Privacy Policy - Carpetcleaning Earlscourt

This Privacy Policy explains how Carpetcleaning Earlscourt collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data relating to our customers and website or service users in the Earlscourt area. It applies to all Carpetcleaning Earlscourt customers in the area, including individuals who enquire about, book, receive, pay for, or otherwise interact with our carpet cleaning services. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, transparent, and secure manner in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Carpetcleaning Earlscourt provides professional carpet cleaning and related cleaning services to residential and commercial customers in Earlscourt and nearby locations. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as the data controller when we decide how and why your personal data is processed. This means we are responsible for ensuring that your information is processed in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary for the services we provide. The categories of information we may collect include:

• Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, the name of a business or household contact.
• Contact information such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
• Service details including information about your property, the rooms or items to be cleaned, preferred dates and times, and any specific service instructions.
• Payment information such as billing details, transaction records, and limited payment-related data required to process payments and maintain accounts. We do not store unnecessary payment details where payment providers handle the transaction securely.
• Communication records including emails, messages, call notes, and service feedback.
• Technical information if you interact with digital services, such as IP address, device details, and basic usage data, where applicable.
• Special category data only if you choose to provide it and only when necessary, for example information about allergies, health conditions, access needs, or sensitivities that affect how services are delivered. Such data is handled with extra care and only where a valid legal basis exists.

We do not intentionally collect more information than is needed for legitimate business and service purposes.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• to respond to enquiries and provide quotes;
• to schedule, deliver, and manage cleaning services;
• to communicate about appointments, service changes, and service completion;
• to issue invoices, process payments, and manage accounts;
• to maintain business records and evidence of services provided;
• to handle complaints, claims, and disputes;
• to improve our services, customer care, and operational efficiency;
• to comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
• to protect against fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably determine that we need it for another compatible purpose and that this is permitted by law.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis before processing your personal data. Carpetcleaning Earlscourt relies on one or more of the following lawful bases:

4.1 Contract

We process your information where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes managing quotations, bookings, service delivery, invoicing, and customer support.

4.2 Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided these interests do not override your rights and freedoms. Examples include improving our services, keeping records, preventing fraud, and managing internal administration. We assess these interests carefully to ensure your privacy is respected.

4.3 Legal Obligation

We may process information when we must comply with a legal requirement, such as tax, accounting, insurance, or regulatory obligations.

4.4 Consent

Where required, we rely on your consent. For example, this may apply to certain optional communications or to the processing of specific sensitive information that you choose to share. When consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time, although this will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

4.5 Vital Interests and Special Category Data

In exceptional circumstances, we may process personal data to protect someone’s vital interests. If we process special category data, such as health or access information, we do so only where an appropriate condition under UK GDPR is met and only when necessary for safe service delivery.

5. How Long We Keep Your Data

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, including legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of record and the reason it is held.

• Customer and service records: retained for the period needed to manage the service relationship and any follow-up issues.
• Financial and accounting records: retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
• Communication records: kept for as long as reasonably necessary to manage enquiries, complaints, and service quality.
• Technical and security records: retained for a limited period unless a longer period is needed for investigation or legal compliance.

When data is no longer needed, we securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in accordance with our retention practices. We do not keep personal data indefinitely.

6. Processors and Third Parties

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as processors or independent controllers, but only when necessary and with appropriate safeguards in place. Processors are organisations that process personal data on our instructions. They may include:

• payment service providers;
• booking, scheduling, and administrative software providers;
• IT support, hosting, and data storage providers;
• accounting, bookkeeping, and tax service providers;
• customer communication and email service providers;
• professional advisers such as insurers, auditors, or legal advisers;
• public authorities, regulators, or law enforcement where required by law.

Where processors are used, they are required to process personal data only on our documented instructions, keep it secure, and comply with data protection obligations. We do not sell personal data.

7. Data Security

We implement 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, encryption where appropriate, staff confidentiality requirements, and regular review of our internal procedures.

Although no system is completely secure, we work to protect your data using measures that are proportionate to the nature of the information we hold and the risks involved.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply in full or in part depending on the circumstances and any legal exceptions. They include:

• Right of access: you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification: you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to erasure: you may ask us to delete your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to restriction: you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
• Right to object: you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
• Right to data portability: where applicable, you can request your data in a structured, commonly used format.
• Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with applicable law. We may need to verify your identity before acting on your request. Some rights may be limited where the law allows us to retain or continue processing data.

9. International Transfers

If personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect it. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms recognised under data protection law.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are aimed at adults and businesses. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in the context of a service request made by an adult customer, such as access arrangements or household details. If we learn that we have collected children’s data without a lawful basis, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

11. Changes to This Policy

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

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Carpetcleaning Earlscourt respects your privacy and takes data protection seriously. We collect only the data we need, use it for clear and lawful purposes, keep it only as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or others where required by law. We also support your rights and aim to handle all personal information responsibly and transparently.

This policy applies to all Carpetcleaning Earlscourt customers in the area.