Privacy Policy - Carpetcleaning Streatham

This Privacy Policy explains how Carpetcleaning Streatham collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with our cleaning services. It applies to all Carpetcleaning Streatham customers in the area, including prospective customers, existing customers, and anyone who contacts us about our services. We are committed to handling personal data 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.

We recognise that privacy matters. This policy is designed to help you understand what information we may process, why we process it, how long we keep it, who may receive it, and what rights you have over your personal data. By using our services or interacting with us, you acknowledge the practices described in this policy.

1. Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary for providing and managing our services. The categories of data we may process include:

Identity details such as your name, title, and any information you choose to provide when requesting a quotation or service.
Contact details such as your address, telephone number, and email address.
Service information such as property access details, cleaning preferences, appointment history, service notes, and instructions related to the work requested.
Payment-related information such as transaction records and billing details, where applicable. We do not store full card details where secure third-party payment systems are used.
Communication records such as enquiries, complaints, feedback, and correspondence with our team.
Technical data such as IP address, browser type, device identifiers, and basic usage information if you contact us through digital channels.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and you provide it voluntarily, for example if you mention health, access, or allergy-related information that is relevant to the service. Where such information is shared, we will process it only when there is a lawful basis for doing so and only to the extent needed.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotations.
To arrange, deliver, and manage cleaning services.
To communicate appointment updates, service confirmations, and post-service matters.
To handle payments, invoicing, and recordkeeping.
To deal with complaints, queries, or disputes.
To improve our services, processes, and customer experience.
To meet legal, regulatory, insurance, and accounting obligations.

We only process personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another compatible purpose. If we need to use it for a new purpose, we will ensure that this is consistent with data protection law.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

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

Performance of a Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, or to perform the contract once service has been agreed. This includes arranging appointments, carrying out work, and processing payments.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and interests do not override those interests. This may include service management, recordkeeping, quality control, responding to customer complaints, and improving our operations. When relying on legitimate interests, we consider whether the processing is proportionate and privacy-friendly.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain data where required to comply with legal obligations, such as tax records, accounting requirements, insurance claims, safeguarding responsibilities, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, especially for certain optional communications or where you voluntarily provide sensitive information that is not otherwise necessary for service delivery. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

4. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us operate our business. These parties act as processors when they process data on our behalf and under our instructions, or as separate controllers where they determine their own purposes.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

IT and cloud service providers that support data storage, email, scheduling, and system maintenance.
Payment processing providers that handle secure payment transactions.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that support financial administration and compliance.
Customer communication tools used for managing appointments and service updates.
Professional advisers such as insurers, auditors, legal advisers, or consultants where needed for business or legal purposes.

We only disclose personal data where necessary and require processors to protect it appropriately. They are not permitted to use your data for their own purposes unless separately authorised by law or by their own privacy arrangements.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, court order, regulatory request, or to protect our rights, customers, staff, or property.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, tax, insurance, and dispute resolution requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the purpose of processing.

Customer and service records are typically retained for a period needed to manage service history and respond to queries.
Financial records are kept for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Complaint and correspondence records may be retained for a reasonable period to protect against claims or resolve disputes.
Technical data is retained only for as long as necessary for security, troubleshooting, and performance purposes.

When data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or destroy it in line with our retention practices.

6. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and use of trusted service providers. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to keep risks to a minimum and review our safeguards regularly.

7. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have important rights under data protection law. Subject to certain conditions and exemptions, you may have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you.
Rectify inaccurate or incomplete information.
Erase your personal data in certain circumstances.
Restrict how we process your data in certain situations.
Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Data portability for data you have provided to us where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
Withdraw consent at any time where consent is the lawful basis.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you are concerned about how we handle your data. We encourage you to raise concerns with us first so we can try to resolve the matter promptly.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidental to a customer’s service request and necessary for access, safety, or household arrangements. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it unless we are legally required to keep it.

9. International Transfers

Where any processor or service provider is located outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place before transferring personal data. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other legally recognised transfer mechanisms.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, technology, or our business practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their personal data is handled.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Carpetcleaning Streatham is committed to protecting the privacy of every customer in the area. We collect only the data needed to provide and improve our services, use it on a lawful basis, retain it for no longer than necessary, and share it only with appropriate processors or where legally required. We also respect your rights and aim to handle all personal data with care, transparency, and accountability.

This Privacy Policy is intended to support clear and lawful data handling for all Carpetcleaning Streatham customers in area.