Privacy Policy - Man With Van Paddington

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With Van Paddington collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Man With Van Paddington customers in the Paddington area, including individuals and businesses that request removals, deliveries, transport assistance, or related moving services. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent 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 With Van Paddington acts as the data controller for the personal data we collect and process in connection with our services. This means we determine why and how personal information is used. We only process data where we have a valid legal reason to do so and we apply appropriate security measures to protect it.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the data that is relevant and necessary for providing our services, managing bookings, communicating with customers, meeting legal obligations, and improving our operations. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name and title
Contact details such as phone number and email address
Address and location details for pick-up, drop-off, and billing purposes
Booking information including service dates, moving requirements, and access details
Payment information where needed to process invoices or transactions
Communication records such as enquiries, complaints, and service-related messages
Service preferences and details about items being moved
Technical data such as IP address or device information if you contact us electronically

In some situations, we may also receive information from third parties, such as when another person books a service on your behalf or when a business client provides necessary contact details for a delivery or move. We only collect special category data if it is strictly necessary and with appropriate safeguards, although this is not usually required for our services.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for legitimate business and operational purposes connected to our services. These purposes include:

Responding to enquiries and providing quotations
Managing bookings and scheduling transport services
Delivering goods and completing moving jobs
Contacting customers about service arrangements or changes
Processing payments, invoices, and account records
Handling complaints, claims, and service disputes
Meeting tax, accounting, and legal requirements
Preventing fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity
Improving our services, planning capacity, and maintaining quality

We do not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the original reason for collection unless we have a valid legal basis to do so or are required by law.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under GDPR, every use of personal data must rely on a lawful basis. Man With Van Paddington processes information under the following legal grounds:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes handling bookings, completing transport services, and communicating about the service you requested.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include managing operations, maintaining records, preventing fraud, and improving our services. We balance these interests carefully and only process data that is proportionate and relevant.

Legal Obligation

We may need to process and retain certain information to comply with legal duties, such as tax, accounting, insurance, and record-keeping obligations.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where you explicitly agree to receive certain types of non-essential communication. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of previous processing.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the nature of the service provided.

As a general approach:

Booking and service records are retained for a reasonable period after completion of the job
Financial and accounting records are retained for the period required by law
Complaint and dispute records may be retained until the issue is resolved and any follow-up period has passed
Information collected with consent is kept until consent is withdrawn or the data is no longer needed

When data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or destroyed. We do not keep personal information indefinitely.

6. Sharing Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to run our business and provide our services. These parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the nature of their role. We only share what is necessary and require appropriate safeguards.

Common categories of processors and recipients may include:

Payment service providers for transaction processing
Accounting and bookkeeping providers for financial management
IT and data hosting providers for secure storage and systems support
Communication tools or scheduling platforms used to manage bookings and customer communications
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers
Public authorities where disclosure is required by law

Where processors are used, they are bound by written agreements that require them to protect personal data, process it only on our instructions, and implement appropriate security measures. If data is transferred outside the UK or EEA, we ensure suitable legal safeguards are in place.

7. Data Security

We take the protection of personal data seriously. We use organisational and technical measures designed to prevent unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff awareness, and limited data sharing.

Although no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we continuously review our practices and aim to maintain a high standard of data protection. If a personal data breach occurs that is likely to result in risk to your rights and freedoms, we will handle it in line with applicable legal obligations.

8. Your Rights Under GDPR

You have a number of rights regarding your personal data. Subject to legal limits and verification of identity, these may include:

Right of access – to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
Right to rectification – to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information
Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit processing in specific situations
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing
Right to data portability – to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent

You also have the right to raise concerns with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data protection rights have been breached. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve any issue promptly and fairly.

9. 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 the context of a service request and provided by an adult with authority to do so. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child without proper authorisation, we will take appropriate steps to remove it.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or the way we process personal data. Any updates will take effect when published or otherwise communicated. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Man With Van Paddington is committed to using personal data responsibly, securely, and transparently. We only collect data that is needed to provide our services, we use it on a valid legal basis, we keep it only for as long as required, and we share it only with trusted processors or where legally necessary. This policy applies to all Man With Van Paddington customers in the area, and it is designed to respect your privacy and uphold your data protection rights.

By using our services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable data protection law.