Privacy Policy - Carpet Cleaners Merton

This Privacy Policy explains how Carpet Cleaners Merton collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with our carpet cleaning services. It applies to all Carpet Cleaners Merton customers in the area, including individuals who request quotes, make bookings, receive services, or communicate with us in any way. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

By using our services, you acknowledge that we may process your personal data as described in this policy. We only collect information that is necessary to provide our services, manage customer relationships, maintain business operations, and meet legal obligations. We do not sell personal data.

1. Data We Collect

We may collect and process several types of personal data depending on how you interact with us. The information we collect may include:

Identity data such as your name and title.
Contact data such as your address, phone number, and email address.
Service data such as details of the cleaning service requested, property access information, and service preferences.
Payment data such as transaction records and billing details. We do not store full card details unless required by a secure payment processor.
Communication data such as messages, enquiries, complaints, and feedback.
Technical data where applicable, such as basic device or usage information if you interact with us through digital channels.
Marketing preferences if you choose to receive service updates or promotional messages.

In some cases, you may provide information about access needs, special cleaning requirements, or conditions inside a property. If this information could reveal health-related or other sensitive matters, we will treat it with extra care and only process it where necessary and permitted by law.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide carpet cleaning services and manage bookings;
to prepare quotes and confirm appointments;
to communicate with you about service arrangements;
to process payments and manage invoices;
to handle queries, complaints, or service issues;
to keep internal records and manage our business;
to comply with tax, accounting, and other legal obligations;
to improve service quality and customer experience;
to send marketing communications where allowed and where you have not opted out.

We only use data for legitimate business purposes and will not use it in a way that is incompatible with the original purpose for which it was collected unless we have a valid legal basis to do so.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Carpet Cleaners Merton relies on the following lawful bases depending on the circumstances:

Contract

We process your personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes taking enquiries, booking services, delivering cleaning work, issuing invoices, and managing service-related communications.

Legal Obligation

We may process data where required to meet legal obligations, including record-keeping, accounting, taxation, and compliance with consumer or business regulations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests do not override your rights and freedoms. Examples include managing customer records, preventing fraud, improving services, and responding to enquiries.

Consent

Where required by law, we will rely on your consent, especially for optional marketing messages or processing certain categories of sensitive information. You may withdraw consent at any time, and this will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

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

payment processing providers;
accounting and bookkeeping services;
IT, hosting, or secure data storage providers;
communication and scheduling tools;
professional advisers such as legal or compliance advisers;
delivery or subcontracted service personnel where necessary to complete a booking.

We may also disclose personal information if required by law, court order, or a lawful request from a public authority. If our business structure changes, personal data may be transferred as part of that change, but any such transfer will be handled in accordance with data protection law.

5. International Transfers

Where data processors store or access information outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy decisions, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms recognised under UK GDPR.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, and reporting obligations. Retention periods depend on the type of information and the nature of the interaction.

Customer and booking records are generally kept for a reasonable period to manage service history and potential disputes.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Communications may be retained for as long as needed to resolve issues or maintain accurate business records.
Marketing preferences are kept until you ask us to stop sending such communications or until they are no longer relevant.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymise it. We aim to retain information only for the minimum period necessary.

7. Security of Your Data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include restricted access, secure storage, staff confidentiality practices, and regular review of data handling procedures. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take reasonable steps to safeguard the data we hold.

8. Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. Depending on the circumstances, these may include:

Right of access – to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data where there is no lawful reason for us to keep it.
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or to direct marketing.
Right to data portability – to request transfer of data you provided to us in a structured format, where applicable.
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 legal requirements. We may need to verify your identity before acting on your request. In some cases, we may not be able to comply fully if we are legally entitled or required to retain certain data.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is unavoidable in the course of providing a service and lawful to do so. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without proper authority, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

10. Marketing Communications

We may send optional marketing updates where permitted by law and where you have not opted out. You can object to marketing at any time. Where required, we will ask for your consent before sending promotional messages. Your choice will always be respected.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect legal, technical, or operational changes. Any revised 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.

12. Summary of Our Commitments

Carpet Cleaners Merton is committed to using personal data responsibly and only where necessary. We collect only relevant information, rely on valid legal grounds, keep data no longer than needed, and work with processors who meet appropriate data protection standards. We also respect your rights and aim to respond to requests promptly and transparently. This policy applies to all Carpet Cleaners Merton customers in the area and forms part of our approach to fair, lawful, and secure data handling.