Privacy Policy - Carpet Cleaners Waterloo

This Privacy Policy explains how Carpet Cleaners Waterloo collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data relating to our customers in the Waterloo area. It applies to all Carpet Cleaners Waterloo customers in area, including residential and commercial clients who request carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, stain removal, sanitisation, and related services. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We understand that privacy matters. This policy is designed to help you understand what data we process, why we process it, how long we keep it, who we may share it with, and what rights you have over your information. By engaging our services, making an enquiry, or interacting with us in connection with our services, you acknowledge the practices described in this policy.

1. Information We Collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary for providing our services, responding to enquiries, managing bookings, and meeting legal obligations. Depending on your interaction with us, we may collect the following types of information:

Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, business name.
Contact details including address, telephone number, and email address.
Service details such as cleaning requirements, property access instructions, preferred appointment times, and service history.
Payment information such as payment method, transaction confirmation, and billing records.
Communication records including emails, phone notes, complaints, and feedback.
Technical data such as basic website or device information if you interact with our digital services, where applicable.
Special instructions you may provide regarding health, safety, allergies, or fragile materials that are necessary for service delivery.

We do not intentionally collect more information than is needed for the service. If you provide us with personal data about another person, you should ensure that you have their permission to do so.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for legitimate business and operational purposes connected to our services. These uses may include:

Responding to enquiries and providing quotations.
Scheduling, confirming, and completing bookings.
Managing customer accounts, service records, and invoices.
Processing payments and handling refunds where applicable.
Carrying out cleaning services safely and effectively.
Dealing with complaints, disputes, and service follow-up.
Maintaining records required for accounting, tax, and regulatory compliance.
Improving service quality, training, and internal operations.
Sending administrative messages about appointments, changes, or important service updates.

We do not use your personal data for unrelated purposes unless we have a lawful basis to do so and it is compatible with the original purpose of collection.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each processing activity. The main lawful bases we rely on are set out below:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes handling booking details, carrying out cleaning services, processing payment, and communicating about your appointment.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. Examples include managing our business operations, maintaining service records, preventing fraud, improving service standards, and handling customer enquiries efficiently.

Legal Obligation

We process certain information to comply with legal obligations, including tax requirements, accounting duties, record keeping, and responses to lawful requests from authorities.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where we send certain types of optional marketing communications or where a specific processing activity requires permission. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties when necessary for the operation of our business, the performance of our services, or legal compliance. Where third parties process personal data on our behalf, they act as data processors and are required to handle the information securely and only in accordance with our instructions.

Processors and service providers may include:

Payment processors who help us handle card or electronic payments securely.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers who support invoicing, tax reporting, and financial administration.
IT and cloud storage providers who help store, protect, and manage records.
Communication tools used to manage emails, messages, and appointment confirmations.
Scheduling or customer management systems that support booking and service administration.
Professional advisers such as legal or financial advisers where necessary.

We may also disclose data where required by law, court order, regulatory request, or to protect our rights, customers, staff, or the public. We do not sell your personal data.

5. International Transfers

Some processors may store or access data outside the UK. Where this happens, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place so that your data receives an adequate level of protection in line with applicable law. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent protections.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including the fulfilment of our contractual obligations, compliance with legal requirements, and the resolution of disputes. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the reason it is held.

Customer booking and service records are generally retained for a reasonable period after the service is completed to support administration and aftercare.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Communication records may be kept for a period necessary to respond to queries, manage complaints, and maintain service history.
Consent-based records are retained until consent is withdrawn or the information is no longer needed.

When data is no longer required, we securely delete, anonymise, or otherwise dispose of it in a safe and appropriate manner.

7. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and limiting access to those who need it for legitimate business purposes.

While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we take reasonable steps to safeguard the information we hold.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights regarding your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and the legal basis for processing. They 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 data.
Right to erasure – in certain circumstances, you can ask us to delete your data.
Right to restrict processing – 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 or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – in some cases, you can request your data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based 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 and may need to verify your identity before acting on your request.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults or for customers acting on behalf of households and businesses. We do not knowingly collect data from children unless it is necessary for a specific service arrangement and provided by an adult with authority to do so.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or operational needs. Any updated 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 personal data.

11. Scope of This Policy

This policy applies to all Carpet Cleaners Waterloo customers in area and covers personal data processed in connection with our carpet cleaning and related services. It is intended to be read as a clear statement of our privacy practices and does not form part of any separate service agreement unless specifically incorporated.

By choosing our services, you trust us with your information. We take that responsibility seriously and work to ensure that your personal data is handled with care, transparency, and respect for your rights.