Privacy Policy

Kingston Carpet Cleaners is committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect information relating to our customers in the Kingston area. It applies to all Kingston Carpet Cleaners customers in area, including individuals who enquire about our services, receive quotations, book appointments, or use our cleaning services. We process personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Information We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for providing our services, managing our business operations, and meeting legal obligations. The information we may collect includes:

Identity information such as your name and, where needed, business or property details.
Contact information such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information including the type of cleaning requested, property access details, booking preferences, and service notes.
Payment information such as billing records and transaction details. We do not store full card details unless a secure payment provider requires processing on our behalf.
Communication records including messages, complaint details, feedback, and correspondence relating to your enquiry or service.
Technical information where relevant, such as basic website or device data if you contact us through digital channels. This may include IP address, browser type, and usage information.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless you provide it voluntarily and it is necessary for a specific reason, such as access or health-related instructions relevant to the service. If this occurs, we will apply additional safeguards and only use it where lawful and appropriate.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and assess service requirements.
To schedule, deliver, and manage cleaning services.
To communicate with you about bookings, changes, or follow-up matters.
To process payments, refunds, and invoice-related administration.
To handle complaints, disputes, and service quality matters.
To maintain internal records and support business accounting.
To comply with legal, tax, and regulatory obligations.
To improve our services and customer experience.

We will always aim to use your data in a fair, transparent, and limited way. Kingston Carpet Cleaners does not sell personal data to third parties.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. Depending on the context, we rely on the following lawful bases:

Performance of a Contract

We process your information when it is necessary to provide a quote, confirm a booking, deliver cleaning services, manage payment arrangements, or carry out obligations arising from our agreement with you.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is in our legitimate business interests and your rights do not override those interests. This includes maintaining records, responding to enquiries, improving operations, preventing fraud, and ensuring service quality. We always consider the impact on your privacy before relying on this basis.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain data where required to meet legal duties, including accounting, tax recordkeeping, insurance, and other compliance obligations.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where you provide optional information or agree to specific communications not otherwise necessary for service delivery. You may withdraw consent at any time, where consent is the lawful basis used.

4. Sharing Your Personal Data

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us run our business or provide services on our behalf. These parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the service provided. We only share the minimum information necessary and only where appropriate safeguards are in place.

Payment providers for secure transaction processing.
Booking and scheduling tools that help organise appointments and service records.
Accounting and invoicing providers to manage financial records and tax compliance.
IT and cloud service providers that store and protect our business data.
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers where necessary.
Public authorities where disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect rights, safety, or security.

All processors are required to handle data securely, act only on our instructions where applicable, and comply with data protection obligations. Where a third party acts as an independent controller, they are responsible for their own privacy practices.

5. International Transfers

Some service providers may process data outside the United Kingdom. Where this happens, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other approved transfer mechanisms. These measures are designed to protect your personal information to a standard consistent with UK data protection law.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the reason for processing.

Customer and service records are generally retained for as long as needed to manage our relationship and resolve any follow-up issues.
Financial and invoicing records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Communication records may be retained for a reasonable period to support customer service and dispute resolution.
Consent records are kept so we can demonstrate compliance and manage preferences.

When data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or otherwise dispose of it. We do not keep personal data indefinitely.

7. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from accidental loss, unlawful access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include restricted access, secure storage, password protection, staff confidentiality expectations, and regular review of our processing practices.

While no system is completely secure, we take reasonable and proportionate steps to protect the information we hold. If a personal data breach occurs that is likely to risk your rights and freedoms, we will respond in line with legal requirements.

8. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have important rights under UK GDPR. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and the legal basis for processing.

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 cases, you can request deletion of your data.
Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in some situations.
Right to data portability – where applicable, you can request your data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent – if we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in line with legal timeframes. In some cases, we may need to verify your identity before acting on your request.

9. Automated Decision-Making

We do not use fully automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects on you. If this changes in the future, we will update this policy and ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary for a lawful service arrangement and provided by an appropriate adult. If we become aware that we have collected data inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it where required.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our operations, legal requirements, or data handling practices. The latest version will apply to the use of personal data from the date it is published. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their information is handled.

12. Summary of Our Commitments

Kingston Carpet Cleaners is committed to processing personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it for clear business purposes, retain it for appropriate periods, and share it only with trusted processors or where legally required. We also respect your rights and aim to handle all personal information with care, integrity, and accountability.

This Privacy Policy applies to all customers in the Kingston area who use or enquire about our services. By engaging with us, you acknowledge that your information may be processed in the ways described above, subject always to your rights and applicable law.