Privacy Policy - Man With A Van Canarywharf

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With A Van Canarywharf collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Man With A Van Canarywharf customers in the area, including individuals who request quotes, make bookings, receive moving services, or otherwise interact with our business. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Man With A Van Canarywharf provides removal and transport services for customers in and around Canary Wharf and nearby locations. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as the data controller for the personal information we collect and use in the course of providing our services, managing customer relationships, and running our business.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for legitimate business purposes. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name and, where needed, the name of your business or organisation.
Contact details such as your phone number, email address, and service address.
Booking and service information including move dates, inventory details, special handling instructions, access requirements, and delivery notes.
Payment-related information such as transaction details, payment confirmations, and billing records. We do not normally store full card details if payments are processed by a secure payment provider.
Communication records including emails, messages, call notes, and complaint correspondence.
Technical information if you interact with our online services, such as IP address, device information, browser type, and usage data collected through security or analytics tools.
Identity verification data if required for fraud prevention, service security, or compliance purposes.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and permitted by law. If such information is ever provided by you, we will handle it carefully and only for a lawful purpose.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data to operate our services effectively and to meet our legal obligations. Typical uses include:

Providing quotes and responding to enquiries.
Confirming and managing bookings.
Planning routes, vehicle requirements, and moving schedules.
Delivering removal and transport services.
Processing payments and issuing receipts or invoices.
Managing customer support, complaints, and service follow-up.
Maintaining business records and internal administration.
Protecting our staff, customers, vehicles, and property.
Preventing fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.
Meeting tax, accounting, and regulatory requirements.

We use a data minimisation approach, meaning we only process the information needed for a clearly defined purpose.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis before using your personal data. Depending on the situation, we rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract or to perform a contract with you. This includes quoting, booking, service delivery, invoicing, and customer support.

Legal Obligation

We process certain data to comply with legal obligations, including accounting rules, tax requirements, record-keeping duties, and other statutory responsibilities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include business administration, service improvement, fraud prevention, internal reporting, and safeguarding our operations.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain optional communications or non-essential processing. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

We do not use personal data for unrelated purposes without a lawful basis.

5. How We Share Personal Data

We may share personal data with trusted third parties when needed to operate our business and provide services. These recipients may act as data processors or independent controllers, depending on the service they provide. Sharing is limited to what is necessary and appropriate.

Examples include:

Payment processors to handle secure payments and transaction processing.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers to support invoicing, tax records, and financial administration.
IT and cloud service providers that host email, data storage, scheduling systems, and security tools.
Communication providers used for telephone, messaging, or email services.
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers where necessary.
Regulators, law enforcement, or public authorities where disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect our rights or the rights of others.

We require processors to act only on our instructions, to use appropriate safeguards, and to protect personal data in accordance with applicable law.

6. Data Processors and Safeguards

We use processors to help deliver our services efficiently. Processors may store or handle data on our behalf, but they are not permitted to use it for their own purposes. We take steps to ensure that each processor provides sufficient guarantees regarding technical and organisational security measures.

Our safeguards may include:

Access controls so only authorised personnel can view personal data.
Encryption and secure storage where appropriate.
Regular software updates and security monitoring.
Confidentiality obligations for staff and contractors.
Data processing agreements with third-party service providers.
Backup and disaster recovery practices to protect availability and integrity.

We aim to maintain a level of protection that is appropriate to the nature of the data and the risks involved.

7. International Transfers

If any personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other legally recognised transfer mechanisms. We will only transfer data where necessary and where adequate protection can be maintained.

8. Data Retention

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

In general:

Booking and service records are retained for a period needed to manage the customer relationship and address any disputes or follow-up issues.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by applicable law.
Communication records are kept for a reasonable time to manage enquiries, complaints, and service matters.
Technical and security logs are retained only as long as needed for security, diagnostics, and system management.

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

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply in full or in part depending on the circumstances and any legal exemptions.

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 information.
Right to erasure – you can ask us to delete your personal data in certain situations.
Right to restriction – you can request that we limit how we use your data in certain cases.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – you can ask for certain information in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you believe we have not handled your data properly, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children as part of our ordinary operations. If we become aware that we have received such data in error, we will take appropriate steps to delete it unless we are required to retain it by law.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, technology, or our business practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers to review it periodically to stay informed about how we handle personal data.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Man With A Van Canarywharf is committed to processing personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner. We collect only the information needed to provide services, we use it for defined purposes, and we protect it with appropriate security measures. Our approach is guided by privacy by design and data protection by default, ensuring that customer information is handled responsibly at every stage.

This policy applies to all customers of Man With A Van Canarywharf in the area and explains how personal data is managed throughout the service lifecycle.