Privacy Policy - Earlsfield Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy applies to all Earlsfield Carpet Cleaners customers in the Earlsfield area. It explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data when we provide carpet cleaning and related services. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Earlsfield Carpet Cleaners provides carpet and upholstery cleaning services to residential and commercial customers. For the purposes of data protection law, we are the data controller for the personal data we process in connection with our services. This means we determine why and how your personal data is used.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the data that is necessary to manage enquiries, bookings, service delivery, payments, and customer support. Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following categories of personal data:

• Identity information such as your name and title.
• Contact information such as your address, email address, and phone number.
• Service details such as property access instructions, cleaning requirements, room sizes, fabric or carpet type, and any relevant notes about stains or damage.
• Booking information including requested appointment dates, service history, and customer preferences.
• Payment information such as billing details and transaction records. We do not normally store full card details where a secure payment provider is used.
• Communications including emails, messages, complaint records, feedback, and customer service notes.
• Technical information where relevant, such as IP address or device details if you interact with our digital systems.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is provided by you and is necessary for a specific service request. If such information is disclosed to us, we will only process it where a lawful basis exists and where appropriate safeguards are in place.

3. How We Collect Your Data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

• request a quote or booking;
• communicate with us by phone, email, or message;
• give instructions before or during a service appointment;
• make a payment or request an invoice;
• submit a complaint, review, or feedback;
• enter into a contract for our services.

We may also receive data from third parties where necessary, such as payment processors, booking systems, referral partners, or property managers acting on your behalf.

4. Why We Use Your Personal Data

We use your personal data to provide services efficiently, safely, and in line with your expectations. Our purposes include:

• responding to enquiries and providing quotes;
• managing bookings and appointments;
• delivering carpet, upholstery, and related cleaning services;
• processing payments and issuing invoices;
• communicating about service updates, changes, or follow-up matters;
• handling complaints, disputes, and customer support;
• maintaining business records and accounting obligations;
• improving service quality and customer experience;
• meeting legal, regulatory, and insurance requirements.

We will never use your data in a way that is incompatible with the original purpose for which it was collected.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only where we have a lawful basis under UK GDPR. The lawful bases we rely on are:

Contract

We process your data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes managing bookings, providing services, issuing invoices, and communicating about the service.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where your rights and interests do not override those interests. This may include service improvement, record keeping, fraud prevention, business administration, and responding to customer queries. We ensure that any such processing is proportionate and limited to what is necessary.

Legal Obligation

We may be required to process and retain certain information to comply with legal obligations, including tax, accounting, insurance, and regulatory requirements.

Consent

Where consent is required, we will ask for it clearly and separately. For example, consent may be used for optional marketing communications. You may withdraw consent at any time, and this will not affect any processing already carried out lawfully before withdrawal.

6. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as processors on our behalf. These parties only process data according to our instructions and are required to protect it appropriately.

Examples of processors may include:

• Booking and scheduling providers who help manage appointments and customer records;
• Payment processors who handle secure payment transactions;
• IT and cloud service providers who store or support our business systems;
• Accounting and invoicing services used for financial administration;
• Customer communication tools used to send updates or respond to enquiries;
• Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers where necessary.

We may also disclose information where required by law, to prevent fraud, to protect rights and property, or to respond to lawful requests from public authorities. If a third party acts as an independent controller, they will be responsible for their own privacy practices.

7. International Transfers

If any processor stores or processes data outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent protection measures. We only transfer data where lawful and necessary.

8. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, tax, and insurance requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the context in which it was collected.

• Booking and service records are generally kept for a reasonable period to manage customer history and support.
• Financial and tax-related records are kept for the period required by applicable law.
• Correspondence and complaint records are kept long enough to resolve issues and maintain business accountability.

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

9. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from accidental loss, unauthorised access, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures are designed to be reasonable and proportionate to the nature of the information we hold. Access is limited to personnel and processors who need it for legitimate business purposes.

10. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to legal limitations, these include:

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

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

11. How We Respond to Rights Requests

We will take reasonable steps to respond to any valid request without undue delay and within the timescales required by law. Before responding, we may need to verify your identity to protect your information. If a request is manifestly unfounded or excessive, we may charge a reasonable fee or refuse to act, as permitted by law.

12. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is provided by an adult customer in connection with a lawful service arrangement. If we become aware that children’s data has been collected inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it where appropriate.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, operational practices, or service arrangements. Any changes will take effect when the updated policy is made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically.

14. Summary of Our Approach

We aim to process personal data in a way that is lawful, transparent, and limited to what is necessary for providing our services. We only keep data for as long as needed, use trusted processors under appropriate safeguards, and respect the rights of all Earlsfield Carpet Cleaners customers in the area. If you choose to use our services, we will treat your personal information with care and in line with applicable data protection law.

By continuing to use our services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this Privacy Policy.