Privacy Policy - Man And Van Barnes

Last updated: This Privacy Policy explains how Man And Van Barnes collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Man And Van Barnes customers in the area, including anyone who requests a quote, books a service, communicates with us, or otherwise uses our moving, delivery, packing, loading, unloading, transport, or related services.

1. Introduction

We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This Privacy Policy is intended to explain clearly what information 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 personal data.

By using our services or providing us with your information, you acknowledge that you have read this Privacy Policy. We only collect and use personal data where we have a lawful basis to do so and where it is necessary for the operation of our services, compliance with legal obligations, or the protection of legitimate business interests.

2. What personal data we collect

We may collect and process different types of personal data depending on your interaction with us. This may include:

Identity data: your name and any details needed to identify you as a customer or contact.
Contact data: address, email address, and telephone number.
Booking and service data: moving dates, service instructions, property access details, inventory information, and delivery or collection preferences.
Payment and transaction data: records of payments, invoices, and transaction references.
Communication data: information you provide in messages, calls, complaints, feedback, or enquiries.
Operational data: any details required to plan, carry out, and manage a move or related service safely and efficiently.
Technical data: limited information such as IP address, device type, or browser details if you interact with our digital systems.

We aim to collect only the personal data that is necessary for the purpose concerned. Where possible, we will minimise the amount of personal data requested.

3. How we collect personal data

We collect personal data in the following ways:

Directly from you when you request a quote, make a booking, or communicate with us.
From third parties who help arrange services on your behalf, such as a family member, landlord, estate agent, or business contact.
From payment providers or financial systems involved in processing transactions.
Automatically through basic technical tools or logs used to maintain security and system performance.

4. Why we use your data and our lawful basis

We only process personal data when we have a lawful basis under the UK GDPR. Depending on the situation, we may 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 preparing quotes, confirming bookings, arranging moving services, delivering goods, issuing invoices, and communicating about your service.

Legal obligation

We may process data where required to comply with legal or regulatory obligations, including tax, accounting, insurance, record-keeping, fraud prevention, or other lawful requests.

Legitimate interests

We may use personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing our operations, improving service quality, responding to complaints, maintaining security, and preventing misuse of our services.

Consent

In limited cases, we may ask for your consent, for example where processing is not covered by another lawful basis. If we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time.

5. How we use personal data

We may use your personal data to:

provide, manage, and complete moving and related services;
prepare estimates, quotes, and service records;
communicate with you about your booking or enquiry;
process payments and manage billing;
maintain service and operational records;
handle complaints, claims, or disputes;
improve our services, processes, and customer experience;
protect our business, staff, customers, and property;
meet legal, regulatory, and tax requirements.

We do not sell your personal data.

6. Sharing your data and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary for service delivery, administration, compliance, or security. These third parties act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. Where a third party processes data on our behalf, they may only do so under our instructions and must protect the data appropriately.

Processors may include:

payment service providers;
accounting and bookkeeping providers;
IT and data storage providers;
customer communication tools;
insurance or claims handling providers;
professional advisers such as solicitors or auditors;
subcontractors or service partners assisting with the delivery of removals or transport services.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, court order, regulatory requirement, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of our customers, staff, or business.

Whenever we share data, we take reasonable steps to ensure that it is handled securely and only for legitimate purposes.

7. Retention of personal data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. The retention period will depend on the type of data and the reason it was collected.

Booking and service records: kept for a period necessary to manage the service and resolve any related issues.
Financial and tax records: kept for the period required by law.
Complaint or dispute records: kept for as long as needed to investigate and defend claims.
Enquiry data: kept for a reasonable period if no booking follows, unless we need to retain it for legal reasons.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in accordance with our data retention practices.

8. Your rights under data protection law

As a data subject, you have certain rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply in different circumstances and may be subject to legal limitations. They include:

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 data in certain situations.
Right to restriction: you can request that we limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
Right to object: you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing, where applicable.
Right to data portability: you can request certain data in a structured, commonly used format where technically feasible and legally permitted.
Right to withdraw consent: where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will consider your request in line with applicable law. We may need to verify your identity before responding to protect your privacy and security.

9. Security of personal data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include restricted access, secure storage, staff awareness, and careful selection of processors.

Although we work hard to protect your data, no system can be guaranteed as completely secure. If we become aware of a personal data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will take appropriate steps in accordance with data protection law.

10. International transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we will only do so where appropriate safeguards are in place and where the transfer complies with applicable data protection law.

11. Children’s data

Our services are intended for adults and businesses. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a service request made by an adult customer. If we become aware that we have collected data unlawfully, we will take appropriate steps to remove it.

12. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal obligations, or operational needs. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise made available. We encourage customers to review it periodically.

13. Summary of our commitment

Man And Van Barnes is committed to processing personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently. We collect only the information needed to provide our services, use it for clear and legitimate purposes, keep it only for as long as necessary, and ensure that processors act securely and appropriately on our behalf. You also have meaningful rights over your personal data, and we will respect and support those rights in line with applicable law.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Man And Van Barnes customers in the area.