Privacy Policy - Tolworth Carpet Cleaners

Tolworth Carpet Cleaners is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of our customers. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information when providing carpet cleaning and related services. It applies to all Tolworth Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and anyone who contacts us about our services.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, Tolworth Carpet Cleaners acts as the data controller for the personal data described in this policy. This means we decide how and why your personal data is used in connection with our cleaning services, bookings, customer support, administration, and legal obligations.

2. Information We Collect

We collect only the information that is necessary for us to provide our services and manage our relationship with you. The types of personal data we may collect include:

• Identity details: name, title, and any information you provide when requesting services.
• Contact details: address, email address, phone number, and preferred contact method.
• Service details: property access instructions, booking history, cleaning preferences, and information about the type of cleaning requested.
• Payment information: payment status, billing records, and transaction references. We do not usually store full card details if payments are processed securely by third-party payment providers.
• Communication records: emails, messages, call notes, complaint records, and other correspondence.
• Technical data: limited information such as website usage details if you interact with our online services, including IP address, browser type, and device information where applicable.

We generally do not intentionally collect special category data. However, if you voluntarily provide information that may reveal health-related or other sensitive details, we will handle it with appropriate care and only where necessary for service delivery or legal compliance.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• to respond to enquiries and arrange appointments;
• to deliver carpet cleaning and related services;
• to manage customer accounts and service records;
• to process payments and handle invoices or receipts;
• to communicate about bookings, service updates, or customer support;
• to deal with complaints, disputes, or claims;
• to meet legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
• to improve our services, training, and internal operations;
• to maintain the security and integrity of our systems and records.

We will only use your personal data in ways that are consistent with the purpose for which it was collected, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another compatible purpose or where required by law.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process your personal data. Tolworth Carpet Cleaners relies on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to perform a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract. This includes handling bookings, service delivery, payments, and customer communications.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include managing our customer relationships, improving services, preventing fraud, maintaining records, and ensuring internal administration.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data where required to comply with legal obligations, including tax, accounting, consumer protection, and record-keeping requirements.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain marketing communications where consent is required. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us operate our business. These third parties act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. We only share the minimum data necessary and require appropriate safeguards.

Examples of processors may include:

• payment service providers that securely handle transactions;
• booking or scheduling systems used to manage appointments;
• IT support, cloud storage, and software service providers;
• accounting, invoicing, and record-management providers;
• email or communication service providers;
• professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers when necessary.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, court order, regulatory request, or to protect our rights, customers, staff, or property. If personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with data protection law.

6. Data Retention

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

In general:

• customer booking and service records are retained for a reasonable period after the service ends;
• financial and tax-related records are retained for the period required by law;
• correspondence and complaint records are kept for as long as needed to resolve issues and defend legal claims;
• data collected for marketing is kept until you opt out or withdraw consent, where applicable.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention procedures.

7. Data Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and supplier due diligence. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take data protection seriously and review our safeguards regularly.

8. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have certain rights under UK data protection law. These rights may apply in full or in part depending on the circumstances and any legal exemptions. Your rights 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 can 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;
• Right to data portability: you can request your 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;
• Right to complain: you can raise concerns with the Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data rights have been infringed.

To exercise your rights, we may need to verify your identity before acting on your request. We will respond within the time limits required by law.

9. Marketing Preferences

If we send promotional messages, we will do so in accordance with applicable law. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time where such communications are sent, and we will respect your preferences as required. Transactional or service-related messages, such as appointment confirmations or important updates, may still be sent when necessary for service delivery.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and general household customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is provided by a parent, guardian, or authorised adult in connection with a service booking or related communication. If we become aware that we have collected children’s data inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it where required.

11. 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. 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.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Tolworth Carpet Cleaners values privacy, transparency, and lawful processing. We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary, we use it for clear business and legal purposes, and we retain it only for as long as needed. We work with trusted processors under appropriate safeguards and we respect your rights under data protection law. This policy applies to all Tolworth Carpet Cleaners customers in area, ensuring that every customer receives the same high standard of privacy protection.