Privacy Policy - Richmond Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Richmond Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Richmond Cleaners customers in the area, including individuals who use our services in person, by phone, or through any other ordering method. We are committed to handling 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.

By using our services, you acknowledge that we may process personal data as described in this policy. We only collect data that is necessary for providing our services, managing our business, meeting legal obligations, and improving customer experience. We do not sell personal data.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect and process different types of personal data depending on how you interact with Richmond Cleaners. The categories of information we collect may include:

Identity data such as your name, and where relevant, details needed to identify your order.
Contact data such as billing address, service address, and communication preferences.
Transaction data such as service history, payment status, invoices, and records of purchases.
Service data such as garment details, special cleaning instructions, stain treatment notes, and collection or delivery preferences.
Financial data such as payment method information, where necessary for processing payments through secure providers.
Communication data such as messages, complaints, feedback, and customer support records.
Technical data where applicable, such as limited device or usage information if you use digital services connected to our operations.

We may also collect data indirectly, for example from a person placing an order on your behalf or from a payment processor confirming a transaction. Where we receive personal data about another person, we rely on the person providing that information to ensure they have authority to share it.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide dry cleaning, laundry, tailoring, pressing, collection, and delivery services.
To manage bookings, orders, account records, and payment processing.
To follow your instructions regarding garment care and handling.
To communicate with you about your order, including updates, clarifications, and service-related issues.
To respond to enquiries, complaints, and requests.
To maintain internal records and business administration.
To detect and prevent fraud, misuse, or security incidents.
To comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory requirements.
To improve the quality and efficiency of our services.

We only use personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably determine that it is needed for a compatible purpose or another lawful reason applies. We will never use your data in a way that is incompatible with the expectations of our customers or the law.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. Richmond Cleaners relies on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to perform our contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract. This includes handling your orders, processing payments, and providing the cleaning services you request.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data where necessary to comply with legal obligations, such as tax rules, accounting requirements, recordkeeping duties, or lawful requests from public authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include managing our operations, improving services, maintaining security, preventing fraud, and keeping appropriate business records. When we rely on legitimate interests, we ensure that the processing is proportionate and limited to what is needed.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where consent is required for certain types of marketing communication or optional services. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

We do not normally process special category data unless it is necessary and permitted by law. If you provide information that may reveal sensitive personal details, we will only handle it where a lawful condition applies and it is necessary for the service requested.

4. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, including legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. The retention period depends on the type of data and the reason for processing.

Order and transaction records are generally kept for a period needed to manage service history and comply with financial recordkeeping obligations.
Communication and complaint records are retained long enough to resolve issues, maintain quality assurance, and document decisions.
Service notes related to garments may be retained for a limited period to assist with future service delivery and handling instructions.
Where consent is the lawful basis, the data is kept until consent is withdrawn or until it is no longer required for the agreed purpose.

When data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or otherwise dispose of it in accordance with applicable law and good business practice. Retention is always limited to what is necessary and proportionate.

5. Processors and Data Sharing

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as data processors or independent controllers, but only when necessary and with appropriate safeguards. Processors are required to handle personal data in accordance with our instructions and data protection law.

Examples of processors or third-party service providers may include:

Payment service providers that process card or other payment transactions securely.
IT and system support providers that help maintain our business software and data storage.
Delivery or logistics partners that assist with collection and drop-off services.
Professional advisers such as accountants, auditors, or legal advisers where necessary.
Cloud storage or backup providers used to protect and maintain business records.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, regulation, court order, or government authority. If a business asset is sold, transferred, or restructured, personal data may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to legal protections.

Where data is transferred to a processor, we ensure a suitable written agreement is in place. We assess the security and privacy practices of those providers to reduce risks to your information.

6. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include restricted access, secure storage, staff training, and careful handling of customer records.

Although no system is completely secure, we work to reduce risks and monitor our procedures regularly. If a personal data breach occurs and we are legally required to do so, we will notify the relevant authority and affected individuals without undue delay.

7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have rights over your personal data. These rights may include:

Right of access – to request 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 request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – to request transfer of certain data in a structured format where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office if you are unhappy with how we handle your personal data. Before doing so, we encourage you to raise any concerns with us so we can try to resolve the matter promptly.

We may need to verify your identity before responding to a rights request. This is to protect your data and prevent unauthorised disclosure.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adult customers and general household or business use. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is provided by a parent, guardian, or authorised adult in connection with a service request. If we become aware that we have collected data inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it where required.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or service arrangements. 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 data is handled.

Summary: Richmond Cleaners processes customer data lawfully, retains it only as needed, uses trusted processors, and respects all GDPR rights for customers in the area.