Privacy Policy - Carpetcleaning Islington

This Privacy Policy explains how Carpetcleaning Islington collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Carpetcleaning Islington customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and anyone who has used or enquired about our services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to individuals who request, receive, or enquire about carpet cleaning and related services from Carpetcleaning Islington. It covers data collected when you communicate with us, make a booking, receive a service, pay for a service, or otherwise interact with us in connection with our work. All Carpetcleaning Islington customers in area are covered by this policy regardless of whether services are booked online, by phone, by email, or through any other accepted method.

2. Data we collect

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

Identity information such as your name and, where relevant, business name.
Contact details such as telephone number, email address, and service address.
Booking and service information such as appointment dates, service preferences, property access notes, and cleaning requirements.
Payment information such as transaction records, payment status, and limited billing details.
Communication records such as messages, enquiries, complaints, and feedback.
Technical data such as basic website or device information if you interact with our digital services.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is provided by you and is required for a specific service arrangement or legal reason. If such data is ever processed, it will be handled with additional care and only where a valid legal condition applies.

3. How we use your data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotations.
To schedule, confirm, and deliver carpet cleaning services.
To manage customer accounts, bookings, and service history.
To process payments, refunds, and invoicing where applicable.
To communicate about appointments, service updates, and post-service matters.
To handle complaints, resolve issues, and improve our services.
To comply with legal, tax, accounting, and record-keeping obligations.
To maintain business security, prevent fraud, and protect against misuse.

We only use your data for purposes that are compatible with the reason it was collected. We will never sell your personal data.

4. Lawful basis for processing

We process personal data only where we have a lawful basis under the UK GDPR. Depending on the context, we may rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

We use this basis where processing is necessary to perform a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract. This includes managing bookings, delivering carpet cleaning services, and processing payments.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided your interests and rights do not override those interests. Examples include improving our services, managing business operations, protecting against fraud, and maintaining internal records.

Legal obligation

We may process data when required to comply with a legal obligation, such as tax, accounting, health and safety, or regulatory requirements.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where you agree to receive optional marketing messages. When consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing your data and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us run our services. These organisations act as processors when they process data on our behalf and only under our instructions. Such processors may include:

Payment service providers that handle card or electronic payments.
IT and hosting providers that support our systems, data storage, and communications.
Administrative or booking support providers.
Professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers.
Public authorities or regulators when required by law.

Where processors are used, we require appropriate contractual safeguards to ensure your personal data is protected and processed only for the agreed purpose. We do not permit processors to use your data for their own independent purposes.

6. International transfers

If personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent legal mechanisms designed to protect your information to the required standard.

7. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including any legal, accounting, or reporting obligations. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason it is held.

Booking and service records are generally retained for a period needed to manage customer relationships and handle queries.
Payment and invoicing records are retained for tax and accounting purposes.
Complaint and communication records are kept for a reasonable period to resolve disputes and support service quality.
Where consent is the basis for processing, data is kept until consent is withdrawn or the information is no longer needed.

When data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in a safe manner.

8. Data security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and data minimisation practices. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take reasonable steps to protect your information in line with its sensitivity.

9. Your rights

Under data protection law, you may have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

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

These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal or operational limits. We will respond to valid requests within the time required by law.

10. Marketing communications

If we send optional marketing communications, we will do so only where permitted by law and, where required, with your consent. You can opt out of marketing at any time. If you opt out, we will still send essential service-related messages where necessary, such as booking confirmations or administrative notices.

11. Children’s data

Our services are intended for adults arranging cleaning services. We do not knowingly collect personal data directly from children. If we become aware that personal data has been collected without appropriate authority, we will take steps to delete it or otherwise handle it in line with legal requirements.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal obligations, or service arrangements. 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 information is handled.

13. Complaints and supervisory authority

If you have concerns about how your personal data is handled, you may raise them with us so we can review the matter. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed.

This Privacy Policy is designed to provide clear and transparent information about how Carpetcleaning Islington handles personal data for customers in the area. It reflects our commitment to lawful, fair, and secure data processing.