Privacy Policy

Sudbury Carpet Cleaners is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in the Sudbury area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information in connection with our carpet cleaning and related services. It applies to all Sudbury Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including prospective customers, existing customers, and individuals who contact us to request a quote or service.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Sudbury Carpet Cleaners acts as the data controller for the personal information we collect and process. This means we determine why and how your personal data is used. We are committed to handling your information lawfully, fairly, and transparently in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Information We Collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary to provide our services, manage customer relationships, and comply with legal obligations. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, business name.
Contact details such as your address, phone number, and email address.
Service details including property access information, cleaning preferences, stain or fabric notes, and service history.
Payment information such as transaction records and payment confirmation details.
Communication records including enquiries, complaints, feedback, and correspondence.
Technical information where we receive it through electronic communications, such as basic device or message metadata.

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 that affects access arrangements or service suitability. Where such data is involved, we will handle it with additional care and only process it where a valid legal condition applies.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and assess service requirements.
To deliver carpet cleaning and related services safely and effectively.
To manage bookings, scheduling, and customer records.
To process payments and issue receipts or invoices.
To respond to enquiries, requests, or complaints.
To maintain our business records and improve service quality.
To meet our legal, tax, accounting, and insurance obligations.

We only process personal data for clear and legitimate purposes. We use data minimisation principles, which means we seek to collect and retain only the information needed for a specific purpose.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to use your personal information. Sudbury Carpet Cleaners relies on the following lawful bases, depending on the context:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes taking bookings, delivering services, and managing payments.

Legal Obligation

We may process information to comply with legal duties, such as tax record keeping, accounting requirements, or responding to lawful requests from public authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data for our legitimate business interests where these do not override your rights and freedoms. This may include maintaining service records, handling customer communications, preventing fraud, and improving our operations.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where processing is optional and not required for the service. If we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing Your Information and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to operate our business, provide services, or meet legal obligations. These third parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the circumstance.

Processors may include:

Payment service providers that handle card or electronic payments.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that support financial administration.
IT and cloud storage providers that host or maintain our records and systems.
Communication service providers that help us manage messages and customer correspondence.
Professional advisers such as insurers, legal advisers, or auditors where necessary.

We require processors to handle personal data securely, use it only for authorised purposes, and comply with relevant data protection obligations. We do not sell personal data. We will only disclose information where necessary, proportionate, and lawful.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as it is needed for the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law. Retention periods may vary depending on the nature of the information and the legal or business need to keep it.

Customer service records are typically kept for the duration of the working relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and transaction records are kept for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
Communication records may be retained to resolve disputes, evidence agreements, or improve service handling.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention practices. We do not keep data indefinitely.

7. Security of Your Data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against accidental loss, unauthorised access, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include restricted access, secure storage, password protection, and staff awareness procedures. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a level of protection appropriate to the nature of the data we process.

8. Your Rights

As a data subject under UK GDPR, you have a number of rights regarding your personal data. Subject to legal conditions and exemptions, you may have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you.
Rectify inaccurate or incomplete information.
Erase your data in certain circumstances.
Restrict our processing in certain situations.
Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
Data portability where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

You also have the right to be informed about how your data is used and the right not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing where that applies. If you exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding.

9. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect it. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent legal mechanisms. We will only make international transfers where necessary and lawful.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and businesses arranging cleaning services. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children in the ordinary course of business. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected such data, we will take appropriate steps to delete it where required.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, service arrangements, or operational practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is issued. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their personal data is handled.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Sudbury Carpet Cleaners respects your privacy and seeks to handle personal data responsibly, securely, and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it for clear purposes, retain it for limited periods, and share it only when necessary with trusted processors. We also recognise and respect your rights under data protection law.

By using our services, you acknowledge that this Privacy Policy applies to all Sudbury Carpet Cleaners customers in the area.