Privacy Policy - Gardeners Lewisham

Gardeners Lewisham is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of every customer, prospective customer, and website visitor who uses our services in the Lewisham area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This policy applies to all Gardeners Lewisham customers in the area, including anyone who enquires about, books, receives, or pays for our gardening services. It also applies to individuals whose information we receive from third parties in connection with service delivery, scheduling, billing, or customer support.

We aim to handle all personal data fairly, transparently, and securely. We only collect information that is necessary for legitimate business and service purposes, and we do not keep it for longer than required.

1. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following types of personal data:

Identity information: name, title, and similar identifiers.
Contact details: address, email address, telephone number, and service location.
Service information: details about the gardening services requested, preferred dates, property access instructions, and work history.
Billing and payment information: invoicing details, payment status, and transaction records.
Communication records: messages, call notes, quotations, complaints, feedback, and service updates.
Technical information: limited information such as IP address, browser type, and site usage data if you interact with our digital channels.
Optional information: any other details you choose to provide when requesting a quote or arranging a visit.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you have provided it to us for a clear lawful reason. For example, a customer may mention access needs or health-related considerations that affect service delivery. If that happens, we will treat the information with extra care and only use it where appropriate and lawful.

2. How We Collect Data

We may obtain personal data directly from you when you:

request a quotation or make an enquiry;
book a garden service;
communicate with us by phone, email, or message;
pay for services or request an invoice;
submit feedback or a complaint;
update your service preferences or property details.

We may also receive data from third parties, such as:

payment providers;
administrative support providers;
referrers who pass on your details with your consent;
property managers, landlords, or tenants where relevant to the service arrangement.

Where we receive data indirectly, we aim to make sure it is used only for the purpose for which it was shared.

3. Why We Use Personal Data

Gardeners Lewisham uses personal data for the following purposes:

to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
to plan, deliver, and manage gardening services;
to arrange appointments and manage access to properties;
to communicate about changes, updates, or service issues;
to prepare invoices, process payments, and maintain accounting records;
to handle complaints, disputes, and customer requests;
to maintain service quality, improve operations, and monitor performance;
to meet legal, tax, and regulatory obligations;
to protect our business, staff, customers, and property.

We never sell personal data. We use information only where it is necessary for our services, our legal duties, or our legitimate interests as a business, and always in a way that respects your rights.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for every use of personal data. Gardeners Lewisham relies on the following bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes booking services, providing quotations, carrying out work, issuing invoices, and managing your customer account.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data where we must comply with a legal requirement, such as record-keeping for tax, accounting, fraud prevention, or regulatory compliance.

Legitimate Interests

We may process information where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include managing customer relationships, improving service delivery, preventing misuse, and maintaining internal records.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, such as for certain marketing communications or the handling of optional sensitive information. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal of consent will not affect processing already carried out lawfully before withdrawal.

5. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected, including for legal, accounting, or reporting obligations. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason for processing.

Enquiry and quotation records: kept for a reasonable period to manage follow-up and business records.
Customer service and job records: retained for the duration of the service relationship and for a reasonable time afterwards.
Financial and invoice records: kept in line with tax and accounting requirements.
Complaint and dispute records: retained as long as necessary to resolve the issue and protect legal interests.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it according to our internal retention practices. We review retention regularly to avoid keeping unnecessary information.

6. Data Processors and Sharing

Gardeners Lewisham may share personal data with trusted third-party processors who help us provide services or operate efficiently. These may include:

payment processors;
invoicing and accounting providers;
IT, cloud storage, and software support providers;
administrative or customer service support services;
professional advisers, such as accountants or legal advisers, where necessary.

We require processors to handle personal data securely, to use it only on our instructions, and to comply with data protection law. Where necessary, appropriate contractual safeguards are used.

We may also disclose data if required by law, to enforce our terms, to protect our rights, or to prevent fraud, misuse, or security risks.

We do not transfer personal data outside the UK unless proper safeguards are in place and the transfer complies with applicable data protection requirements.

7. How We Protect Data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of data handling practices.

Although we work hard to protect information, no system can be guaranteed completely secure. If a data breach occurs and it is likely to affect your rights and freedoms, we will act in accordance with our legal obligations.

8. Your Rights Under GDPR

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

The right of access: to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
The right to rectification: to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
The right to erasure: to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
The right to restrict processing: to ask us to limit how we use your information in certain situations.
The right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
The right to data portability: to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format.
The right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to raise concerns with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your data has not been handled properly. We encourage customers to contact us first so we can try to resolve the matter quickly and fairly.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adult customers and property-related service contacts. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in a specific situation and collected lawfully. If we become aware that we have information about a child that we should not hold, we will take steps to delete it appropriately.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business practices, or the way we provide services. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

Gardeners Lewisham values trust, transparency, and responsible data handling. We are committed to using personal data only where it is lawful, necessary, and proportionate, and to respecting the rights of every customer in the Lewisham area.