Privacy Policy - Fortis Green Carpet Cleaners

Fortis Green Carpet Cleaners is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of our customers. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data when we provide carpet cleaning and related services. It applies to all Fortis Green Carpet Cleaners customers in area and is designed to comply with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This policy should be read carefully so you understand how your information is handled. By using our services, you acknowledge that your data will be processed in accordance with this policy and applicable law.

1. Who We Are

Fortis Green Carpet Cleaners provides professional carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, stain treatment, and related property care services. For the purposes of data protection law, we are the data controller for the personal data we collect and use in connection with our services.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data necessary to operate our business, deliver our services, manage customer relationships, and meet legal obligations. The categories of data we may collect include:

Identity data such as your name and title.
Contact data such as your address, phone number, and email address.
Service data such as booking details, service history, property access notes, and cleaning preferences.
Payment data such as payment status and transaction references. We do not store full card details where a third-party payment processor is used.
Communication data such as emails, messages, call notes, complaints, and feedback.
Technical data where applicable, such as device or browser information if you interact with digital booking tools.
Special category data only where it is knowingly provided by you and necessary for service delivery, for example information about allergies, sensitivities, or health-related access needs. We process this data only with appropriate safeguards and, where required, your explicit consent.

We do not knowingly collect more information than is needed for the purposes described in this policy. We also aim to keep personal data accurate and up to date.

3. How We Collect Data

We may collect personal data in the following ways:

Directly from you when you request a quote, make a booking, ask a question, or provide feedback.
From your communications with us by phone, email, text, or other messaging methods.
From third parties who help us provide services, such as payment providers, booking platforms, or referral partners.
Automatically through digital systems, where applicable, for example basic usage data from online forms or booking tools.

If you provide information about another person, you confirm that you have permission to do so and that they understand how their data will be used.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only when we have a lawful basis under data protection law. Depending on the situation, we rely on one or more of the following legal bases:

Contract – processing is necessary to provide a quotation, arrange a booking, deliver cleaning services, and manage related customer requests.
Legal obligation – processing is necessary to meet accounting, tax, insurance, or other legal requirements.
Legitimate interests – processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as improving services, handling service enquiries, preventing fraud, and maintaining customer records, provided these interests do not override your rights and freedoms.
Consent – where we ask for your permission to process certain data, such as optional marketing communications or special category information beyond what is strictly necessary.

Important: where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and confirm bookings.
To carry out carpet cleaning and related services safely and effectively.
To manage customer communication and respond to enquiries.
To process payments and maintain financial records.
To keep service records and handle follow-up requests or complaints.
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations.
To improve our services, quality control, and operational planning.
To send marketing messages only where lawful and appropriate, and where you have not opted out.

We take a data minimisation approach, meaning we use only the data needed for the specific purpose involved.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, or reporting obligations. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of record and the legal basis for processing.

Typical retention approach

Customer and booking records are usually retained for a period needed to manage our relationship and resolve any disputes.
Financial and invoicing records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
Complaint or claim-related records may be retained longer where needed to defend legal claims or support insurance requirements.
Marketing preferences are retained until you withdraw consent or opt out.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or destroy it.

7. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as processors on our behalf. These parties only process data under our instructions and must protect it appropriately. Examples include:

IT and cloud storage providers.
Booking and scheduling software providers.
Payment processors and invoicing systems.
Customer communication and email service providers.
Accountants, auditors, or legal advisers where necessary.
Insurance providers or claims handlers when required.

We may also share data with independent controllers where required by law, such as HMRC, courts, regulators, or law enforcement bodies.

We require processors to implement suitable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data. Where data is transferred outside the UK or EEA, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as an adequacy decision or standard contractual clauses, as required by law.

8. Data Security

We use reasonable and appropriate security measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, loss, or destruction. These may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and review of third-party service providers.

However, no system is completely secure. While we take data protection seriously, we cannot guarantee absolute security of information transmitted or stored electronically. If a data breach occurs that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will take appropriate steps in line with legal requirements.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to certain conditions and exemptions, these include:

Right of access – to ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – to ask us to delete your data where there is no lawful reason to keep it.
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format and, where applicable, have it transferred to another controller.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with applicable law. We may need to verify your identity before acting on your request.

10. Marketing Communications

We may send you service updates or relevant marketing information where permitted by law. You have the right to opt out of marketing at any time. If you do opt out, we will stop using your data for direct marketing purposes as soon as reasonably practicable.

You will always be able to object to marketing communications. We will not sell your personal data to third parties for marketing purposes.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are not intended for children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is necessary to provide services at a property and is supplied by an adult customer or authorised representative. Where children’s data may be involved, it will be handled with particular care and only where lawful.

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 protection practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically.

13. Summary of Key Commitments

Fortis Green Carpet Cleaners is committed to lawful, fair, and transparent data processing. We only collect personal data that we need, use it for clear purposes, keep it only as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or where legally required. We respect your rights and will handle requests responsibly and within the law.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Fortis Green Carpet Cleaners customers in area.