Privacy Policy - Gardeners New Malden

Gardeners New Malden is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in the New Malden area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information when you use our gardening services, request a quotation, make an enquiry, or otherwise interact with us. This policy applies to all Gardeners New Malden customers in the area.

We handle personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Our approach is designed to ensure that your information is processed fairly, lawfully, and transparently. We only collect what we need, use it for specific purposes, and retain it for no longer than necessary.

1. Information We Collect

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

Identity details such as your name.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information including the type of gardening work requested, appointment preferences, property details relevant to the service, and service history.
Billing and payment information where required for invoicing and payment processing.
Communication records such as messages, emails, notes from calls, and feedback.
Technical information if you visit our digital services, including basic device and usage data where applicable.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless you provide it to us for a specific reason that is relevant to the service, and only where a lawful basis applies. If such information is received accidentally, we will handle it securely and in line with legal requirements.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotations.
To deliver gardening services and manage bookings.
To communicate about appointments, service changes, or customer requests.
To issue invoices, process payments, and maintain accounting records.
To manage customer relationships and service records.
To comply with legal, tax, and regulatory obligations.
To improve our services, record preferences, and resolve complaints or disputes.

We only process your personal information for clearly defined business purposes. We do not sell your data, and we do not use it in a way that is incompatible with the original reason it was collected.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only when we have a lawful basis under data protection law. Depending on the situation, one or more of the following bases may apply:

Contract

We process your data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes arranging services, providing the agreed work, handling payment, and managing service-related communications.

Legal Obligation

We may process data to comply with legal duties, such as keeping financial records, meeting tax obligations, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may rely on legitimate interests where processing is necessary for the operation of our business and does not override your rights and freedoms. This may include maintaining customer records, improving service quality, preventing fraud, and managing internal administration. We always consider whether your interests should take priority before using this basis.

Consent

In limited cases, we may ask for your consent, for example where it is required for a specific optional processing activity. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawing consent will not affect processing already carried out lawfully before withdrawal.

4. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including for legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason it was obtained.

Customer service records are kept for the duration of the business relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and invoicing records are kept in line with tax and accounting obligations.
Communication records are retained only as long as needed to manage the enquiry, service, or any related issue.

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

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us operate our services. These third parties act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. We only share information when it is necessary and we apply appropriate safeguards.

Examples of processors may include:

IT and hosting providers that support data storage and system management.
Payment service providers that handle transactions securely.
Accounting or bookkeeping services that assist with financial administration.
Customer communication tools used to manage emails, scheduling, or service updates.

All processors are required to handle personal data securely, only follow our documented instructions where applicable, and comply with data protection law. We do not allow processors to use your information for their own purposes.

We may also disclose information where required by law, to enforce our rights, or to protect the safety, property, or lawful interests of our customers, staff, or business.

6. Security of Personal Data

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against accidental loss, unauthorised access, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, limited access permissions, and staff awareness procedures.

While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we take data protection seriously and review our safeguards regularly.

7. Your Rights Under GDPR

You have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to legal limits and exemptions, these 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, including direct marketing where applicable.
Right to data portability – to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format where legally applicable.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent.

You also have the right to make a complaint to the relevant data protection authority if you believe your data has been handled unlawfully. We encourage you to raise concerns with us first so that we can address them promptly and fairly.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are generally intended for adult customers or adults acting on behalf of a property or household. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary and lawful in connection with service delivery. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child in error, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

9. International Transfers

If any personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as recognised adequacy arrangements or standard contractual protections, so that your information remains protected to an appropriate standard.

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 handle personal data. Any updates will take effect when published. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how their information is used.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Gardeners New Malden respects your privacy and is committed to using personal data responsibly. We collect only what we need, rely on lawful grounds for processing, keep information only for as long as necessary, and work with processors that are expected to maintain proper safeguards. We also recognise and support your rights under GDPR.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Gardeners New Malden customers in area. By using our services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed in accordance with this policy and the applicable data protection laws.