Privacy Policy - Man With Van Hoxton

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With Van Hoxton collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with services provided to all customers in the Hoxton area and surrounding local service area. It applies to every customer, enquiry, and service arrangement involving Man With Van Hoxton, whether the interaction is made by phone, email, message, referral, or any other business channel.

We are committed to handling personal data in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and other applicable privacy laws. This policy is intended 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. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary for providing our services, managing customer relationships, meeting legal obligations, and operating our business effectively. The type of data collected may vary depending on the service requested, but may include:

Identity information such as your name or company name.
Contact information such as phone number, email address, and service address.
Booking and service details such as moving date, property access information, item lists, and service instructions.
Billing and payment information such as invoice details, payment status, and transaction records.
Communication records including emails, text messages, and notes from calls or enquiries.
Technical information where relevant, such as basic device or usage data collected through standard website or digital tools used to support our operations.
Evidence of service delivery such as job confirmations, photographs related to damage reports, or signed paperwork where necessary.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is provided by you and is strictly necessary for a lawful purpose, for example where accessibility or health-related information is needed to carry out a move safely. In such cases, we will only use that information with appropriate safeguards and only when a valid legal condition applies.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for a range of operational, contractual, and legal purposes. These may include:

responding to enquiries and preparing quotations;
arranging and delivering removal, transport, loading, unloading, and related services;
confirming bookings and managing schedules;
issuing invoices, collecting payments, and managing accounts;
handling complaints, claims, or customer support requests;
maintaining business records and internal administration;
meeting legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
protecting our business, staff, and customers from fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity;
improving our services and customer experience;
keeping necessary records for insurance and liability purposes.

We will only process your personal data when there is a lawful basis to do so.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each processing activity. Depending on the circumstances, Man With Van Hoxton may rely on one or more of the following bases:

Contract — processing is necessary to provide a quote, make a booking, or perform the service you have requested.
Legal obligation — processing is necessary to comply with tax, accounting, record-keeping, insurance, or other legal duties.
Legitimate interests — processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as improving operations, managing customer records, preventing fraud, and defending legal claims, provided your rights do not override those interests.
Consent — where required, for example for specific types of optional marketing or processing of certain sensitive information.

Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties when necessary to run our business and deliver services. These third parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the service they provide.

Processors may include:

accounting and bookkeeping providers;
payment service providers and banking platforms;
IT support, cloud storage, and secure data hosting providers;
customer management or booking software providers;
email and communication service providers;
insurance providers or claims-handling services;
professional advisers such as lawyers, auditors, or tax advisers;
subcontracted removal or transport personnel working under our instruction.

We require processors to handle personal data securely, to use it only for the services we instruct them to provide, and to comply with applicable data protection obligations. We do not sell personal data.

We may also disclose data if required to do so by law, court order, regulatory authority, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Man With Van Hoxton, our customers, staff, or the public.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. The retention period depends on the type of data and the reason it was collected.

Booking and service records may be retained for a reasonable period after the job is completed in order to manage follow-up, disputes, or service history.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law, including accounting and tax rules.
Claims and complaint records may be retained for as long as needed to resolve the matter and defend potential legal claims.
Communication records are retained for business administration and customer service purposes, then securely deleted or anonymised when no longer needed.

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete it or anonymise it securely. Retention is always limited to what is necessary and proportionate.

6. Security of Personal Data

We take reasonable and appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, and limited access on a need-to-know basis.

While no system can be guaranteed as completely secure, we continuously aim to maintain a level of protection that is appropriate to the nature of the data and the risks involved.

7. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that suitable safeguards are in place in accordance with data protection law. This may include using approved contractual clauses or relying on adequacy decisions where available.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to legal limitations and exemptions, but they generally include the following:

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 data.
Right to erasure — to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction — to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain 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 where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.

If you exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We will respond within the time limits required by law and without unnecessary delay.

9. Marketing

We do not use personal data for unsolicited marketing unless permitted by law or where you have given consent. If you receive marketing communications and prefer not to, you may object or withdraw consent where applicable. We will respect your preferences in accordance with legal requirements.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults arranging removals, transportation, or related services. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children in the ordinary course of business. If we become aware that such data has been collected without a valid legal basis, we will take appropriate steps to delete or protect it.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or processing practices. The most current version will apply to all Man With Van Hoxton customers in the area. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your personal data.

12. Summary of Key Principles

Transparency

We explain clearly what data we collect and why we collect it.

Necessity

We collect only the information needed to deliver services and meet legal obligations.

Security

We use appropriate safeguards to keep personal data safe.

Accountability

We work with trusted processors and expect them to meet data protection standards.

By using the services of Man With Van Hoxton, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable law.