Gardeners Lower Clapton Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Gardeners Lower Clapton collects, uses, stores and protects personal information relating to customers and prospective customers. It applies to all Gardeners Lower Clapton customers in the local area who use our gardening and related services, whether you contact us online, by post, or in person.

Who we are and scope of this policy

Gardeners Lower Clapton is a gardening service provider operating in the Lower Clapton area. In relation to the personal information we collect, we act as a data controller. This means we decide how and why your personal data is processed and are responsible for ensuring that such processing complies with applicable data protection laws, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This Privacy Policy covers all personal data that we collect from or about customers and potential customers within our service area, including people who make enquiries about our services or request quotations.

What personal data we collect

The type of personal data we collect will depend on how you interact with us and which services you use. Typically, we may collect the following categories of information:

Identification and contact details such as your name, postal address, service address, and details necessary for us to reach you regarding appointments or service updates.

Service and contract information such as records of the gardening services you request or receive, property details that are relevant to the delivery of those services, and notes about your preferences or instructions.

Communication records such as details of enquiries, quotations, correspondence and feedback that you provide to us in the course of using our services.

Payment-related information such as records of payments made, amounts, dates, and the method used. We do not store full payment card details where payments are handled through third-party payment processors.

Technical usage data where applicable, such as basic information collected from your use of our website or online forms, including device and browsing information that helps us manage and improve our online services. This may include the use of cookies or similar technologies, which will be described in more detail in a separate notice if applicable.

How we collect personal data

We collect personal data directly from you when you contact us to make an enquiry, request a quote, book a service, or provide feedback. This may be done in person, over the phone, or through online channels and written correspondence.

We may also receive personal data indirectly where someone else arranges services on your behalf, or where a third-party service provider passes information to us in the course of delivering services that you have requested. In these cases we will only use the information for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy.

Lawful bases for processing

We will only process your personal data where we have a valid lawful basis under data protection law. Depending on the circumstances, we rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contractual necessity: We process your personal data to enter into and perform a contract with you, for example to provide gardening services, issue quotations, schedule appointments, and manage your account.

Legitimate interests: We may process your data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where your rights and interests do not override those interests. This can include managing our relationship with you, improving our services, handling queries or complaints, and maintaining accurate business records.

Legal obligation: We may process your information where it is necessary to comply with legal or regulatory obligations, such as accounting, taxation, and record-keeping requirements.

Consent: In limited cases we may ask for your consent, for example to send you certain types of marketing communications that are not covered by our legitimate interests. Where we rely on consent, you are free to withdraw it at any time.

How we use your personal data

We use the personal data we collect for the following purposes:

To provide and manage gardening and related services you request, including carrying out site visits, planning work, and delivering services at the agreed address.

To respond to enquiries, arrange quotations, schedule appointments, and communicate with you about the services you receive or have requested.

To manage billing and payments, issue invoices, and maintain financial records.

To keep our records accurate and up to date and to administer our relationship with you as a customer.

To improve our services, including reviewing feedback and analysing service usage on an aggregated basis where appropriate.

To comply with legal, regulatory or insurance obligations, and to establish or defend legal claims if necessary.

Data sharing and processors

We do not sell your personal data. We only share your personal information with third parties when this is necessary, lawful, and subject to appropriate safeguards.

We may share personal data with service providers who act as data processors on our behalf. These processors may include cloud storage and document hosting providers, accounting and invoicing services, payment processing providers, and information technology support. They are only permitted to use your data in accordance with our instructions and must protect it in line with contractual and legal requirements.

We may also share personal data with professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers where needed, and with public authorities or regulators where we are required to do so by law or to protect our rights or the rights of others.

Where we use processors that store or process data outside the United Kingdom or European Economic Area, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as standard contractual clauses or other lawful transfer mechanisms.

Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as it is reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including meeting legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

In general, customer and service records are retained for a period that reflects the limitation periods for potential legal claims and relevant regulatory guidance. Payment and invoice records may be retained for a longer period where required for tax and financial reporting.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will take reasonable steps to delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer be linked to you.

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to the personal data that we hold about you. These rights may be subject to certain conditions and legal exemptions, but we will always respond to any request in accordance with the law.

Right of access: You can request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and obtain a copy of that data, along with information about how it is used.

Right to rectification: You can ask us to correct or complete any personal data that is inaccurate or incomplete.

Right to erasure: In certain circumstances you may request that we delete your personal data, for example where it is no longer needed for the purposes for which it was collected or where you withdraw consent and there is no other lawful basis for processing.

Right to restriction: You can ask us to restrict the processing of your personal data in specific situations, such as while we are verifying its accuracy or considering an objection you have raised.

Right to object: You may object to our processing of your personal data where we rely on legitimate interests as our lawful basis, particularly in relation to direct marketing. We will consider your objection and stop processing unless we have compelling legitimate grounds to continue.

Right to data portability: Where processing is based on consent or on a contract and is carried out by automated means, you may request that we provide your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format or transfer it to another organisation where technically feasible.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority if you believe that your personal data has been processed in a way that does not comply with data protection law.

Security of your personal data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures include limiting access to personal data to those who have a genuine business need to know it, using secure storage methods, and requiring our processors to implement suitable security practices.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, our processing activities, or applicable laws. Any updates will be made available through our usual communication channels. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your personal data.