Privacy Policy - Merton Carpetcleaning

This Privacy Policy explains how Merton Carpetcleaning collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Merton Carpetcleaning customers in area and to anyone who contacts us, requests a quotation, books a service, or otherwise uses our cleaning services. We are committed to processing personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Merton Carpetcleaning provides carpet cleaning and related domestic or commercial cleaning services. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as the data controller for the personal information we collect and use in the course of delivering our services and managing customer relationships.

2. Information We Collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary for the purposes described in this policy. The information we may collect includes:

Identity details such as your name and title.
Contact details such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information such as property details, room or area sizes, cleaning preferences, appointment notes, and access instructions.
Communication records such as emails, messages, call notes, complaint records, and feedback.
Billing and transaction information such as invoice details, payment status, and service history.
Technical data where relevant, such as basic website usage data or device information if you interact with our online services.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you have provided it voluntarily, for example if you share information relevant to access needs, allergies, or health-related cleaning concerns. Where such data is processed, we will apply additional safeguards.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and respond to enquiries.
To schedule, manage, and deliver carpet cleaning services.
To communicate about appointments, changes, or service updates.
To issue invoices, process payments, and maintain financial records.
To handle complaints, service issues, and customer support requests.
To maintain internal records, improve service quality, and train staff.
To comply with legal, accounting, insurance, and regulatory obligations.
To defend or establish legal claims where necessary.

We will only use your personal data in ways that are compatible with the purpose for which it was collected, unless we reasonably determine that we need to use it for another lawful and compatible purpose.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only where we have a valid lawful basis under GDPR. The lawful bases we rely on are:

Contract

We process data that is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotations, confirming bookings, delivering cleaning services, and managing payments.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. This may include improving our services, handling customer enquiries, preventing fraud, and maintaining business records. We always consider the impact on your privacy before relying on this basis.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal information when necessary to comply with applicable legal duties, such as tax, accounting, insurance, or record-keeping requirements.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where you choose to provide optional information or agree to particular forms of communication. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties only when necessary and in a manner consistent with this policy. These third parties may act as processors on our behalf or as independent controllers where required by law.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

Accounting and bookkeeping providers.
Payment processing services.
IT support, data storage, and email service providers.
Customer management or scheduling tools.
Professional advisers such as legal or insurance advisers.

Where we use processors, we require them to process personal data only on our instructions, to keep it secure, and to comply with data protection law. We do not sell your personal data. We will not share your information with third parties for their own marketing purposes unless you have given explicit consent or we are otherwise permitted by law.

6. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, the UK International Data Transfer Agreement, or other lawful transfer mechanisms. These safeguards are intended to protect your data to a standard consistent with UK data protection requirements.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. The retention period depends on the type of data and the reason we hold it.

Customer and service records are typically retained for the duration of the business relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law and accounting standards.
Complaints or dispute records may be retained longer where needed to resolve issues or defend legal claims.
Consent-based information is kept only until consent is withdrawn or it is no longer needed.

When data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in a safe and controlled manner.

8. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of data handling practices. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to keep your information protected and to respond promptly to any identified risks.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. Depending on the circumstances, these may include the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you.
Rectify inaccurate or incomplete information.
Erase your data in certain situations.
Restrict how we use your data in specific circumstances.
Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Data portability for data you have provided to us where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
Withdraw consent where we rely on consent for processing.

You also have the right to be informed about how your data is used and the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage you to raise any concerns with us first so we can address them directly and promptly.

10. Automated Decision-Making

We do not make decisions about you based solely on automated processing that produce legal or similarly significant effects. If this changes in the future, we will update this policy and provide appropriate information about the logic involved and your rights.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidental and necessary for household service delivery. If we become aware that data has been collected unlawfully from a child, we will take steps to delete it as appropriate.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or business operations. Any updates will take effect once published in the revised version. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal data.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Merton Carpetcleaning respects your privacy and is committed to handling personal data responsibly. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and lawful purposes, retain it only as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or where required by law. We aim to ensure that every customer in area receives a service that is not only professional and effective, but also privacy-conscious and fully aligned with data protection principles.