Privacy Policy - Gardeners Forestdale

Gardeners Forestdale is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in the Forestdale area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information when we provide gardening and related services. It applies to all Gardeners Forestdale customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and individuals who make enquiries on behalf of a property or household.

We process personal data in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy is written to be clear, transparent, and easy to understand. It sets out what information we collect, why we collect it, the lawful bases we rely on, how long we keep it, the processors we use, and the rights available to you.

1. Information We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for us to manage enquiries, arrange services, carry out work safely, and administer our business. Depending on the nature of the service, the information we may collect includes:

Identity details: name, title, and where needed, company or household name.
Contact details: address, email address, telephone number, and preferred communication method.
Service information: details about the type of gardening service requested, property access notes, garden preferences, and service history.
Billing and payment information: invoice details, payment status, and limited financial records required for accounting.
Communication records: messages, enquiry notes, quotations, complaints, and feedback.
Site and operational information: notes relevant to safety, scheduling, or special requirements at a property.

We normally collect this information directly from you when you submit an enquiry, make a booking, or communicate with us. In some cases, we may receive data from another person acting on your behalf, such as a landlord, tenant, family member, property manager, or business representative.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you have chosen to provide it, or unless another legal reason applies.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data only for legitimate business and service purposes connected to Gardeners Forestdale’s work. These uses include:

responding to enquiries and providing quotations;
arranging, delivering, and managing gardening services;
maintaining service records and customer preferences;
sending invoices, processing payments, and keeping financial records;
handling complaints, queries, and service updates;
ensuring health and safety when attending a property;
meeting legal, tax, and accounting obligations;
preventing fraud and protecting our business and customers.

We do not sell your personal data. We also do not use it for automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only where we have a lawful basis under GDPR. The lawful bases we rely on are:

Contract

We process your data when it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, or to perform a contract with you. This includes managing bookings, delivering services, and invoicing.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain data where we must comply with legal duties, including tax, accounting, record-keeping, insurance, and regulatory obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include maintaining business records, improving services, safeguarding property access, and managing customer communications.

Consent

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

4. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, and for any additional period required by law. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason it is held.

Customer enquiry records: kept for a reasonable period to manage follow-up and service continuity.
Service and invoice records: retained for the period required under tax and accounting rules.
Communication records: kept as long as necessary to resolve queries, demonstrate service history, or handle disputes.
Safety and access notes: retained only while relevant to ongoing work or risk management.

When data is no longer required, it is securely deleted or anonymised so that it can no longer identify you. We review records periodically to ensure they are not kept longer than necessary.

5. Sharing Personal Data and Processors

We may share personal data with carefully selected third parties who help us operate our business. These parties act as processors when they process data on our behalf and only according to our instructions. Typical processors may include:

Accounting and bookkeeping providers for invoicing and financial administration;
IT and cloud service providers for secure storage, communications, and backup;
Scheduling or customer management tools used to organise appointments and records;
Payment service providers for handling payments securely;
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers where necessary.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, court order, or a lawful request from a public authority. Any processor we use must implement appropriate security measures and process data only for the agreed purpose.

We do not transfer your personal data outside the UK/EEA unless adequate safeguards are in place. If international transfers are ever needed, we will ensure appropriate legal protections are used.

6. Security of Your Information

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures are designed to reflect the nature of the data we hold and the risks involved.

Although no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to limit access to personal data, use secure tools where appropriate, and handle records responsibly. Access to information is restricted to people who need it for legitimate business purposes.

7. Your Rights Under GDPR

You have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to legal limits and exemptions, these include:

Right of access: you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure: you can ask us to delete your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction: you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
Right to object: you can object to processing based on legitimate interests, and to direct marketing where applicable.
Right to data portability: you can request data you provided to us in a structured, commonly used format, where legally applicable.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond within the time limits required by law. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request. In some cases, legal obligations may mean we cannot fully comply with a request, but we will explain the reason clearly.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are aimed at adults and property-related customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is provided incidentally and only where necessary for service delivery or household arrangements. If you believe a child’s personal data has been collected inappropriately, please let us know so that we can review and address the matter.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business practices, or the way we provide our services. When we make changes, the revised policy will apply from the date it is updated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their information is handled.

10. Summary of Our Commitment

Gardeners Forestdale respects your privacy and uses personal data responsibly, fairly, and lawfully. We collect only what is needed to provide reliable gardening services, keep proper records, and meet our legal duties. We retain data for the appropriate period, share it only with trusted processors where necessary, and support your rights under GDPR.

This policy applies to all Gardeners Forestdale customers in area. By using our services or submitting your details to us, you acknowledge that your information will be handled in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable data protection law.