Privacy Policy – Man And A Van Swiss Cottage

Man And A Van Swiss Cottage is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data in a fair, lawful, transparent, and secure manner. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data relating to our customers. It applies to all Man And A Van Swiss Cottage customers in the area, including individuals and businesses who contact us for quotes, make bookings, receive removals or delivery services, or otherwise engage with us.

This policy is written in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Please read it carefully to understand your rights and how we process personal information.

1. Who we are

For the purposes of data protection law, Man And A Van Swiss Cottage is the data controller for the personal data described in this policy. This means we decide how and why your personal data is processed when you use our services or interact with us in connection with our operations.

2. Personal data we collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for legitimate business purposes related to our services. The information we collect may include:

Identity information such as your name, title, and business name if applicable.
Contact information such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Booking and service information including service dates, pickup and delivery locations, property access details, item descriptions, and special handling instructions.
Payment information such as transaction details, invoices, payment status, and billing records.
Communication records including emails, call notes, text messages, and enquiries you send us.
Technical information such as IP address, device details, and basic website usage data, where applicable.
Proof and verification details when needed to confirm identity, delivery instructions, or service requirements.

We do not intentionally collect special category personal data unless it is strictly necessary and you have provided it, or unless another lawful condition applies. Special category data includes information about health, religion, ethnicity, political views, sexual orientation, or similar sensitive information.

3. How we use your personal data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotes, arrange bookings, and deliver moving or transport services.
To communicate with you before, during, and after a service.
To process payments, issue invoices, and manage accounts.
To manage customer support, complaints, and service follow-up.
To maintain business records and evidence of services provided.
To improve our operations, scheduling, and customer experience.
To comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations.
To protect our business, staff, property, and customers from fraud, abuse, or misuse.

We only use your personal data for the purposes stated above or for closely related purposes that are reasonably expected in the course of our services.

4. Lawful basis for processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process your personal data. Depending on the situation, we rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotes at your request, confirming bookings, carrying out moving services, and handling payment-related administration.

Legal obligation

We may process data where necessary to comply with legal duties, including tax, accounting, record-keeping, fraud prevention, and other statutory requirements.

Legitimate interests

We may process your data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include service management, internal record keeping, customer support, business protection, and operational improvement.

Consent

In some cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where required for optional communications or specific types of processing. Where consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal of consent does not affect processing carried out before the withdrawal.

5. Sharing your personal data and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us run our business. These parties act as processors when they process data on our instructions and under appropriate contractual safeguards. They may include:

Payment processors who handle card or electronic payments.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers who support financial record keeping and compliance.
IT and cloud service providers who store data, manage systems, or provide email and communication tools.
Scheduling or booking support providers where relevant to appointment and job management.
Professional advisers such as lawyers, insurers, auditors, or tax advisers.
Authorities or regulators where disclosure is required by law, court order, or official request.

We do not sell your personal data. Any third party that processes data on our behalf is required to keep it secure, use it only for the agreed purpose, and comply with applicable data protection law.

6. International data transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we take steps to ensure that it remains protected to a standard that is essentially equivalent to UK data protection law. This may involve the use of approved contractual safeguards and additional security measures where necessary.

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, or reporting requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the reason for processing.

Customer booking and service records are usually retained for the period needed to manage the service and resolve any issues that arise afterwards.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Enquiry and correspondence records are kept for a reasonable period to allow follow-up, quality assurance, and dispute handling.
Technical records are kept only as long as needed for security and operational purposes.

When data is no longer required, we will delete, destroy, or anonymise it securely.

8. Security of your data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, misuse, or alteration. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of data handling practices. Although we work to protect your information, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

9. Your rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to conditions and exemptions. They include:

The right to be informed about how your data is collected and used.
The right of access to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
The right to rectification to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
The right to erasure in certain circumstances, also known as the right to be forgotten.
The right to restrict processing in certain situations.
The right to data portability where applicable.
The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Rights related to automated decision-making where such processing applies.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with legal requirements and within the applicable time limits.

10. Marketing communications

We may send service-related communications that are necessary for bookings, quotes, or ongoing customer administration. We will only send optional marketing communications where permitted by law and, where required, with your consent. You can request to stop receiving marketing messages at any time.

11. Children’s data

Our services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary for a specific service arrangement and appropriate authority has been provided by a parent, guardian, or responsible adult where required.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data protection practices. The latest version will always apply from the date it becomes effective. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed.

13. Summary of our commitments

Man And A Van Swiss Cottage will only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary, will use it fairly and lawfully, will share it only with trusted processors or where required by law, and will keep it only for as long as needed. We respect your rights and aim to maintain transparency in how we manage personal information for every customer in the area.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Man And A Van Swiss Cottage customers in the area.