Privacy Policy - Mitcham Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Mitcham Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with the services we provide. It applies to all Mitcham Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including prospective customers, existing customers, and individuals who enquire about our services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Mitcham Carpet Cleaners provides carpet cleaning 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 about our customers and prospects. This means we determine why and how personal data is processed.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary for the provision, administration, and improvement of our services. The categories of data we may collect include:

Identity data such as your name and, where relevant, the name of your business.
Contact data such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details including information about the type of cleaning requested, property access details, preferred appointments, and service history.
Payment and transaction data such as payment status, billing records, and invoice details.
Communication data including messages, enquiries, complaints, feedback, and notes relating to customer service.
Technical data if you contact us electronically, such as device, browser, and usage information where it is needed for security or service functionality.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless you choose to provide it to us and it is necessary for a specific service or legal obligation. If such information is provided, we will treat it with additional care and only process it where permitted by law.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotations.
To schedule, deliver, and manage cleaning services.
To process payments and maintain financial records.
To communicate service updates, booking details, and operational changes.
To handle complaints, feedback, and customer support requests.
To maintain safety, security, and quality standards.
To comply with legal, regulatory, tax, and accounting obligations.
To protect our business, property, staff, and customers from fraud or misuse.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another compatible purpose and the law allows us to do so.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under GDPR, we must identify a lawful basis for each type of processing. Mitcham Carpet Cleaners relies on the following lawful bases:

Performance of a Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes taking bookings, providing cleaning services, processing payments, and managing service-related communications.

Legal Obligation

We process some personal data where we must comply with legal requirements, such as tax records, accounting duties, insurance obligations, and responses to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where your rights and interests do not override those interests. This may include managing customer relationships, improving our services, preventing fraud, maintaining records, and ensuring the security of our operations. When we rely on legitimate interests, we assess the impact on your privacy and aim to use the least intrusive method available.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where it is required by law for a specific type of communication or optional processing. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal.

5. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us run our business and deliver services. These third parties act as processors when they process data on our behalf and under our instructions. Examples may include:

Payment service providers and invoicing systems.
IT support, cloud storage, and business software providers.
Customer communication and scheduling tools.
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, and legal advisers.
Public authorities, regulators, or law enforcement where required by law.

We require processors to protect personal data and to process it only in line with our instructions and applicable data protection law. We do not sell personal data.

6. 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. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the reason for processing.

In general, we may keep:

Customer and booking records for as long as needed to manage services and resolve queries.
Payment and invoice records for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Communication records for a reasonable period to maintain service quality and handle disputes.

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

7. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures are designed to reflect the nature of the data and the risks involved in processing it. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to maintain a high standard of protection.

8. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have rights under data protection law. Subject to certain conditions and exemptions, you may have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you.
Rectification of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Erasure of your data in certain circumstances.
Restriction of processing in certain situations.
Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Data portability for information you have provided to us in structured, commonly used formats where applicable.
Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

You also have the right to raise concerns with the relevant supervisory authority if you believe your data has been processed unlawfully. We encourage you to contact us first so we can address any issue directly and promptly.

9. Cookies and Similar Technologies

If we use cookies or similar technologies in connection with digital services, they will be used only where necessary, or where appropriate consent has been obtained. Such technologies may help with security, basic functionality, and user experience. You can manage cookies through your browser settings.

10. International Transfers

If any personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place so that the data remains protected in line with GDPR requirements. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are not aimed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidentally provided by an adult customer in the course of arranging services. Where this occurs, we will only process the data as necessary and lawfully.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or data processing practices. Any updates will apply from the date they take effect. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their personal data is handled.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Mitcham Carpet Cleaners is committed to processing personal data with respect, integrity, and accountability. We collect only what is necessary, use it for clear and lawful purposes, retain it for appropriate periods, and share it only with trusted processors or where required by law. Your privacy matters to us, and we aim to make our data practices clear, fair, and secure at all times.