Privacy Policy - Croydon Carpetcleaning

This Privacy Policy explains how Croydon Carpetcleaning collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data when providing services to customers in the Croydon area. It applies to all Croydon Carpetcleaning customers in area. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who we are

Croydon Carpetcleaning provides carpet, upholstery, and related cleaning services to domestic and commercial customers. In the course of delivering our services, we may process personal data about customers, property owners, tenants, and other individuals connected with a booking or service request. We act as a data controller for the personal data we decide to collect and use for our own business purposes.

2. Personal data we collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary for providing our services, managing our customer relationships, and meeting our legal obligations. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Booking and service information such as the services requested, property access details, preferred dates and times, and service history.
Payment information such as billing details and payment records.
Communication records such as emails, messages, notes from calls, and complaint or feedback information.
Technical data such as basic website usage or device information, where applicable, if you interact with our online services.
Special instructions you provide that relate to the cleaning service, such as access arrangements or treatment of delicate materials.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless you choose to provide it to us and it is necessary for a specific request. If such information is ever required, we will handle it with additional care and only where a valid legal basis exists.

3. How we use your data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotations.
To arrange and deliver cleaning services.
To manage appointments, cancellations, and rescheduling.
To communicate with you about the service.
To process payments, invoices, and refunds where applicable.
To maintain records of work completed and customer preferences.
To handle complaints, claims, or disputes.
To comply with accounting, tax, and other legal obligations.
To improve our services and business operations.

We only use your data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably consider that another compatible purpose applies.

4. Lawful basis for processing

We process personal data only where permitted under the UK GDPR. Depending on the circumstances, our lawful bases include:

Contract

We process your data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as managing a booking, carrying out cleaning services, or issuing invoices.

Legal obligation

We may process and retain certain information to comply with legal obligations, including tax, accounting, record-keeping, and regulatory requirements.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. Examples include maintaining customer records, responding to queries, improving services, preventing fraud, and managing business administration. We always assess whether our interests are appropriate and proportionate.

Consent

Where required, we rely on your consent, for example for certain optional communications or where you voluntarily provide information that is not needed to perform the service. You may withdraw consent at any time, where consent is the lawful basis used.

Vital interests

In rare cases, we may process information to protect someone’s vital interests, for example in an emergency where immediate action is necessary.

5. Sharing and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary for operating our business and providing our services. These parties act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers.

Examples of processors may include:

Payment service providers that handle card or electronic payment transactions.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that help with invoicing and financial records.
IT and cloud storage providers that support secure storage, email, scheduling, and business systems.
Customer communication platforms used to manage messages, reminders, or service updates.
Business support providers such as software or administrative service providers.

We require processors to act only on our instructions, to keep data secure, and to process it in accordance with data protection law. We do not sell your personal data.

We may also disclose information where required by law, to enforce our legal rights, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of our business, customers, staff, or others.

6. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, or reporting obligations. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason it was collected.

Typical retention considerations include:

Customer and booking records are kept for a reasonable period to manage service history, follow-up queries, and disputes.
Financial and invoice records are retained for the period required by law and accounting practice.
Communication records are retained as long as needed to resolve queries or maintain a service history.
Data subject request records may be kept to demonstrate compliance with legal obligations.

When data is no longer needed, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of safely.

7. Data security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff awareness, and limiting access to those who need it for legitimate business purposes. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to protect your information appropriately.

8. International transfers

Where a processor or service provider stores or accesses data outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your personal data in accordance with applicable law.

9. Your rights

Under data protection law, you may have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

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 restriction – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain 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.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing relies on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal limitations or exemptions. We will respond to valid requests in accordance with data protection law.

10. Children’s data

Our services are generally intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a service arrangement and appropriate consent or authority is provided.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, regulation, or business practices. Any updated version will apply from the time it is published or otherwise made available.

12. Summary of your choices

You may choose not to provide certain information, but this may affect our ability to supply services, complete bookings, or respond to requests. Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw consent without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

By using our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. We are committed to using personal information responsibly, securely, and only where there is a lawful basis for doing so.