Privacy Policy - Carpet Cleaners E5

This Privacy Policy explains how Carpet Cleaners E5 collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data relating to customers and prospective customers in the E5 area. It applies to all Carpet Cleaners E5 customers in the area, including individuals who request quotations, make bookings, receive cleaning services, or otherwise interact with our business. 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 We Are

Carpet Cleaners E5 provides carpet, upholstery, and related cleaning services to residential and commercial customers in the E5 area. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as the data controller when we determine the purposes and means of processing personal data. This means we are responsible for deciding why and how your information is used and for ensuring it is protected appropriately.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for delivering our services, managing our relationship with you, and meeting our legal obligations. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity data such as your name and title.
Contact data such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information including details about the property, rooms, carpets, stains, fabrics, and the cleaning services requested.
Booking and transaction data such as appointment details, invoices, payment status, and service history.
Communication data including messages, complaints, feedback, and notes about your preferences or instructions.
Technical data if you communicate with us electronically, such as basic device or usage information needed to maintain security and functionality.
Special category data only where it is incidental and strictly necessary, for example if you voluntarily tell us about allergies, sensitivities, or access needs that affect how we provide the service.

We do not collect more information than is reasonably required. Where possible, we will keep data minimised, relevant, and accurate.

3. How We Collect Personal Data

We may collect data directly from you when you:

request a quote or make a booking;
communicate with us by phone, email, text, or other means;
provide instructions, feedback, or complaints;
pay for services or ask for an invoice;
complete forms or otherwise supply details needed to deliver the service.

We may also receive information from third parties where necessary, such as from a property manager, landlord, tenant, or payment provider acting on your behalf, provided they have a lawful basis to share it.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only when we have a valid lawful basis under the UK GDPR. Depending on the situation, we rely on one or more of the following:

Contract – to take steps at your request before entering into a contract and to perform the services you have booked.
Legitimate interests – to manage our business, respond to enquiries, maintain service quality, prevent fraud, keep records, and improve operations, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.
Legal obligation – to comply with accounting, tax, insurance, or other legal requirements.
Consent – where required, for example for certain optional communications or when processing special category data that you choose to provide.

When we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal.

5. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotes and arrange cleaning services;
to carry out bookings and complete the requested work;
to communicate with you about appointments, changes, or service-related matters;
to issue invoices and process payments;
to keep internal records and manage customer relationships;
to handle complaints, disputes, or aftercare queries;
to meet legal, accounting, and insurance obligations;
to protect against misuse, fraud, or security incidents;
to improve our services, training, and operational procedures.

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 and that new use is lawful.

6. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary for the operation of our business and the delivery of our services. These third parties act as either independent controllers or processors, depending on the circumstances.

Processors

Processors are organisations that process personal data on our instructions and under written contractual obligations. They may include:

payment service providers;
IT, cloud storage, and software providers;
administrative and bookkeeping services;
customer management or scheduling platforms;
professional advisers acting as processors where appropriate.

We ensure that processors are required to keep your data secure, use it only for specified purposes, and comply with data protection law.

In some cases, we may also need to share information with independent controllers such as insurers, accountants, regulators, law enforcement agencies, or legal advisers where required by law or necessary to protect our rights.

We do not sell your personal data. We also do not share it for unrelated marketing purposes without a lawful basis.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as it is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. The exact retention period depends on the type of data and the reason we hold it.

Customer and booking records are generally kept for as long as needed to manage the service and address any follow-up issues.
Financial records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
Communication records may be retained for a reasonable period to handle disputes, quality assurance, and continuity of service.
Consent-based records are retained until consent is withdrawn or the purpose no longer applies.

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

8. Security of Your Data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, password protection, secure storage, staff training, and limiting data access to those who need it for legitimate business purposes.

Although we do our best to safeguard data, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If a personal data breach occurs that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will respond in line with applicable legal requirements.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to certain legal limitations, 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 in certain circumstances.
Right to restrict processing – to ask us to limit how we use your data in some situations.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority if you believe your data protection rights have been breached. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve any concerns promptly and fairly.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is necessary in the course of providing a service arranged by an adult customer. If we become aware that we have collected data inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it where required.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, or legal obligations. Any updates will take effect when published in the revised version. We encourage customers to review the policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

12. Summary of Our Privacy Commitment

At Carpet Cleaners E5, we respect the confidentiality and privacy of all personal data entrusted to us. We collect only the information needed to provide our services, process it under a valid lawful basis, retain it only for as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or where legally required. We are committed to transparency, accountability, and safeguarding the rights of every customer in the E5 area.