Privacy Policy - Dulwich Man And Van

This Privacy Policy explains how Dulwich Man And Van collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data relating to customers and prospective customers. It applies to all Dulwich Man And Van customers in the area, including individuals who request quotes, make bookings, receive services, or communicate with us in connection with removals, deliveries, or related services.

We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy is intended to help you understand what information we process, why we process it, how long we keep it, and what rights you have.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect and process different types of personal data depending on how you interact with us. The information we collect may include:

Identity information such as your name, title, and, where relevant, business name.
Contact details such as your address, email address, and phone number.
Service details such as pickup and delivery addresses, property access notes, moving dates, inventory details, and service preferences.
Payment information such as payment method, billing details, and transaction records. We do not routinely store full card details where payment is processed through secure third-party providers.
Communication records including emails, messages, booking confirmations, complaint details, and service-related notes.
Technical information where relevant, such as basic website interaction data, IP address, and device information if you contact us through digital channels.
Special instructions you choose to share, including access requirements or details needed to safely complete the job.

We generally collect this information directly from you when you request a quote, make a booking, agree to services, or contact us. In some cases, we may receive data from third parties acting on your behalf, such as landlords, estate agents, family members, business administrators, or payment processors.

2. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use your personal data only where the law allows us to do so. The purposes for which we process personal data include:

providing quotes and assessing service requirements;
managing bookings and delivering removal or transport services;
communicating with you about appointments, changes, or service updates;
processing payments and handling invoices or refunds;
keeping records for administration, accounting, and business management;
responding to complaints, disputes, or queries;
maintaining service quality, safety, and staff training;
complying with legal and regulatory obligations;
preventing fraud and protecting our business, staff, and customers;
improving our services and customer experience.

We only process personal data that is relevant and necessary for the specific purpose. Where possible, we minimise the information collected and avoid retaining information that is no longer needed.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each activity we carry out with personal data. The main lawful bases we rely on are:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotations, confirming bookings, carrying out removals, issuing invoices, and managing service-related communications.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data where necessary to comply with legal duties, such as accounting, tax, insurance, record-keeping, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided that your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. This may include managing our operations, improving services, maintaining security, handling disputes, and keeping internal records. We always consider whether the processing is proportionate and whether it could have an unjustified impact on your privacy.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where you have specifically agreed to receive certain types of optional communications. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

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

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

Payment processors that handle secure card or online payments.
Accounting and invoicing providers that assist with financial record management.
IT and cloud storage providers that support secure data storage, email, and business systems.
Customer management and booking software providers that help us manage service requests and scheduling.
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers where necessary.
Subcontractors or crew members involved in performing the service, only to the extent needed for the job.

We require processors to protect personal data through appropriate technical and organisational safeguards. They may only process information on our instructions and for the agreed purpose. We do not sell your personal data.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, to enforce our agreements, to protect our rights, or to prevent fraud or serious harm.

5. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we take steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other legally recognised transfer mechanisms. We only use service providers that meet suitable data protection standards.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, and to meet legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason for processing.

Quotation and enquiry data may be kept for a reasonable period to manage follow-up questions and business records.
Booking and service records are kept for the duration of the contract and for a further period where needed for administration or dispute handling.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Complaints, claims, and correspondence may be retained longer where needed to resolve issues or defend legal claims.

When personal data is no longer required, we securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention practices. We do not keep data indefinitely, and we review retention needs regularly.

7. Data Security

We take reasonable and appropriate measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure systems, staff training, password protection, and limited access to records on a need-to-know basis.

No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we work to reduce risk and to safeguard the personal data we hold. If we become aware of a personal data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will take appropriate action in accordance with applicable law.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be limited in some circumstances, but we will always consider your request carefully.

Right of access – you may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure – you may ask us to delete your personal data where there is a valid legal basis to do so.
Right to restriction – you may ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to data portability – you may request certain data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
Right to object – you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent – where consent is the basis for processing, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in line with legal requirements. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling a request. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you are unhappy with how we handle your personal data.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adult customers and business users. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a service request made by an adult customer and only to the extent required to perform that service lawfully and safely.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

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

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Dulwich Man And Van is committed to protecting your privacy and using personal data responsibly. We collect only the information needed to provide our services, process it on a lawful basis, share it only with appropriate processors or where legally required, and retain it only as long as necessary. We also respect your rights under data protection law and aim to handle all personal data with care, transparency, and accountability.