Privacy Policy - Freezywater Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Freezywater Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with our carpet cleaning services. It applies to all Freezywater Carpet Cleaners customers in area, including prospective customers, booked customers, and anyone who communicates with us about our services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Freezywater Carpet Cleaners acts as the data controller for personal data collected in the course of providing our services. This means we determine the purposes and means of processing personal data relating to our customers and service enquiries. We only collect and use personal data where it is necessary for the operation of our business and the delivery of our services.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect different categories of personal data depending on how you interact with us. The information we collect may include:

Identity information such as your name and, where relevant, business name.
Contact information such as your address, telephone number, and email address.
Service details such as property access information, preferred appointment times, cleaning requirements, and notes about the items or areas to be cleaned.
Payment information such as payment confirmation or billing-related records.
Communication records including messages, call notes, complaint records, and service updates.
Technical data that may be collected when you use digital forms or systems, such as device information, IP address, or browser type, where applicable.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and lawful to do so. If such information is ever provided to us inadvertently, we will treat it with appropriate care and only process it where there is a valid legal basis.

3. How We Collect Personal Data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

request a quotation or make an enquiry;
book a service or amend an appointment;
communicate with us by phone, email, form, or message;
make a payment or discuss an invoice;
submit a complaint, feedback, or request for support.

We may also receive data from third parties where necessary for service delivery, such as landlords, letting agents, property managers, or business customers who arrange services on your behalf. In such cases, those parties are responsible for ensuring they have a lawful basis to share your personal data with us.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We only process personal data when we have a lawful basis under UK GDPR. Depending on the circumstances, our lawful bases include:

Performance of a contract – processing is necessary to provide a quote, arrange an appointment, deliver carpet cleaning services, manage bookings, and take payment.
Legitimate interests – processing may be necessary for running our business, responding to customer enquiries, improving our services, maintaining records, preventing fraud, and handling operational matters, provided our interests do not override your rights and freedoms.
Legal obligation – processing may be necessary to comply with tax, accounting, health and safety, and other legal requirements.
Consent – where required, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain direct marketing communications. You may withdraw consent at any time.

We will always ensure that the basis we rely on is appropriate to the purpose for which the data is used.

5. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations and respond to enquiries;
to schedule and deliver carpet cleaning services;
to manage customer accounts and service history;
to process payments and issue invoices or receipts;
to communicate about appointments, service updates, and customer support;
to handle complaints, disputes, and feedback;
to meet legal, tax, and regulatory obligations;
to maintain records for business administration and service quality;
to protect our business, staff, customers, and property from misuse or unlawful activity.

We will not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with those listed above unless we have a lawful basis to do so and, where necessary, we inform you appropriately.

6. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties that act as our processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. These third parties only process data on our instructions or where they have their own legal basis to do so. Our processors may include:

Booking and scheduling providers that help manage appointments and customer records.
Payment service providers that process card or online payment transactions.
IT and cloud storage providers that support secure data hosting, backup, and email systems.
Accountants and professional advisers who assist with tax, financial, or legal obligations.
Customer communication tools used to send confirmations, reminders, or service messages.

We require processors to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data and to process it only in accordance with our instructions and applicable law. Where data is shared with independent controllers, such as insurers or regulatory bodies, they are responsible for their own compliance.

7. Data Retention

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

Customer and service records are generally retained for the duration of the customer relationship and for a reasonable period afterward.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Complaint and communication records may be kept for a period needed to resolve issues, defend legal claims, or maintain service quality.
Marketing records are retained until you opt out or withdraw consent, where consent is the basis used.

When personal data is no longer needed, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in a safe manner.

8. Data Security

We take appropriate measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our data handling practices. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to keep your information safe and to reduce the risk of misuse.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These may include:

The right to be informed about how your data is used.
The right of access to obtain a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
The right to rectification to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
The right to erasure, also known as the right to be forgotten, in certain circumstances.
The right to restrict processing in certain situations.
The right to data portability for data you provided to us, where applicable.
The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Rights in relation to automated decision-making, where such processing applies.

These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal exceptions. If you wish to exercise any of your rights, we will review your request and respond in line with applicable data protection law.

Marketing Choices

If we send marketing communications, you may object at any time or withdraw consent where consent was used. You will not be required to receive promotional communications as a condition of receiving our cleaning services.

10. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will take steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place and that the transfer complies with applicable data protection law. Such safeguards may include adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections.

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 incidentally provided by an adult customer in connection with household services. If we become aware that we have collected children’s data without appropriate authority, we will take reasonable steps to delete it or otherwise process it lawfully.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data handling practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is used.

13. How We Apply This Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to all Freezywater Carpet Cleaners customers in area and to anyone who contacts us about our carpet cleaning services. By engaging with our services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed in accordance with this policy and applicable law. We aim to keep our data practices clear, proportionate, and privacy-focused, while delivering a reliable service to our customers.

Last updated: This policy is intended to reflect GDPR-compliant principles for the handling of customer data by Freezywater Carpet Cleaners.