Privacy Policy - Gardeners Downe

Gardeners Downe is committed to protecting personal data and handling it in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information when providing gardening services to customers in the Downe area. It applies to all Gardeners Downe customers in the area, including prospective clients, current customers, and anyone who contacts us about our services.

We follow the principles of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This means we only collect data that is needed for clear purposes, keep it secure, retain it only for as long as necessary, and respect the rights of individuals over their information.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect and process different types of personal data depending on how you interact with Gardeners Downe. This may include:

Identity information such as your name;
Contact information such as address, phone number, and email address;
Service information relating to the gardening work requested or carried out;
Billing and payment details where necessary for invoicing and administration;
Communication records including emails, messages, notes, or call summaries;
Property and access details needed to carry out garden services safely and efficiently;
Technical data such as IP address or device information if you submit information electronically;
Feedback and complaint records where you share opinions or concerns about our work.

We do not deliberately collect more information than we need. Where possible, we keep data accurate, relevant, and up to date. If you provide information about other people, such as a household member or property manager, you should only do so where you have permission or another lawful reason.

2. How We Collect Data

We collect personal data directly from you when you request a quote, arrange a service, make an enquiry, sign an agreement, or communicate with us. We may also receive data from third parties acting on your behalf, such as family members, letting agents, property managers, or business clients where they are authorised to share it.

In limited cases, we may collect data from public sources or service providers where this is necessary for legitimate business administration, fraud prevention, payment processing, or compliance with legal obligations. Any such collection will be handled in a way that is compatible with this Privacy Policy.

3. Why We Use Your Information

Gardeners Downe uses personal data only for specified and lawful purposes. These purposes may include:

Providing quotations and arranging gardening services;
Carrying out and managing appointments;
Communicating about your booking, service changes, or follow-up work;
Issuing invoices, recording payments, and maintaining financial records;
Managing customer service, complaints, and service quality;
Meeting legal, tax, and accounting obligations;
Maintaining business records and internal administration;
Improving our services, safety procedures, and customer experience;
Protecting our business, staff, and customers from fraud or misuse.

We will not use your data for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons it was collected unless we have a valid legal basis to do so.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. Gardeners Downe may rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process information when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. For example, we use your name, address, and service requirements to provide the gardening work you requested.

Legal Obligation

We may need to process and store information to comply with legal duties such as tax, accounting, insurance, or record-keeping requirements.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided your rights and interests do not override those interests. This may include managing appointments, responding to enquiries, improving services, preventing fraud, and maintaining business records. We always consider whether the processing is proportionate and whether it could affect your privacy.

Consent

In some situations, we may rely on your consent, particularly where it is needed for optional communications or specific uses not covered by another lawful basis. Where consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us operate Gardeners Downe. These parties act as processors when they process data on our behalf and only according to our instructions. Examples may include:

Payment service providers;
Accounting or bookkeeping services;
IT, email, or cloud storage providers;
Administrative support services;
Customer communication tools;
Waste, transport, or logistics providers where relevant to service delivery.

We require processors to handle personal data securely, lawfully, and only for the agreed purpose. We do not sell your personal data.

We may also share information where required by law, such as with tax authorities, regulators, law enforcement, or courts. In other cases, we may share data with professional advisers, insurers, or business partners where necessary for legitimate business purposes and where appropriate safeguards are in place.

6. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, and no longer than required by law. Retention periods depend on the type of information and the reason it is held.

Service records are typically 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;
Complaint or dispute records may be kept until the matter is resolved and for a further period if needed to protect legal interests;
Enquiry records may be deleted sooner if no service is arranged.

When information is no longer needed, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it no longer identifies you. Retention is reviewed regularly to ensure data is not kept indefinitely without a valid reason.

7. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, password protection, secure storage, staff confidentiality expectations, and careful selection of processors.

While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we take reasonable steps to reduce risks and to respond promptly if a data incident occurs. If a breach is likely to present a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will handle it in line with applicable legal requirements.

8. Your Data Protection Rights

You have rights over your personal data. Subject to legal conditions and exemptions, these 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 certain situations;
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 may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in line with data protection law. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request. Some rights are limited where we must keep information for legal, contractual, or security reasons.

9. Marketing and Communications

If we send service-related communications, these are usually necessary for the performance of our services and are not marketing. Where we use your information for optional promotional messages, we will only do so where permitted by law and, if required, with your consent. You can opt out of non-essential messages where applicable.

10. International Transfers

Where any processor or service provider stores or accesses data outside the UK, we will take steps to ensure your information is protected to a standard recognised by UK law. This may include using approved safeguards and reviewing the security practices of the provider.

11. Children’s Data

Gardeners Downe services are generally not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect children’s personal data unless it is necessary in connection with a property, household, or service arrangement and is provided by an authorised adult. If we become aware that we have collected data inappropriately, we will take appropriate steps to delete or protect it.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business practices, or services. Any updates will take effect when published in the revised version. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal data.

13. Contacting Us and Complaints

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights, or believe your data has been handled improperly, you may raise the matter with us through the usual customer communication channels. We will investigate and respond appropriately.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK data protection authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve the matter quickly and fairly.

Gardeners Downe takes privacy seriously and aims to process personal data in a way that is lawful, transparent, and respectful. By using our services, you acknowledge that your information may be processed as described in this policy and in accordance with applicable data protection laws.