Soot Happens Ltd When Soot Happens, We Clean It Up!

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 24th October 2025

1. Introduction

Soot Happens Ltd ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our chimney sweeping services and visit our website.

Data Controller: Soot Happens Ltd, a company operating in Kent, United Kingdom.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information You Provide

When you book our services, we collect:

  • Contact Details: Name, email address, phone number
  • Address Information: Full address and postcode where the service will be performed
  • Booking Details: Preferred date and time, number of chimneys, special requirements
  • Marketing Preferences: Whether you consent to receive marketing communications

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

  • Cookies: We use cookies as described in our Cookie Policy
  • Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, browser type, IP address (anonymized for analytics)
  • Device Information: Device type, operating system, screen resolution

2.3 Location Data

We collect your postcode to:

  • Determine if you're within our service area
  • Calculate travel times for scheduling
  • Optimize our service routes

We use the Postcodes.io API (a free, open-source service) to validate and geocode UK postcodes. No personal data is shared with this service.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

3.1 Service Provision (Legal Basis: Contract)

  • Processing and managing your booking
  • Scheduling and routing our service visits
  • Sending booking confirmations and reminders via SMS and email
  • Providing customer support
  • Processing payments

3.2 Legal Obligations (Legal Basis: Legal Requirement)

  • Maintaining records for tax and accounting purposes
  • Complying with health and safety regulations
  • Responding to legal requests

3.3 Marketing (Legal Basis: Consent)

  • Sending promotional offers and service updates (only if you opted in)
  • Sending service reminders about annual chimney maintenance

You can withdraw consent at any time by clicking "unsubscribe" in our emails or contacting us directly.

3.4 Business Improvement (Legal Basis: Legitimate Interest)

  • Analyzing booking patterns to optimize scheduling
  • Improving our website and booking system
  • Understanding customer preferences

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We may share your information with:

4.1 Service Providers

  • SMS Provider: For sending booking confirmations and reminders (Twilio)
  • Email Service: For sending booking confirmations and communications
  • Mapping Services: Google Maps (only when you view location information)
  • Postcode Validation: Postcodes.io (no personal data shared - only postcodes)

4.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or to protect our legal rights.

4.3 Business Transfers

If our business is sold or merged, your data may be transferred to the new owner, who must continue to use it in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy:

  • Active Bookings: Retained until service is completed and payment received
  • Completed Bookings: Retained for 7 years for tax and accounting purposes
  • Marketing Data: Retained until you withdraw consent or request deletion
  • Cookies: As specified in our Cookie Policy (up to 365 days for consent, 30 days for booking data)

After the retention period, your data will be securely deleted or anonymized.

6. Your Rights Under GDPR

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

6.1 Right to Access

You can request a copy of all personal data we hold about you (Subject Access Request).

6.2 Right to Rectification

You can request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.

6.3 Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten")

You can request deletion of your data, except where we have a legal obligation to retain it (e.g., for tax purposes).

6.4 Right to Restrict Processing

You can request we limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.

6.5 Right to Data Portability

You can request your data in a machine-readable format to transfer to another service provider.

6.6 Right to Object

You can object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.

6.7 Right to Withdraw Consent

Where we process data based on consent (e.g., marketing), you can withdraw consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 11.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data:

  • Encryption: All data transmitted between your browser and our website is encrypted using HTTPS/TLS
  • Access Controls: Only authorized personnel can access your data
  • Password Protection: Admin accounts use strong passwords and secure authentication
  • Regular Backups: Data is backed up regularly to prevent loss
  • Secure Storage: Data is stored on secure servers with firewall protection

While we take all reasonable precautions, no system is completely secure. If you believe your data has been compromised, please contact us immediately.

8. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites (e.g., Google Maps, social media). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these websites. Please review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

9. Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal data, please contact us so we can delete it.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when the policy was last revised.

We will notify you of significant changes by:

  • Posting a notice on our website
  • Sending an email to registered customers (for material changes)

Your continued use of our services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your data rights, or have concerns about how we handle your data, please contact us:

  • Company: Soot Happens Ltd
  • Email: [Your email address]
  • Website: https://soothappens.uk

11.1 Complaints

If you are not satisfied with how we handle your data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK supervisory authority:

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