Privacy Policy - Man With Van Bow

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With Van Bow collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing services to customers in the Bow area. It applies to all Man With Van Bow customers in area, including individuals who request quotes, book services, communicate with us, or otherwise interact with us in connection with removals, deliveries, and van services.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, Man With Van Bow is the data controller for the personal data we process in the course of delivering our services. This means we determine why and how your personal data is used. We take our responsibilities seriously and aim to process personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data necessary to provide our services, manage bookings, communicate with customers, and meet our legal obligations. The categories of data we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, business name.
Contact details such as telephone number and email address.
Address and location information including collection and delivery addresses, property access details, and service location notes.
Booking details such as service date, time, item descriptions, and instructions related to the move or delivery.
Payment information such as transaction records, billing details, and payment status. We do not ordinarily store full card details if payment is processed securely through a payment provider.
Communication records including emails, text messages, call notes, and any other correspondence relating to a booking or enquiry.
Service history including past bookings, quotes, and records of completed services.
Technical and usage data if you interact with our digital systems, such as IP address, device details, and basic website or app interaction logs where applicable.

We do not seek to collect special category data unless it is provided accidentally or is strictly necessary for a particular service request. If such information is received, we will handle it with appropriate care and limit processing as required by law.

3. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotes and respond to enquiries.
To manage bookings, plan routes, and deliver removal or van services.
To communicate about appointments, changes, delays, or service updates.
To process payments and issue receipts or invoices.
To maintain records of services and customer interactions.
To handle complaints, claims, or disputes.
To comply with tax, accounting, and other legal obligations.
To improve our services, operations, and customer experience.
To prevent fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.

We will only use your data for purposes that are compatible with the reason it was collected, unless we are required or permitted by law to use it otherwise.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data under one or more lawful bases set out in UK GDPR. Depending on the circumstances, these may include:

Contract: where processing is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, or to perform a contract with you.
Legal obligation: where processing is required to comply with applicable law, such as tax or record-keeping duties.
Legitimate interests: where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided these do not override your rights and freedoms. This may include managing bookings, improving services, responding to enquiries, and protecting against fraud.
Consent: where we rely on your clear permission for specific processing activities. If consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

We assess the appropriate lawful basis for each processing activity and only process personal data when we have a valid reason to do so.

5. Sharing Your Data and Processors

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

Payment processors that securely handle card or online payments.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that support invoicing, financial records, and tax compliance.
IT and cloud service providers that host data, support communications, or maintain systems.
Communication service providers that assist with email, messaging, or call handling.
Insurance providers and claim handlers where needed to manage risk or resolve incidents.
Professional advisers such as lawyers or accountants, where necessary for legal or business purposes.

We require processors to handle personal data securely, only on our instructions, and in accordance with data protection law. We do not sell your personal data. We may also disclose data where required by law, regulation, court order, or law enforcement request.

International Transfers

If any processor stores or accesses data outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent protections recognised by law.

6. Data Retention

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

Enquiry records may be kept for a reasonable period to manage follow-up and customer service.
Booking and service records may be kept for the duration needed to complete the service and handle any related matters.
Financial and tax records are generally retained for the period required by law.
Complaint or dispute records may be retained until the matter is fully resolved and any limitation period has expired.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or otherwise dispose of it in a controlled manner.

7. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include restricted access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and careful handling of records. While we take reasonable steps to protect your data, no system can be guaranteed completely secure.

8. 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 of the processing:

Right of access – you can ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you can request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – you can ask us to delete your data in certain situations.
Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
Right to data portability – you can request certain data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to object – you can 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.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in line with applicable legal timeframes and requirements. We may need to verify your identity before acting on your request.

9. Marketing

We do not send unnecessary marketing communications. If we do contact you for promotional purposes, we will do so only where permitted by law and, if required, with your consent. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time. Please note that service-related messages, such as booking confirmations or schedule updates, are not marketing communications.

10. Cookies and Similar Technologies

If we use any website or digital platform, basic cookies or similar technologies may be used to support functionality, understand usage, or improve performance. Where consent is required, you will be given appropriate information and choices. Any use of non-essential cookies will be handled in line with applicable privacy and e-privacy rules.

11. Children

Our services are not intended for children under the age at which they can lawfully enter into contracts for services without appropriate authority. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary for a service arrangement made by an adult or lawful guardian.

12. Changes to This Policy

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

13. Summary of Our Commitments

Man With Van Bow is committed to processing personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and legitimate purposes, share it only with trusted processors or where required by law, and retain it only for as long as necessary. We also respect your rights and will deal with requests responsibly and in accordance with GDPR principles.

This policy is intended to provide clear privacy information for customers using Man With Van Bow services in the Bow area.