Privacy Policy - Merton Man And Van

This Privacy Policy explains how Merton Man And Van collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with our removal and man-and-van services. It applies to all Merton Man And Van customers in the area, including prospective customers, booked customers, and anyone who contacts us about our services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

By using our services, making an enquiry, or providing us with your details, you acknowledge that your personal information will be processed as described in this Privacy Policy.

1. Who We Are

Merton Man And Van provides moving, transport, collection, delivery, and related logistics services. In the context of this policy, we act as the data controller for personal data that we collect and determine how and why it is used. This means we are responsible for ensuring that your data is processed securely and in line with legal requirements.

2. What Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data needed to provide and manage our services effectively. Depending on how you interact with us, this may include:

Identity information such as your name and, where relevant, the name of your business or organisation.
Contact details such as telephone number, email address, and service address.
Booking information including moving date, service type, property access details, inventory details, and special instructions.
Payment information such as billing details and transaction records.
Communication records including messages, emails, notes from calls, and any correspondence relating to your booking or enquiry.
Service history such as past bookings, claims, complaints, and preferences.
Technical data such as limited device or browser information if you contact us through digital channels, where applicable.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is voluntarily provided and necessary for a specific service request, such as access needs or health-related moving considerations. If such information is shared, we will handle it with additional care and only where there is a lawful basis to do so.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotes.
To manage bookings and deliver moving services.
To communicate about schedules, changes, delays, or service updates.
To process payments and keep accounting records.
To manage complaints, disputes, and insurance-related matters.
To meet legal, tax, and regulatory obligations.
To improve our services, customer experience, and operational efficiency.
To protect against fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which it was collected unless we reasonably need to use it for another compatible purpose that is lawful under data protection law.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only where we have a valid lawful basis under UK GDPR. The main lawful bases we rely on are:

Contract

We process your data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes you request, confirming bookings, arranging removals, handling payments, and delivering services you have asked us to perform.

Legal Obligation

We process certain information where we are required to do so by law, including tax, accounting, insurance, and record-keeping obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided your rights and interests do not override those interests. This may include service improvement, fraud prevention, record management, and maintaining business security. We always consider whether our interests are balanced against your privacy rights.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where you provide optional information or agree to receive certain communications. Where consent is used, you have the right to withdraw it at any time.

5. How We Share Your Data

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to operate our business and provide services. These parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the circumstances.

Payment processors that handle card or bank transactions.
IT and hosting providers that support secure storage, email, systems, or communications tools.
Accountants and professional advisers for legal, financial, or tax support.
Insurance providers or claims handlers where a claim or incident must be managed.
Subcontractors or operational partners assisting with service delivery, where necessary.
Regulators, law enforcement, or public authorities where required by law.

We require processors to process personal data only on our instructions, to keep it secure, and to comply with applicable data protection laws. We do not sell your personal information.

6. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections. We take reasonable steps to ensure that your information remains protected to a standard consistent with UK GDPR.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, and to meet our legal, accounting, or reporting obligations. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the reason it is held. In general:

Enquiry records may be kept for a reasonable period to manage follow-up and service improvements.
Booking and service records may be retained to fulfil contractual obligations and manage disputes or claims.
Financial and tax records may be retained for the period required by law.
Complaint, incident, or insurance records may be retained for longer where needed to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

When personal data is no longer needed, it will be securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in a safe manner.

8. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures are designed to reflect the nature of the data we process and the risks involved. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to reduce risk and to respond appropriately if an incident occurs.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These 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 – in certain cases, you can ask us to delete your data.
Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in some circumstances.
Right to data portability – you may request a copy of certain data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

To exercise these rights, you may contact us using the details provided through our usual business channels. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request. We will respond within the time limits required by law.

10. Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we handle your personal data, you have the right to raise a complaint with the relevant data protection authority in the UK. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue promptly and fairly.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are generally intended for adults arranging removals or transport services. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a household move or similar service and provided by an adult customer. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it where required.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, our services, or our data processing practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal data.

Summary statement: This Privacy Policy applies to all Merton Man And Van customers in the area and explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your personal data in a lawful and transparent way.