Privacy Policy - Tooting Man And Van

Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Tooting Man And Van collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing moving, removal, transport, and related services. It applies to all Tooting Man And Van customers in the area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and business clients who request or receive our services. We are committed to handling personal information lawfully, fairly, transparently, and in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Tooting Man And Van is a service provider operating in and around the Tooting area. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as the data controller for the personal data we collect and process in connection with our services. This means we decide how and why your personal information is used.

2. Information We Collect

We only collect data that is necessary for arranging and delivering our services, handling enquiries, managing bookings, and meeting legal obligations. Depending on your interaction with us, we may collect the following categories of personal data:

Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, the name of your business or organisation.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Booking and service information including move dates, collection and delivery addresses, property access details, inventory notes, and special handling requirements.
Payment information such as payment status, transaction references, and billing records. We do not retain more financial information than is required for accounting and legal purposes.
Communication records including emails, messages, complaint details, and any feedback you provide.
Technical information if you contact us through digital channels, such as basic device or usage data where needed for security and service improvement.
Special category data only where you choose to provide it and only if it is necessary for a specific service requirement, such as access or health-related assistance during a move. We limit such processing as far as possible.

We do not intentionally collect more personal data than is needed. Please do not share unnecessary sensitive information unless it is relevant to the service and requested by us.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotations.
To arrange, manage, and complete moving and transport services.
To communicate about bookings, arrival times, access issues, changes, and service updates.
To process payments, issue invoices, and maintain accounting records.
To manage complaints, disputes, and customer support requests.
To improve our services, training, and operational efficiency.
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations.
To protect our business, staff, and customers from fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We will only use your data in ways that are compatible with the purpose for which it was collected, unless we have a valid legal reason to do otherwise.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. Depending on the context, we rely on one or more of the following:

Contract – when processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as arranging and completing a move.
Legitimate interests – when processing is necessary for our reasonable business interests, provided your rights and interests do not override those interests. This may include service administration, customer support, record keeping, and security.
Legal obligation – when we must process data to comply with tax, accounting, insurance, or other legal duties.
Consent – where required, for example if we need to use certain optional data or send specific communications that are not covered by contract or legitimate interests. You may withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.

Where we process special category data, we will do so only if a valid condition under data protection law applies and if it is genuinely necessary.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who support our operations. These parties act as processors or, in some cases, separate controllers. We only share the information needed for them to perform their role and require appropriate safeguards.

Examples of processors may include:

IT and hosting providers that store or secure our business data.
Email and communication providers used to send service-related messages.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that help manage invoices, taxes, and financial records.
Payment service providers that process transactions securely.
Administrative or scheduling tools used to manage bookings and job planning.

We may also disclose data to insurers, legal advisers, public authorities, or emergency services where necessary and permitted by law. We do not sell your personal data.

6. International Transfers

If any of our processors store or access data outside the UK, we ensure that appropriate transfer safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent lawful mechanisms designed to protect your information to a standard consistent with UK GDPR.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, and in line with legal, accounting, and operational requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason it was collected.

Booking and service records are generally kept for a reasonable period to manage customer history, disputes, and follow-up matters.
Financial and tax records are kept for the period required by law.
Communication records are kept as long as needed to resolve queries, support customers, and maintain business records.
Security or incident records may be retained for longer where needed to investigate or defend claims.

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

8. Data Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff awareness, and limiting access to information on a need-to-know basis. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we take data protection seriously and work to reduce risks wherever possible.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and the legal basis used for processing:

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 some cases, you can ask us to delete your personal data.
Right to restriction – you can request that we limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests, and in some cases to direct marketing.
Right to data portability – you can ask for data you provided to us to be transferred to you or another controller, where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

Please note that some rights are not absolute and may be limited by legal obligations or legitimate business needs. We will explain any refusal or limitation clearly if this occurs.

10. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, you have the right to raise a complaint with the relevant data protection authority. You may also contact us to discuss concerns, request clarification, or exercise your rights. We aim to address data protection matters promptly and fairly.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a family move or similar service arrangement and is provided by an adult responsible for the booking. If we become aware that we have collected data inappropriately, we will take steps to remove it where required.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or data protection practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Tooting Man And Van is committed to processing personal data responsibly and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and lawful purposes, share it only with trusted processors where necessary, retain it for appropriate periods, and respect your rights under data protection law. This policy applies to all customers in the Tooting area who use our services.