Privacy Policy - Carpetcleaning Sutton

This Privacy Policy explains how Carpetcleaning Sutton collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data relating to its customers in the Sutton area. It applies to all Carpetcleaning Sutton customers in area, including individuals who request quotations, book services, receive cleaning treatments, submit enquiries, or otherwise interact with our business. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, transparent, and secure manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Carpetcleaning Sutton is a service provider offering carpet and related cleaning services to customers in Sutton and surrounding local areas. In the context of data protection law, we act as the data controller for the personal data we collect and use about our customers and prospective customers. This means we decide why and how personal data is processed.

2. Personal Data We Collect

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

Identity data such as your name and title.
Contact data such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information such as property details, cleaning requirements, booking preferences, and instructions relevant to the work.
Payment data such as payment status and transaction records. We do not routinely store full card details where payment is processed securely by a payment provider.
Communication data such as messages, complaints, feedback, and records of enquiries.
Technical data if you interact with our digital systems, which may include device or usage information necessary for security and functionality.

In some cases, we may also receive data from third parties, for example from a person making a booking on your behalf, a landlord, letting agent, or property manager. Where this happens, we will use the data only for the relevant service purpose.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and manage bookings.
To carry out carpet cleaning and related services.
To communicate about appointments, service changes, and customer support.
To process payments and keep accurate business records.
To handle complaints, follow-up queries, and aftercare.
To maintain security, prevent fraud, and protect our business operations.
To meet legal, accounting, and tax obligations.

We do not use personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons it was collected, unless we have a lawful basis to do so and, where required, your consent.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for each type of personal data processing. The main lawful bases we rely on are:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes handling bookings, service delivery, customer support, and related communications.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include managing our customer records, improving service quality, responding to enquiries, maintaining security, and protecting against misuse or fraud.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data to comply with legal and regulatory obligations, including tax, accounting, and record-keeping duties.

Consent

In limited cases, we may ask for your consent before processing certain data. Where we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to run our business and provide our services. These parties act either as independent controllers or as processors acting on our behalf. We only use processors that provide sufficient guarantees about security and compliance.

Examples of processors or service providers may include:

Payment processing providers.
Booking, scheduling, and administrative software providers.
IT and cloud storage providers.
Accountants or bookkeeping services.
Customer communication tools used to manage enquiries and service updates.

Processors are required to act only on our documented instructions, keep personal data secure, and comply with data protection law. We do not sell your personal data.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, court order, or regulatory authority, or where necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the nature of the information and the purpose for which it is used.

Customer service and booking records are typically retained for the period needed to manage the service relationship and address any follow-up issues.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required under applicable law.
Communication records may be retained for a reasonable period to deal with complaints, service history, and business administration.

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify an individual.

7. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, disclosure, or alteration. These measures are designed to reflect the nature of the data and the risks involved. Although no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we strive to maintain a high level of protection through access controls, secure storage, and careful handling of information.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to certain conditions and exemptions. They include:

The right of access to obtain a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
The right to rectification to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
The right to erasure in certain circumstances, also known as the right to be forgotten.
The right to restrict processing in certain cases.
The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
The right to data portability for data processed by automated means on the basis of consent or contract, where applicable.
The right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

You also have the right to raise concerns about how your data is handled. If you believe your data protection rights have been infringed, you may have the right to complain to the relevant supervisory authority.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are generally intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is necessary in connection with a service arranged by an adult customer and only to the extent required for that service. If we become aware that we have collected personal data inappropriately, we will take steps to remove it.

10. International Transfers

If any of our processors or service providers store or access personal data outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect that information in line with UK data protection law. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data handling practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers in Sutton and the surrounding area to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how personal data is handled.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Carpetcleaning Sutton is committed to using personal data responsibly and only where it is necessary, lawful, and proportionate. We collect only the information needed to deliver our services, retain it for no longer than required, share it only with trusted processors and where lawful, and respect the rights of every customer. Our goal is to ensure that all Carpetcleaning Sutton customers in area can use our services with confidence that their privacy is treated with care and respect.