Thornton Heath Carpet Cleaners Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Thornton Heath Carpet Cleaners collects, uses and protects your personal data when you use our carpet, rug and upholstery cleaning services. This policy applies to all Thornton Heath Carpet Cleaners customers in the Thornton Heath area and to anyone who contacts us to enquire about or book our services.

We are committed to processing your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act. Please read this policy carefully to understand how and why we use your information and the choices available to you.

What personal data we collect

We collect and process different types of personal data depending on how you interact with us. The categories of personal data we typically collect are:

Identity and contact details such as name, home or business address, billing address, and general contact details that you choose to provide to us.

Booking and service information such as property access instructions that you choose to provide, details of areas or items to be cleaned, dates and times of appointments, and any relevant notes regarding your preferences.

Payment and transaction data such as records of payments made for our services, including the amount, date and method of payment. We do not store full card details when third party payment processors are used.

Communication records such as information you provide when you contact us by phone, online enquiry forms or other methods, including queries, complaints, feedback and any follow up correspondence.

Technical and usage data such as basic technical information your browser provides when you visit our website, including pages visited and time spent. This is used to understand interest in our services and improve our website. We do not seek to identify you individually from this information, but it may be treated as personal data when it can be linked to you.

How we collect your personal data

We collect personal data directly from you when you contact us to request a quote, make an enquiry or book an appointment, when you speak with us by phone or in person, and when you pay for our services.

We may also collect data automatically when you visit our website through your browser or device, such as technical information and usage data.

In some cases we may receive personal data from third parties where you have given your permission for your information to be shared with local service providers, for example from advertising or directory platforms that you have used to request carpet cleaning services.

Purposes and lawful bases for processing

We only process your personal data where we have a valid lawful basis under the GDPR. The main purposes and corresponding lawful bases are:

Providing our services and managing bookings. We use your identity, contact and booking details to provide quotes, confirm appointments, plan and deliver cleaning services, and manage any changes or cancellations. The lawful basis is performance of a contract or taking steps at your request before entering into a contract.

Billing and payments. We process your personal data to issue invoices, take payment, process refunds where necessary, and keep records of transactions. The lawful basis is performance of a contract and compliance with our legal obligations regarding financial records.

Customer service and communication. We use your contact details and communication records to respond to your enquiries, handle complaints, request feedback and provide information about your bookings. The lawful basis is performance of a contract and our legitimate interests in delivering good customer service and improving our services.

Marketing communications. We may occasionally use your contact details to inform you about similar services, offers or updates that we believe may be of interest to you. The lawful basis is our legitimate interests in promoting our services. You can opt out of marketing communications at any time.

Website improvement and business operations. We use technical and usage data to maintain and improve our website, understand how our services are used and support the running of our business. The lawful basis is our legitimate interests in operating and developing our business.

Legal and regulatory requirements. We may process your personal data to meet legal, tax and accounting obligations, to respond to lawful requests from authorities and to protect our legal rights. The lawful basis is compliance with legal obligations and our legitimate interests in protecting our business.

Data retention and storage

We keep your personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and to meet any legal, accounting or reporting requirements.

Booking and service records are usually retained for a reasonable period after your last interaction with us to enable us to handle any queries, complaints or repeat bookings. Financial and transactional records are kept for the period required under tax and accounting laws.

Communication records are kept for as long as needed to resolve your enquiry or complaint and for a period afterwards in case of follow up or disputes.

Technical and usage data is retained for a limited period to analyse website performance and then is either deleted or anonymised.

When personal data is no longer needed it is securely deleted or anonymised so that it can no longer be linked to you.

Data processors and sharing of information

We may share your personal data with selected third parties who act as data processors on our behalf. These processors are only allowed to use your personal data in accordance with our instructions and for the specific purposes described in this policy. They are required to keep your data secure and confidential.

Examples of data processors we may use include payment processing providers to handle card or electronic payments, providers of booking or scheduling tools that help us manage appointments, and information technology and hosting providers that support our website and data storage.

We may also share your personal data where required by law, for example with law enforcement or regulatory authorities, or where it is necessary to protect our rights, property or safety.

We do not sell your personal data to third parties.

International transfers

Some of our service providers or data processors may be located outside the United Kingdom. Where this is the case and your personal data is transferred outside the UK or the European Economic Area, we take steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place so that your data remains protected to a standard consistent with UK data protection laws.

Your rights under data protection law

Under the GDPR and UK data protection law, you have several important rights in relation to your personal data. These include the right to:

Access your personal data and receive a copy of the information we hold about you.

Request correction of any incomplete or inaccurate data we hold about you.

Request erasure of your personal data in certain circumstances, for example where the data is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or where you have withdrawn consent and there is no other lawful basis for processing.

Object to processing of your personal data where we are relying on legitimate interests and you feel that your interests or fundamental rights and freedoms are infringed. You also have the right to object to direct marketing at any time.

Request restriction of processing of your personal data in certain circumstances, for example where you contest the accuracy of the data or where you have objected to our processing and the matter is being investigated.

Request the transfer of your personal data to you or to another service provider in a structured, commonly used and machine readable format, where the processing is based on consent or on a contract and is carried out by automated means.

Withdraw consent where we rely on consent to process your personal data. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing before consent was withdrawn.

To exercise any of these rights, you can contact us using the details provided on our website or any communication you have received from us. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request. We aim to respond to all valid requests within one month.

Security of your data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction or damage. These measures include limiting access to personal data to those who need it for their role, using appropriate security for our systems and regularly reviewing our security practices.

While we take reasonable steps to protect your data, no system can be completely secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements or the way we process personal data. Any updated version will be made available through our usual communication channels. We encourage you to review the policy periodically to stay informed about how we use your personal data.

Contact and complaints

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, or if you wish to exercise any of your data protection rights, you can contact us using the contact details published on our website.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office if you are concerned about how we are handling your personal data. We would, however, appreciate the chance to deal with your concerns first, so we encourage you to contact us in the first instance.