Privacy Policy - Carpetcleaning Swisscottage

This Privacy Policy explains how Carpetcleaning Swisscottage collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing carpet cleaning and related services. It applies to all Carpetcleaning Swisscottage customers in the area, including individuals who enquire about services, request quotations, make bookings, receive cleaning services, or otherwise interact with us in connection with our business.

We are committed to handling personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We respect your privacy and only process personal data where we have a valid legal basis to do so. This policy is designed to explain, in clear terms, how your data is used and what rights you have.

1. Who We Are

Carpetcleaning Swisscottage provides carpet cleaning and related cleaning services to customers in the local area. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as the data controller for the personal data we collect and use in relation to our services. This means we decide why and how your personal data is processed.

We only process data that is necessary for running our services, managing our customer relationships, and meeting legal obligations.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

• Identity details such as your name.
• Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
• Service information such as booking details, service preferences, cleaning instructions, and property access arrangements.
• Payment information such as payment method, billing records, and transaction history.
• Communication records such as messages, enquiry details, complaints, and service feedback.
• Technical data such as limited website or device information if you interact with us digitally, including IP address and usage data where applicable.
• Special categories of data only where necessary and with appropriate safeguards, for example if you voluntarily provide information relating to allergies, sensitivities, or access needs that may affect service delivery.

We generally collect personal data directly from you when you request a quote, make a booking, communicate with us, or receive our services. In some cases, we may also receive information from third parties acting on your behalf, such as a landlord, letting agent, property manager, or other authorised representative.

3. How We Use Your Personal Data

Carpetcleaning Swisscottage uses personal data for the following purposes:

• To provide quotations and respond to enquiries.
• To arrange and deliver cleaning services.
• To manage bookings, cancellations, rescheduling, and service updates.
• To process payments and maintain business records.
• To communicate with you about your service request or ongoing work.
• To handle complaints, disputes, and customer support matters.
• To improve our services, administration, and operational efficiency.
• To comply with legal, accounting, and regulatory obligations.
• To protect our business, our staff, and our customers from fraud, misuse, or security risks.

We do not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons it was collected unless we have a lawful basis to do so.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis before processing your personal data. Depending on the purpose, we rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

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

Legal Obligation

We may process your data where necessary to comply with legal requirements, including tax, accounting, and record-keeping obligations.

Legitimate Interests

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

Consent

Where required, we may rely on your consent, for example if you provide special category information voluntarily and we need to use it to deliver our service safely. You may withdraw consent at any time where consent is the lawful basis for processing.

We assess each processing activity carefully to ensure the appropriate lawful basis is used.

5. Sharing Your Personal Data

We only share personal data when necessary and with appropriate safeguards. Personal data may be shared with:

• Service processors who support our business operations, such as payment providers, booking systems, IT service providers, and administrative support tools.
• Professional advisers such as accountants, auditors, or legal advisers, where required.
• Authorities or regulators where we are legally required to disclose information.
• Third parties authorised by you to act on your behalf.

Any third party that processes personal data on our behalf is required to handle it securely, only use it for the agreed purpose, and comply with data protection law. These third parties act as processors where they process data under our instructions.

6. Processors and Data Security

We use selected processors to help us operate efficiently and provide our services. Processors may include secure software providers, cloud storage services, payment processing services, and communication platforms. We choose processors that can provide suitable technical and organisational safeguards.

We take reasonable steps to protect personal data from unauthorised access, alteration, loss, or disclosure. Measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of data handling practices. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we are committed to maintaining a high standard of data protection.

Only individuals who need access to your data for legitimate business purposes are permitted to use it.

7. Data Retention

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

• Customer and service records are generally retained for a period appropriate to business and legal needs.
• Payment and invoicing records may be retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
• Communication records may be kept for as long as needed to manage enquiries, complaints, or service history.
• Where data is no longer required, it is securely deleted or anonymised.

We regularly review information we hold to ensure it is not kept longer than necessary.

8. International Transfers

If any service provider stores or processes data outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent protective measures permitted by law.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to legal limitations, but we will always respond appropriately and in line with applicable law.

• 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 – you can ask us to delete your personal data in certain circumstances.
• 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, where applicable.
• Right to data portability – you can request that certain data be provided to you or another organisation in a structured, commonly used format.
• Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will take reasonable steps to confirm your identity and respond within the time limits required by law.

10. Complaints

If you are unhappy with how your personal data has been handled, you have the right to raise a complaint with the relevant data protection authority in the United Kingdom. You may also contact us directly so we can review and address your concern.

We encourage you to contact us first where possible so we can try to resolve the matter promptly and fairly.

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 protection practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your personal data.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Carpetcleaning Swisscottage is committed to processing personal data responsibly, securely, and in accordance with data protection law. We collect only what we need, use it for legitimate purposes, retain it for no longer than necessary, and ensure that any processors we use are bound by appropriate safeguards.

Your privacy matters to us, and we aim to handle all customer information with care, respect, and transparency.