Privacy Policy - Wandsworth Carpetcleaning

This Privacy Policy explains how Wandsworth Carpetcleaning collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Wandsworth Carpetcleaning customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and individuals who make enquiries or request a quotation. We are committed to handling personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and other applicable privacy laws.

1. Who We Are

Wandsworth Carpetcleaning provides carpet, upholstery, and related cleaning services to households and businesses in the local area. In the course of delivering our services, we may need to collect and process personal data about you, your property, and your service preferences. This policy sets out the principles we follow when handling that information.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary for our services, customer management, compliance obligations, and service improvement. The categories of data we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name.
Contact details such as address, telephone number, and email address.
Service information such as property access details, cleaning requirements, requested dates, service history, and preferences.
Payment information such as billing details and transaction records. We do not store full card details where payment is handled by a secure third-party processor.
Communication records such as emails, call notes, messages, quotations, complaints, and feedback.
Technical information where relevant, such as basic website or device interaction data if you submit a form or communicate electronically.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and you have provided it, or unless another lawful condition applies. If special category data is ever processed, it will be handled with additional safeguards.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotations.
To schedule, manage, and deliver cleaning services.
To process payments, invoices, and receipts.
To communicate about appointments, service changes, and customer requests.
To maintain records of services provided.
To handle complaints, disputes, and insurance-related matters.
To improve our services, train staff, and monitor quality.
To comply with legal, accounting, tax, and regulatory requirements.

We will only use personal data in ways that are compatible with the reason it was collected, or where a new lawful basis applies.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis before processing personal data. Wandsworth Carpetcleaning relies on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotations you request, arranging appointments, delivering services, and managing payment.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain information where required by law, including tax, accounting, business record-keeping, and fraud prevention obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include maintaining service records, responding to customer queries, improving service quality, and protecting our business against misuse or fraudulent activity.

Consent

Where consent is the appropriate lawful basis, we will ask for it clearly and separately. For example, consent may be used for certain optional communications. You can withdraw consent at any time where processing relies on consent.

5. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us operate our business. These organisations act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. They are required to handle personal data securely and only in accordance with our instructions or their own lawful obligations.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

Payment processors that handle card or electronic payments securely.
IT and cloud service providers that store messages, files, or administrative records.
Booking, scheduling, and invoicing systems used to manage appointments and business administration.
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers, where necessary.

We may also disclose information where required by law, court order, or lawful request from public authorities. We do not sell personal data.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, and to meet legal, accounting, and operational requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason for processing.

Customer and service records are retained for a reasonable period to support ongoing service, complaint handling, and business administration.
Financial and tax records are kept for the period required by law.
Communication records may be stored for a limited time to resolve queries or disputes.

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

7. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure passwords, device protection, data minimisation, and staff awareness procedures. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a level of security appropriate to the risk.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have certain rights regarding your personal data. These rights may be limited in some circumstances, but we will always consider your request carefully.

Right of access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure: You can request deletion of your data in certain situations.
Right to restriction: You can ask us to limit how we use your data in specific cases.
Right to object: You can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability: You can request certain data in a structured, commonly used 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 and may ask for information to verify your identity.

9. Automated Decision-Making

We do not rely on solely automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects about you. If that changes, we will inform you and explain the logic, significance, and potential consequences involved.

10. International Transfers

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

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business operations, or data handling practices. The latest version will apply to the processing of personal data. We encourage customers in the area to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is used.

12. Fair and Transparent Processing

We process personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently. We aim to collect only the information that is necessary, use it only for clear and legitimate purposes, and keep it only for as long as required. Our approach is based on privacy by design and data minimisation, meaning we consider privacy at every stage of our operations.

By using our services or making an enquiry, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with any part of this policy, you should contact us before providing personal information or requesting services.