Privacy Policy - Pimlico Carpet Cleaners

Effective date: This Privacy Policy applies to all Pimlico Carpet Cleaners customers in area and explains how we collect, use, store, and protect personal data when providing our carpet cleaning and related services.

We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy sets out what data we collect, why we use it, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and what rights you have.

1. Who this policy applies to

This Privacy Policy applies to all customers, prospective customers, website users, and individuals who communicate with Pimlico Carpet Cleaners in connection with our services in the area we serve. It also applies where we receive personal data from third parties for the purpose of arranging or delivering our services.

2. Personal data we collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary for providing our services, managing our business, and meeting legal obligations. Depending on your interaction with us, we may collect the following:

Identity information such as your name and, where needed, the name of a business or property manager.
Contact information such as your telephone number, email address, and service address.
Service information including details about the cleaning services requested, property access notes, scheduling preferences, and service history.
Payment information such as billing details and payment confirmation. We do not store full card details where payment processing is handled securely by a third-party provider.
Communication records including messages, enquiries, complaints, feedback, and notes from calls or correspondence.
Technical information where relevant, such as basic device or usage data if you interact with us through digital channels.
Photos or condition notes when needed to assess a job before or after cleaning, subject to your reasonable expectations and applicable law.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is provided to us by you and is necessary for a specific service or legal reason. Please avoid sharing sensitive information unless it is relevant to your request.

3. How we collect your data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you request a quote, book a service, make an enquiry, or communicate with us. We may also receive data from:

property owners, landlords, letting agents, or managing agents;
payment processors;
booking or scheduling systems used to organise services;
third-party partners involved in delivering the service;
publicly available sources where this is lawful and appropriate.

We only use personal data for legitimate service-related purposes and never sell your personal data.

4. Lawful basis for processing

We process personal data only where we have a lawful basis under UK GDPR. The lawful bases we rely on are:

4.1 Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes, arranging appointments, carrying out cleaning services, taking payment, and managing customer service matters.

4.2 Legal obligation

We may process and retain some data to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, including tax, accounting, insurance, and record-keeping obligations.

4.3 Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing our operations, improving our services, handling customer feedback, preventing fraud, and maintaining service records.

4.4 Consent

In certain situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where we need to use optional images, marketing preferences, or other non-essential processing. When consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

If we ask for consent, you are free to say no, and this will not affect the core service you receive where another lawful basis applies.

5. How we use your personal data

We use your data to:

respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
book, manage, and complete cleaning services;
contact you about appointments, access requirements, or service changes;
process payments and issue invoices or receipts;
record service history and maintain quality standards;
handle complaints, refunds, and customer support;
meet accounting, tax, insurance, and legal obligations;
protect against misuse, fraud, or unlawful activity;
analyse business performance and improve our services.

We will only process personal data for the purposes for which it was collected unless we reasonably believe we need to use it for a compatible purpose that is permitted by law.

6. Retention of personal data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy, including to meet legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. The retention period depends on the type of data and the reason it is held.

Customer service and booking records: retained for a period appropriate to manage service history and customer support.
Financial and tax records: retained for the period required by applicable law.
Complaints and dispute records: retained for as long as needed to resolve the matter and defend legal claims.
Marketing preferences: retained until you withdraw consent or object where applicable.

When data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in accordance with our retention procedures. We do not keep personal data indefinitely without a valid reason.

7. Processors and third parties

We may use trusted third-party service providers, known as processors, to help us operate our business. These processors only act on our instructions and are required to protect your information and process it lawfully.

Examples of processors may include:

payment processing providers;
booking, scheduling, and invoicing systems;
IT and cloud storage providers;
communication and email service providers;
accounting and bookkeeping services;
customer support or administrative service providers.

We may also share data with independent third parties where necessary, such as insurers, legal advisers, regulatory bodies, or law enforcement authorities, but only where the law allows or requires it.

Where processors or third parties are used, we take steps to ensure appropriate data protection safeguards are in place.

8. Data security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, disclosure, or alteration. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and limiting data access to those who need it to perform their duties.

Although we take security seriously, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. If a personal data incident occurs, we will assess the situation and take action in line with legal requirements.

9. International transfers

If any service provider processes data outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your personal data in accordance with applicable law. This may include using approved contractual protections or transferring data only to countries with adequate protection.

10. Your rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These include:

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

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with data protection law. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request.

11. Marketing preferences

We will only send marketing communications where permitted by law. If you have given consent or if we have another lawful basis to contact you, you may still opt out at any time. Where you opt out, we will stop sending relevant marketing messages as required.

Your choice will always be respected where marketing is concerned.

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 handling practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise made available. We encourage you to review this policy periodically so that you remain informed about how we process personal data.

13. Summary of our commitment

Pimlico Carpet Cleaners is committed to protecting customer privacy, using personal data responsibly, and maintaining appropriate safeguards. We collect only what we need, use it for clear purposes, retain it only as long as necessary, and ensure that any processors we use are bound to handle data securely and lawfully. This policy applies to all Pimlico Carpet Cleaners customers in area and is intended to give you clear information about your rights and our obligations.