Privacy Policy - Addington Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Addington Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing carpet cleaning and related services. It applies to all Addington Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including individuals who request quotations, book services, make enquiries, or receive cleaning services at residential or commercial premises. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the personal data necessary to manage customer relationships, deliver services, process payments, maintain records, and meet legal obligations. The type of information we may collect includes:

• Identity information such as your name and title.
• Contact details such as address, email address, and phone number.
• Service details such as booking history, requested services, property access notes, and cleaning preferences.
• Payment information such as invoice records, transaction references, and payment status. We do not intentionally store full card details unless a secure third-party payment provider does so on our behalf.
• Communication records such as emails, messages, call notes, complaints, and feedback.
• Technical information if you interact with our digital systems, including basic device or usage data where relevant for security and troubleshooting.

We generally do not collect special category data unless it is necessary and you voluntarily provide it, for example where access arrangements or property conditions reveal information relevant to service delivery. Where such information is handled, we apply extra care and only process it where a lawful basis and appropriate safeguards exist.

2. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• to provide carpet cleaning and related services;
• to manage bookings, quotations, and customer enquiries;
• to issue invoices, process payments, and maintain accounting records;
• to communicate about appointments, access arrangements, delays, or service updates;
• to respond to complaints, queries, and requests;
• to improve our services, train staff, and ensure quality control;
• to protect our business, staff, and customers from fraud or misuse;
• to comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations.

We only use personal data in ways that are compatible with the original purpose for which it was collected, unless a new lawful basis applies.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must identify a lawful basis for each processing activity. We rely on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes taking bookings, delivering services, issuing invoices, and managing customer communications related to a service you have requested.

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 includes maintaining records, improving service quality, preventing fraud, handling service disputes, and protecting our business operations.

Legal Obligation

We process certain data to comply with legal obligations, such as tax law, accounting requirements, insurance matters, and lawful requests from authorities.

Consent

Where we rely on your consent, we will make that clear at the time we request it. You may withdraw consent at any time, although this will not affect processing carried out before withdrawal.

4. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as data processors or independent controllers. These parties are used only where necessary and are required to protect your data.

• Payment processors to securely handle card or electronic payments.
• Accounting and bookkeeping providers to manage invoices, financial records, and tax compliance.
• IT and cloud service providers that host email, storage, scheduling, or business systems.
• Communication service providers used to send messages or manage customer correspondence.
• Insurance, legal, or professional advisers where required for claims, advice, or dispute resolution.
• Public authorities where disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect rights, safety, or legal claims.

When we use processors, we ensure they act only on our instructions, process data securely, and implement appropriate technical and organisational safeguards. We do not sell personal data.

5. Data Retention

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

• Customer and service records are retained for a reasonable period to manage repeat services, resolve queries, and maintain business records.
• Financial and tax records are kept for the period required by law.
• Complaint and dispute records may be retained for longer where needed to defend legal claims or support insurance matters.
• Unsuccessful enquiries are typically retained only for a limited time unless you become a customer or further retention is justified.

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

6. Data Security

We take appropriate measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, password protection, and careful management of paper and electronic records. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to use reasonable and proportionate safeguards appropriate to the nature of the data we process.

7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to limitations and exceptions, but we will always explain our position clearly if a request cannot be fully met.

• Right of access - you may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification - you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to erasure - you may request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to restriction - you may ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
• Right to object - you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
• Right to data portability - you may request transfer of certain data to you or another provider where applicable.
• Right to withdraw consent - where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data has been mishandled. We encourage you to raise any concern with us first so that we can try to resolve it promptly and fairly.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect children’s personal data unless it is necessary in connection with a service request made by a parent, guardian, or responsible adult. Where such data is involved, it is handled only to the extent needed for the service and with appropriate care.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our operations, or the way we process data. The updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We recommend that customers review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

10. Summary of Key Commitments

Addington Carpet Cleaners is committed to processing personal data lawfully, securely, and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it for clear business and legal purposes, retain it for appropriate periods, and share it only with trusted processors or where required by law. We respect your rights and aim to ensure that every customer in the area can trust us to handle personal information responsibly.

This Privacy Policy is intended to provide general information about our data practices and should be read alongside any service terms that apply to your booking or enquiry.