Privacy Policy - Belsizepark Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Belsizepark Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing carpet cleaning and related services. It applies to all Belsizepark Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including individuals who request quotes, book services, receive cleaning services, or otherwise interact with us in connection with our work. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent way, in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the information needed to provide and manage our services effectively. Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following categories of personal data:

Identity details, such as your name or the name of your household representative.
Contact details, including address, telephone number, and email address.
Service information, such as property access instructions, cleaning preferences, stain or fabric details, and appointment notes.
Billing and transaction details, including payment status, invoice history, and service records.
Communication records, including messages, complaints, feedback, and service-related correspondence.
Technical data, where relevant, such as basic website or device information if you contact us electronically.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless you choose to provide it and it is necessary for a specific request. If such information is ever shared with us, we will only process it where permitted by law and with appropriate safeguards.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide carpet cleaning and related services.
To arrange appointments, manage access, and complete service delivery.
To prepare quotes, confirm bookings, and issue invoices.
To respond to enquiries, complaints, or service requests.
To maintain internal records and improve service quality.
To meet legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations.
To prevent fraud, misuse, or abuse of our services.

We only use your personal data for purposes that are compatible with the reason it was collected. We do not sell your personal data.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. The lawful bases we rely on are:

Performance of a Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to perform a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract. This includes handling booking details, service instructions, payment processing, and follow-up relating to the services you have requested.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal 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 managing records, improving operations, handling customer communications, and protecting our business from misuse. We always consider whether the processing is necessary and proportionate.

Legal Obligation

We process personal data where required to comply with legal obligations, such as keeping tax, accounting, or contractual records, or responding to lawful requests from public authorities.

Consent

In some limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example if we need to use data for a purpose that is not covered by another lawful basis. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal of consent will not affect processing already carried out before it was withdrawn.

4. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, including any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason it is held.

Customer and service records are generally kept for the duration of the service relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards to manage queries, repeat services, or disputes.
Financial and invoicing records are kept for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
Communication records may be retained for as long as needed to resolve issues, demonstrate service history, or protect our legal interests.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or dispose of it in a safe manner. If a longer retention period is required by law or for the establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims, we will retain it only for that limited purpose.

5. Sharing Personal Data and Processors

We may share personal data with carefully selected third parties who act as processors or independent controllers, but only where necessary and lawful. Any processor we use is required to handle data securely and only according to our instructions.

Examples of processors may include:

Payment service providers that handle card or electronic payments.
IT and cloud storage providers that support record keeping and secure data storage.
Administrative or bookkeeping services that help with invoicing, accounting, or business administration.
Communication service providers that help deliver messages or appointment reminders.

We may also disclose personal data if required to do so by law, regulation, court order, or lawful request from a public authority. Where personal data is shared, we take steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.

6. Data Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures are designed to reflect the nature of the information and the risks involved. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we take data protection seriously and review our safeguards regularly.

Examples of our protective measures include:

Limiting access to personal data to people who need it for business purposes.
Using secure storage and appropriate password protection where applicable.
Maintaining confidentiality expectations for staff and contractors.
Reviewing data handling practices to reduce unnecessary collection or retention.

7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights are not absolute and may depend on the lawful basis for processing and the circumstances of your request.

Your rights 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 situations.
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing, where applicable.
Right to data portability – to request that certain information be provided to you or another organisation in a structured format, where legally applicable.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

If you make a request, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We aim to respond within the time limits required by law and to provide clear information about any action taken. Exercising your rights is free of charge in most cases, though we may refuse or charge a fee where requests are unfounded, excessive, or repetitive, as permitted by law.

8. International Transfers

Where processors or systems are located outside the UK, we will take steps to ensure an adequate level of protection for your personal data. This may include relying on approved transfer mechanisms and contractual safeguards where required.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or service arrangements. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review it periodically so they remain informed about how we process personal data.

10. How We Apply This Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to personal data processed by Belsizepark Carpet Cleaners in connection with our carpet cleaning services for customers in the area. By using our services, making an enquiry, or providing information to us, you acknowledge that your personal data will be handled in accordance with this policy and applicable data protection laws.

In summary: we collect only what we need, use it for clear and lawful purposes, keep it only as long as necessary, share it only with appropriate processors or where required by law, and respect your rights throughout the process.