Privacy Policy - Gardeners Addiscombe

Gardeners Addiscombe is committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect information about customers and prospective customers in the Addiscombe area. It applies to all Gardeners Addiscombe customers in the area, including anyone who requests a quote, books a service, communicates with us, or otherwise engages our gardening services.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Gardeners Addiscombe acts as the data controller for personal information we collect in connection with our services. This means we decide why and how personal data is used. We process data in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Information We Collect

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

Identity details such as your name and title
Contact details such as your phone number, email address, and service address
Property and service information such as garden size, access notes, preferred service times, and job instructions
Billing and payment information such as invoice details and payment records
Communication records including enquiries, complaints, and service updates
Technical information where relevant, such as basic website or device interaction data if you contact us online

We do not intentionally collect sensitive personal information unless it is strictly necessary and you provide it voluntarily. If such information is ever needed, we will treat it with additional care and only process it where a lawful basis applies.

3. How We Use Your Data

Gardeners Addiscombe uses personal data for clear and specific purposes. These include:

Responding to enquiries and providing quotations
Delivering gardening services and managing bookings
Keeping service records and customer preferences
Handling payments, invoicing, and account administration
Sending service-related updates, such as schedule changes
Managing complaints, disputes, and legal claims
Meeting tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations
Improving our operations and customer service

We only use your personal data where it is relevant, fair, and lawful. We do not sell personal data to third parties.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a valid lawful basis before processing personal data. Gardeners Addiscombe relies on the following bases:

Contract

We process data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes, carrying out gardening work, managing appointments, and handling payment for services.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is reasonably necessary for our legitimate interests, provided your rights do not override those interests. Examples include maintaining records, improving service quality, preventing fraud, and managing business operations. We always consider whether the use of your data is proportionate and respectful of your privacy.

Legal Obligation

In some cases, we are required to process and retain data to comply with the law, such as accounting, tax, or record-keeping requirements.

Consent

Where we rely on consent, we will ask for it clearly and separately. You may withdraw consent at any time, and this will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. Sharing Your Information

We only share personal data where necessary and appropriate. This may include trusted third parties who support our operations. These recipients may act as processors or independent controllers depending on the service they provide.

Processors We Use

Processors are third parties that handle data on our instructions and under contract. They may include:

IT and cloud service providers that store or back up records
Accounting or invoicing tools used for financial administration
Payment service providers that process card or electronic payments
Communication providers that help us send emails, messages, or notifications
Administrative support services that help manage bookings and customer records

We require all processors to handle personal data securely, only for instructed purposes, and in compliance with data protection law. We do not allow processors to use your data for their own unrelated purposes.

Other Disclosures

We may also disclose information where required by law, to enforce our terms, to protect our rights or safety, or in connection with a business reorganisation. If this happens, we will only share the minimum amount necessary.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the legal requirements that apply.

Customer and service records are generally retained for the duration of the customer relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law
Enquiry records may be kept for a limited time if no service is booked, so we can respond to follow-up requests
Complaint or dispute records may be retained longer where necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims

When data is no longer needed, we take appropriate steps to delete, anonymise, or securely archive it. We do not keep personal data indefinitely.

7. Security of Your Data

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or alteration. These measures may include access restrictions, password protection, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and data minimisation practices. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a high standard of protection.

8. Your Rights

Depending on your circumstances, you may have the following rights under data protection law:

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 data
Right to erasure – to request deletion in certain situations
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit how we use your data
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
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data has been handled unlawfully. We encourage you to raise any concerns directly with us first so we can address them promptly.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business or household customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in a limited and lawful context, such as where a customer provides information relevant to a property or service arrangement.

10. 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 operate. Any revised version will apply from the date it is issued. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is used.

11. Summary of Our Commitments

Gardeners Addiscombe takes privacy seriously and processes personal data responsibly, transparently, and lawfully. We collect only what is needed, use it for clear purposes, share it only with trusted processors or where legally required, and retain it for no longer than necessary. Most importantly, we respect your rights and aim to give you clear control over your information.

Gardeners Addiscombe is committed to handling your personal data fairly and securely across all services provided in Addiscombe. If we process your information, we will do so with care, accountability, and respect for your privacy.