Privacy Policy - Gardeners South Norwood

Gardeners South Norwood is committed to protecting the privacy of all customers in the South Norwood area and handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent way. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and the rights available to you under data protection law.

This policy applies to all Gardeners South Norwood customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and individuals who have previously enquired about our services. By using our services or providing us with your personal data, you acknowledge that your information will be processed in accordance with this policy and applicable data protection legislation, including the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary for delivering our services, managing customer relationships, and meeting legal or operational obligations. The information we may collect includes:

Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, the name of a business or property contact.
Contact details such as telephone number, email address, and service address.
Service information including details about the gardening work requested, preferred visit times, property access notes, and service history.
Billing and transaction data such as invoice details, payment status, and records needed for accounting purposes.
Communication records including emails, messages, notes from calls, and any instructions you give us.
Technical information if you contact us through digital channels, which may include basic device or usage data used for security and system maintenance.

We do not seek to collect more information than is necessary. In particular, we do not intentionally collect special category data unless you choose to provide it and there is a clear lawful reason to process it, such as a medical or access-related note that helps us deliver a safe service.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
to arrange and deliver gardening services;
to manage bookings, service schedules, and customer accounts;
to issue invoices and process payments;
to communicate important service updates or changes;
to maintain accurate business records;
to meet legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
to protect our business against fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.

We process personal data only for specified, explicit, and legitimate purposes. We will not use your information in a way that is incompatible with the reason it was collected unless we have a lawful basis to do so.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis before processing your personal data. Depending on the context, Gardeners South Norwood relies on one or more of the following bases:

Performance of a Contract

We process data when it is necessary to provide a service you have requested, prepare a quotation, complete a booking, or manage an existing customer relationship.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is reasonably necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests do not override your rights and freedoms. This may include maintaining business records, improving services, preventing fraud, and managing service administration.

Legal Obligation

We may keep and process certain records where the law requires it, such as financial records, tax documentation, or compliance evidence.

Consent

In some limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, particularly where you provide optional information or agree to a specific form of communication. Where consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time.

We always assess the lawful basis carefully and ensure that each type of processing is justified.

4. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, unless a longer retention period is required by law. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the purpose of processing.

Customer service records are generally retained for as long as needed to manage the relationship and address follow-up queries.
Financial and accounting records are kept for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
Communication records may be retained to resolve disputes, maintain service continuity, or demonstrate instructions and agreements.
Security-related logs are kept only for a limited period needed for protection, diagnostics, and system integrity.

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you. Retention is reviewed periodically to ensure we are not keeping information longer than necessary.

5. Processors and Third Parties

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who process information on our behalf, known as processors. These processors act only under our instructions and are required to protect your data and use it solely for the agreed purpose.

Processors may include:

IT and cloud service providers who store or support our systems;
accounting or bookkeeping providers who assist with financial administration;
payment service providers that handle payment processing;
communication service providers that support email, messaging, or booking notifications;
professional advisers such as legal or tax advisers where necessary for compliance.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, court order, or regulatory authority. We do not sell personal data. If data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect it.

6. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures are designed to reflect the nature of the data and the risks involved. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to maintain strong privacy and security practices.

Access to personal data is restricted to people who need it to perform their duties. We expect any third party handling data on our behalf to maintain similar standards of confidentiality and security.

7. Your Rights

As a data subject under the UK GDPR, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal limitations. Your rights 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 – in certain circumstances, you can ask us to delete your data.
Right to restrict processing – you can ask us to limit how your data is used in some situations.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – you can request 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.

We may ask for information to verify your identity before responding to a rights request. This helps protect your privacy and ensures data is not disclosed to the wrong person.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adult customers and property contacts. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary and lawful in connection with a service request, and only where appropriate safeguards are in place.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data handling practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is used.

10. Summary of Our Privacy Commitment

Gardeners South Norwood values trust, confidentiality, and responsible data handling. We collect only the information needed to deliver gardening services, rely on appropriate lawful bases, retain data only for as long as necessary, and use processors that are bound by suitable privacy obligations. We also respect your rights and aim to respond to requests in a clear, timely, and lawful manner.

In short: your personal data is handled carefully, securely, and in a way that supports service delivery while respecting your privacy.