Privacy Policy - Man With Van Chinatown

Last updated: This Privacy Policy explains how Man With Van Chinatown collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with our moving and transport services. It applies to all Man With Van Chinatown customers in the Chinatown area, including prospective customers, current customers, and individuals who communicate with us about our services.

1. Who We Are

Man With Van Chinatown provides removals, delivery, collection, and related transport services to customers in Chinatown and the surrounding area. For the purposes of data protection law, we are the data controller for the personal data we collect and use in the course of providing our services, unless otherwise stated.

This Privacy Policy is intended to explain, in a clear and transparent way, how we handle personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, where applicable.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the information that is necessary to arrange and deliver our services, manage customer relationships, meet legal obligations, and improve our operations. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity data: your name, title, and any business name you provide.
Contact data: address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details: collection and delivery addresses, moving dates, inventory descriptions, access notes, and instructions relevant to the job.
Payment data: billing information, payment status, and transaction records. We do not retain unnecessary payment card details unless required by the payment process used.
Communication data: messages, enquiries, complaints, and records of conversations with our team.
Technical data: limited information such as device details, browser type, and log data when you interact with our digital systems, if applicable.
Special category data: we do not intentionally collect special category data unless you choose to provide it and it is necessary for a specific service request, such as access or health-related delivery requirements.

We expect customers to provide accurate and up-to-date information so that we can safely and effectively carry out the requested service.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data only where there is a lawful reason to do so. Typical uses include:

providing quotes and confirming bookings;
planning and carrying out moving, delivery, or collection services;
communicating about scheduling, changes, access requirements, and service updates;
processing payments, invoices, refunds, and account matters;
responding to questions, complaints, or claims;
maintaining business records and internal administration;
meeting legal, tax, accounting, and insurance obligations;
protecting against fraud, misuse, and security incidents;
improving service quality, training staff, and managing operations.

We do not sell personal data. We also do not use customer data for unrelated purposes without a valid legal basis.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must identify a lawful basis for each processing activity. Depending on the circumstances, we may rely on one or more of the following:

4.1 Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotes, making arrangements, completing the move, and handling payment-related administration.

4.2 Legal Obligation

We may process data where required to comply with legal obligations, such as tax rules, accounting requirements, consumer law, or obligations relating to insurance and record keeping.

4.3 Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include service improvement, internal management, fraud prevention, security, and maintaining accurate business records. We consider the impact on individuals before relying on this basis.

4.4 Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where you provide optional information that is not required to deliver the service. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing Personal Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties that help us run our business. These parties act as data processors or independent controllers depending on the service provided.

Processors may include:

IT and hosting providers that store or maintain business systems;
payment service providers that process transactions;
accounting and bookkeeping providers that support tax and financial administration;
communications providers that help manage email, messaging, or phone services;
insurance or claims handlers where required to manage incidents;
professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers, where necessary.

We only share the minimum data required for each purpose, and we take reasonable steps to ensure processors protect personal data appropriately. Processors are required to handle data securely and only in accordance with our instructions, where applicable.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, court order, regulatory request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Man With Van Chinatown, our customers, or others.

6. International Transfers

If any service providers process personal data outside the UK, we will take appropriate steps to protect it. This may include using approved contractual safeguards or ensuring the destination offers an adequate level of protection under applicable law.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the reason we hold it.

Booking and service records: retained for a reasonable period after completion of the service to manage follow-up queries, disputes, or claims.
Financial and tax records: retained for the period required by applicable accounting and tax laws.
Communication records: retained as needed for customer service, complaint handling, and business administration.
Security and incident records: retained for as long as necessary to investigate, resolve, or defend claims.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or otherwise dispose of it in a safe manner.

8. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality duties, and limited access to information on a need-to-know basis.

Although we take security seriously, no method of transmission or storage is completely risk-free. If a data incident occurs, we will respond in line with our legal obligations.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to legal limits, these may include:

Right of access: request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure: request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction: ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object: object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing, where applicable.
Right to data portability: request certain information in a structured, commonly used format, where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent: if we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You may also have the right to complain to the relevant data protection authority if you believe your rights have been violated. We encourage you to raise any concerns with us first so we can try to resolve them promptly.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business customers arranging removals or deliveries. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children, except where it is incidental and necessary for service delivery, such as where a family household is involved in a move.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

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

12. Summary of Key Points

In summary, Man With Van Chinatown collects only the personal data needed to provide moving and transport services in the Chinatown area. We use that data on lawful grounds such as contract performance, legal obligations, legitimate interests, and, where appropriate, consent. We retain personal data only for as long as necessary, share it only with trusted processors or where legally required, and respect your rights under applicable data protection law.

By using our services, you acknowledge that this Privacy Policy applies to your personal data as a customer of Man With Van Chinatown in the Chinatown area.