Privacy Policy - Gardeners Slade Green

This Privacy Policy applies to all Gardeners Slade Green customers in the area. It explains how personal data is collected, used, stored, shared, and protected when you use our gardening services. We are committed to handling personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Gardeners Slade Green provides gardening and related outdoor maintenance services to residential and commercial customers in the local area. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as the data controller for the personal data we collect and use in connection with our services, enquiries, bookings, customer management, and business operations.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for providing our services, managing our business, and meeting legal obligations. The information we may collect includes:

• Identity details such as your name and title.
• Contact details such as your address, email address, and phone number.
• Service information such as the type of gardening work requested, property access notes, preferred appointment times, and service history.
• Payment and billing information such as invoice details and payment status.
• Communication records including messages, quotes, complaints, feedback, and service updates.
• Technical data such as basic device or browser information if you interact with us electronically.

We do not intentionally collect special category personal data unless it is strictly necessary and you have provided it, or unless another lawful condition applies. If such information is shared with us by mistake, we will handle it carefully and limit its use.

3. How We Collect Your Data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you request a quote, make a booking, contact us, or use our services. We may also receive data from:

• landlords, agents, or property managers acting on your behalf;
• payment providers and accounting systems;
• public sources where necessary for legitimate business purposes;
• our staff or subcontractors who record service details during work.

We aim to keep all data collection limited, relevant, and proportionate to the services we provide.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We only process personal data when we have a valid lawful basis under UK GDPR. Depending on the activity, we rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process data to take steps before entering into a contract, to provide our gardening services, manage bookings, issue invoices, and complete agreed work.

Legal Obligation

We process certain data to comply with tax, accounting, record-keeping, health and safety, and other legal requirements.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data for legitimate business purposes, including responding to enquiries, improving service quality, preventing fraud, maintaining security, and managing customer relationships. When relying on legitimate interests, we assess whether our interests are overridden by your rights and freedoms.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where you agree to receive certain types of marketing communications. If consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time.

5. How We Use Personal Data

We may use your personal data to:

• provide quotations and manage bookings;
• deliver gardening and property maintenance services;
• communicate about appointments, changes, and service issues;
• issue invoices, take payments, and keep financial records;
• respond to queries, complaints, and customer support requests;
• maintain internal records and business operations;
• meet legal, tax, and regulatory obligations;
• protect our services, staff, customers, and property;
• send marketing messages where permitted by law.

We will never use your data in a way that is incompatible with the purposes explained in this policy.

6. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us operate our business. These third parties act as processors when they process data on our instructions and under appropriate contractual safeguards.

Examples of processors may include:

• IT and cloud storage providers;
• email, messaging, and communication tools;
• accounting and invoicing software providers;
• payment processors;
• customer record management services;
• subcontractors or service partners working under our direction.

We may also share data with independent third parties where required, such as legal advisers, insurers, auditors, or public authorities. We only share the minimum data needed for the relevant purpose.

We do not sell personal data.

7. International Transfers

If any processor stores or accesses personal data outside the UK, we take appropriate steps to ensure that your data remains protected. These steps may include using adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer safeguards where required.

8. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the nature of the data and the context in which it was collected.

In general:

• customer service and booking records are kept for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards;
• invoice and payment records are kept for the period required by tax and accounting law;
• communication records are retained as needed to manage queries, service delivery, or disputes;
• marketing preferences are retained until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent, where applicable.

When personal data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or archived in line with our retention procedures.

9. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from accidental loss, unauthorised access, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff awareness, and data minimisation practices.

Although no system is completely secure, we work to reduce risk and to ensure that data is handled responsibly. If a personal data breach occurs and presents a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will respond in accordance with legal requirements.

10. 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 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 restrict processing – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
• Right to data portability – to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
• Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
• Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to raise concerns with the UK Information Commissioner's Office if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve any issue promptly and fairly.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are generally aimed at adults and property owners, tenants, managers, or authorised representatives. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children as part of our ordinary business activities.

12. Marketing

We may send you service updates or occasional marketing messages where permitted by law. You can opt out of marketing at any time. If you unsubscribe, we will keep only the minimum information needed to record your preference and ensure your request is respected.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business practices, or services. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how personal data is used.

14. Our Commitment to Privacy

We recognise that trust is essential when handling customer information. Gardeners Slade Green is committed to using personal data lawfully, transparently, and securely. We aim to collect only what is needed, keep it only for as long as necessary, and ensure it is shared only with trusted processors or other parties where there is a proper legal basis.

By using our services, you acknowledge that this Privacy Policy applies to all Gardeners Slade Green customers in the area.