Privacy Policy - Gardeners New Barnet

Gardeners New Barnet is committed to protecting personal data and respecting privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, store, and protect information when we provide gardening services to customers in the New Barnet area. It applies to all Gardeners New Barnet customers in the area, including individuals, landlords, tenants, property managers, and business clients who use our services.

This policy is written to be clear and transparent, in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. It describes what information we process, why we process it, how long we keep it, the third parties that may handle it for us, and the rights available to you as a data subject.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the personal data needed to deliver our gardening services properly, manage customer relationships, and meet legal obligations. The information we may collect includes:

Identity details such as your name or the name of your organisation.
Contact details including address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information such as property access notes, garden preferences, requested work, and appointment details.
Billing and transaction information including invoices, payment status, and records of services provided.
Communication records such as messages, quotations, complaints, feedback, and service updates.
Technical information if you contact us through digital systems, such as basic device or usage information needed for security and record keeping.
Photographs of gardens or completed work where needed for quotations, records, proof of service, or dispute resolution.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is unavoidable and lawful to do so. Special category data includes information about health, religion, political views, trade union membership, genetic or biometric data, or sexual orientation. If such information is ever received by mistake, we handle it with extra care and only keep it where there is a lawful reason.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for a number of service-related purposes. These include:

providing quotations and assessing garden work;
arranging and delivering gardening services;
managing customer accounts and records;
issuing invoices, processing payments, and maintaining financial records;
responding to enquiries, complaints, and feedback;
maintaining security, preventing fraud, and protecting our business;
meeting tax, accounting, and legal obligations;
improving the quality and efficiency of our services;
keeping a history of work completed for future reference.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably need to use it for a compatible purpose or another lawful reason. Where possible, we keep our processing limited, relevant, and proportionate.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for every use of personal data. Gardeners New Barnet 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 providing quotes, scheduling services, carrying out work, taking payment, and managing service records.

Legal Obligation

We process certain information to comply with legal obligations, including accounting, tax, insurance, and record-keeping requirements. This may include retaining invoice data and transaction records for statutory periods.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights. This may include maintaining customer records, managing service quality, preventing misuse, and keeping evidence of completed work. We always consider the impact on your privacy before relying on legitimate interests.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on consent, for example where you agree to receive optional marketing communications or where a particular use of data clearly requires permission. If we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

4. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Retention periods depend on the type of data and why it is held.

Customer and service records: kept for as long as needed to manage the relationship and maintain an accurate service history.
Financial records: retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Correspondence: kept for a reasonable period to manage queries, disputes, and follow-up matters.
Photos and work evidence: retained only while needed for quotations, proof of work, or record keeping.

When data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or destroy it. We regularly review data retention to ensure we do not keep information longer than necessary.

5. Processors and Third Parties

We may use trusted third-party service providers, known as data processors, to help us operate efficiently. These processors only handle data on our instructions and are required to protect it appropriately. Examples may include:

IT and cloud storage providers used for secure record storage and business administration.
Payment processors used to handle invoices and card or electronic payments.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers used for financial management and tax compliance.
Communication service providers used for email, messaging, or customer scheduling.
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers where necessary.

We may also disclose personal data to public authorities or law enforcement where required by law, or where disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, our customers, or others.

Gardeners New Barnet does not sell personal data. We also do not allow processors to use your information for their own unrelated purposes.

6. How We Protect Your Data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from accidental loss, unauthorised access, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, password protection, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and data minimisation practices.

Although no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, we work to reduce risk and handle data responsibly. If a personal data breach were to occur, we would assess the risk and, where necessary, notify the appropriate authorities and affected individuals in accordance with legal requirements.

7. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have rights over your personal data. Subject to legal limits, these rights 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 data.
Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restrict processing – to ask us to limit how we use your data.
Right to data portability – to receive certain data in a portable format where applicable.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
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 UK data protection authority if you believe your data has not been handled lawfully. We encourage you to raise any privacy concerns directly so we can address them promptly and fairly.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not intentionally collect personal data from children. If we become aware that a child’s data has been collected without appropriate permission, we will take steps to delete it unless there is a lawful reason to keep it.

9. International Transfers

Where service providers store or process data outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect personal data and maintain a comparable level of security and privacy. Such safeguards may include approved transfer mechanisms and contractual protections.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or operational practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise made available. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Gardeners New Barnet is dedicated to handling personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and legitimate purposes, keep it only as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or where the law requires it. We respect your rights and aim to maintain your trust through responsible data protection practices.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Gardeners New Barnet customers in the area and is intended to ensure that your personal information is treated with care, confidentiality, and respect.