Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Carpetcleaning Bermondsey collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Carpetcleaning Bermondsey customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and anyone who interacts with our services in connection with carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, stain treatment, rug care, and related domestic or commercial cleaning services.

We are committed to handling personal information in a way that is lawful, fair, transparent, and secure. This policy is designed to help you understand what data we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and what rights you have under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for providing and managing our services. The type of information we may collect includes:

Identity data: your name or business name.
Contact data: address, email address, and telephone number.
Service data: details about the cleaning service requested, property access notes, preferred dates and times, and any special instructions.
Payment data: billing details, payment confirmation, and transaction records. We do not store full card details unless required by a secure payment processor.
Communication data: messages, booking enquiries, complaints, and feedback.
Technical data: limited information such as device type, browser type, or basic website interaction data if you contact us through digital channels.
Marketing preferences: whether you have opted in or opted out of receiving service updates or promotional messages.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless you voluntarily provide it and it is necessary for a specific service need. If you share information about health conditions, allergies, or access requirements, we will only use it to deliver services safely and appropriately.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotations.
To schedule, deliver, and manage cleaning services.
To communicate about appointments, changes, or service issues.
To process payments, invoices, and refunds where applicable.
To keep internal records and maintain service history.
To deal with complaints, disputes, and service improvements.
To comply with legal, accounting, and tax obligations.
To send relevant service updates or marketing messages where permitted by law.

We only use your data when we have a valid legal reason to do so, and we limit use to what is necessary for the purpose identified.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for each type of processing. Carpetcleaning Bermondsey relies on the following bases:

Performance of a Contract

We process your data when it is necessary to provide a service you have requested, such as booking a cleaning appointment, confirming details, carrying out the work, or issuing an invoice.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests do not override your rights and freedoms. This may include managing customer records, improving services, preventing fraud, or handling routine business administration.

Legal Obligation

We may retain or disclose certain information where required by law, including tax, accounting, insurance, or regulatory requirements.

Consent

Where required, we will rely on your consent, for example for certain direct marketing communications. You may withdraw consent at any time, and this will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

Vital Interests

In rare circumstances, we may process personal data to protect someone’s vital interests, such as in an emergency involving safety or access concerns.

4. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as it is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the legal or operational need to keep it.

Customer and booking records: retained for as long as needed to manage the service relationship and address any follow-up issues.
Invoices and payment records: retained for accounting and tax compliance in line with legal requirements.
Communication records: retained for a reasonable period to handle queries, complaints, and service history.
Marketing preferences: retained until you change your preferences or withdraw consent.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in accordance with our retention practices. We do not keep personal data indefinitely.

5. Processors and Third Parties

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as data processors on our behalf. These processors are only allowed to use your data under our instructions and for agreed purposes. Examples may include:

Payment processors: to handle secure payments and refunds.
Booking or scheduling tools: to manage appointments and service records.
IT and cloud service providers: to store and protect business data.
Professional advisers: such as accountants or legal advisers, where necessary.
Delivery or subcontracted service providers: only where needed to fulfil a service you requested.

We require processors to maintain appropriate security measures and comply with data protection obligations. We do not sell your personal data. We may also disclose information if required by law, court order, or a lawful request from public authorities.

6. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, and limiting data access to authorised personnel only.

While no system is completely risk-free, we take data protection seriously and continuously review our safeguards. If a personal data breach occurs and it presents a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will act in accordance with legal requirements.

7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights concerning your personal data. Depending on the circumstances, these may include:

Right of access: to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: to request correction of 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 your data is used.
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 is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

To exercise your rights, you may need to provide enough information so we can verify your identity and locate the relevant record. We aim to respond within the time limits set by law. Some rights may be limited where legal obligations or legitimate interests apply.

8. Marketing and Preferences

If we send marketing communications, we will only do so where permitted by law. You can opt out of marketing at any time. Even if you opt out, we may still send essential service communications, such as booking confirmations, invoices, or important policy updates.

9. International Transfers

If any service provider stores or processes data outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful mechanisms that protect your information to an appropriate standard.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is provided by an adult customer as part of a service arrangement. If we become aware that data has been collected improperly, we will take reasonable steps to delete it.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our practices, or the way we provide services. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Carpetcleaning Bermondsey is committed to treating personal data with care, respect, and transparency. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and lawful purposes, keep it only for as long as necessary, and protect it with appropriate safeguards. Our approach is designed to support reliable service while respecting your privacy rights.

By using Carpetcleaning Bermondsey services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this Privacy Policy and in accordance with applicable data protection laws.