Gardeners Canonbury Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Gardeners Canonbury collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data relating to customers and prospective customers in our service area. It also explains the rights you have under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and related data protection laws.

By using Gardeners Canonbury services or by contacting us to enquire about our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

Scope and who this policy applies to

This Privacy Policy applies to all Gardeners Canonbury customers and prospective customers in our service area, including individuals and businesses who request quotations, book services, or otherwise engage with us. It applies to personal data collected through our in person interactions, by phone, in writing, or through any other communication channels we use.

Who is the data controller

Gardeners Canonbury is the controller of the personal data described in this Privacy Policy. As controller, we determine how and why your personal data is collected and used, and we are responsible for ensuring that it is handled in compliance with applicable data protection laws.

Personal data we collect

We collect and process different types of personal data depending on how you interact with us and the services you request. The categories of data we may collect include:

Identification and contact details such as name, postal address, service property address, and any other contact details you choose to provide.

Service and contract information such as details of your enquiries, quotations provided, services booked, job notes, schedules, and communications relating to ongoing work.

Billing and payment information such as billing address and details of payments made to us and received from you. We do not store full payment card details when third party payment processors are used.

Communication records such as notes of calls, messages you send to us, and our responses, including any feedback, complaints, or testimonials you voluntarily provide.

Usage and technical data where applicable, such as basic technical information your browser or device may share when you visit any online presence we operate, including date and time of visit and general technical information about your device or browser. We do not seek to identify you from this information unless necessary for security or legal reasons.

We aim to collect only the minimum personal data needed to provide our services and manage our relationship with you.

How we collect personal data

We may collect your personal data in the following ways:

Directly from you when you contact us to request a quote or service, when you communicate with us by phone or in writing, or when you provide information on site visits.

Indirectly when we receive referrals or recommendations from existing customers or partners, where you have agreed that your details may be passed on.

Automatically when you interact with any online presence we control, through basic technical data collected by your browser or device.

Lawful basis for processing your data

We only process your personal data where we have a valid legal basis under data protection law. Depending on the context, the lawful bases we rely on include:

Contractual necessity where processing is necessary to enter into a contract with you or to perform a contract for gardening or related services, including providing quotations, scheduling work, and delivering services.

Legitimate interests where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests and your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. This may include managing our relationship with you, improving services, handling enquiries, and maintaining business records.

Legal obligation where we are required to process personal data to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, such as tax, accounting, or record keeping obligations.

Consent where you have given clear consent for a specific purpose, for example, to receive certain types of optional marketing or to provide a testimonial. Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.

How we use your personal data

We may use your personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries, provide quotations, and assess what services may be suitable for your property.

To schedule, deliver, and manage gardening and related services you have requested.

To issue invoices, process payments, and maintain financial records.

To communicate with you about your booked services, including confirmations, changes, and follow up visits.

To handle feedback, queries, and complaints, and to improve the quality of our services.

To keep internal records, including service history, for operational and administrative purposes.

To comply with legal, tax, and regulatory obligations and to cooperate with regulators or law enforcement where required.

Where you have agreed, to send you information about relevant services, updates, or offers that may be of interest to you. You may opt out of these communications at any time.

Data retention and storage

We keep personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy or as required by law. Retention periods may vary depending on the nature of the data and our legal obligations.

In general, we retain customer records and service information for a period that allows us to respond to queries, deal with complaints, maintain accurate financial records, and meet tax and accounting requirements. After the relevant retention period expires, personal data is securely deleted or anonymised.

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, or disclosure. Access to personal data is limited to those who have a genuine business need to access it.

Sharing personal data and use of processors

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your personal data with carefully selected third parties where necessary for the operation of our business or where required by law. These third parties may include:

Service providers acting as data processors who perform services on our behalf, such as IT and cloud service providers, payment processing providers, accounting and bookkeeping support, and administrative support services.

Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers, where necessary for the management of our business or to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

Public authorities or law enforcement where disclosure is required by law or where we believe it is necessary to protect our rights, property, or safety or the rights, property, or safety of others.

Where we use processors, they are only permitted to process your personal data according to our instructions and are required to keep it secure and confidential.

International transfers

Where any of our service providers are located outside the United Kingdom or where data is stored in servers located in other countries, we take steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your personal data in accordance with data protection law. These safeguards may include standard contractual clauses or equivalent legal mechanisms.

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights are subject to certain conditions and legal exceptions, but generally include:

The right of access to obtain confirmation of whether we process your personal data and to receive a copy of the personal data we hold about you.

The right to rectification to have inaccurate personal data corrected and incomplete data completed.

The right to erasure in certain circumstances, for example where the data is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was collected, or where you withdraw consent and there is no other legal basis for processing.

The right to restriction of processing in certain situations, such as when you contest the accuracy of the data or object to our processing.

The right to object to processing based on our legitimate interests, including profiling, and to object to direct marketing.

The right to data portability where technically feasible, allowing you to receive certain personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine readable format and to transmit it to another controller.

Where we rely on consent as the lawful basis for processing, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

Exercising your rights

If you wish to exercise any of your data protection rights or have questions about how we handle your personal data, you may contact Gardeners Canonbury using the contact details you normally use to communicate with us. We may need to verify your identity before responding to certain requests to protect your data.

We aim to respond to all valid requests within one month. In some cases, particularly with complex or multiple requests, it may take longer. If this happens, we will keep you informed.

Complaints and supervisory authority

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, we encourage you to contact us first so we can seek to resolve the issue with you directly. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection supervisory authority in the United Kingdom.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, how we process personal data, or changes in the law. Any updated version will apply from the date it is issued. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we handle your personal data.