Privacy Policy - Carpetcleaning Docklands

Carpetcleaning Docklands is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in the Docklands area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information when you request or receive our carpet cleaning and related services. It applies to all Carpetcleaning Docklands customers in the area, including residential and commercial clients, and should be read together with any service terms that apply to your booking.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, Carpetcleaning Docklands acts as the data controller for the personal information we process in connection with our services. This means we decide why and how your personal data is used. We are responsible for ensuring that your personal information is processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently.

2. Information We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for providing and managing our services. Depending on your interaction with us, the information we may collect includes:

• Identity details, such as your name.
• Contact details, such as address, email address, and telephone number.
• Service details, such as property access instructions, preferred appointment times, and cleaning requirements.
• Payment information, such as billing details and payment confirmations. We do not intentionally store full card details where payment is processed through third-party payment providers.
• Communication records, including messages, complaints, feedback, and notes from calls or emails.
• Technical information, such as limited device or usage information if you visit our online booking or enquiry pages, where applicable.

We generally do not collect special category data unless you voluntarily provide it and it is necessary for a specific service issue, such as access requirements or health-related information needed to safely carry out the service. When such information is provided, we handle it with additional care and only where a valid legal basis applies.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

• To process enquiries and manage bookings.
• To provide carpet cleaning and related services.
• To arrange access to your property or premises.
• To send appointment confirmations, updates, and service communications.
• To issue invoices, process payments, and maintain accounting records.
• To respond to questions, complaints, and customer support requests.
• To improve our services, processes, and customer experience.
• To comply with legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably believe that we need to use it for another compatible purpose and that this is permitted by law.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only where we have a lawful basis under data protection law. Depending on the situation, our lawful bases may include:

Contract

We process your data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes handling bookings, delivering services, and managing payments.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is in our legitimate interests to do so, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include improving our services, maintaining records, preventing fraud, and handling routine business administration.

Legal Obligation

We may process data when needed to comply with a legal requirement, such as tax, accounting, or regulatory obligations.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where you choose to provide optional information or agree to certain forms of communication. Where consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

5. How We Share Personal Data

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

• Payment processors that securely handle transactions.
• IT and hosting providers that support our systems and data storage.
• Administrative service providers who help with booking, communication, or record management.
• Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers where required.
• Public authorities where disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect legal rights.

Any third party processing personal data on our behalf must do so under a written agreement and must follow appropriate security, confidentiality, and data protection obligations. These third parties are known as processors. They may only act on our instructions and may not use your data for their own purposes.

6. International Transfers

Where your personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that suitable safeguards are in place. This may include the use of approved contractual protections or transfers to countries recognised as providing an adequate level of data protection. We take steps to ensure that your information remains protected wherever it is processed.

7. Data Retention

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

• Booking and service records are generally retained for a reasonable period to manage customer history, resolve disputes, and support service continuity.
• Financial and invoicing records are kept for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
• Correspondence and complaints may be retained for a period needed to handle the issue and maintain evidence of our actions.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or destroy it. In some cases, we may retain limited information if necessary to defend legal claims or meet ongoing legal duties.

8. Data Security

We take the security of personal data seriously and use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it from unauthorised access, loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, password protection, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and restricted access to records on a need-to-know basis.

Although we work hard to protect your data, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If a personal data breach occurs that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will take appropriate steps in line with applicable law.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to legal conditions and exceptions, these may include:

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

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority if you are unhappy with how we handle your personal data. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve any concerns promptly and fairly.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and businesses. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is incidental and necessary for the provision of a service, such as household booking details. If we become aware that we have collected personal data unlawfully from a child, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

11. Cookies and Similar Technologies

If we use cookies or similar technologies on our online pages, they are used only to support basic functionality, improve performance, and understand general site usage. Where required, we will provide appropriate notice and options for managing preferences. Any non-essential tracking will rely on the relevant lawful basis, such as consent where required.

12. 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. The latest version will always apply to the processing of personal data by Carpetcleaning Docklands. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal information.

13. Contact and Further Information

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how your personal data is handled, please contact us using the communication methods provided in your booking or service documentation. We will aim to respond to valid requests within the time limits required by law.

Carpetcleaning Docklands is dedicated to processing personal data responsibly, securely, and in a way that respects your privacy. By using our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy, which applies to all Carpetcleaning Docklands customers in the area.