Privacy Policy - Gardeners Brentford

Gardeners Brentford is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of every customer in the Brentford area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information when individuals use our gardening services. It also explains the rights available under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy applies to all Gardeners Brentford customers in the area, including prospective customers, active customers, and anyone who has previously used our services.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Gardeners Brentford acts as the data controller for the personal data described in this policy. This means we decide how and why your information is used when we provide gardening services, manage customer relationships, and handle related administration. We take privacy seriously and only process personal data where it is necessary, fair, and lawful.

2. Information We Collect

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

Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, business name.
Contact details such as address, phone number, and email address.
Service details such as garden preferences, property access notes, booking history, and job instructions.
Billing and payment information needed to process invoices, payments, and records of transactions.
Communication records including emails, messages, notes from calls, and customer feedback.
Technical data such as IP address, browser type, device information, and cookies where applicable to our digital systems.
Site and service information such as photos, measurements, or details needed to complete a gardening task safely and effectively.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless there is a lawful reason and it is strictly necessary for a specific purpose. If such information is ever provided voluntarily, it will be handled with additional care and only used where permitted by law.

3. How We Use Your Data

Gardeners Brentford uses personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations, bookings, and gardening services.
To communicate about appointments, updates, changes, and service matters.
To manage billing, payments, receipts, and accounting records.
To maintain customer records and improve service quality.
To respond to enquiries, complaints, or requests.
To meet legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations.
To protect our business, staff, and customers from fraud or misuse.

We only process personal data for defined and legitimate purposes. We will not use your information in ways that are incompatible with the reasons it was collected unless we are required or permitted to do so by law.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for each type of processing. Gardeners Brentford relies on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes managing bookings, carrying out gardening work, issuing invoices, and delivering services requested by you.

Legal Obligation

Some data must be processed to comply with legal obligations, such as accounting, tax, insurance, health and safety, and record-keeping requirements.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include improving our services, handling enquiries, preventing fraud, and keeping internal records.

Consent

Where required, we may ask for your consent, for example for certain marketing communications or optional uses of information. When consent is used as the lawful basis, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing Your Information

We may share personal data with trusted third parties only when necessary and appropriate. These may include:

Payment providers who process transactions securely.
IT and hosting providers who support our systems, data storage, and communication tools.
Accounting or bookkeeping processors who assist with financial administration.
Professional advisers such as legal, insurance, or compliance advisers.
Subcontractors or service partners who help deliver requested gardening work under our instructions.
Public authorities where disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect rights, safety, or legal claims.

All processors and third parties are expected to handle data securely and only process it according to our instructions or their own legal obligations. We do not sell personal data.

6. International Transfers

If any of our processors store or access data outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent legal protections designed to preserve your rights and the security of your data.

7. Data Retention

Gardeners Brentford keeps personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or for as long as required by law. Retention periods depend on the type of information and the reason for processing.

Customer and service records are generally kept for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and tax records are kept for the period required by law.
Communication records may be retained to resolve queries, maintain service history, or support legal claims.
Marketing preferences are kept until you withdraw consent or object.

When data is no longer required, we will delete, anonymise, or securely destroy it. Retention decisions are reviewed periodically to ensure information is not kept longer than necessary.

8. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or alteration. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, and limited access on a need-to-know basis. While no method of transmission or storage is completely risk-free, we work to maintain a level of security appropriate to the nature of the data processed.

9. Your Rights

Individuals whose data we process have several rights under data protection law. Subject to legal conditions and exemptions, you may have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you.
Rectification of inaccurate or incomplete information.
Erasure of your data in certain circumstances.
Restriction of processing in specific situations.
Data portability where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing.
Withdraw consent at any time where consent is the lawful basis.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data rights have been infringed. We encourage individuals to raise concerns directly so we can address them promptly and fairly.

10. Cookies and Similar Technologies

If digital systems or online tools are used in connection with our services, cookies or similar technologies may be used for basic functionality, performance monitoring, and improving user experience. Where required by law, consent will be obtained before non-essential cookies are used. You may also manage browser settings to control cookie preferences.

11. Children’s Data

Our gardening services are intended for adults and property holders or authorised representatives. We do not knowingly collect data from children unless it is necessary in a limited context and lawful to do so. If we become aware that personal data has been collected improperly from a child, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our services, or the way we process data. Any revised version will apply from the date it is made available. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically so you remain informed about how your information is handled.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Gardeners Brentford respects your privacy and aims to handle personal data responsibly, transparently, and lawfully. We collect only the information needed to deliver and manage our services, process it under a valid lawful basis, keep it only for as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or where required by law. Customers in the Brentford area can expect their data to be treated with care, confidentiality, and respect.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Gardeners Brentford customers in the area.