Privacy Policy - Soho Carpet Cleaners

Soho Carpet Cleaners is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information in relation to our carpet cleaning and related services. It applies to all Soho Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including individuals who request quotes, book services, make enquiries, or otherwise interact with us in connection with our services.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Soho Carpet Cleaners acts as the data controller for personal data we collect and use in the course of providing our services. This means we decide how and why your personal data is processed. We take our responsibilities seriously and aim to ensure that your information is only used when there is a valid legal reason to do so.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the information that is necessary to provide and manage our services. Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following categories of personal data:

• Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, business name
• Contact details such as address, phone number, and email address
• Service information including property details, cleaning requirements, appointment preferences, and instructions
• Billing and payment information needed to process payments and maintain records
• Communication records such as messages, notes from calls, complaints, and service feedback
• Technical information such as basic device and usage information where relevant to service booking or security

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

3. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• To provide quotes, arrange appointments, and deliver cleaning services
• To manage customer accounts, records, and service history
• To process payments, refunds, invoices, and related financial administration
• To respond to enquiries, complaints, and service requests
• To improve our services, training, and operational planning
• To maintain security, prevent fraud, and protect our business and customers
• To comply with legal obligations, including tax, accounting, and record-keeping requirements

We will only use your information in ways that are compatible with the purposes for which it was collected, unless we have a lawful basis to use it for another legitimate purpose.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR and related data protection laws, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. Soho Carpet Cleaners relies on the following lawful bases:

Performance of a Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes handling bookings, delivering carpet cleaning services, taking payment, and communicating about the services you have requested.

Legal Obligation

We may process your data where required to comply with legal obligations, such as tax law, financial record-keeping, consumer law, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided that those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include improving our services, managing our business operations, preventing fraud, and retaining records for customer service and dispute resolution. We make sure any such processing is proportionate and carefully considered.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example if it is required for a specific type of communication or optional service. Where consent is used, you have the right to withdraw it at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. Sharing Your Personal Data

We do not sell your personal data. We may share information only where necessary and appropriate for service delivery, legal compliance, or business administration. This may include the following types of processors and service providers:

• Payment processors who handle card or electronic payments securely
• IT and hosting providers who support our systems, data storage, and security
• Administrative service providers who assist with scheduling, invoicing, or record management
• Professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers, where necessary
• Regulators, law enforcement, or other authorities where we are legally required to disclose information

Where third parties process data on our behalf, they act as processors and are only permitted to use your data in accordance with our instructions and applicable law. We require appropriate confidentiality, security, and data protection commitments from such providers.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected and to meet legal, accounting, and operational requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and why it is held.

• Service and customer records may be retained for the duration of our relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards to handle queries or disputes
• Financial and transaction records are usually kept for the period required by tax and accounting laws
• Communication records may be stored for a limited time to support customer service, quality control, and complaint handling

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you. In some cases, we may retain data for longer where necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

7. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from accidental loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our data handling practices. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work hard to safeguard the information entrusted to us.

8. Your Rights

You have important rights under data protection law in relation to your personal data. Subject to legal conditions and exemptions, these rights may include:

• The right of access to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• The right to rectification to correct inaccurate or incomplete information
• The right to erasure in certain circumstances, also known as the right to be forgotten
• The right to restriction to limit how we use your data in certain situations
• The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing
• The right to data portability for data you have provided to us, where applicable
• The right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

You also have the right to raise concerns with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your rights have not been respected. We encourage you to contact us first so that we can address any issue promptly and fairly.

9. International Transfers

If any service providers process personal data outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with data protection laws. These safeguards may include approved contractual protections or other lawful transfer mechanisms.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is incidentally provided in connection with a household service. If we become aware that we have collected such data without appropriate permission, we will take reasonable steps to delete it.

11. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or data handling practices. Any revisions will take effect when published or otherwise communicated to you. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal data.

12. Summary of Our Commitments

In summary, Soho Carpet Cleaners processes personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and legitimate purposes, keep it only for as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or where the law requires. We respect your rights and are committed to maintaining the privacy and security of all customers in the area who use our services.

By using Soho Carpet Cleaners services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.