secure business information.
Communication service providers: to send emails, messages, or booking updates.
Customer management tools: to organise bookings and service records.
Professional advisers: such as insurers, accountants, or legal advisers where necessary.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, court order, or lawful request by a public authority. We do not sell personal data.

Where a third party processes data on our behalf, we ensure that appropriate contractual and security measures are in place to protect your information and limit processing to agreed purposes.

6. Data security

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

Although we work hard to protect personal data, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. If a data breach occurs that is likely to pose a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will act in accordance with applicable law and notify relevant parties where required.

7. Your rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and the legal basis for processing.

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 information.
Right to erasure: to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction: to ask us to limit the way 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 technically feasible.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to raise concerns about how your data is handled. If you believe your data protection rights have been infringed, you may complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). We encourage you to raise concerns with us first so we can try to resolve the matter.

8. Automated decision-making

We do not use personal data to make automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects on individuals. If this changes, we will update this policy and explain the process clearly.

9. International transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will only do so where appropriate safeguards are in place and the transfer is permitted under data protection law. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms.

10. Children’s data

Our services are intended for adults arranging removals or transport services. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a lawful service arrangement and handled appropriately.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or business practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal data.

12. Summary of our privacy commitments

We collect only the data needed to provide moving and related services.
We use data lawfully, fairly, and transparently.
We retain data only as long as necessary.
We share data only with trusted processors or where legally required.
We respect your rights and handle requests in line with GDPR obligations.

By using Walthamstow Man And Van services, you acknowledge that your personal data will be processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy.