Privacy Policy - Paddington Carpetcleaning

Paddington Carpetcleaning is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers, prospective customers, and website or service users. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This policy applies to all Paddington Carpetcleaning customers in our area, including individuals who request quotations, book services, receive cleaning treatments, make enquiries, or otherwise interact with us. Please read this policy carefully to understand how your personal data is handled.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide our services, manage our business, and comply with legal obligations. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name and title.
Contact details such as telephone number, email address, and service address.
Service information such as cleaning requirements, preferred appointment times, and notes about the carpets or materials to be cleaned.
Payment information such as payment status, transaction records, and billing details, where applicable.
Communication records such as emails, text messages, call notes, and service-related correspondence.
Technical information if you interact with our digital systems, such as IP address, browser type, and device information.
Feedback and complaint details if you share comments, reviews, or concerns about our services.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless you choose to provide it and it is necessary for a specific service request, for example information about allergies, sensitivities, or access needs relevant to carrying out a cleaning job safely. Where such information is provided, we will only process it where a lawful basis exists and additional safeguards are appropriate.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data to deliver our services efficiently, professionally, and safely. Typical uses include:

providing quotations and confirming bookings;
planning and delivering carpet cleaning services;
managing customer accounts and service records;
processing payments and maintaining invoices;
responding to enquiries, complaints, and service requests;
improving our services and customer experience;
meeting legal, tax, accounting, and insurance requirements;
protecting against fraud, misuse, or unauthorised access;
sending important service updates or administrative messages.

We will only use your information for the purposes explained in this policy or for closely related purposes that you would reasonably expect.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a valid lawful basis for processing personal data. Depending on the circumstances, Paddington Carpetcleaning may rely on one or more of the following bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes handling your contact details, service address, and booking information so we can provide carpet cleaning services.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain information to comply with legal requirements, including tax, accounting, record-keeping, consumer protection, and business regulation obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data for our legitimate business interests where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing customer relationships, improving services, preventing fraud, protecting our property, and maintaining internal records. Where we rely on legitimate interests, we assess the impact on your privacy and process only what is necessary.

Consent

In some situations, we may ask for your consent to process certain information, particularly where this is required by law or where no other lawful basis is appropriate. If consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

4. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell your personal data. However, we may share information with trusted third parties where necessary to operate our business and provide services. These parties act as data processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. They may include:

payment providers who help process card or electronic payments;
accounting or bookkeeping providers who support financial administration;
IT and cloud storage providers who host or secure business systems;
communication service providers who help us send messages or manage customer contact;
insurance providers, legal advisers, or professional advisers where required for claims, disputes, or compliance;
public authorities when disclosure is required by law or lawful request.

Where we use processors, they are only permitted to process personal data on our instructions and must keep it secure. We take steps to ensure that third parties are suitable and provide adequate protection for your information.

5. Data Retention

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

Customer and service records are usually retained for as long as needed to manage the relationship and handle follow-up enquiries or disputes.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Communication records may be kept for a reasonable time to support service quality, record customer instructions, or resolve complaints.
Technical and security logs are kept only as long as necessary for monitoring, troubleshooting, and protection purposes.

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so it can no longer identify you.

6. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, disclosure, or alteration. These measures may include access controls, password protection, secure storage, staff training, and limiting access to data on a need-to-know basis.

Although we take reasonable steps to safeguard your information, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. We therefore cannot guarantee absolute security, but we will respond appropriately to any suspected data breach and notify you and the relevant authorities where required by law.

7. Your Rights

As a data subject under UK GDPR, you have several rights regarding your personal information. These rights are subject to legal conditions and exceptions, but we will always respond fairly and transparently.

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 – in some circumstances, you can request that we delete your data.
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, where applicable.
Right to data portability – you may request a copy of certain data 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 assess your request in accordance with data protection law and respond within the required timeframe where possible.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults arranging cleaning services for homes or premises. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children as part of our normal business activities. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected such data, we will take appropriate steps to delete it unless we are legally required to retain it.

9. International Transfers

If any service providers store or process data outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your personal information. This may include the use of approved contractual protections or reliance on adequacy decisions where applicable.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or operational needs. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage you to review this policy periodically so you remain informed about how your data is handled.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Paddington Carpetcleaning respects your privacy and is committed to processing personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and legitimate purposes, keep it only as long as necessary, and protect it through suitable security measures. We also ensure that all processors we use are appropriately bound by data protection obligations.

If you are a customer in our area, this policy applies to you whenever you use our services or interact with us. Our aim is to provide reliable carpet cleaning services while respecting your rights and maintaining your trust.