Privacy Policy - Balham Man And Van

This Privacy Policy explains how Balham Man And Van collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Balham Man And Van customers in the area, including individuals who request quotes, book services, receive updates, or otherwise interact with us in connection with removals, deliveries, packing, storage support, and related moving services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, transparent, and secure manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Balham Man And Van is a service provider operating in and around Balham. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as a data controller when we determine the purposes and means of processing personal data. This means we decide why personal data is collected and how it is used in the course of providing our services.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary for the services we provide. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity data: name, title, and any details needed to identify you.
Contact data: phone number, email address, billing address, collection address, and delivery address.
Service and booking data: information about your move, property type, access requirements, inventory details, preferred dates, and service preferences.
Payment data: payment confirmation, transaction references, and limited billing information where required.
Communication data: messages, enquiries, complaint details, and correspondence relating to your booking or service.
Technical data: basic information such as device type, browser information, and usage data if you interact with digital services.
Special category data: we do not intentionally collect special category data. If you voluntarily share such information, we will only process it where permitted by law and where necessary.

We generally collect personal data directly from you when you make an enquiry, request a quote, confirm a booking, or communicate with us. In some cases, we may also receive data from third parties such as estate agents, landlords, tenants, business partners, or payment providers, where appropriate and lawful.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations and respond to enquiries;
to manage bookings and deliver moving services;
to plan routes, schedules, staffing, and vehicle allocation;
to issue invoices, process payments, and maintain accounting records;
to communicate with you about your service or any changes;
to handle complaints, disputes, and claims;
to comply with legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations;
to improve our services, operations, and customer experience;
to maintain security, prevent fraud, and protect our business and customers;
to keep appropriate internal records of services provided.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another compatible purpose. If we need to use your data for an unrelated purpose, we will explain the lawful basis for doing so where required.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

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

Contract

We process your data where it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, or to perform a contract with you. This includes managing bookings, delivering services, and communicating about agreed arrangements.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data where needed to comply with legal duties, including tax, accounting, insurance, and record-keeping obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. Examples include service improvement, security, internal administration, fraud prevention, and business record management. We always consider whether our interests are proportionate and whether the impact on you is minimal.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where you have explicitly agreed to receive optional marketing communications. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

Vital Interests

In exceptional circumstances, we may process data to protect someone’s vital interests, such as in an emergency where information is needed to prevent serious harm.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary for service delivery, legal compliance, or business operations. These parties act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. We require all processors to handle data securely and only in accordance with our instructions and applicable law.

Examples of processors and third parties may include:

Payment processors that handle card or transaction processing;
IT and hosting providers that support our systems, email, and data storage;
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that assist with financial administration;
Customer management software providers that help manage bookings and service records;
Subcontractors or operational partners who assist with deliveries or removals, where needed;
Legal, insurance, or professional advisers where required to protect our rights or meet obligations;
Regulators, authorities, or law enforcement where disclosure is required by law.

We do not sell personal data. We also do not disclose more information than is necessary for the relevant purpose. Where data is shared with a processor, we use appropriate contractual safeguards to protect your information.

6. International Transfers

If any 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 equivalent legal protections. We take steps to ensure that any such transfer remains compliant and that your rights are protected.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, tax, insurance, and dispute-resolution requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the reason it was collected.

In general:

booking and service records are retained for a period appropriate to business, legal, and contractual needs;
financial and invoicing records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting law;
correspondence and complaint records are retained for as long as needed to resolve matters and protect legal interests;
data held solely on the basis of consent is deleted or anonymised when consent is withdrawn, unless another lawful basis applies.

When data is no longer needed, we securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention procedures. We do not keep information longer than necessary.

8. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to safeguard personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and procedural safeguards. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a level of protection that is appropriate to the nature of the data and the risks involved.

9. Your Rights Under GDPR

As a data subject, you have rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to legal limitations, you may have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you;
Rectification of inaccurate or incomplete information;
Erasure of personal data in certain circumstances;
Restriction of processing in certain cases;
Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing;
Data portability for information you provided to us, where applicable;
Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent;
Complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your rights have been infringed.

We may need to verify your identity before responding to a rights request. We aim to respond within the time limits required by law. If a request is complex or numerous, we may extend the response period where permitted.

10. Marketing Communications

We will only send marketing communications where permitted by law. If you have given consent or where we are otherwise allowed to contact you, you can opt out at any time. We will respect your preferences and stop sending non-essential communications when requested.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business customers arranging moving services. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a service arrangement and only where lawful and appropriate. If we become aware that data has been collected unlawfully from a child, we will take steps to delete it promptly.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

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

13. Summary of Our Approach

Balham Man And Van is committed to protecting your privacy and processing personal data responsibly. We collect only what we need, use it for clearly defined purposes, rely on lawful bases such as contract, legal obligation, legitimate interests, and consent where appropriate, retain data only as long as necessary, and work with trusted processors under suitable safeguards. Your rights remain central to our data handling practices, and we aim to be transparent, fair, and secure in all processing activities.