Privacy Policy - Gardeners Clerkenwell

Gardeners Clerkenwell is committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share personal information when you use our gardening services in the Clerkenwell area. It applies to all Gardeners Clerkenwell customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and anyone who contacts us in connection with our services.

We aim to handle personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Please read this policy carefully to understand what happens to your information, why we need it, and what rights you have.

1. Personal Data We Collect

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

Identity information: your name and, where relevant, the name of your business or property management contact.
Contact details: address, email address, telephone number, and any preferred method of communication.
Service details: information about the gardens or outdoor spaces we maintain, requested work, service preferences, and appointment notes.
Payment information: records relating to payments, invoices, billing status, and transaction history.
Communication data: messages, enquiries, feedback, complaints, and any correspondence with us.
Technical data: limited information such as device identifiers or browsing activity if you interact with our digital systems or booking tools.
Security data: records necessary to protect our systems, staff, and customers from fraud, misuse, or unlawful access.

We generally collect information directly from you when you request a quote, book a service, provide instructions, or communicate with us. In some cases, we may also receive information from third parties such as property managers, landlords, or payment providers where this is necessary for service delivery.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data only where we have a lawful reason to do so. The main purposes for which we process data include:

responding to enquiries and providing quotations;
delivering gardening and related maintenance services;
managing appointments, schedules, and service updates;
issuing invoices, processing payments, and managing accounts;
keeping records of work carried out and customer preferences;
handling complaints, disputes, and customer support requests;
meeting legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
protecting our business against fraud, misuse, and security threats;
improving the quality, reliability, and efficiency of our services.

We only collect data that is relevant and necessary for these purposes. We do not use your information for unrelated activities without a proper legal basis and, where needed, your consent.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis before processing personal data. Gardeners Clerkenwell may rely on the following bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to perform a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract. This includes providing quotes, arranging appointments, carrying out agreed garden work, and managing payments.

Legal Obligation

We may process data where we must comply with legal duties, such as tax records, accounting obligations, business administration, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may use personal data where it is reasonably necessary for our legitimate interests, provided your interests and rights do not override them. This may include maintaining business records, improving our operations, securing our systems, preventing fraud, and managing customer relationships. When we rely on legitimate interests, we assess the impact on your privacy and only proceed where the processing is proportionate.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example if we need permission to send certain types of marketing or to process optional information. Where consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We do not sell your personal data. However, we may share it with trusted third parties, known as processors, who help us run our business and provide services. These may include:

IT and cloud service providers that host data storage, email systems, or business software;
payment processors that handle card or electronic payments;
accounting and bookkeeping providers supporting financial records and compliance;
administrative service providers assisting with bookings, invoicing, or customer management;
professional advisers such as legal or tax advisers where needed;
public authorities where disclosure is required by law.

Any processor acting on our behalf must follow our instructions, keep data secure, and process information only for specified purposes. We take reasonable steps to ensure that processors provide appropriate safeguards and handle data in line with GDPR requirements.

In some cases, we may also share limited information with property owners, landlords, or managing agents when this is necessary to complete requested services or confirm arrangements. We will only do so where the sharing is appropriate and lawful.

5. International Transfers

If any processor stores or accesses data outside the UK, we will make sure appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent protections designed to keep your data secure and treated consistently with UK GDPR standards.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, or reporting obligations. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the context in which it was collected.

Customer and service records are generally retained for a period needed to manage ongoing service history, warranties, complaints, or follow-up work.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Communication records may be retained for a reasonable period to support customer service, dispute handling, and business continuity.
Inactive or unnecessary records are securely deleted or anonymised when no longer required.

When retention is no longer necessary, we will take appropriate steps to securely erase, destroy, or anonymise the data. We review our records periodically to ensure we do not keep information longer than needed.

7. Data Security

We use suitable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, password protection, secure storage, staff training, and limited access to data based on need. While no system is completely secure, we work to reduce risks and respond promptly if a security issue arises.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of important rights in relation to your personal data:

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 personal data.
Right to restriction: you may ask us to limit how we use your data in specific situations.
Right to object: you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability: where applicable, you can ask for data you provided to us in a usable format.
Right to withdraw consent: if we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

To protect your privacy, we may need to verify your identity before responding to a request. We will respond within the timescales required by law unless an extension is permitted. You also have the right to raise concerns with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data has been handled unlawfully.

9. Cookies and Similar Technologies

If we use online booking or digital communication tools, limited cookies or similar technologies may be used to support functionality, security, or performance. Where consent is required, we will obtain it before placing non-essential cookies. You may change browser settings to control cookie use, although this may affect certain features.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults, landlords, property managers, and other authorised contacts. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is incidental and necessary for a service arrangement, and only where permitted by law. If we become aware that we have collected data inappropriately, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or how we operate. When we do, we will revise the policy so that it remains accurate and transparent. We encourage customers to review this page periodically to stay informed about how their data is protected.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Gardeners Clerkenwell takes privacy seriously and processes personal data responsibly, securely, and only when necessary. We aim to be clear about what we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, and who may process it on our behalf. This policy applies to all customers in the Clerkenwell area and supports our commitment to lawful, fair, and transparent data handling.

By using our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.