Privacy Policy - Richmonduponthames Man And Van

Richmonduponthames Man And Van is committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information when you use our services. It applies to all Richmonduponthames Man And Van customers in the area, including individuals, households, and businesses who request or receive our moving, transport, packing, storage, or related services.

This Policy is intended to comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. It sets out what data we collect, the lawful basis on which we process it, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and the rights available to you as a data subject.

1. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect information that is necessary to provide our services, manage our business, meet legal obligations, and improve customer experience. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name, title, and, where relevant, company name.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details including move dates, collection and delivery addresses, inventory or item descriptions, property access information, and special handling requirements.
Payment information such as billing details, payment status, and transaction references. We do not keep more payment data than is necessary.
Communication records including emails, telephone notes, messages, complaints, feedback, and service-related correspondence.
Technical and usage data where relevant, such as basic website or device information, security logs, and service request records.
Risk and incident information relating to damage claims, disputes, insurance matters, or service incidents.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is provided by you and is necessary for the service, for example in an insurance claim or an access arrangement. Where such data is processed, we will do so only where permitted by law and with appropriate safeguards.

2. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and arrange moving or transport services.
To plan, coordinate, and complete jobs efficiently and safely.
To communicate with you about bookings, changes, delays, and service updates.
To process payments, invoices, refunds, and credit control matters.
To handle enquiries, complaints, claims, and disputes.
To maintain business records and meet legal, tax, accounting, and insurance obligations.
To improve our services, train staff, and manage quality assurance.
To protect our business, employees, customers, and property from fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We will only process your personal data when we have a valid legal reason to do so.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for each type of processing. We may rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process your data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes, managing bookings, carrying out moves, and handling payment-related administration.

Legal Obligation

We may process data where required to comply with applicable legal duties, including tax law, accounting rules, consumer protection obligations, record-keeping requirements, and insurance-related obligations.

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. This may include improving our services, managing customer relationships, preventing fraud, maintaining security, and defending legal claims. When we rely on legitimate interests, we consider whether the processing is necessary, proportionate, and fair.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain marketing communications or optional data uses. Where consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time. Withdrawing consent will not affect processing already carried out lawfully before withdrawal.

4. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We do not sell your personal data. We may share it only when necessary and appropriate for the purposes described in this Policy. In some cases, we use third-party processors that act on our instructions and are contractually required to protect your data.

Examples of processors and categories of recipients may include:

Payment service providers for secure payment processing.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers for invoicing, financial reporting, and record management.
IT and cloud service providers for secure data storage, email, scheduling, and system support.
Insurance providers, brokers, and claims handlers where needed for coverage or incident handling.
Professional advisers such as solicitors, auditors, or consultants where necessary for legal or business purposes.
Subcontractors or operational partners who assist with service delivery, provided they follow our instructions and data protection requirements.

We may also disclose data if required by law, court order, regulatory authority, or to protect our rights, customers, staff, or the public.

Any processor acting on our behalf must keep your data secure, use it only for the agreed purpose, and delete or return it when the service relationship ends.

5. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other legally approved transfer mechanisms. We take steps to ensure that any international transfer offers a level of protection that is consistent with UK data protection law.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, tax, and insurance requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the reason it is held.

Quotation and booking records are normally kept for a reasonable period to manage customer service, dispute handling, and business records.
Invoice and payment records are retained for the period required by law and financial regulations.
Complaint, claim, or incident records may be kept longer where needed to resolve issues or defend legal claims.
Communication records are kept as necessary to support service delivery and follow-up matters.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in accordance with our retention procedures.

7. Your Rights

As a data subject under UK GDPR, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to legal limitations and exemptions, but we will always respond appropriately.

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 circumstances, you can request deletion of your data.
Right to restriction - You can ask us to limit how we use your data in some cases.
Right to data portability - You may request that certain data be provided to you or another controller in a structured format.
Right to object - You can object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent - Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you believe your rights have been infringed, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). We encourage you to raise concerns with us first so we can try to resolve them promptly.

8. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of internal processes. While no method of transmission or storage is completely risk-free, we work to maintain a level of security that is appropriate to the nature of the data we hold.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are generally intended for adults and businesses. We do not knowingly collect data from children unless it is incidentally provided by an adult customer and is necessary to perform the service. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child in a way that is not appropriate, we will take steps to delete it or otherwise handle it lawfully.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect legal, operational, or service changes. Any updates will take effect when published. We encourage customers to review this Policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

11. Summary of Key Points

Richmonduponthames Man And Van processes personal data to provide quotes and moving services, manage payments and records, and meet legal obligations. We rely on contract, legal obligation, legitimate interests, and in limited cases consent. We keep data only as long as necessary, use trusted processors under appropriate agreements, and respect your rights under UK GDPR.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Richmonduponthames Man And Van customers in the area.