Privacy Policy - Gardeners Selhurst

This Privacy Policy explains how Gardeners Selhurst collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in relation to our gardening services. It applies to all Gardeners Selhurst customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and anyone who interacts with us in connection with our services. We are committed to handling personal information in a way that is lawful, fair, transparent, and respectful of your privacy rights under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

By using our services or providing us with your personal data, you acknowledge that your information may be processed as described in this policy. We only collect and use data that is necessary for service delivery, administration, communication, legal compliance, and the improvement of our operations. We do not sell personal data.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect and process different categories of personal data depending on how you interact with us. This may include:

Identity data such as your name, title, and any relevant account reference details.
Contact data such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Service data such as the type of gardening work requested, property access details, service preferences, and scheduling information.
Communication data such as messages, enquiries, instructions, complaints, and feedback.
Payment and transaction data such as payment status, invoices, and service history.
Technical data where applicable, such as basic device or usage information collected through digital systems used for administration and security.

We may also collect limited information relating to property conditions or service requirements where this is necessary to perform the work safely and effectively. In some cases, we may receive data from third parties, such as referral partners, subcontractors, or payment providers, but only where appropriate and lawful.

2. How We Use Your Personal Data

Gardeners Selhurst uses personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations, schedule visits, and deliver gardening services.
To manage customer relationships and respond to enquiries.
To issue invoices, process payments, and maintain financial records.
To keep records of work completed and service preferences.
To meet legal, accounting, and regulatory obligations.
To improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of our services.
To handle disputes, complaints, and service-related correspondence.
To protect our business, staff, customers, and property from fraud or misuse.

We only use your data for purposes that are compatible with the reason it was collected. If we need to use your information for a new purpose, we will ensure that a lawful basis applies and, where required, we will notify you.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process your personal data. Gardeners Selhurst relies on the following bases where appropriate:

Contract

Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract. This includes preparing quotes, arranging services, delivering the work, and managing payment.

Legal Obligation

We may process data to comply with legal obligations, including tax rules, accounting requirements, record-keeping duties, and lawful requests from public authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests and where those interests do not override your rights and freedoms. This may include service administration, customer support, business planning, record maintenance, and protecting our business from fraud or misuse.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where you have asked to receive certain communications not required for a service relationship. Where consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time.

4. 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 may vary depending on the type of information and the reason for processing.

As a general approach:

Customer and service records are retained for the duration of the service relationship and for a reasonable period afterward.
Financial and invoicing records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Correspondence and complaint records are retained for as long as needed to resolve issues and demonstrate proper handling.
Information no longer required is securely deleted, anonymised, or archived where appropriate.

When determining retention periods, we consider legal obligations, the nature of the data, potential disputes, and operational necessity. We review records regularly to ensure that data is not kept longer than needed.

5. Sharing Personal Data with Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third-party service providers acting as processors on our behalf. These processors are permitted to handle data only in accordance with our instructions and appropriate contractual safeguards. They are required to protect your data and use it only for specified purposes.

Examples of processors may include:

Payment processors that handle transactions securely.
Accounting or bookkeeping providers that support financial administration.
IT and cloud service providers that store or maintain business systems.
Communication and scheduling tools that assist with customer management.
Subcontractors who support service delivery under our control where necessary.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, to protect our legal rights, to prevent fraud, or in connection with a business reorganisation, provided that appropriate safeguards remain in place.

We do not permit processors to use your data for their own independent purposes. Where a processor is located outside the UK, we will take steps to ensure that international transfer requirements are met and that your information receives an adequate level of protection.

6. Your Data Protection Rights

You have several rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to legal conditions and exemptions, these rights may include:

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 information.
Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit how we use your data in some situations.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing where applicable.
Right to data portability – to receive certain information 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 in line with applicable data protection law. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request. Some rights may not apply in all situations, particularly where we must retain information to comply with legal obligations or defend a claim.

7. Security of Your Information

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and careful oversight of service providers.

Although we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no system can be guaranteed as completely secure. We therefore encourage careful handling of any information shared with us and recommend that sensitive details are only provided where necessary.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, services, or operational practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage you to review this policy periodically so that you remain informed about how your data is used.

9. Summary of Our Commitments

Gardeners Selhurst is committed to processing personal data responsibly and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and lawful purposes, keep it only as long as necessary, and share it only with processors or other recipients where justified. We respect your rights and aim to maintain trust through careful data handling and clear accountability.

This policy applies to all Gardeners Selhurst customers in area. By maintaining a privacy-focused approach, we aim to ensure that your personal data is treated with care throughout every stage of our service relationship.