Privacy Policy for Gardeners Dulwich
This Privacy Policy explains how Gardeners Dulwich collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data relating to our customers in the Dulwich area. It applies to all Gardeners Dulwich customers in the area, including prospective customers, existing customers, and anyone who contacts us to request information or services.
1. Who we are
Gardeners Dulwich provides gardening and related property maintenance services to customers in Dulwich and surrounding local areas. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as the data controller for the personal data we collect and use in connection with our services.
2. Personal data we collect
We may collect personal data that you provide directly to us when you enquire about our services, request a quotation, book an appointment, or communicate with us about a job. This may include your name, address, property access details, service preferences, billing information, and any notes you provide about your garden or the work required.
We may also collect information when you interact with us during the course of providing services, such as records of completed work, scheduling details, service history, complaints, and correspondence. In some cases, we may receive personal data from third parties where this is necessary to deliver our services, such as from property managers, landlords, tenants, or other authorised representatives.
We do not seek to collect more information than is needed for legitimate business purposes. We do not intentionally collect special category data unless you choose to provide it and it is relevant to a specific request, for example where access arrangements or health-related considerations are necessary to complete work safely.
3. How we use your data
We use personal data to respond to enquiries, provide quotations, arrange visits, deliver gardening services, manage customer accounts, issue invoices, process payments, maintain service records, and handle customer support. We also use data to meet our legal obligations, prevent fraud, maintain the security of our business, and keep internal records accurate and up to date.
Where permitted by law, we may use your information to improve our services, understand customer needs, and manage our business efficiently. We only use your data for purposes that are compatible with the reason it was collected, unless we have a lawful basis to use it for a new purpose.
4. Lawful basis for processing
Under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, we rely on one or more lawful bases to process personal data. These include contract, legitimate interests, legal obligation, and consent where appropriate.
We process data on the basis of contract when it is necessary to provide a quotation, carry out work, manage appointments, or fulfil our obligations to you as a customer. We rely on legitimate interests when we need to operate and improve our business, communicate with customers, keep records, or protect our services, provided that these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.
We process data to comply with legal obligations where required for tax, accounting, record-keeping, and other regulatory purposes. Where we rely on consent, for example for certain optional communications or uses, you may withdraw that consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
5. Sharing your data and processors
We may share personal data with trusted third-party service providers who act as processors on our behalf. These may include accountants, booking or administration systems, payment service providers, IT and hosting providers, document storage services, and other operational suppliers that help us run our business.
We only appoint processors that provide appropriate security measures and process personal data under our instructions. They are not permitted to use your data for their own purposes. We may also disclose personal data where necessary to comply with the law, enforce our agreements, respond to lawful requests from public authorities, or protect our rights, property, staff, or customers.
Where we transfer data outside the United Kingdom, we will only do so where appropriate safeguards are in place and the transfer is permitted under data protection law.
6. Data retention
We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to fulfil services, deal with queries, maintain business records, and meet legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. The length of time we keep specific records depends on the type of data and the purpose for which it is used.
In general, customer and transaction records are retained for the period needed to administer services and for any additional period required by law or for the establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims. When personal data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you.
7. How we protect your data
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures are designed to reflect the nature of the data we hold and the risks involved in processing it.
While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we aim to use reasonable safeguards and restrict access to personal data to those who need it for legitimate business purposes.
8. Your rights
Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These may include the right to access your data, correct inaccurate information, request deletion in certain circumstances, object to processing based on legitimate interests, request restriction of processing, and request data portability where applicable.
You also have the right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent. If you wish to exercise any of these rights, you may contact us using the details provided through our usual customer contact channels. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request. We will respond within the time limits required by law.
If you are unhappy with how we handle your personal data, you have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office. We encourage you to contact us first so that we can try to resolve any concerns.
9. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or how we process personal data. The updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise made available.
By using our services or contacting Gardeners Dulwich, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws.
