Privacy Policy - East Dulwich Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how East Dulwich Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all East Dulwich Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and individuals who contact us for services, quotations, or support. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who we are

East Dulwich Carpet Cleaners provides carpet cleaning and related domestic and commercial cleaning services. In the course of delivering these services, we may collect and process personal data about our customers, site visitors, service recipients, and other individuals connected with our work. This policy applies to all processing carried out by East Dulwich Carpet Cleaners where we act as a data controller.

2. What data we collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for the purposes set out in this policy. The information we may collect includes:

Identity information such as your name and title.
Contact details such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information including details of the cleaning services requested or provided, property access notes, appointment dates, and preferences.
Billing and payment data such as transaction records, payment status, and invoice details.
Communication records including messages, emails, and notes from calls or enquiries.
Technical data such as IP address and basic device or browser information when you interact with our online systems, where applicable.
Special instructions you provide that may relate to property conditions, access arrangements, or vulnerable occupants.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless you choose to provide it and it is relevant to our services, for example where it is necessary to understand access needs or health and safety concerns. Where such information is provided, we handle it with appropriate care and only where a lawful basis exists.

3. How we use your data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotes and respond to enquiries.
To arrange, deliver, and manage cleaning services.
To communicate with you about appointments, service updates, and service issues.
To issue invoices, record payments, and manage accounts.
To maintain service quality, resolve complaints, and improve our operations.
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations.
To protect our business, customers, and staff from fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.

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

4. Lawful basis for processing

We rely on the following lawful bases under the UK GDPR:

Contract

We process your personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes arranging services, providing quotations you requested, delivering cleaning work, and handling payments.

Legitimate interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include maintaining business records, improving customer service, preventing fraud, and managing our internal operations.

Legal obligation

We process certain information where necessary to comply with legal requirements, including tax, accounting, and record-keeping duties.

Consent

Where required by law, we will rely on your consent. For example, if we need to use optional information for a purpose that is not covered by another lawful basis, we will seek your clear permission first. You may withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.

5. How we share personal data

We do not sell personal data. We may share personal information only where necessary and only with trusted third parties that help us operate our business. These may include:

Payment providers for processing transactions.
IT and cloud service providers that help us store, secure, and manage data.
Administrative and accounting processors that support invoicing, bookkeeping, and tax compliance.
Professional advisers such as legal or insurance advisers where necessary.
Regulators, law enforcement, or public authorities where disclosure is required by law.

Where we use third-party service providers, they act as processors on our instructions unless otherwise stated. They are required to protect your data, use it only for the agreed purpose, and comply with applicable data protection laws. We ensure appropriate contractual safeguards are in place with processors.

6. Data retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason for holding it.

Customer and service records are typically kept for the duration of the customer relationship and for a reasonable period afterward to handle queries, disputes, or repeat services.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Communication records are retained only as long as needed to manage our relationship with you and maintain business records.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in a way that prevents unnecessary access. We review retention needs periodically to ensure data is not kept longer than necessary.

7. Data security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality duties, and regular review of our handling practices. While no system can be guaranteed 100% secure, we work to reduce risks and keep your information protected.

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 exceptions. 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 information.
Right to erasure - you may ask us to delete your 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 or direct marketing, where applicable.
Right to data portability - you can request a copy of certain 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 data protection law. We may need to verify your identity before acting on your request. Exercising your rights will not normally affect the services we provide to you, unless the requested change makes it impossible for us to continue.

9. International transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we will only do so where appropriate safeguards are in place to protect the information and to ensure a level of protection consistent with UK data protection law. This may include the use of approved contractual protections or transfers to countries with adequate protection arrangements.

10. Children’s data

Our services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidentally included in service-related communications or property arrangements. If we become aware that we have collected such information without proper authority, we will take appropriate steps to delete it or handle it lawfully.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal obligations, or service arrangements. Any updates will take effect when published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how we handle personal data.

12. Summary of our commitment

East Dulwich Carpet Cleaners is committed to processing personal data responsibly, securely, and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it for legitimate purposes, retain it for no longer than necessary, and protect the rights of every customer in our service area. We aim to respect your privacy at every stage of our relationship with you.