Privacy Policy - Carshalton Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Carshalton Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Carshalton Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including individuals who enquire about our services, request quotes, book appointments, receive cleaning services, or communicate with us in any way. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Carshalton Carpet Cleaners acts as the data controller in relation to the personal data we collect and process about our customers and prospective customers. This means we determine the purposes and means of processing personal information received in the course of providing carpet cleaning and related services.

We only process personal data where we have a valid legal basis and where it is necessary for a legitimate business purpose or a legal obligation.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the information needed to provide our services properly and to manage our relationship with customers. The categories of data we may collect include:

• Identity details such as name and, where relevant, company or household name.
• Contact details such as telephone number, email address, and service address.
• Service information such as the type of cleaning requested, preferred appointment times, access requirements, and notes relevant to the job.
• Billing and payment information such as transaction records and payment status. We do not knowingly store more payment information than is necessary.
• Communications such as enquiries, feedback, complaints, service confirmations, and correspondence.
• Technical and usage data where we receive it through our systems, including basic device or interaction information used for security or service improvement.

We do not seek to collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you choose to provide it. If special category data is shared with us incidentally, we will handle it with enhanced care and only where permitted by law.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
• to schedule, confirm, and carry out cleaning services;
• to manage invoices, payments, and service administration;
• to maintain business records and service history;
• to communicate about appointments, changes, or service-related issues;
• to improve our services and customer experience;
• to comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
• to handle disputes, claims, or complaints;
• to protect against fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We do not use personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons it was collected.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Depending on the context, we rely on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes responding to booking requests, carrying out cleaning services, and managing related administration.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include managing our business operations, improving customer service, maintaining records, and protecting our services from misuse.

Legal Obligation

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

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where specific optional communications or certain types of data processing are requested. Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing Personal Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to operate our business and deliver services. These third parties act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. We only share the minimum information needed and require appropriate data protection safeguards.

• IT and hosting providers that support our systems, data storage, or email services.
• Booking or administration providers that help manage appointments and customer records.
• Payment-related service providers that assist with invoicing, transaction processing, or payment reconciliation.
• Professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers where disclosure is necessary for compliance or advice.
• Public authorities where disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect rights, safety, or security.

All processors are required to handle personal data securely and only in accordance with our instructions. We do not sell your personal data.

6. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations or standard contractual clauses, to protect your data to the required legal standard.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason it was processed.

• Customer and service records are retained for the period needed to manage the relationship and any follow-up service issues.
• Financial and tax records are kept for the period required by applicable law.
• Complaint or dispute records may be retained longer where necessary to defend legal claims or resolve matters fairly.

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

8. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to safeguard personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, or damage. 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 work to reduce risks and respond appropriately to any suspected incident.

9. Your Rights

Depending on the circumstances and the legal basis for processing, you may have the following rights under data protection law:

• Right of access to receive a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to erasure in certain situations, sometimes called the right to be forgotten.
• Right to restrict processing in certain circumstances.
• Right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
• Right to data portability where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
• Right to withdraw consent where we rely on consent for processing.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed.

10. Automated Decision-Making

We do not use personal data for automated decision-making that has legal or similarly significant effects on individuals. If this changes, we will update this policy and ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and households arranging cleaning services. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children in the ordinary course of business. If we become aware that we have collected such data without an appropriate legal basis, we will take steps to delete it where required.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, our services, or our internal practices. The latest version will apply to your use of our services from the date it is published or otherwise made available. We encourage customers to review it periodically.

13. Summary of Our Commitments

Carshalton Carpet Cleaners is committed to processing customer data responsibly, securely, and transparently. We collect only what is needed, use it for clear and lawful purposes, share it only with trusted processors where necessary, and retain it only for as long as required. Our aim is to respect your privacy while delivering reliable services throughout the Carshalton area.