Privacy Policy - Belgravia Carpetcleaning

Belgravia Carpetcleaning is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of every customer. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, store, and protect personal information when providing carpet cleaning and related services. It applies to all Belgravia Carpetcleaning customers in the area, including residential and commercial clients, and covers data processed before, during, and after a service relationship.

We process personal data in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. This means we handle information fairly, lawfully, transparently, and only for specific purposes. We also aim to collect only the data we need and keep it for no longer than necessary.

1. Information We Collect

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

Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, business name.
Contact details such as address, email address, and phone number.
Service details such as property access instructions, preferred dates, cleaning requirements, and records of completed work.
Billing and payment information such as invoicing details, payment status, and transaction references.
Communication records such as enquiries, complaints, feedback, and correspondence.
Technical data such as device or browser information if you interact with us through digital systems used for administration or scheduling.
Special category data only where it is necessary and provided voluntarily, for example if you share health or access needs that affect service delivery. We will only process this where a lawful basis allows it and where an appropriate condition for processing applies.

We do not collect more information than is necessary for the purposes described in this policy. If you choose not to provide certain data, we may be unable to deliver some services or respond fully to your request.

2. How We Collect Personal Data

We collect personal data directly from you when you:

make an enquiry or request a quotation;
book or manage a service;
provide access or service instructions;
pay for services or request an invoice;
contact us by phone, email, or other communication methods;
leave feedback or raise a concern.

We may also receive data from third parties where necessary, such as:

property managers or landlords arranging services on your behalf;
payment providers handling transactions;
subcontractors or service partners involved in delivery;
publicly available sources where needed to verify business contact details.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Belgravia Carpetcleaning only processes personal data when we have a lawful basis to do so. Depending on the context, we 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. This includes managing bookings, delivering cleaning services, issuing invoices, and responding to service-related queries.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include improving our services, keeping internal records, preventing fraud, managing customer relationships, and maintaining service quality.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain data where required to comply with legal or regulatory obligations, such as accounting, tax, insurance, or record-keeping requirements.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent. For example, this could apply to optional marketing communications or to the processing of certain special category data when no other lawful basis is appropriate. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

Vital Interests and Public Interest

These bases are unlikely to apply in most cases, but if necessary we may process data to protect someone’s vital interests or where required for a matter of public interest under applicable law.

4. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide and manage carpet cleaning and related services;
to confirm appointments and coordinate access;
to process payments and issue receipts or invoices;
to respond to enquiries, complaints, and feedback;
to maintain accurate business and customer records;
to improve service delivery and customer experience;
to meet legal, tax, and accounting obligations;
to protect our business, customers, and staff from misuse or fraud.

We will only use your information for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably determine that it is needed for a compatible purpose or where the law permits otherwise.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as processors on our behalf. These processors are only permitted to use your data according to our instructions and for the agreed purpose. They are required to protect personal data and may not use it for their own independent purposes.

Examples of processors may include:

IT and cloud storage providers that host customer records and communications;
payment processing providers that handle card or electronic payments;
accounting or bookkeeping providers that assist with invoicing and financial records;
booking or administrative software providers that help manage appointments and service records;
marketing service providers where consent has been given for such communications.

We may also disclose personal data to independent controllers where required, such as professional advisers, insurers, tax authorities, or law enforcement agencies. In these cases, the recipient will determine their own lawful basis for processing.

We do not sell personal data. We do not share customer information with unrelated third parties for their own marketing purposes.

6. International Transfers

If personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other legally approved transfer mechanisms. We take steps to ensure that any international transfer provides a level of protection consistent with UK data protection law.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the reason for processing. In general:

customer service records are kept for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards;
invoice, accounting, and tax records are kept for the period required by law;
complaints and correspondence may be retained for as long as needed to handle the matter and maintain evidence of resolution;
consent-based marketing records are retained until you withdraw consent or unsubscribe.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or otherwise dispose of it in accordance with our retention practices.

8. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and limited permissions for those who need to handle personal information.

While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take reasonable steps to reduce risk and respond appropriately if an issue arises. If we become aware of a data breach that presents a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will handle it in line with our legal obligations.

9. Your Rights

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

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 – in certain circumstances, you can ask us to delete your personal data.
Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in specific situations.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – you can request certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.
Right to complain – you may raise concerns with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your rights have been infringed.

Exercising these rights is subject to legal conditions and exemptions. For example, we may not be able to delete records that we are legally required to keep.

10. Cookies and Similar Technologies

If we use online systems that place cookies or similar technologies, these may be used for essential site functionality, analytics, or security. Where consent is required, we will seek it before placing non-essential cookies. You can manage cookies through your browser settings, though some features may not function properly if cookies are disabled.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is provided incidentally in connection with a property or service request, and only where appropriate and lawful. If we become aware that we have collected such data in error, we will take reasonable 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 duties, or operational practices. Any updates will take effect when published or otherwise communicated where appropriate. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how their data is handled.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Belgravia Carpetcleaning respects your privacy and aims to process personal data responsibly, securely, and transparently. We collect only what is needed to provide our services, use it only for lawful purposes, share it only with trusted processors or when required by law, and retain it only for as long as necessary. You retain meaningful rights over your personal information, and we will respond to requests in line with applicable data protection law.