Privacy Policy - Catford Carpetcleaning

Effective date: This Privacy Policy applies to all Catford Carpetcleaning customers in the area and explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Introduction

Catford Carpetcleaning is committed to respecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly. We process personal data only where we have a lawful basis to do so, and we take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it. This policy applies to all customers, prospective customers, and anyone who interacts with Catford Carpetcleaning in our service area.

We aim to be transparent about what data we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, and the rights you have over your information. Your trust matters to us, and we encourage you to read this policy carefully.

2. What data we collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

Identity data: name, title, and any information you provide when requesting a service.
Contact data: address, phone number, email address, and preferred method of communication.
Service data: details about the carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, stain removal, or related services you request.
Payment data: payment status, billing records, and limited transaction information where needed for administration.
Communication data: messages, notes, complaints, feedback, and correspondence with our team.
Technical data: basic device or browser information if you interact with us electronically, such as IP address or message delivery logs, where relevant to security and service administration.
Special instructions: any details you voluntarily provide about access arrangements, property conditions, or service preferences.

We do not intentionally collect more information than is necessary for the provision and management of our services. Please only share information that is relevant to your enquiry or booking.

3. How we use your data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to respond to enquiries and provide quotes;
to arrange and deliver cleaning services;
to manage appointments, changes, and cancellations;
to process payments and maintain financial records;
to communicate service updates and aftercare information;
to handle complaints, feedback, and customer support;
to keep our records accurate and up to date;
to protect against fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity;
to comply with legal, accounting, and regulatory obligations.

We only use your information in ways that are compatible with the reason it was originally collected, unless we have a lawful basis for a new purpose.

4. Lawful basis for processing

Under GDPR, we must have a lawful basis before processing your personal data. Depending on the circumstances, Catford Carpetcleaning may rely on the following bases:

Contract

We process your data where it is necessary to provide the service you have requested, such as arranging bookings, completing cleaning work, handling payment administration, and managing service-related communications.

Legal obligation

We may process and retain certain records to comply with tax, accounting, consumer protection, or other legal requirements.

Legitimate interests

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

Consent

Where required, we will ask for your consent before using your information for specific optional purposes. You may withdraw consent at any time, where processing is based on consent.

5. Sharing your data and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as data processors on our behalf. These processors only handle data under our instructions and are required to protect it appropriately. Examples may include:

payment service providers;
accounting or bookkeeping services;
IT support and data storage providers;
communication or scheduling tools used to manage bookings;
professional advisers, such as legal or financial advisers, where necessary.

We may also disclose data if required by law, to enforce our rights, or to protect the safety, property, or rights of Catford Carpetcleaning, our customers, or others. We do not sell personal data.

Where a processor is used, we take steps to ensure an appropriate data processing agreement is in place and that the processor provides sufficient safeguards. In some cases, service providers may store data securely in locations outside the UK, but only where lawful transfer mechanisms are in place.

6. Data retention

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

Customer and service records: retained for a reasonable period to manage service history, follow-up, and customer support.
Financial and tax records: retained for the period required by applicable law.
Communication records: retained for as long as needed to resolve queries, manage complaints, or maintain business records.

When data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you. Retention is reviewed periodically to ensure we are not holding information longer than necessary.

7. Data security

We take appropriate measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unlawful access, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, limited staff access, and careful handling of records.

While we strive to protect your information, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If a data incident occurs, we will act promptly and in line with our legal obligations.

8. Your rights

You have a number of rights under data protection law, subject to certain conditions and exemptions. These rights include:

Right of access: you can ask for 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: you can ask us to delete your personal data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction: you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object: you can object to processing based on legitimate interests.
Right to data portability: you can request transfer of certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent: if we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with applicable law. We may need to verify your identity before responding to protect your information.

9. Children’s data

Our services are intended for adults or persons acting on behalf of a household or property. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is provided incidentally in connection with a service request and only where necessary and lawful.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or our data handling practices. Any changes will be posted in an updated version of this policy. We encourage you to review it periodically so you remain informed about how we protect your personal data.

11. Summary of your privacy choices

In summary, Catford Carpetcleaning collects only the personal data needed to provide and manage services, uses it on a lawful basis, keeps it only as long as necessary, and shares it only with trusted processors or where required by law. We respect your rights and are committed to processing data fairly, securely, and transparently.

By using Catford Carpetcleaning services in the area, you acknowledge that your personal data will be processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy.