Privacy Policy - Gardeners Erith

Gardeners Erith is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in the area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information when we provide gardening services, respond to enquiries, manage bookings, or otherwise interact with customers. It applies to all Gardeners Erith customers in the area and is designed to meet the standards required under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Gardeners Erith is the data controller for the personal information described in this Privacy Policy. This means we decide why and how your personal data is processed. We only collect and use data where we have a lawful basis to do so, and we aim to handle every customer’s information in a fair, transparent, and secure manner.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide our services, manage our business, and meet legal obligations. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name or title;
Contact details such as your address, email address, and telephone number;
Service details such as the type of gardening work requested, property access information, scheduling preferences, and service history;
Payment-related details such as payment confirmation or billing information where relevant;
Communication records including messages, notes from enquiries, and correspondence about quotations, appointments, or complaints;
Technical data such as basic website or device information if you submit an enquiry online, including IP address or browser type, where collected automatically.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and you have provided it in a lawful context. If such data is ever shared with us, we will treat it with heightened care and only process it where permitted by law.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

to provide gardening services and complete requested work;
to arrange quotations, bookings, visits, and service updates;
to communicate with you about your account or job requirements;
to process payments and maintain business records;
to comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
to improve our services, customer care, and internal operations;
to handle disputes, claims, or complaints;
to keep basic records of service delivery and customer preferences.

We only use your data for the purposes for which it was collected unless we reasonably determine that we need to use it for another compatible purpose and that such use is lawful.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under GDPR, every use of personal data must have a lawful basis. Gardeners Erith relies on the following lawful bases depending on the context:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes arranging a quote, confirming a booking, completing gardening work, and managing payment or service delivery.

Legal Obligation

We may process your information where we are required to do so by law, such as for accounting, tax records, or compliance with regulatory duties.

Legitimate Interests

We may use your information where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include maintaining service records, improving operations, preventing fraud, and managing customer enquiries efficiently. We always consider whether the processing is necessary and proportionate.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example if you choose to receive certain optional communications. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing Your Information

We only share personal data when necessary for the operation of our business or where required by law. Any third party receiving data from us must handle it securely and lawfully. Processors and other service providers may include:

IT and cloud service providers that host or store records securely;
Accountancy or bookkeeping services used for financial administration;
Payment processors that help handle transactions;
Administrative software providers that support bookings, scheduling, or customer management;
Professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers where necessary;
Public authorities or regulators where disclosure is required by law.

We do not sell your personal data. We also do not permit processors to use your data for their own unrelated purposes.

6. International Transfers

Where any service provider stores or accesses data outside the UK, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place so that your information receives an equivalent level of protection. These safeguards may include approved contractual protections and transfer assessments where required.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods vary according to the type of information and the reason for processing. In general:

customer and service records are kept for a reasonable period after the last interaction;
financial and tax-related records are retained for the period required by law;
enquiry records are kept only as long as needed to manage the enquiry and any follow-up;
where data is no longer needed, it is securely deleted or anonymised.

We review retention regularly to ensure data is not kept longer than necessary. Retention is always limited to the minimum practical period consistent with lawful business and legal needs.

8. Security of Your Data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Measures may include access controls, secure storage, limited staff access, and careful management of third-party systems. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take data protection seriously and continually review our safeguards.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights regarding your personal data. Subject to certain conditions and exemptions, you may have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you;
Rectify inaccurate or incomplete information;
Erase your data in some circumstances;
Restrict how we process your data in certain situations;
Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing;
Data portability for information you provided to us in a structured, commonly used format where applicable;
Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data has been handled unlawfully. We encourage you to raise concerns with us first so we can try to resolve them promptly and fairly.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adult customers and property owners or authorised representatives. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children in the ordinary course of business. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected such data without proper authority, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our services, or how we process data. 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 information is handled.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Gardeners Erith handles personal data with care, transparency, and respect. We collect only what we need, use it for lawful and legitimate purposes, keep it only as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or where required by law. Our aim is to ensure that every customer in the area can rely on a service that protects privacy while delivering professional gardening support.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Gardeners Erith customers in the area.