Privacy Policy - Islington Carpet Cleaning

Last updated: This Privacy Policy explains how Islington Carpet Cleaning collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Islington Carpet Cleaning customers in the Islington area, including individuals who enquire about services, book appointments, receive quotations, or use our carpet cleaning services in any residential or commercial property within the area.

1. Introduction

We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner. This Privacy Policy is designed to help you understand what information we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and what rights you have under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

By using our services, making an enquiry, or otherwise providing personal data to us, you acknowledge that your information may be processed as described in this policy. We only collect and use personal data where we have a valid legal basis and we take appropriate measures to protect it.

2. Personal Data We Collect

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

Identity data: name, title, and any other identifying information you provide.
Contact data: address, email address, telephone number, and preferred method of communication.
Service data: details about the carpet cleaning service requested, property access instructions, appointment dates, booking notes, and service preferences.
Payment data: transaction details, billing information, and limited payment-related information necessary to process invoices or refunds.
Communication data: messages, feedback, complaint records, survey responses, and correspondence with us.
Technical data: basic information about how you interact with our digital systems, where applicable, such as device type, browser type, and usage logs.
Marketing preferences: your choices regarding service updates or promotional messages, where relevant.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you voluntarily provide it. If you share such information with us, we will only process it where a lawful basis exists and where appropriate safeguards are in place.

3. How We Collect Your Data

We collect personal data in several ways, including:

when you request a quotation or make a booking;
when you communicate with us by phone, email, or online forms;
when you provide access or service instructions before an appointment;
when payment is made for services;
when you give feedback, raise a concern, or make a complaint;
when you interact with our systems or communications, where applicable.

We may also receive information from third parties where necessary to deliver the service, such as building managers, letting agents, or payment service providers, but only where this is lawful and appropriate.

4. Why We Use Your Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide and manage carpet cleaning services;
to prepare quotations and confirm appointments;
to communicate about service arrangements, changes, or follow-up matters;
to process payments and maintain financial records;
to handle complaints, queries, or customer support requests;
to improve our services and maintain internal records;
to comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
to protect against fraud, misuse, and security incidents;
to send marketing communications where permitted and where you have not opted out.

We only use your personal data for the purpose for which it was collected, unless we reasonably believe that another compatible purpose is required or permitted by law.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each activity involving personal data. Depending on the circumstance, we may rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. For example, we need your contact details, service address, and booking information to provide carpet cleaning services and manage appointments.

Legal Obligation

We may process information where necessary to comply with legal duties, including tax, accounting, record-keeping, and regulatory requirements.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. Examples include maintaining service records, responding to enquiries, improving service quality, preventing fraud, and ensuring the security of our systems and operations. We always consider whether such processing is proportionate and limited.

Consent

Where required, we rely on your consent, particularly for certain marketing communications or for processing optional information that is not necessary for the service. You may withdraw consent at any time, and this will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

6. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We do not sell your personal data. However, we may share it with trusted third parties who act as data processors or independent controllers, only when necessary for the purposes described in this policy.

Examples of processors or service providers may include:

payment processors used to handle card or electronic payments;
IT and hosting providers that support our record systems and data storage;
administrative service providers who help with scheduling, invoicing, or document management;
communication providers used to send service-related messages;
professional advisers such as accountants, legal advisers, or insurers where necessary.

Where a third party processes data on our behalf, we ensure there is an appropriate contract in place requiring them to protect your information, act only on our instructions, and comply with applicable data protection laws.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, regulation, court order, or to protect our rights, safety, or the safety of others.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. The exact retention period depends on the type of information and the reasons we hold it.

Customer and booking records: kept for a period necessary to manage service history, resolve disputes, and support business administration.
Financial records: retained for the period required by law for tax and accounting purposes.
Communication records: kept for a reasonable time to respond to queries, maintain service quality, and handle complaints.
Marketing preferences: retained until you change your preference or withdraw consent.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or otherwise dispose of it in a safe and appropriate manner.

8. International Transfers

If any service provider stores or processes data outside the UK, we will take appropriate steps to ensure your personal data is protected to a standard that is equivalent to UK data protection requirements. This may include using approved contractual safeguards and assessing transfer risks where necessary.

9. Data Security

We use reasonable 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, role-based permissions, and staff awareness practices. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to keep your information protected.

10. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you may have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

Right of access: to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure: to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction: to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability: to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data has been mishandled. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue promptly and fairly.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are not intended for children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a customer’s property or service arrangement and provided by an adult responsible for the booking. If we become aware that personal data has been collected improperly, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data processing practices. Any updates will take effect when published, and we encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Summary: Islington Carpet Cleaning processes customer data lawfully, securely, and transparently for service delivery, administration, and legal compliance, while respecting your rights under UK data protection law.