Privacy Policy - Carpet Cleaning Surrey

Effective date: This Privacy Policy applies to all Carpet Cleaning Surrey customers in the area, including prospective customers, existing customers, and anyone who contacts us in connection with carpet cleaning services. It explains how personal data is collected, used, stored, shared, and protected in a manner intended to comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We are committed to handling personal information fairly, lawfully, and transparently. This policy sets out what data we collect, why we use it, the lawful basis for processing, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and the rights available to individuals under data protection law. By using our services or providing your information, you acknowledge that your data will be processed in accordance with this policy.

1. Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to all customers and users of Carpet Cleaning Surrey services in the local area, including:

Homeowners and tenants requesting carpet cleaning;
Commercial customers arranging cleaning for workplaces or managed premises;
Individuals who make enquiries, requests, or complaints;
People whose details are provided when booking services on behalf of another person.

Where a customer provides information about another person, the customer must ensure they have permission to do so and that the other person understands how their information may be used.

2. Information we collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary for providing carpet cleaning services, managing customer relationships, and meeting legal or operational obligations. The types of data we may collect include:

Identity and contact information

Full name;
Address and service location;
Telephone number;
Email address;
Preferred contact method.

Service and transaction information

Booking details and appointment history;
Service requirements and instructions;
Payment records and invoice details;
Communication relating to quotes, scheduling, complaints, or service issues.

Technical and usage information

Basic website or communication logs, where applicable;
Device, browser, or interaction details if you contact us through digital channels;
Information needed for security, fraud prevention, or service improvement.

Special category data

We do not usually seek to collect special category personal data such as health information, race, religion, or biometric data. If such information is voluntarily provided and is necessary for a specific service request, it will only be processed where a lawful basis and additional condition under data protection law applies.

3. How we use your data

We use personal data only for legitimate business purposes connected with our carpet cleaning services. These may include:

Responding to enquiries and providing quotations;
Managing bookings, cancellations, and rescheduling;
Delivering carpet cleaning services at the correct premises;
Processing payments, invoices, and account administration;
Communicating service updates, reminders, and follow-up information;
Handling complaints, disputes, or warranty-related matters;
Maintaining internal records and service quality;
Meeting legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations;
Protecting against fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.

We will not use personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons it was collected unless required or permitted by law.

4. Lawful basis for processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Depending on the context, we rely on the following bases:

Contract

We process information where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as arranging a booking, providing carpet cleaning services, issuing an invoice, or responding to service-related requests.

Legal obligation

We may process data to comply with legal duties, including tax recordkeeping, accounting requirements, insurance obligations, and lawful responses to authorities.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include service administration, improving operations, preventing fraud, maintaining security, and record management.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where specific optional communications or processing are offered and require permission. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

We always assess the lawful basis appropriate to the specific activity and will only process data where a valid basis applies.

5. Data sharing and processors

We may share personal data only where necessary and only with trusted third parties who help us operate our services. These third parties act as either processors or independent controllers depending on the circumstances.

Processors

Processors are organisations that handle personal data on our behalf and under our instructions. They may include:

Payment service providers;
Accounting and bookkeeping software providers;
Appointment, scheduling, or record-management systems;
IT support and cloud storage providers;
Email, messaging, or communication service providers;
Professional advisers acting in a support capacity.

All processors are required to protect personal data, act only on our instructions, and maintain appropriate security measures. We use data processing arrangements where required to ensure compliance.

Other disclosures

We may also share personal data where required by law, to enforce agreements, protect rights and safety, or respond to lawful requests from public authorities. In such cases, disclosure will be limited to what is necessary and proportionate.

We do not sell personal data.

6. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the purpose for which it is processed.

Booking and service records: retained for as long as needed to manage the customer relationship and resolve disputes;
Financial and invoice records: retained for the period required by tax and accounting law;
Communication records: retained for a reasonable time to manage service queries and quality assurance;
Security and operational logs: retained for a limited period unless needed longer for investigation or legal purposes.

When data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in a safe and lawful manner. We regularly review retention practices to ensure information is not kept longer than necessary.

7. Security of your information

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to safeguard personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and limited access based on need.

While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we aim to use proportionate protections suitable to the nature of the data we hold.

8. Your rights under UK GDPR

Individuals have rights in relation to personal data processed under UK GDPR. Subject to legal exceptions and conditions, these rights may include:

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 request limited processing in certain situations;
Right to data portability – to request transfer of certain data in a structured 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;
Right to complain – to raise concerns with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your rights have been infringed.

To help protect privacy, we may need to verify your identity before responding to a rights request. We will respond within the time limits set by data protection law unless an extension is lawfully permitted.

9. International transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place so the data remains protected to the standard required by law. Such safeguards may include adequacy regulations, approved contractual clauses, or equivalent lawful transfer mechanisms.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, operational practices, or service arrangements. The latest version will apply to the use of personal data from the date it is published. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their information is handled.

11. Summary of our commitments

Carpet Cleaning Surrey collects only the information needed to provide and manage services, uses it on lawful grounds, keeps it only for as long as necessary, and shares it only with carefully selected processors or where required by law. We respect the rights of all customers in the area and aim to handle all personal data with fairness, transparency, and care.

This policy applies to all Carpet Cleaning Surrey customers in the area.