Privacy Policy - Gardeners Selsdon

This Privacy Policy applies to all Gardeners Selsdon customers in the area. It explains how personal data is collected, used, stored, shared, and protected when you engage our gardening and related outdoor maintenance services. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We encourage you to read this policy carefully so that you understand what data we process, why we process it, and what rights you have. By using our services, requesting an estimate, making an enquiry, or entering into an agreement for work, you acknowledge the practices described below.

1. Who This Policy Applies To

This policy applies to individuals who use, have used, or have expressed interest in our services, including homeowners, landlords, tenants, property managers, and any person acting on behalf of a customer in the local area. It also applies to anyone whose personal data is provided to us in connection with a job, such as an alternate contact, site representative, or billing contact.

We only process personal data where there is a clear and legitimate reason to do so. Our approach is designed to protect your privacy while allowing us to deliver services efficiently, safely, and responsibly.

2. Data We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide and manage our services. Depending on the nature of your enquiry or service arrangement, this may include:

Identity details such as your name and title.
Contact details such as address, phone number, and email address.
Service information including property details, job instructions, access arrangements, and service preferences.
Billing and payment records such as invoices, payment status, and transaction references.
Communication records including emails, messages, notes from phone calls, and service-related correspondence.
Technical information if you interact with our digital systems, including device information and basic usage data where applicable.
Health or access-related information only where necessary to complete work safely, such as details about restricted access, allergies, or site hazards.

We do not intentionally collect more data than is required. If you choose to provide additional information, we will treat it in line with this policy and use it only where appropriate.

3. How We Use Your Data

Your personal data may be used for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotes or service information.
To arrange, deliver, and manage gardening and maintenance services.
To communicate about appointments, access, changes, and updates.
To issue invoices, record payments, and manage account administration.
To maintain service records and support quality control.
To comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations.
To handle complaints, disputes, and service-related concerns.
To protect our business, staff, customers, and property where necessary.

We will not use your data for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons it was collected unless required or permitted by law.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for each type of processing. Depending on the circumstances, Gardeners Selsdon may rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotes, scheduling services, carrying out work, and managing billing.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain data to meet legal obligations, including tax, accounting, record-keeping, and compliance requirements.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is reasonable and necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests do not override your rights and freedoms. Examples include service administration, record keeping, fraud prevention, and improving our operations.

Consent

Where required, we rely on your consent. This may apply to optional communications or the collection of specific information beyond what is needed for service delivery. You may withdraw consent at any time, where consent is the basis for processing.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as data processors or independent controllers, but only where necessary and in line with applicable law. These may include:

Accounting and bookkeeping processors who help manage invoices, records, and financial reporting.
Payment service providers who process transactions securely.
IT and cloud storage providers who host systems, files, and communications.
Communication and email service providers who facilitate correspondence.
Professional advisers such as legal, tax, or insurance advisers where relevant.
Regulatory, law enforcement, or public authorities where disclosure is required by law.

All processors are selected carefully and are expected to process data only on our instructions, apply appropriate security measures, and respect confidentiality. We do not sell your personal data.

6. International Transfers

If any processor stores or accesses data outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that suitable safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent protective measures permitted by law.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, or reporting obligations. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason it was collected.

Customer and service records are generally retained for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period afterward.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Communication records are kept as long as needed to manage service matters or resolve disputes.
Health, access, or safety notes are retained only for as long as necessary to support safe service delivery.

When data is no longer needed, it will be securely deleted, anonymised, or archived in accordance with our retention procedures.

8. Security of Your Information

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and careful management of digital records.

No method of transmission or storage is completely risk-free. However, we work to reduce risks and maintain safeguards suitable to the type of information we process.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you may have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

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 information.
Right to erasure – to ask us to delete personal data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction – to request limited use of your data in specific situations.
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 format where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

Some rights are subject to legal limits and exceptions. If you wish to exercise any right, we will respond in line with applicable data protection law.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and property-related customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary and lawful in the context of a household arrangement or safety-related concern. Where such data is processed, it will be handled with particular care.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business practices, or service arrangements. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your data.

12. Complaints and Further Information

If you have concerns about how your data is handled, you have the right to raise those concerns with the relevant data protection authority. We also encourage customers to raise issues with us first so that we can try to resolve them promptly and fairly.

Gardeners Selsdon is committed to treating personal information with care, respect, and accountability. We aim to ensure that data processing is limited, proportionate, and justified by a valid lawful basis. By keeping our practices transparent, we help protect the privacy of everyone who uses our services in the area.