Privacy Policy - Pimlico Carpet Cleaning

This Privacy Policy explains how Pimlico Carpet Cleaning collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing carpet and related cleaning services. It applies to all Pimlico Carpet Cleaning customers in the area, including individuals and businesses who enquire about, book, receive, or otherwise use our services. We are committed to handling personal data in a fair, transparent, and secure manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who This Policy Applies To

This policy applies to customers, prospective customers, visitors who make enquiries, and any person whose data is provided to us in connection with a cleaning service. It also applies where a customer provides personal data about another person, such as a landlord, tenant, property manager, or household member. In those cases, the customer is responsible for ensuring the other person is aware of this policy where appropriate.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect data that is relevant and necessary for delivering our services, managing bookings, and meeting legal or contractual obligations. The categories of information we may collect include:

Identity details such as name and, where relevant, business name.
Contact details such as phone number and email address.
Address details for the property where services are to be carried out.
Booking and service information such as the type of cleaning requested, preferred appointment times, and service notes.
Payment information such as payment status, transaction references, or invoice details.
Communication records including messages, call notes, complaints, and correspondence.
Property-related information such as access instructions, floor type, stain or damage descriptions, and special cleaning requirements.
Technical data such as basic website or device information if you interact with our online systems, where applicable.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you choose to provide it, for example in a message that includes health-related access needs. If such data is provided, we will handle it with additional care and only for the purpose for which it was shared.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotations.
To schedule, confirm, and deliver carpet cleaning services.
To manage access to properties and carry out work safely and efficiently.
To process payments, issue invoices, and maintain accounting records.
To communicate about appointments, changes, follow-up requests, or complaints.
To maintain service records and improve our operations.
To comply with legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations.
To defend or establish legal claims where necessary.

We ensure that data use remains relevant, limited, and proportionate to the service being provided.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Depending on the situation, we may rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes managing bookings, carrying out cleaning work, processing payments, and communicating service updates.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include maintaining records, handling customer service matters, preventing fraud, improving service quality, and ensuring the efficient running of the business.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain information to meet legal obligations, such as tax, accounting, insurance, health and safety, and record-keeping requirements.

Consent

Where required, we rely on your consent. For example, if we need to use certain non-essential data or send you optional communications, we will ask for your consent and you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties, but only where necessary and with appropriate safeguards. These third parties act as processors or independent data controllers depending on their role.

Payment providers who handle payment processing securely.
Accounting or bookkeeping providers who assist with invoices, records, and tax compliance.
IT and storage providers who support our data systems, email services, or secure backups.
Customer management tools used to organise appointments and service records.
Professional advisers such as insurers, legal advisers, or auditors where necessary.
Public authorities where disclosure is required by law or to protect legal rights.

All processors are required to handle data securely, use it only on our instructions, and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures. We do not sell personal data. We do not share your data for unrelated marketing by third parties.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected. The length of retention depends on the type of data and the reason for holding it.

Enquiry data may be retained for a short period if no booking follows, to allow follow-up communication and maintain business records.
Booking and service records are usually kept for the duration of the customer relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and invoice records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
Complaint and dispute records may be kept longer where needed to resolve issues or defend legal claims.

When data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you. In some cases, we may retain limited information if needed to comply with a legal obligation or to establish, exercise, or defend a legal claim.

7. Data Security

We take appropriate steps to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and use of trusted service providers. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to keep personal data protected using reasonable and proportionate safeguards.

8. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections. Any such transfer will be carried out in line with applicable data protection requirements.

9. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have a number of rights regarding your personal data. These rights may apply in full or in part depending on the legal basis for processing and the circumstances of the request.

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 request deletion of your data in certain situations.
Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit how your data is used in certain cases.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests.
Right to data portability – you can request transfer of certain data in a structured format.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office if you believe your data has been handled unlawfully. We encourage you to raise any concerns directly so we can address them promptly and fairly.

10. Cookies and Similar Technologies

If we use digital tools that involve cookies or similar technologies, these may be used to support basic functionality, measure performance, or improve user experience. Where required, we will obtain consent for non-essential cookies. You can control cookies through your browser settings and, where available, through any on-site preference tools.

11. Children's Data

Our services are intended for adults and businesses. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is provided incidentally in connection with a service at a property. If we become aware that data has been collected improperly, we will take steps to delete it or handle it appropriately.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, business practices, or service operations. The most recent version will apply to data processing carried out by Pimlico Carpet Cleaning. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal data.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Pimlico Carpet Cleaning is committed to processing personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently. We collect only the information needed to deliver our services, we use it for clear and legitimate purposes, and we keep it only as long as necessary. We also require processors to protect data and respect your rights. By using our services, customers in the area can be assured that their information is handled with care, discretion, and compliance in mind.