Privacy Policy - Paddington Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Paddington Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Paddington Carpet Cleaners customers in our service area, including individuals who request a quotation, make a booking, receive a cleaning service, or otherwise interact with us. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

By using our services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this policy. We only collect and use information that is relevant, adequate, and limited to what is necessary for our business and legal obligations.

1. Data We Collect

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

Identity details: name, title, and, where relevant, business name.
Contact details: address, email address, phone number, and preferred method of communication.
Service details: information about the cleaning services requested, property type, appointment history, service notes, and customer preferences.
Payment and transaction details: payment status, invoices, receipts, and limited payment-related information required to complete transactions.
Communication records: messages, calls, complaints, feedback, and correspondence relating to bookings or service issues.
Technical and usage data: limited information collected through digital systems such as device details, browser type, and interaction logs where applicable.
Special instructions or access information: details provided to allow safe and effective service delivery, such as parking instructions, access arrangements, or allergy-related cleaning preferences.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and you choose to provide it. If such information is provided, we will only process it where there is a lawful basis to do so and where appropriate safeguards are in place.

2. How We Collect Personal Data

We collect personal data directly from you when you:

request a quote or make an enquiry,
book a carpet cleaning service,
communicate with us by phone, email, text, or other channels,
submit feedback or a complaint,
make or receive a payment, or
interact with our customer service and operational processes.

We may also receive data from third parties where necessary, such as payment providers, booking systems, referral partners, or individuals acting on your behalf. Where data is obtained from a third party, we will treat it in line with this policy and applicable law.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

We will only process personal data when we have a valid lawful basis under UK GDPR. Depending on the context, our lawful bases may include:

Contract

Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract. This includes handling bookings, managing appointments, delivering carpet cleaning services, issuing invoices, and responding to service-related requests.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data where this is necessary to comply with legal obligations, such as accounting requirements, tax recordkeeping, fraud prevention, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

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. These interests may include improving our services, managing customer relationships, maintaining records, preventing misuse, and operating securely and efficiently.

Consent

In some cases, we may rely on your consent, particularly for optional marketing communications or where we need permission to process certain information. You may withdraw consent at any time, and this will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

Where special category data is processed, we will identify an additional condition under data protection law before doing so.

4. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotes and manage bookings,
to deliver carpet cleaning and related services,
to communicate with you about appointments, service updates, or issues,
to process payments and maintain financial records,
to handle complaints, disputes, and customer support enquiries,
to maintain accurate internal records,
to improve our services, training, and operations,
to comply with legal and regulatory obligations, and
to protect our business, staff, and customers from fraud, abuse, or security risks.

We only use your data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably determine that we need to use it for a compatible purpose permitted by law.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties that help us operate our business. These third parties act either as independent controllers or as processors acting on our instructions. We use processors only where appropriate agreements and safeguards are in place.

Examples of processors may include:

IT and cloud storage providers,
booking and scheduling software providers,
payment processing services,
accounting and invoicing systems,
customer relationship management tools, and
communication and email service providers.

We may also disclose data where required by law, to professional advisers, to insurers, or in connection with legal claims, debt recovery, or business restructuring. Where possible, we limit shared data to what is necessary for the relevant purpose.

We do not sell your personal data. If data is transferred outside the UK or European Economic Area, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are used, such as adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections.

6. Data Retention

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

In general:

Customer and booking records are kept for the duration of the service relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Communication records may be retained for as long as needed to resolve queries, evidence agreements, or maintain service history.
Marketing preferences are retained until you opt out or withdraw consent.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or dispose of it. Retention decisions are based on necessity, legal obligations, and good business practice.

7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and the legal basis for processing.

Right of access: you may request confirmation of whether we process your data and obtain a copy of that data.
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: where applicable, you may request a copy of data you provided to us in a structured, commonly used format.
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 believe your rights have been infringed. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve any concern promptly and fairly.

8. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff awareness, and careful management of service records. While no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, we work to reduce risks and keep personal data protected.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults arranging domestic or commercial carpet cleaning. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is incidental and necessary for service delivery, such as household access arrangements. If we become aware that we have collected children’s data inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it where required.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, service offerings, or operational practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

Paddington Carpet Cleaners is committed to respecting your privacy and processing your personal data responsibly, securely, and transparently.