Privacy Policy - Westminster Carpet Cleaners

Westminster Carpet Cleaners is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in the Westminster area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. It applies to all Westminster Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including residential and commercial clients who use our services or interact with us in connection with a booking, enquiry, or completed service.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Westminster Carpet Cleaners acts as the data controller for the personal information we collect and process in connection with our services. This means we decide why and how personal data is used, and we are responsible for ensuring that it is handled lawfully, fairly, and transparently.

2. Personal Data We Collect

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

Identity information such as your name.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details such as property type, cleaning requirements, appointment preferences, and service history.
Payment information such as payment status, billing records, and transaction references.
Communication records such as enquiries, complaints, feedback, and correspondence.
Technical information if you interact with us through digital systems, such as basic device or usage data collected for security and service improvement purposes.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and you provide it voluntarily, or it is otherwise required for a specific service. If such information is ever needed, it will be handled with additional care and only where a lawful basis applies.

3. How We Collect Personal Data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

request a quote or make a booking;
communicate with us by phone, email, or other means;
provide service instructions or access details;
complete a payment or request an invoice;
submit a complaint or feedback.

We may also receive personal information from third parties when necessary, such as payment service providers, booking systems, or referral partners acting on your behalf.

4. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data only for legitimate business and legal purposes. These include:

arranging and delivering carpet cleaning services;
confirming bookings and service appointments;
processing payments and maintaining financial records;
responding to enquiries and customer support requests;
managing disputes, complaints, or follow-up service matters;
improving service quality and operational efficiency;
meeting legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
protecting our business, customers, staff, and property from fraud or misuse.

We do not sell personal data. We also do not use personal data for unrelated purposes unless we have a lawful basis to do so and, where required, we have informed you.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

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

Contract – when processing is necessary to provide a quote, make a booking, deliver a service, or manage payments and customer support connected to the service.
Legal obligation – when we are required to keep records for tax, accounting, insurance, or other regulatory requirements.
Legitimate interests – when processing is necessary for our business operations, fraud prevention, service improvement, record keeping, or handling customer communications, provided these interests do not override your rights and freedoms.
Consent – where we need your permission for specific activities and you have a genuine choice, such as optional marketing communications where applicable.

Where consent is relied upon, you can withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal.

6. Data Retention

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

Typical retention approach

Customer booking and service records are usually retained for a reasonable period after the service is completed to handle queries, follow-up issues, and business records.
Financial and invoice records are retained for the period required under tax and accounting rules.
Correspondence and complaint records may be kept for longer where needed to resolve disputes or demonstrate compliance.
Marketing preferences are retained until you tell us to change or withdraw them, or until they are no longer needed.

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you.

7. Data Processors and Sharing

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as data processors on our behalf. These organisations process data only under our instructions and are required to keep it secure and confidential. Examples may include:

payment processing providers;
booking and scheduling systems;
IT and cloud storage providers;
accounting and bookkeeping services;
customer communication or administrative support tools;
professional advisers, such as insurers, auditors, or legal advisers, where necessary.

We may also share data where required by law, court order, or a regulatory authority. If a business transfer or restructuring occurs, personal data may be transferred as part of that process, subject to appropriate safeguards.

Westminster Carpet Cleaners takes care to only use processors that provide adequate security measures and appropriate data protection commitments. We do not permit processors to use your data for their own independent purposes.

8. International Transfers

In some cases, personal data may be stored or processed outside the United Kingdom if a service provider uses systems located elsewhere. Where this happens, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other legally approved transfer mechanisms.

9. Data Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff training, and limiting access to only those who need the information for legitimate business purposes. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we aim to maintain a level of protection appropriate to the risks involved.

10. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply in full or in part depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis used 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 information.
Right to erasure – in certain cases, you can ask us to delete your personal data.
Right to restrict processing – you can request limits on how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests, and in some cases to direct marketing.
Right to data portability – where applicable, you can request that we provide your data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will review your request in line with legal requirements and respond within the relevant timeframe. We may need to verify your identity before completing your request.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children as part of our normal operations. If we become aware that we have collected such information inadvertently, we will take appropriate steps to delete it unless we are required to retain it by law.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, our services, or our internal practices. Any updated version will replace the previous one from the date it becomes effective. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Westminster Carpet Cleaners is committed to using personal data responsibly, securely, and only when necessary. We collect only the information needed to provide and manage our services, process it under a valid lawful basis, keep it for no longer than required, share it only with trusted processors or where legally necessary, and respect your rights under UK data protection law. This policy applies to all Westminster Carpet Cleaners customers in the area and is designed to ensure transparency, fairness, and accountability in everything we do.