Privacy Policy - Man And Van Stratford

This Privacy Policy explains how Man And Van Stratford collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing removals, delivery, courier, packing, loading, unloading, and related transport services. It applies to all Man And Van Stratford customers in the area, including individuals and businesses that request quotes, make bookings, receive services, or otherwise interact with us. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, transparent, and secure manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Man And Van Stratford acts as the data controller for personal data collected in connection with our services, unless otherwise stated. This means we determine the purposes and means of processing personal data. In some situations, we may also act as a data processor when handling information strictly on behalf of another organisation.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for the provision and administration of our services. The categories of data we may collect include:

Identity information such as your name, title, and any business name you provide.
Contact information including telephone number, email address, billing address, collection address, and delivery address.
Booking and service details such as move date, service type, inventory of items, access notes, and special handling instructions.
Payment and invoicing information such as transaction records, payment status, and billing details.
Communication records including enquiries, messages, complaints, confirmations, and service updates.
Technical and usage information where applicable, such as basic website interaction data, device details, and log records used for security and performance purposes.
Special category data only if you choose to provide it incidentally in communications, and only where required to deal with your request or service needs. We do not seek this type of data unless necessary.

We do not collect more data than is reasonably required for legitimate business purposes. We also ask that you avoid including unnecessary sensitive information in your communications with us.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotes and respond to service enquiries.
To manage bookings, collections, deliveries, and removals.
To communicate with you about your service, timing, access, and changes.
To process payments, issue invoices, and maintain financial records.
To manage complaints, disputes, insurance matters, and customer support.
To maintain internal records, service quality, and business administration.
To protect against fraud, misuse, and unauthorised access.
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations.

We may also use aggregated or anonymised information for business analysis, provided it does not identify any individual.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We only process personal data where we have a lawful basis under the UK GDPR. Depending on the circumstances, we rely on the following bases:

Contract

We process data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as arranging and delivering a removal or delivery service, issuing invoices, and managing service communications.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This includes business administration, service improvement, fraud prevention, record keeping, and responding to customer enquiries.

Legal Obligation

We process certain information where required to comply with legal obligations, such as accounting, tax, insurance, or record-keeping requirements.

Consent

Where we rely on consent, such as for optional marketing communications or certain non-essential processing activities, you may withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect processing already carried out before consent was withdrawn.

We do not use personal data for purposes incompatible with the reason it was collected unless we have a valid legal basis and, where required, have notified you.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to provide our services, run our business, or comply with law. These third parties may act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers.

Processors may include:

Payment service providers that process card or online payments.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that help manage financial records.
IT, hosting, and cloud service providers that store or support our systems.
Communication service providers used for emails, messaging, or operational updates.
Insurance or claims support providers where necessary to handle incidents.
Professional advisers such as legal or tax advisers.

We require processors to handle personal data securely, only on our instructions, and only for the agreed purposes. We do not sell your personal data. If data is shared outside the UK or EEA, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with applicable law.

6. Data Retention

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

Booking and service records are usually retained for the period needed to administer the service and deal with any follow-up issues.
Financial and invoicing records are retained for the time required under tax and accounting law.
Communication records may be kept for a reasonable period to manage queries, evidence agreements, and resolve disputes.
Security and technical logs are kept only as long as necessary for operational security and troubleshooting.

When personal data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in a controlled manner.

7. Security of Your Data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include restricted access, secure storage, access controls, password protection, and staff confidentiality obligations. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a level of protection appropriate to the risks associated with the data we process.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These may include:

The right of access to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
The right to rectification to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
The right to erasure to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
The right to restriction to limit how we process your data in certain situations.
The right to data portability where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
The right to withdraw consent where consent is the lawful basis for processing.

These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal exceptions or limitations. If you wish to exercise any of your rights, we will assess your request in line with applicable law and respond within the required time frame.

9. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, you may raise them with us so we can review and address the issue. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage you to contact us first so we can attempt to resolve matters promptly and fairly.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and businesses. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidentally provided by an adult customer as part of a service arrangement. If we become aware that personal data has been collected inappropriately, we will take reasonable steps to delete it.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

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

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Man And Van Stratford is committed to protecting the privacy of every customer in the area. We collect only the data needed to deliver our services, use it under a valid lawful basis, keep it only as long as necessary, share it carefully with trusted processors, and respect your rights under data protection law. This policy applies to all Man And Van Stratford customers in area.