Privacy Policy - Kingston Man And Van

This Privacy Policy explains how Kingston Man And Van collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with our moving, removal, packing, storage, and related services. It applies to all Kingston Man And Van customers in the area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, business clients, and anyone else who uses or enquires about our services.

We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent way 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 data we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and what rights you have over your information.

1. Personal Data We Collect

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

Identity data such as your name, title, and any company or trading name if you are acting on behalf of a business.
Contact data such as telephone number, email address, and service address.
Booking and service data including move dates, property access details, inventory information, item descriptions, and service preferences.
Payment data such as payment confirmation, billing details, and transaction records. We do not store card data unless this is necessary and handled securely by a payment provider.
Communication data including emails, messages, call notes, and any feedback or complaints.
Technical data if you interact with our digital systems, such as device information, browser type, and usage logs.
Special instructions that you provide to help us complete a move safely and efficiently, such as access requirements, vulnerable item handling, or parking arrangements.

We usually collect this information directly from you when you make an enquiry, request a quote, confirm a booking, or communicate with us during the provision of services. In some cases, we may receive data from third parties such as property managers, letting agents, business clients, insurers, or payment processors where this is necessary for service delivery.

2. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use personal data only when we have a valid reason to do so. Our purposes may include:

providing quotes and responding to enquiries;
managing bookings and scheduling services;
delivering removals, packing, storage, and related services;
handling invoicing, payments, and accounting;
communicating with you about changes, delays, or service updates;
keeping internal records and maintaining service quality;
resolving complaints, disputes, and insurance matters;
meeting legal, tax, and regulatory obligations;
improving our operations, training, safety procedures, and customer experience.

We will not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons for which it was collected, unless we are legally permitted to do so and you would reasonably expect such use.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each processing activity. Kingston Man And Van may rely on one or more of the following bases:

Contract: We process personal data to take steps at your request before entering into a contract and to perform our services under that contract.
Legitimate interests: We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include service administration, record keeping, fraud prevention, customer support, and service improvement.
Legal obligation: We may process and retain certain data to comply with tax, accounting, insurance, employment, or other legal requirements.
Consent: In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain optional marketing communications. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

Important: We do not normally rely on consent where another lawful basis is more appropriate for providing moving services, because contract or legitimate interests are usually the relevant grounds.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary for the delivery of our services or compliance with the law. These parties act either as processors or, in some cases, as separate controllers. We only share the minimum information necessary and require appropriate safeguards.

Processors we may use

IT and cloud service providers that host email, file storage, scheduling, or customer records.
Payment processors that handle card or electronic payments securely.
Accounting and invoicing providers used for financial administration and tax records.
Customer communication tools used to manage emails, messages, and service updates.
Vehicle, routing, or logistics systems used to organise jobs and optimise service delivery.
Professional advisers such as insurers, legal advisers, or auditors where required.

Where processors act on our behalf, they are permitted to use personal data only in accordance with our instructions and applicable data protection law. We take reasonable steps to ensure they implement suitable technical and organisational security measures.

We may also disclose information if required by law, by court order, to protect our rights or the rights of others, or to respond to lawful requests from public authorities. We do not sell your personal data.

5. International Transfers

Some processors may store or process data outside the United Kingdom. If this happens, we will take steps to ensure appropriate protection is in place, such as using standard contractual clauses or other lawful transfer safeguards required under UK GDPR. Where possible, we prefer to use providers that keep data within the UK or countries with adequate data protection standards.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, insurance, and reporting obligations. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the nature of the services provided.

Booking and service records are generally retained for a period needed to manage the customer relationship, handle disputes, and maintain business records.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Complaint and claims records may be retained longer where needed to defend or establish legal claims.
Marketing preferences are kept until you unsubscribe, object, or we no longer need them.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention practices. We review retained data periodically to ensure it is not kept longer than necessary.

7. Data Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, limited staff access, and supplier due diligence. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to reduce risks and respond appropriately to any suspected data incident.

Staff and contractors who may handle personal data are expected to do so confidentially and in accordance with our data protection procedures.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have rights over your personal data. Depending on the circumstances, these may include:

Right of access – to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data where there is no good reason for us to continue processing it.
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – to request transfer of certain data in a structured, commonly used format, where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

These rights are not absolute. They may be subject to legal limits, exemptions, or obligations that require us to continue processing or keeping certain records.

If you wish to exercise any of your rights, we will respond in accordance with data protection law and may need to verify your identity before acting on your request.

9. Cookies and Similar Technologies

If we use websites, booking portals, or digital tools, they may use cookies or similar technologies for basic functionality, analytics, or security. Where required, we will provide appropriate notice and, if applicable, request consent for non-essential cookies. Any such processing will be carried out in line with applicable privacy and e-privacy requirements.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are not generally directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is provided by an adult customer as part of a service arrangement, for example where household moving details incidentally include family information. In such cases, we process the data only as necessary for service provision and in accordance with this policy.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data handling practices. When we do, the revised version will replace the previous version from the date it takes effect. We encourage customers to review the policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is used.

12. Contact and Complaints

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle personal data, you may raise them with us through our usual business communication channels. If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information, you also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

In summary: Kingston Man And Van collects only the information needed to provide moving services, processes it on lawful grounds, keeps it for no longer than necessary, uses trusted processors where appropriate, and respects your rights under UK data protection law.