Privacy Policy - Selsdon Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Selsdon Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, stain removal, rug cleaning, and related services. It applies to all Selsdon Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including residential and commercial clients who enquire about, book, or receive our services.

1. Who We Are

Selsdon Carpet Cleaners is a local cleaning service provider operating in the Selsdon area. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as a data controller when we decide why and how personal data is collected and used. This policy is intended to help you understand how we handle your information in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for providing our services, managing our business, and meeting legal obligations. The type of information we may collect includes:

Identity details such as your name and title.
Contact details such as your address, phone number, and email address.
Service information including property access details, cleaning preferences, requested appointment times, and notes relevant to your booking.
Billing details such as invoice information, payment status, and transaction references.
Communication records including emails, messages, call notes, and correspondence relating to enquiries, complaints, or service updates.
Technical data where applicable, such as basic website usage information, if you contact us through an online form or digital service.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless you voluntarily provide information that is necessary for a specific request, for example if you tell us about allergies or health conditions affecting access or cleaning methods. Where such information is supplied, we will only use it where lawful and necessary.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotations.
To arrange appointments and deliver cleaning services.
To manage customer accounts, bookings, and service records.
To process invoices, payments, refunds, and financial administration.
To communicate with you about your service, changes, or follow-up matters.
To handle complaints, disputes, and aftercare issues.
To comply with tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations.
To maintain business records and improve the quality of our services.

We will only use your information in ways that are compatible with the purpose for which it was collected, unless we have a lawful reason to do otherwise.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

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

Contract

We process your personal data where it is necessary to take steps before entering into a contract or to perform a contract with you. This includes booking services, providing estimates, carrying out cleaning work, and issuing invoices.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain information to comply with legal requirements, including accounting, tax, and record-keeping duties.

Legitimate Interests

We may process your data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing customer relationships, preventing fraud, improving service delivery, and maintaining internal records. We have considered the impact of this processing and believe it is reasonable and proportionate.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may ask for your consent, for example if you provide optional information or agree to receive a specific type of communication that is not required for the service. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing Your Information and Processors

We do not sell your personal data. However, we may share it with trusted third parties who help us operate our business. These third parties act as processors when they handle data on our instructions and under appropriate contractual safeguards.

Examples of processors may include:

Payment processors who handle card or electronic payments.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers who assist with invoices, tax, and financial records.
IT and cloud service providers who store emails, files, or business systems securely.
Scheduling or administrative software providers used to manage appointments and customer records.
Professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers, where necessary.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, court order, or lawful request from public authorities. Any disclosure will be limited to what is necessary and appropriate.

6. Data Retention

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

Customer and service records are generally retained for a reasonable period after the service is completed to manage queries, disputes, and follow-up matters.
Financial and accounting records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Communication records may be kept for as long as needed to document agreements, complaints, or service issues.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or dispose of it in a safe manner.

7. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, staff confidentiality obligations, and careful management of data sharing with processors.

While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to maintain a level of protection that is appropriate to the nature of the information we process.

8. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have a number of rights under data protection law. These rights may be subject to certain conditions or exemptions, but we will always respond carefully and lawfully.

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 – in some cases, you can ask us to delete your personal data.
Right to restrict processing – you can ask us to limit how your data is used in certain circumstances.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests, and in some cases to direct marketing.
Right to data portability – you can request a copy of certain information in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond within the time limits required by law. We may ask for information to confirm your identity before actioning your request.

9. Marketing and Communications

We will only send marketing communications where permitted by law. If you have opted in to receive such messages, you may withdraw your consent or object at any time. Service-related communications, such as appointment confirmations or updates, are not marketing and may still be necessary to deliver our services.

10. Third-Party Websites and Services

Where you interact with services provided by third parties, their own privacy policies and terms may apply. We encourage you to review those policies carefully, as we are not responsible for how third parties process your personal data independently of us.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are directed to adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children for marketing or service purposes. If we become aware that a child’s data has been provided without appropriate authority, we will take reasonable 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 the law, our services, or how we process personal data. Any changes will be effective when posted or communicated through appropriate channels. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Selsdon Carpet Cleaners is committed to processing personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and legitimate purposes, keep it no longer than necessary, and work with trusted processors under appropriate safeguards. We respect your rights and aim to handle all customer information with care, confidentiality, and accountability.

This policy applies to all Selsdon Carpet Cleaners customers in area. By using our services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this Privacy Policy and in accordance with applicable data protection law.