Privacy Policy - Farringdon Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Farringdon Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Farringdon Carpet Cleaners customers in area, including individuals who request quotations, book services, make enquiries, receive marketing, or otherwise interact with our business. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

By using our services or providing your personal information, you acknowledge that your data will be processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

1. Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data necessary to provide our services and manage our relationship with customers. The categories of information we may collect include:

Identity information: name, title, and any details needed to identify you as a customer or enquiry contact.
Contact information: address, phone number, and email address.
Service information: details about the cleaning service requested, property access notes, service preferences, and information you share about carpets, upholstery, stains, or treatment requirements.
Payment and transaction information: records relating to invoices, receipts, payment status, and transaction history.
Communication records: messages, booking notes, complaints, feedback, and customer service correspondence.
Technical information: limited information collected through our systems when you interact with us electronically, such as device or browser details where relevant for security or administration.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless you choose to provide it, and only where it is necessary for a legitimate service-related purpose or for legal compliance. If you share such information, we will treat it with additional care and restrict access appropriately.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
to arrange, deliver, and manage carpet cleaning services;
to process payments and maintain financial records;
to communicate service updates, booking information, and customer support matters;
to resolve complaints or disputes;
to improve our services, scheduling, and operational efficiency;
to comply with legal, regulatory, tax, and accounting obligations;
to send marketing communications where permitted by law and where you have not objected.

We will only use your data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably consider that another compatible purpose applies and is permitted by law.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data under one or more lawful bases recognised by the UK GDPR. The relevant basis depends on the type of data and the purpose of processing.

Contract

Contractual necessity applies when we need your data to enter into or perform a service agreement. For example, we need your name, address, and service details to book and carry out a cleaning appointment.

Legal Obligation

We may process data where necessary to meet legal obligations, such as keeping tax records, maintaining accounting information, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may rely on legitimate interests where processing is necessary for our business operations and where your rights do not override those interests. This may include managing customer relationships, preventing fraud, maintaining service records, and improving service quality. We always consider the potential impact on your privacy before relying on this basis.

Consent

Where consent is required, such as for certain marketing communications, we will ask for it clearly and separately. You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

4. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as processors on our behalf. These providers are only permitted to process your data according to our instructions and must protect it appropriately. Examples may include:

IT and hosting providers that support secure storage, email, or administration systems;
accounting and bookkeeping providers who assist with financial records and tax compliance;
payment service providers that handle card or electronic payments;
customer management or scheduling tools used to organise appointments and service records;
professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers where necessary;
regulatory, law enforcement, or public authorities when disclosure is required by law.

We do not sell personal data. If business operations require a transfer of data to a third party, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. Where processors are used, they are selected carefully and subject to appropriate contractual controls.

5. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason it is held.

Customer and service records are typically retained for the duration of the customer relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Invoices, payment records, and tax-related documents are retained for the period required by law and accounting rules.
Correspondence and complaints may be retained for a period needed to manage service history and resolve disputes.
Marketing preferences are kept until you withdraw consent or object.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or otherwise dispose of it in accordance with our retention procedures. We do not keep data indefinitely without a lawful reason.

6. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures are designed to reflect the nature of the information we hold and the risks involved. Examples may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality expectations, and prudent handling of records.

While we take steps to safeguard your information, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. We therefore cannot guarantee absolute security, but we work diligently to reduce risk and respond promptly to any suspected incident.

7. International Transfers

If any personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place so that your information receives a level of protection consistent with UK data protection law. This may include the use of approved contractual safeguards or transfers to countries recognised as offering adequate protection.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights regarding your personal data. These rights may apply in certain circumstances and may be subject to exemptions.

Right of access: you may request confirmation of whether we hold your data and receive a copy of it.
Right to rectification: you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure: you may request deletion of your data where there is no lawful reason for us to keep it.
Right to restrict processing: you may ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object: you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability: you may request transfer of 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 may need to verify your identity before responding. We aim to respond within the time limits set by law and will keep you informed if your request is complex or requires additional time.

9. Marketing Communications

Where permitted, we may send service-related or promotional communications. If we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time. If we rely on legitimate interests for certain communications, you may object, and we will stop unless we have compelling lawful grounds to continue. We respect your choices and will not send unnecessary communications.

10. Cookies and Similar Technologies

If our systems use cookies or similar technologies, these tools are used only where necessary for functionality, security, or basic analytics. Any such use will be limited and managed in a way that respects your privacy. Where consent is required, it will be obtained before non-essential cookies are used.

11. Children

Our services are intended for adults and business or household customers arranging cleaning services. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is incidentally provided by an adult customer in connection with a service request.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal obligations, or operational requirements. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

13. Contact and Complaints

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, your data rights, or how your personal information is handled, you may raise a concern with the appropriate person within our organisation. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you are unhappy with how we handle your data.

Summary of our approach: we collect only necessary information, use it for legitimate service and compliance purposes, share it only with trusted processors where needed, retain it for no longer than required, and respect your rights under data protection law.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Farringdon Carpet Cleaners customers in area.