Privacy Policy - Isle Of Dogs Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Isle Of Dogs Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with our carpet cleaning services. It applies to all Isle Of Dogs Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and anyone who has enquired about our services. We are committed to handling personal data in a fair, lawful, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Isle Of Dogs Carpet Cleaners acts as the data controller for the personal data we collect and process in the ordinary course of providing our services. This means we determine why and how your personal data is used. We take our responsibilities seriously and aim to ensure that personal information is only processed when necessary and for clearly defined purposes.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process personal data when you make an enquiry, request a quote, book a service, or use our services. The types of data we may collect include:

Identity data such as your name.
Contact data such as address, telephone number, and email address.
Service data such as cleaning requirements, property access details, appointment preferences, and service history.
Payment-related data where relevant to billing and invoicing.
Communication data including records of calls, messages, emails, or other correspondence.
Technical data if you interact with our online systems, which may include limited device or usage information.

We generally collect personal data directly from you. In some cases, we may receive data from third parties where this is necessary to deliver our services, such as landlords, letting agents, property managers, or other authorised representatives. We only collect data that is relevant and proportionate to the services we provide.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotations.
To arrange and deliver carpet cleaning and related services.
To manage appointments and service delivery.
To process payments and maintain financial records.
To communicate with you about your booking or service request.
To handle complaints, feedback, or service issues.
To maintain internal records and support business administration.
To meet legal, regulatory, tax, and accounting obligations.

We do not use personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the reason it was collected unless we have a lawful basis to do so and, where required, we have informed you accordingly.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only where a lawful basis under UK GDPR applies. Depending on the nature of the processing, we may rely on one or more of the following bases:

Contract - where processing is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract or to perform our contract with you.
Legal obligation - where processing is necessary to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, such as tax and accounting obligations.
Legitimate interests - where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include managing our business, improving service quality, and keeping proper records.
Consent - where we ask for your permission for specific processing activities, and you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we ensure that those interests are balanced against your rights and that the processing remains necessary and proportionate. We do not process personal data in a way that is unfair, unexpected, or excessive.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties that assist us in delivering our services. These organisations act as processors or, in limited cases, independent controllers. We only share the information needed for the relevant purpose and require appropriate data protection safeguards.

Examples of processors or service providers may include:

Payment providers that handle transactions securely.
IT and cloud service providers that support data storage, communication, or administrative systems.
Scheduling or booking tools used to manage appointments and customer records.
Accountants or bookkeeping providers who support financial administration.
Waste disposal or logistics partners where necessary for service completion.

We may also disclose personal data if required to do so by law, regulation, court order, or lawful request from a public authority. If our business structure changes, such as in the event of a merger or sale, personal data may be transferred as part of that process subject to appropriate safeguards.

6. Data Retention

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

In general, we may retain:

Customer records for the duration of the service relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and invoice records for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Communication records for as long as needed to resolve queries, complaints, or service issues.
Consent records until consent is withdrawn or the information is no longer needed.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or otherwise dispose of it in line with our retention practices. Where deletion is not immediately possible, we will ensure the information is securely stored and not actively used.

7. Data Security

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

While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If a personal data breach occurs and is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will take appropriate steps in line with applicable law.

8. 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 personal data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction - to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to data portability - to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format, where applicable.
Right to object - to object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing, where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent - where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

We aim to respond to valid rights requests within the time limits set by law. Some rights may not apply in all circumstances, and we may need to retain certain data where required by law or where we have compelling legitimate grounds.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a service arrangement authorised by an adult responsible for the property or booking. If we become aware that we have collected data inappropriately, we will take reasonable steps to delete it.

10. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect it. This may include the use of approved contractual protections or transfers to countries recognised as providing adequate protection.

11. Complaints

If you are concerned about how we handle your personal data, we encourage you to raise the matter through our internal processes first so we can investigate and address your concerns. You also have the right to complain to the relevant data protection authority if you believe your rights have been infringed.

12. Changes to This Privacy 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 communicated. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your personal data.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Isle Of Dogs Carpet Cleaners is committed to processing personal data fairly, securely, and in a transparent way. We collect only the data needed to provide our services, rely on lawful bases under UK GDPR, use trusted processors with appropriate safeguards, and keep data only for as long as necessary. We also respect your rights and aim to make it easy for customers in the area to understand how their information is used.

By using our services, you acknowledge that this Privacy Policy applies to you as a customer in the Isle Of Dogs area.