Privacy Policy - Man With Van Bow

This Privacy Policy explains how Man With Van Bow collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Man With Van Bow customers in the area, including individuals and businesses who enquire about, book, or receive our moving, transport, and related services. We are committed to handling personal information lawfully, fairly, and transparently in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Man With Van Bow provides removals, transport, and van-based service solutions for customers in the area. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as a data controller when deciding why and how personal data is processed. This means we determine the purpose of collecting and using your information and are responsible for ensuring it is handled properly.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, company name.
Contact details such as phone number, email address, and service address.
Booking and service details including dates, locations, item descriptions, access requirements, and service preferences.
Payment and billing information where needed to issue invoices, receive payment, or manage accounts.
Communication records including emails, messages, notes from calls, and service-related correspondence.
Technical data such as IP address, device information, and browser details if you interact with our digital systems.
Operational records such as delivery notes, job completion records, and complaint or resolution information.

We generally do not intentionally collect special category data, such as health or religious information, unless you voluntarily provide it and it is necessary for a specific service request. If that occurs, we will only process it where lawful and appropriate safeguards are in place.

3. How We Collect Your Data

We may obtain personal data directly from you when you request a quote, make a booking, communicate with us, or provide instructions relating to a move or transport service. We may also receive information from third parties where necessary, such as payment providers, subcontracted service partners, or customers acting on behalf of another person.

Where permitted by law, we may also collect limited technical information automatically when you interact with our systems. This helps us maintain security, improve service quality, and keep accurate records.

4. Why We Use Your Information

We use personal data only where we have a lawful and relevant purpose to do so. The main purposes include:

Providing quotes and arranging bookings.
Delivering transport, removals, and related services.
Managing customer accounts and records.
Processing payments, invoices, refunds, and financial administration.
Communicating about service details, changes, or issues.
Handling complaints, claims, or disputes.
Maintaining safety, security, and service quality.
Meeting legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for every processing activity. We rely on the following bases where appropriate:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes managing quotations, bookings, service delivery, and payment administration.

Legal Obligation

We may process your data to comply with legal duties, including tax requirements, accounting obligations, record-keeping, and lawful requests from public authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. Examples include maintaining service records, preventing fraud, improving operations, managing customer enquiries, and securing our systems. We will always consider whether such processing is necessary and proportionate.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where specific optional marketing activity or non-essential processing requires it. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

6. How We Use and Share Personal Data

We only share personal data when necessary and on a need-to-know basis. This may include sharing information with:

Payment processors to handle card or online payments.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers for invoicing and financial records.
IT and cloud service providers that support storage, communication, and security.
Subcontractors or service partners assisting with deliveries or related operational tasks.
Legal, insurance, or professional advisers when required to protect our interests or meet obligations.
Public authorities if required by law, court order, or regulatory demand.

All processors and service providers are expected to handle personal data securely and only in accordance with our instructions. We do not sell personal data.

7. Data Retention

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

For example:

Booking and service records may be retained for a reasonable period after completion to manage queries or complaints.
Financial and tax records are generally retained for the period required by law.
Communication records may be retained for as long as needed to evidence instructions or resolve disputes.
Data collected on the basis of consent is kept until consent is withdrawn or the information is no longer needed.

When data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you.

8. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our data-handling practices. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a high level of protection.

9. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that suitable safeguards are in place and that the transfer complies with applicable data protection law. This may include using approved contractual protections or relying on a lawful transfer mechanism.

10. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have several rights under data protection law. These rights may be subject to limitations and exemptions, but we will always assess and respond to requests carefully. Your rights include:

Right of access ??? to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification ??? to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure ??? to request deletion of data where there is no valid reason for us to keep it.
Right to restriction ??? to request that we limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
Right to object ??? to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability ??? to request transfer of certain data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent ??? where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise a right, we will respond within the time limits set by law. We may need to verify your identity before taking action.

11. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Where our online systems use cookies or similar tools, these may be used for essential functionality, security, analytics, or service improvement. Any non-essential cookies should only be used in line with applicable consent requirements. You may manage cookie preferences through your browser settings or any available on-site controls.

12. Children

Our services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidental to a service arrangement and provided by an adult with authority to act on their behalf. If we become aware that data has been collected inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it where required.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal duties, or data protection practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it takes effect. We encourage customers in the area to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their personal data is handled.

14. Summary of Our Commitment

Man With Van Bow is committed to lawful, fair, and transparent processing of personal data. We collect only what we need, use it for clear business and legal purposes, retain it for no longer than necessary, and respect your rights under data protection law. We aim to handle your information with care, accountability, and appropriate security at every stage.