Privacy Policy - Edgware Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Edgware Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing carpet cleaning and related services. It applies to all Edgware Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and anyone who contacts us to request a quotation, booking, or service support.

We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy should be read together with any service terms or notices provided at the point of data collection.

1. Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary to provide our services, manage our business, and meet legal obligations. Depending on the nature of your interaction with us, we may collect the following categories of information:

• Identity details such as your name.
• Contact details such as telephone number, email address, and service address.
• Booking details such as preferred dates, service requests, notes about the job, and access information.
• Payment information such as transaction records, billing details, and partial payment identifiers where required.
• Service history including previous appointments, cleaning requirements, complaints, and follow-up notes.
• Communication records such as emails, messages, call notes, and correspondence relating to enquiries or service delivery.
• Technical data if you use any online contact or booking method, such as basic device or usage information collected through standard website or system logs.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and you have provided it voluntarily. If such information is disclosed to us, for example in relation to allergies, medical sensitivities, or access needs, we will handle it with extra care and only where there is a lawful basis to do so.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for legitimate business purposes connected with the services we provide. These purposes include:

• responding to enquiries and providing quotations;
• managing bookings and delivering carpet cleaning services;
• processing payments and maintaining financial records;
• communicating about appointments, changes, and service updates;
• handling complaints, disputes, and customer support requests;
• maintaining internal records and improving service quality;
• meeting legal, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
• protecting our business against fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which it was collected unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another compatible purpose. If we need to use your data for an unrelated purpose, we will explain the lawful basis and where required, seek your consent.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a valid lawful basis for each processing activity. The lawful bases we rely on may include the following:

Performance of a Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes taking bookings, delivering carpet cleaning services, arranging access, invoicing, and managing payment.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include maintaining customer records, improving operations, managing internal administration, preventing fraud, and responding to enquiries.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain information to comply with legal requirements, such as accounting records, tax obligations, insurance requirements, and record-keeping duties.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where you have asked us to store non-essential information or receive specific forms of communication. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

Vital Interests or Public Interest

These bases are unlikely to be used in ordinary service delivery, but where necessary they may apply in exceptional circumstances to protect someone’s safety or where required by law.

4. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us operate our business. These parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the service they provide. We only share what is necessary and require appropriate safeguards.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

• Payment processors that handle card or electronic payments securely.
• IT and cloud service providers that store data, host business systems, or support communication tools.
• Accounting or bookkeeping providers that assist with invoicing and financial records.
• Scheduling or customer management software providers used to organise bookings and service records.
• Professional advisers such as insurers, auditors, legal advisers, or consultants where required.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, to comply with a court order, to protect the rights, property, or safety of our business, customers, staff, or others, or in connection with a business transfer, restructuring, or similar event.

Where we use processors, we require them to act only on our instructions, keep data secure, and process it in line with data protection law. We do not sell personal data.

5. Data Retention

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

In general:

• booking and customer service records are kept for a period necessary to manage the service relationship and resolve any follow-up issues;
• financial and invoicing records are kept for the period required by tax and accounting law;
• complaint and dispute records are retained for as long as needed to address the matter and evidence proper handling;
• consent-based records are kept until consent is withdrawn or the data is no longer required.

When data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or destroy it in accordance with our retention practices.

6. Your Rights

You have a number of rights regarding your personal data. These rights may be subject to legal conditions and exemptions, but we will always consider and respond to requests appropriately.

Right of Access

You may request confirmation of whether we hold personal data about you and request a copy of that data.

Right to Rectification

You may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

Right to Erasure

In certain circumstances, you may request that we delete your personal data. This is not absolute and may not apply where we must keep data for legal reasons.

Right to Restrict Processing

You may ask us to limit how we use your data in specific situations, such as while accuracy or objections are being considered.

Right to Data Portability

Where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means, you may have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used format.

Right to Object

You may object to processing based on legitimate interests. We will stop processing unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests, rights, and freedoms.

Rights Related to Consent

Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

Important: exercising your rights will not usually affect data we must keep for legal, contractual, or legitimate business reasons.

7. 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 restricted access, secure storage, password protection, staff awareness, and supplier due diligence. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a level of security appropriate to the risks involved.

8. International Transfers

If any processor stores or accesses data outside the United Kingdom, we will only allow this where suitable safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent legal protections designed to keep your data secure and compliant with applicable law.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adult customers and business contacts. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is necessary in connection with a service request and under appropriate legal grounds. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it where required.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our services, or the way we process data. Any updated version will apply from the date it is issued. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their personal data is handled.

11. Contact and Complaints

If you have concerns about how your personal data is used, you should raise them with us first so we can review and address the issue. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK data protection supervisory authority if you believe your data has been handled unlawfully.

This Privacy Policy is designed to be clear and transparent, and to show how Edgware Carpet Cleaners respects privacy while delivering services responsibly. By using our services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed in the ways described above, subject always to applicable law and your rights under it.