Privacy Policy

Merton Man and Van Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Merton Man and Van collects, uses, stores and protects personal data relating to customers and prospective customers within our service area. It also explains your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and related data protection laws.

Scope of this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to all Merton Man and Van customers and prospective customers located in our service area, including anyone who contacts us to request a quote, makes a booking, or uses any of our man and van, moving, or related services.

Data Controller

Merton Man and Van is the data controller for the personal data described in this Privacy Policy. This means we determine the purposes and means of processing your personal data in connection with our services.

Types of Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant for providing and managing our services. Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following categories of data:

Identity and contact details, such as your name, title, postal address, and any other contact information you choose to provide to us for the purposes of your enquiry or booking.

Service and booking details, such as collection and delivery addresses, property access information you choose to share, preferred dates and times, details of items to be moved, special handling instructions, and reference numbers associated with your booking.

Communication records, such as the content of enquiries, quote requests, complaints, feedback, and any other correspondence between you and Merton Man and Van.

Payment-related information, such as the amount paid, payment method type, and transaction reference. We do not seek to store full card numbers or security codes; where card payments are taken, these are processed via third party payment processors.

Technical and usage data, when relevant, such as basic information about how you interact with our website or online forms, including pages visited, dates and times, and basic device and browser details.

How We Collect Your Data

We collect personal data in the following ways:

Directly from you when you contact us by phone, through online forms, or in any other way to request information, obtain a quote, or make a booking.

During the provision of services, when our team records details required to complete the job, such as access instructions, item lists, or job notes.

Indirectly when certain technical information is generated by your use of our website or online tools, for example through server logs or similar technologies.

Purposes and Lawful Bases for Processing

We process your personal data only where we have a lawful basis to do so. For Merton Man and Van, the main lawful bases are:

Contract: We process your personal data to take steps at your request before entering into a contract and to perform our contract with you. This includes providing quotes, confirming bookings, carrying out moves, communicating about your booking, and handling invoicing and payments.

Legitimate interests: We may process your data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. Examples include improving our services, managing and developing our business, keeping records of jobs completed, and protecting our business from fraud and misuse.

Legal obligation: We may process certain information where we must comply with legal or regulatory obligations, such as record-keeping for tax and accounting requirements.

Consent: In limited circumstances we may rely on your consent, for example if we send certain optional marketing communications. Where we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time.

How We Use Your Personal Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotes for man and van and related services.

To create, manage, and fulfil bookings, including planning routes, assigning staff, and updating you about your move.

To manage payments, invoices, and any refunds or disputes.

To maintain internal records of jobs carried out, including for customer service, training, and quality improvement.

To handle complaints, queries, or claims.

To comply with legal, regulatory, and tax obligations.

To protect our rights, property, and safety, and that of our customers, staff, and the public.

Data Sharing and Processors

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your data with third parties where necessary for the purposes described above and in compliance with data protection law. These third parties may act as data processors on our behalf.

Typical categories of recipients include:

Payment service providers, who process payments securely on our behalf.

IT and hosting providers, who support the operation and security of our website, email, and data storage systems.

Professional advisers, such as accountants or legal advisers, where required for business management, legal, or compliance purposes.

Public authorities or law enforcement, where required by law or where necessary to protect our rights or the rights of others.

Where we use processors, we ensure they are subject to appropriate contractual and security obligations, including requirements to process personal data only on our instructions and to keep it secure.

Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as it is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or to comply with legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

In general, customer and booking records are retained for a period that allows us to handle queries, disputes, and tax or regulatory obligations. After the relevant retention period expires, personal data is deleted, anonymised, or otherwise securely disposed of.

The exact retention period may vary depending on the type of data and the context of your interactions with us. Factors considered include the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure, and whether we need the data to meet legal obligations or defend legal claims.

International Transfers

Where possible, we aim to keep your personal data within the United Kingdom or other jurisdictions that provide an adequate level of data protection. If we use service providers that process data in other countries, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place so that your data remains protected in line with applicable data protection laws.

Data Security

We take reasonable and appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, or damage. These measures include access controls, secure storage practices, and restrictions on the personal data that staff and contractors can access based on their roles and responsibilities.

Your Data Protection Rights

Subject to certain conditions and legal limitations, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

The right of access, meaning you can request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and obtain a copy of that data.

The right to rectification, meaning you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

The right to erasure, meaning you can ask us to delete your personal data in certain circumstances, for example where it is no longer needed for the purposes for which it was collected and we have no other lawful basis to continue processing it.

The right to restriction of processing, meaning you can ask us to limit the way we use your data in certain situations.

The right to data portability, meaning you can request that certain personal data is provided to you or to another controller in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format where the processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.

The right to object, meaning you can object to certain types of processing based on our legitimate interests, including, where applicable, to direct marketing.

Where processing is based on consent, the right to withdraw consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

Exercising Your Rights

If you wish to exercise any of your data protection rights, or if you have questions about how Merton Man and Van handles your personal data, you can contact us using the contact details made available on our website or other official communications. We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access your personal data or exercise other rights.

Complaints

If you are concerned about how we handle your personal data, we encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve your concerns. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK data protection supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner's Office, or with the relevant authority in the country where you live or work, or where you believe a breach of data protection law has occurred.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or the services we offer. Any updated version will be made available through our website or other appropriate channels. We recommend that you review this Privacy Policy periodically so that you remain informed about how we process your personal data.