Privacy Policy - Soho Man And Van

Soho Man And Van is committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information when we provide moving, delivery, and related services. It applies to all Soho Man And Van customers in area, including individuals, households, landlords, tenants, and business clients who use our services.

We aim to process personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner, in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Soho Man And Van acts as the data controller for the personal data we collect and process in connection with our services. This means we decide why and how your personal data is used. In some cases, we may also act as a data processor when handling data on behalf of a business customer or another controller, for example where we are instructed to move goods or handle records under a separate agreement.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary to provide our services, manage customer relationships, and comply with legal obligations. The types of data we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name or the name of your business.
Contact details such as phone number, email address, and service address.
Booking and service details including move date, collection and delivery addresses, inventory information, and access instructions.
Payment and billing information such as payment status, invoice details, and transaction records.
Communication records including enquiries, complaints, feedback, and correspondence.
Special instructions relevant to your move, such as fragile items, handling requirements, or entry notes.
Technical data if you contact us electronically, such as basic device, log, or email metadata.

We do not intentionally collect more data than is required for the service. We also do not seek to collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you have provided it voluntarily, for example where it is included in communications relating to access needs or delivery instructions.

3. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and manage bookings.
To plan and carry out removal, transport, packing, storage, or delivery services.
To communicate with you about your booking, updates, changes, or issues.
To process payments, create invoices, and manage accounts.
To respond to customer queries, complaints, or claims.
To improve our services, training, and internal operations.
To maintain records, protect our business, and prevent fraud or misuse.
To meet legal, regulatory, and tax obligations.

We only use personal data for the purpose for which it was collected, or for a compatible purpose where permitted by law.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process your personal data only where we have a valid lawful basis under data protection law. Depending on the situation, our lawful bases may include:

Contract — when processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as arranging a move or delivery.
Legal obligation — when we need to comply with legal, tax, accounting, or regulatory requirements.
Legitimate interests — when processing is necessary for our business operations, such as customer service, service improvement, record keeping, and fraud prevention, provided your rights do not override those interests.
Consent — in limited situations where we ask for your permission, for example for certain optional communications or where the law requires consent.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we balance our interests against your rights and freedoms. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share your personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to deliver our services, operate our business, or comply with the law. These parties act as either processors or independent controllers depending on the context.

Examples of processors may include:

Payment service providers that handle card or electronic payments.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that support invoicing, tax, and financial records.
IT and cloud service providers that host data, email, or business systems.
Customer management or scheduling tools used to organise bookings and service records.
Professional advisers where they act under instructions and confidentiality obligations.

We require processors to protect personal data and to process it only on our instructions, unless they are independently responsible for the data under law. We do not sell your personal data.

We may also disclose information where required to do so by law, court order, government authority, insurer, or law enforcement body, or where disclosure is necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

6. Data Retention

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

In general:

Booking and service records are retained for the duration of the service and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and invoice records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Complaints, claims, and dispute records may be kept for longer where needed to resolve or defend a claim.
Unused enquiry data may be deleted sooner if it is no longer needed.

When data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you.

7. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unlawful access, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, role-based permissions, data minimisation, and staff awareness procedures.

However, no system can be completely secure. While we work to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. International Transfers

If any of our processors or service providers store or access data outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place so that your personal data remains protected to a standard required by law. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms.

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 lawful basis for processing. You may have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you.
Rectification of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Erasure of your data in certain situations.
Restriction of processing in certain circumstances.
Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Data portability where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
Withdraw consent where processing relies on consent.

We may need to verify your identity before responding to a rights request. We will respond within the legal timeframe and explain if we are unable to fulfil any part of your request due to legal exceptions.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a move or service arranged by a parent, guardian, or authorised adult. If we become aware that we have collected data unlawfully, we will take appropriate steps to delete or protect it.

11. Automated Decision-Making

We do not use fully automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects on customers. If this changes in the future, we will update this policy and provide you with the required information and safeguards.

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 data protection practices. The latest version will apply to your use of our services. We encourage you to review it periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal data.

13. Summary of Our Approach

Soho Man And Van handles personal data responsibly, using it only when necessary and only for clear, lawful purposes. We collect limited information, keep it secure, share it only with trusted processors or where required by law, and retain it only for as long as needed. We also respect your rights and aim to make every stage of our data handling transparent and fair.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Soho Man And Van customers in area.