Privacy Policy - Malden Rushett Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Malden Rushett Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all customers of Malden Rushett Carpet Cleaners in the area, including individuals who request quotes, make bookings, receive services, or otherwise interact with us in connection with carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, stain treatment, and related domestic or commercial cleaning services.

We are committed to handling personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy is intended to be clear and transparent so that you understand what information we collect and why we collect it.

1. Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for providing our services, managing customer relationships, meeting legal obligations, and improving service quality. The type of information we may collect includes:

• Identity data such as your name and, where relevant, company name.
• Contact data such as address, email address, and telephone number.
• Service details such as property access notes, cleaning instructions, preferred appointment times, and information about the areas or items to be cleaned.
• Transaction data such as records of quotes, invoices, payments, refunds, and payment status.
• Communication data such as messages, enquiries, complaints, feedback, and service-related correspondence.
• Technical data where applicable, such as limited information from emails or digital forms used to secure and manage our records.

We do not seek to collect special category personal data unless it is strictly necessary and you have provided it voluntarily in a context where it is relevant. If such information is ever provided to us, we will handle it with enhanced care and only use it where a lawful basis applies.

Most information is provided directly by you when you request a service, make an enquiry, confirm a booking, or communicate with us. We may also receive information from third parties where necessary to deliver our services, such as a landlord, managing agent, or another person arranging cleaning on your behalf.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• to provide quotations and respond to enquiries;
• to schedule and carry out cleaning services;
• to manage customer accounts and booking records;
• to issue invoices, process payments, and maintain financial records;
• to communicate about appointments, service changes, or follow-up matters;
• to deal with complaints, disputes, or service issues;
• to maintain internal records and service history;
• to improve our services and customer experience;
• to comply with legal, tax, and accounting obligations;
• to protect our business, staff, and customers from fraud or misuse.

We will only use your personal data for purposes that are compatible with the reasons it was collected. If we need to use it for a new purpose that is materially different, we will make sure a lawful basis applies and, where required, notify you.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. Depending on the situation, we rely on one or more of the following bases:

Contract

We process your data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes responding to booking requests, delivering cleaning services, taking payment, and providing service-related updates.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include maintaining records, improving services, handling customer support, preventing fraud, and managing business operations. Where we rely on this basis, we take steps to ensure the processing is proportionate and limited to what is needed.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain records to comply with legal obligations, including tax law, accounting rules, insurance requirements, and regulatory duties.

Consent

In limited situations, we may ask for your consent, for example where we need permission to use certain optional information. If we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time, although this will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary for the operation of our services. These parties act either as independent controllers or as processors acting on our instructions. We require processors to handle personal data securely and only for the purposes we specify.

Examples of processors or service providers may include:

• payment service providers that help process card or electronic payments;
• bookkeeping and accounting providers who assist with invoicing and tax records;
• IT and data storage providers who host secure systems or backup data;
• communication providers used to send service-related messages;
• customer management tools used to organise bookings and service notes.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, by a court order, or to prevent fraud, manage risk, or protect the rights, property, or safety of our business, staff, customers, or others.

Where personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place so that your information remains protected in line with UK data protection law.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. The exact retention period depends on the type of information and the reason for processing it.

• Quotation and enquiry records may be kept for a reasonable period to manage follow-up and business administration.
• Booking and service records may be retained for the duration of the customer relationship and for a period afterwards to address queries or complaints.
• Financial records are typically retained in line with tax and accounting obligations.
• Communication records may be kept where needed for service history, dispute resolution, or business protection.

When personal data is no longer required, it will be securely deleted, destroyed, or anonymised where appropriate.

6. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our record-handling practices.

Although no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to reduce risk and ensure that any personal data we handle is treated with care. If a data breach occurs that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will deal with it in accordance with applicable law.

7. Your Rights

As a data subject under UK GDPR, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to legal limitations and exceptions, but we will always consider your request carefully.

• Right of access – you may request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and request a copy of it.
• Right to rectification – you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to erasure – you may request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to restriction – you may ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
• Right to object – you may object to processing based on legitimate interests in some situations.
• Right to data portability – you may request certain information in a structured, commonly used format where technically applicable.
• Right to withdraw consent – where consent is the basis for processing, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you believe your data protection rights have been infringed, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection matters. We encourage you to raise concerns with us first so we can try to resolve them promptly.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is necessary in the context of providing services at a property and where lawful grounds exist. If we become aware that we have collected data unlawfully, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, 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 so that you remain informed about how your information is handled.

10. Summary of Key Points

Malden Rushett Carpet Cleaners collects only the information needed to provide carpet cleaning and related services, manage bookings, handle payments, and comply with legal obligations. We process data under lawful bases including contract, legitimate interests, legal obligation, and consent where relevant. Personal data is kept only as long as necessary, shared only with trusted processors or where required by law, and protected using appropriate security measures.

By using our services, requesting a quote, or making a booking, you acknowledge that your personal data will be handled in accordance with this Privacy Policy.