Privacy Policy - Carpetcleaning Marylebone

Carpetcleaning Marylebone is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in the Marylebone area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. It applies to all Carpetcleaning Marylebone customers in the area, including private households, landlords, tenants, and commercial clients who use our carpet cleaning services.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Carpetcleaning Marylebone acts as the data controller for the personal data we collect and use in connection with our services. This means we decide how and why your personal information is processed. We take privacy seriously and apply appropriate technical and organisational measures to keep your data secure and to use it fairly, lawfully, and transparently.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process different types of personal data depending on how you interact with us and the services you request. The data we collect is limited to what is necessary for providing carpet cleaning and related services.

Information you provide directly

Identity details such as your name or business name.
Contact details including address, email address, and phone number.
Service information such as property access instructions, preferred appointment times, and cleaning requirements.
Payment-related information necessary to manage invoices, receipts, and payment processing.
Communication records including messages, service queries, complaints, and feedback.

Information we collect automatically

Technical data such as device type, browser type, and basic usage information when you interact with digital systems we use for administration.
Service history including booking dates, cleaning notes, and job completion records.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you have provided it yourself, or unless another lawful condition applies. If such information is ever shared with us, we will treat it with extra care and only process it where permitted by law.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data only for legitimate business purposes connected with our services. These include:

managing enquiries and bookings;
providing carpet cleaning and related services;
confirming appointments and service availability;
processing payments, issuing invoices, and keeping accounts;
responding to customer service requests and complaints;
maintaining internal records of completed work;
improving service quality and customer experience;
meeting legal, tax, and accounting obligations;
preventing fraud, misuse, or misuse of our services.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably believe that we need to use it for a compatible purpose and the law allows this.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

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

Contract

We process your personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes booking services, arranging access, delivering cleaning work, and handling payment-related administration.

Legitimate interests

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

Legal obligation

Some processing is required to comply with legal obligations, such as keeping tax and accounting records, responding to lawful requests, or maintaining necessary business documentation.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent. Where consent is used, it will be freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous. You may withdraw consent at any time, although this will not affect processing already carried out before withdrawal.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We do not sell personal data. However, we may share data with trusted third-party processors and service providers who help us operate our business. These processors only act on our instructions and are required to protect your data appropriately.

Types of processors we may use

Payment processors to handle card or electronic payments securely.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers to manage financial records and compliance.
IT and cloud service providers to store and maintain secure business systems.
Scheduling or administration tools used to manage bookings and service records.
Professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers where necessary.

In all cases, we only share the minimum amount of personal data needed for the relevant service. We take reasonable steps to ensure processors meet GDPR requirements and provide adequate safeguards.

6. International Transfers

Where any service provider processes personal data outside the UK, we will ensure suitable safeguards are in place, such as UK adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections. This is done to ensure your information remains protected to a standard consistent with UK data protection law.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason for processing.

Typical retention periods

Customer and booking records are usually kept for the duration of the business relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Invoice, payment, and accounting records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
Correspondence and service notes may be retained for as long as needed to handle queries, complaints, or service history.

When data is no longer needed, we will securely delete or anonymise it. Where feasible, retention is reviewed regularly to ensure we do not keep information longer than necessary.

8. Data Security

We take appropriate steps to safeguard personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff awareness procedures, and limited access to records on a need-to-know basis. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a high level of protection.

9. Your Rights

As a data subject under UK GDPR, you have a number of rights regarding your personal information. These rights may be subject to legal limits and exemptions.

Your rights include:

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 - in some situations, you can request deletion of your personal data.
Right to restriction - you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
Right to data portability - you may request your data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to object - you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent - where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in line with data protection law and may need to verify your identity before taking action. We aim to handle all requests fairly and promptly.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adult customers and businesses. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary for a service arrangement and the information is provided by a parent, guardian, or authorised adult.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or data processing practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect their information.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Carpetcleaning Marylebone is committed to processing personal data responsibly, securely, and lawfully. We collect only the information needed to deliver our services, rely on clear lawful bases for processing, limit retention to what is necessary, use trusted processors, and respect your rights under data protection law. This policy applies to all customers in the Marylebone area who use our services, and it is designed to ensure that your personal information is handled with care and transparency.