Privacy Policy - Man And Van Earls Court

This Privacy Policy explains how Man And Van Earls Court collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Man And Van Earls Court customers in area, including anyone who requests a quote, books a service, communicates with us, or otherwise uses our moving, transport, packing, loading, and related services. We are committed to handling personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and other applicable privacy laws.

1. Who We Are

Man And Van Earls Court acts as the data controller for the personal information described in this policy. This means we decide how and why your data is used. We take our responsibility seriously and aim to collect only the information we need for legitimate business and legal purposes.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

Identity details such as your name and title.
Contact details such as your telephone number, email address, billing address, and service address.
Service details including booking dates, property access information, inventory lists, delivery instructions, and move requirements.
Payment information such as payment method, transaction records, and billing history. We do not store card security details unless necessary and permitted by law.
Communication records including emails, messages, call notes, and complaints.
Technical information where you interact with our digital systems, such as IP address, browser type, and device data, if applicable.
Special categories of data only where you choose to provide it and where it is necessary, for example accessibility requirements or health-related information relevant to a move. We handle such data with extra care and only when lawful to do so.

We generally collect data directly from you when you request a quote, make a booking, complete a form, call us, or communicate with us during the provision of services. In some cases, we may receive data from third parties such as landlords, estate agents, property managers, payment providers, or sub-contractors when this is necessary for service delivery.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations and confirm bookings;
to plan, manage, and deliver our moving and transport services;
to communicate with you about your booking or service updates;
to process payments and manage invoices;
to handle customer support, feedback, and complaints;
to maintain internal records and improve our operations;
to meet legal, accounting, and tax obligations;
to protect our business, staff, customers, and property;
to prevent fraud, misuse, and unlawful activity.

We will only use your personal data in ways that are compatible with the purposes explained in this policy. If we need to use your data for a new purpose, we will ensure we have a lawful basis to do so.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. Depending on the circumstances, we rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process your personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes arranging quotes, confirming bookings, delivering moving services, issuing invoices, and handling related communications.

Legal Obligation

We may process data to comply with legal requirements, including tax, accounting, insurance, record-keeping, and regulatory obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process your data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include improving our services, managing operations, maintaining security, handling internal administration, and responding to complaints.

Consent

Where required by law, we will ask for your consent before processing certain data, such as optional marketing communications or special category information that is not otherwise necessary. When we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

Vital Interests and Public Interest

In rare cases, we may process data to protect someone’s vital interests or where required in the public interest. This is unlikely to apply in most customer situations but is included for completeness.

5. Data Retention

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

Booking and service records: retained for a reasonable period after completion of the service to manage queries, disputes, and business records.
Financial records: retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Communication records: retained for as long as needed to resolve issues and maintain service history.
Marketing preferences: retained until you opt out or withdraw consent.
Technical or security records: retained only as long as necessary for operational and security purposes.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or destroy it. We do not keep data indefinitely.

6. Processors and Data Sharing

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as processors on our behalf or, in some cases, as separate controllers. These parties are only allowed to use your data for specific purposes and must keep it secure and confidential.

Examples of processors and third parties may include:

Payment service providers for processing payments and refunds;
IT and hosting providers for secure storage, email, and system support;
Accounting and bookkeeping providers for financial administration;
Vehicle, logistics, or subcontracted service providers where required to complete a job;
Professional advisers such as insurers, lawyers, or auditors;
Authorities or regulators where disclosure is required by law.

Where we use processors, we put in place appropriate data processing agreements and require them to process data only in accordance with our instructions and applicable law. If data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.

7. Data Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure systems, staff confidentiality obligations, and data minimisation practices. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to maintain a high standard of protection.

8. Your Rights

Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, you have the following rights in relation to 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 ask us to delete your data where there is no valid reason for us to keep it.
Right to restriction - to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to data portability - to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
Right to object - to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent - where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data protection rights have been breached. We encourage you to raise concerns with us first so we can try to resolve them promptly.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a household move or where provided by an adult customer in relation to the service. If we become aware that we have collected data unlawfully, we will take steps to delete it where appropriate.

10. Cookies and Similar Technologies

If we use websites, online forms, or similar digital tools, we may use cookies or similar technologies for basic functionality, security, performance, and analytics. Where legally required, we will provide appropriate notice and, if necessary, obtain consent. You can control cookies through your browser settings.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data handling practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal data.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Man And Van Earls Court is committed to processing personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it for clear purposes, keep it only as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted parties under proper safeguards. Our approach is designed to respect privacy and support reliable, professional service for every customer in the area.

Last updated: This policy should be reviewed and updated as needed to remain compliant with applicable data protection law.