Privacy Policy - Chelsea Carpet Cleaners

Effective Date: This Privacy Policy applies to all Chelsea Carpet Cleaners customers in the area.

Chelsea Carpet Cleaners is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data when you use our carpet cleaning and related services. It also explains your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Chelsea Carpet Cleaners provides professional carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, rug cleaning, stain treatment, and related domestic and commercial cleaning services. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as the data controller for the personal data we collect and use in connection with our services.

This means we decide why and how your personal data is processed, and we are responsible for ensuring that processing complies with applicable data protection laws.

2. Personal Data We Collect

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

Identity data: your name, title, and any business or household contact details you provide.
Contact data: address, email address, and telephone number.
Service data: details of the services you request, property access instructions, cleaning preferences, and service history.
Payment data: payment confirmation, invoicing details, and limited transaction information. We do not store full card details if payment is handled securely by a third-party payment provider.
Communication data: messages, feedback, complaints, and correspondence with us.
Technical data: basic information collected through website or digital booking tools, such as IP address, browser type, and device information, where applicable.
Marketing preferences: your choices regarding promotional messages, if you opt in or out of such communications.

We generally do not collect special category personal data unless you voluntarily provide information that is necessary for an exceptional service request or complaint. Where such data is provided, we only process it where permitted by law and where a valid legal condition applies.

3. How We Collect Your Data

We collect personal data directly from you when you:

request a quote or make a booking;
communicate with us by phone, email, or other channels;
provide feedback or make a complaint;
complete forms, surveys, or payment-related processes;
use our services at your property or business premises.

We may also receive personal data from third parties, such as payment processors, booking platforms, or referral partners, where necessary to deliver our services or manage our business operations.

4. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations, arrange appointments, and deliver cleaning services;
to confirm bookings and manage customer accounts or service records;
to process payments, refunds, and invoices;
to respond to queries, complaints, and customer support requests;
to improve our services, training, and customer experience;
to maintain accurate business records and meet legal, accounting, and tax obligations;
to send service-related updates, where necessary;
to send marketing communications where you have consented or where otherwise permitted by law;
to protect our business, staff, customers, and property from fraud, misuse, or other unlawful activity.

We only process your data where we have a lawful basis to do so.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we must have a valid lawful basis for each use of personal data. Chelsea Carpet Cleaners relies on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes, arranging services, completing bookings, invoicing, and fulfilling agreed cleaning work.

Legal Obligation

We may process your data where we must comply with legal requirements, such as tax recordkeeping, accounting, insurance, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. Examples include service improvement, record management, preventing fraud, and handling complaints. We always consider whether the processing is necessary and proportionate.

Consent

We rely on consent for certain types of marketing communication or optional data uses. Where consent is required, it will be clear, informed, and freely given. You may withdraw consent at any time.

6. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us operate our business. These parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the circumstances. Where they act as processors, they may only process your data on our instructions and are contractually required to protect it.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

Payment processors for secure payment handling;
Booking and scheduling platforms used to manage appointments;
IT and cloud service providers for data storage and system support;
Email and communication providers for customer correspondence;
Accountants and professional advisers supporting financial and legal compliance;
Customer review or feedback tools, where used;
Subcontractors or staff who need access to data to perform services at your property.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, court order, regulatory obligation, or to protect our rights, safety, or property. We do not sell your personal data.

7. International Transfers

If any of our processors store or access personal data outside the United Kingdom, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent lawful transfer mechanisms designed to protect your data.

8. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of record and the reason it is held.

Customer service and booking records: retained for the duration of the service relationship and for a reasonable period afterward.
Financial and tax records: retained in line with applicable legal obligations.
Complaints and communication records: retained as long as needed to resolve issues and defend legal claims.
Marketing preferences: retained until you unsubscribe, object, or withdraw consent.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention practices. We review retention regularly to ensure we do not keep data longer than necessary.

9. 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 confidentiality obligations, and supplier due diligence.

While we work hard to protect your data, no system can be guaranteed completely secure. If a personal data breach occurs, we will assess the risk and notify relevant parties where required by law.

10. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

Access a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
Rectify inaccurate or incomplete information;
Erase your data in certain situations;
Restrict how we process your data;
Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing;
Withdraw consent where processing relies on consent;
Data portability in limited circumstances;
Complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your rights have been breached.

To exercise your rights, you may contact us using the details provided through our usual customer service channels. We will respond in accordance with legal timeframes and may ask for information to verify your identity before fulfilling your request.

11. Marketing Choices

We may occasionally send information about services, offers, or updates that may be relevant to you. You can opt out of marketing at any time. If you choose to unsubscribe or object to marketing, we will respect your preferences.

Important: service-related messages, such as booking confirmations or essential updates, are not marketing and may still be sent where necessary for us to perform our contract with you.

12. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adult customers and business clients. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without appropriate authority or a lawful basis, we will take steps to delete it promptly.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or how we process personal data. Any revised version will apply from the date it is issued. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect privacy.

14. Summary of Our Commitment

Chelsea Carpet Cleaners is committed to processing personal data responsibly, securely, and transparently. We only collect data that is needed to provide and improve our services, comply with legal obligations, and run our business effectively. We use trusted processors, apply appropriate safeguards, and respect your rights under data protection law.

By using our services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this Privacy Policy, subject always to applicable data protection laws.