Privacy Policy - Man And Van Docklands

This Privacy Policy explains how Man And Van Docklands collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing moving, transport, and related services. It applies to all Man And Van Docklands customers in the Docklands area, including prospective customers, current customers, and anyone who communicates with us about a booking, quote, or service enquiry.

We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy is designed 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. Data We Collect

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

Identity details such as your name and title.
Contact details such as your phone number and email address.
Service information including collection and delivery addresses, moving dates, property access details, item descriptions, and service preferences.
Payment information such as billing details and transaction records.
Communication records including messages, notes from calls, and correspondence relating to quotes, bookings, complaints, or service updates.
Usage and technical data if you interact with our digital systems, including device or browser information, where applicable.
Special category data only where it is necessary and you choose to share it, for example if you provide information relating to health, mobility, or access requirements to help us carry out a move safely and appropriately.

We generally collect this information directly from you. In some cases, we may receive data from third parties acting on your behalf, such as family members, landlords, estate agents, or business representatives, where they are involved in arranging a move or related service.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data only for clearly defined and legitimate purposes. These purposes may include:

Providing quotes and confirming bookings.
Planning and delivering removal, transport, loading, unloading, and related services.
Communicating with you about schedules, service updates, changes, or issues.
Processing payments, issuing invoices, and keeping business and accounting records.
Responding to enquiries, complaints, and requests.
Meeting legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations.
Maintaining service quality, internal records, and operational efficiency.
Protecting our business, staff, customers, and property from fraud, abuse, or misuse.

We do not sell personal data. We also do not use your information for unrelated purposes without first ensuring that we have a lawful basis to do so.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each activity involving personal data. Depending on the situation, we may rely on one or more of the following bases:

Contract – processing is necessary to prepare for or perform a contract with you, such as arranging and carrying out a move.
Legal obligation – processing is necessary to comply with legal requirements, including tax, accounting, and record-keeping duties.
Legitimate interests – processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as managing bookings, improving services, preventing fraud, or maintaining security, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests.
Consent – where required by law, particularly for certain special category data or optional communications, we will ask for your clear consent and you may withdraw it at any time.

Where special category data is involved, we will only process it when a suitable legal condition applies, such as explicit consent or necessity for carrying out obligations in employment, social protection, or substantial public interest situations, if relevant. In a moving context, this will usually be limited to information voluntarily provided by you to help us deliver a safe and suitable service.

4. How We Share Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary for the delivery of our services or for legal and administrative purposes. These third parties may act as data processors or, in some cases, independent controllers.

Processors we may use

IT and software providers that store or manage booking, communication, invoicing, or record-keeping systems.
Payment service providers that handle card or electronic payment processing.
Accounting and payroll services that support financial administration and compliance.
Storage or logistics partners when they are needed to assist with delivery or temporary storage arrangements.
Professional advisers such as insurers, legal advisers, or auditors, where required.

Where we use processors, they are only permitted to process personal data on our instructions and must protect it using appropriate technical and organisational security measures. They are not allowed to use your data for their own independent purposes unless they are separately acting as a controller.

We may also disclose data where required by law, where necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims, or where disclosure is needed to protect the rights, safety, or property of our business, staff, or customers.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, and no longer than required by law. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the legal or operational reason for holding it.

Booking and service records are generally retained for a reasonable period after completion to manage queries, disputes, and evidence of services provided.
Financial and tax records are kept for the period required by law, typically in line with accounting and tax obligations.
Communication records may be retained for a period that allows us to handle follow-up queries or complaints.
Health or access-related information is retained only for as long as needed for the specific move and any immediate follow-up required for safety or service review.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete, destroy, or anonymise it.

6. Data Security

We take appropriate measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and limited access to information on a need-to-know basis.

While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to maintain a level of protection that is appropriate to the risks associated with the data we process.

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 – you may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – in some cases, you may ask us to delete your data.
Right to restriction – you may ask us to limit how your data is used in certain situations.
Right to object – you may object to processing based on legitimate interests, and in some cases to direct marketing if applicable.
Right to data portability – where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means, you may request a portable copy of certain data.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with legal requirements. We may need to verify your identity before responding to protect your information.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is provided by a parent, guardian, or authorised adult in connection with a move or related service. If we become aware that we have collected data unlawfully, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data processing practices. Any revised version will apply from the time it is made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

10. Summary of Our Commitment

Man And Van Docklands is committed to processing personal data responsibly, securely, and only where there is a lawful basis to do so. We keep information for no longer than necessary, work with trusted processors under appropriate safeguards, and respect the rights of every customer in the Docklands area. Our approach is built on fairness, transparency, and accountability, ensuring that your personal information is handled with care throughout every stage of our service.