Privacy Policy - Man And Van Southgate

This Privacy Policy explains how Man And Van Southgate collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Man And Van Southgate customers in the area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and business clients who use our moving, delivery, storage, packing, and related services. We are committed to handling personal information 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. Who We Are

Man And Van Southgate is a service provider that helps customers with removals, transport, collection, delivery, loading, unloading, and associated logistics services. In this policy, the terms “we”, “us”, and “our” refer to Man And Van Southgate.

We act as a data controller in relation to the personal data we collect and determine the purposes and means of processing that data.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect information that is necessary to provide our services, manage customer relationships, and meet legal and operational requirements. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity data such as your name, title, and, where relevant, company name.
Contact data such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information such as collection and delivery addresses, inventory details, access information, preferred dates, and special handling instructions.
Transaction data such as booking details, payment records, invoices, and service history.
Communication data such as messages, call notes, complaint records, and customer feedback.
Technical data such as basic website or device information if you contact us through digital channels, where applicable.
Verification data where needed to confirm identity for security, fraud prevention, or legal compliance.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless you voluntarily provide it and it is necessary for a specific service requirement. If such information is provided, we will handle it with additional care and only where permitted by law.

3. How We Use Your Data

We process personal data for the following purposes:

To provide and manage moving and van services.
To confirm bookings, arrange schedules, and deliver services efficiently.
To communicate with you about quotes, service updates, changes, and enquiries.
To handle payments, invoices, and bookkeeping.
To improve our operations, planning, and customer service.
To manage complaints, disputes, and claims.
To comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations.
To prevent fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which it was collected unless we reasonably believe we need to use it for another compatible purpose and that purpose is permitted by law.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Depending on the situation, we rely on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to perform a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract. This includes providing quotes, confirming bookings, and completing moving services.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include managing service operations, keeping records, improving service quality, and protecting our business from fraud or misuse.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain information to comply with legal duties, such as tax, accounting, insurance, or regulatory requirements.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain types of optional communication or where legally required. If we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to operate our business and provide our services. These third parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the service they provide.

Processors may include:

Payment service providers that help us process card or electronic payments.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that assist with financial administration and tax compliance.
IT and cloud storage providers that support our systems, email, and data storage.
Communication service providers that help us manage calls, messages, or customer notifications.
Professional advisers such as legal or insurance advisers where necessary.

We require processors to handle your data securely, only in accordance with our instructions, and in compliance with applicable data protection law. We do not sell personal data.

In some cases, we may need to share information with public authorities, law enforcement, or courts where required by law or to protect our rights, customers, or operations.

6. Data Retention

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

Typical retention principles include:

Booking and service records are retained for as long as needed to manage the service relationship and resolve any disputes.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Correspondence and complaint records may be retained for a reasonable period to handle follow-up, legal claims, or quality control.
General enquiry data is retained only as long as needed to respond and maintain business records.

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

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures are designed to be proportionate to the risks associated with the data we handle.

Such measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our data-handling practices. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we take data protection seriously and aim to reduce risks as far as reasonably possible.

8. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will only do so if appropriate safeguards are in place to ensure your information remains protected. This may include using approved contractual clauses or relying on an adequacy decision where available.

9. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have a number of rights under UK GDPR. These rights apply subject to certain conditions and legal exceptions.

Right of access – you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – in some circumstances, you may ask us to delete your data.
Right to restrict processing – you may request that we limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to data portability – you may request that data you provided to us be transferred to you or another controller, where applicable.
Right to object – you may object to processing based on legitimate interests, and in some cases direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise your rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We will respond to requests within the time limits set by law and will keep you informed if more time is needed.

10. Cookies and Similar Technologies

If we use a website or digital booking system, limited technical data may be collected through cookies or similar technologies to support functionality, security, and performance. Where required by law, we will seek consent before placing non-essential cookies. You can manage cookie settings through your browser or device preferences.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are not aimed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a customer booking and provided by an adult authorised to do so. If we become aware that we have collected data unlawfully, we will take steps to delete it.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal, operational, or technical requirements. The latest version will apply to all customers in the Southgate area and will govern how we handle personal data from the date it is published or otherwise made available.

13. Summary of Our Commitments

Man And Van Southgate is committed to protecting your privacy, using your data only where necessary, and treating it with respect. We collect only the information needed to deliver our services, use lawful bases appropriate to the purpose, keep data for no longer than necessary, and work only with processors that provide suitable safeguards. We also support your rights to access, correct, restrict, object, and in some cases delete your personal data.

By using our services, you acknowledge that this Privacy Policy applies to your relationship with Man And Van Southgate as a customer in the area.