Privacy Policy - Gardeners Osterley

This Privacy Policy explains how Gardeners Osterley collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Gardeners Osterley customers in the area, including individuals who request services, receive quotations, make enquiries, or otherwise interact with us in connection with our gardening services. We are committed to processing personal data fairly, securely, and in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to customers, prospective customers, and anyone whose personal data we handle as part of our service operations in Osterley and the surrounding area. It covers information collected before, during, and after a service relationship. By engaging with our services, you acknowledge that we may process your information as described in this policy.

2. Personal data we collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for providing and managing our services. Depending on the nature of your interaction with us, we may collect the following categories of data:

Identity data such as your name and any preferred title.
Contact data such as your address, telephone number, and email address.
Service data such as details of the gardening services requested, property access notes, appointment preferences, and job history.
Payment and transaction data such as payment status, invoices, and records of services billed.
Communication data such as correspondence, feedback, complaints, and notes from conversations.
Technical data where applicable, such as basic information about device use or website interaction if you contact us online.

We do not seek to collect unnecessary data. We also avoid collecting special category data unless it is essential and lawful to do so, which is unlikely in ordinary service provision.

3. How we collect your data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

request a quote or service;
book an appointment or reschedule a visit;
communicate with us by phone, message, email, or in person;
provide payment or billing details;
submit feedback or a complaint.

We may also receive information from third parties where necessary, such as payment providers, subcontracted service processors, or property managers acting on your behalf. In each case, we will only use the information for legitimate service-related purposes.

4. How we use your data

Gardeners Osterley processes personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations, deliver gardening services, and manage appointments;
to communicate with you about your booking, property access, or service requirements;
to issue invoices, process payments, and maintain financial records;
to keep internal records of work completed and customer preferences;
to handle queries, complaints, and service improvements;
to meet legal, regulatory, accounting, and tax obligations;
to defend or establish legal claims where necessary;
to manage our business operations efficiently and securely.

We only use personal data for the purpose for which it was collected, unless we reasonably determine that another compatible use is permitted by law.

5. Lawful basis for processing

Under UK GDPR, every processing activity must have a lawful basis. Gardeners Osterley relies on the following bases:

Contract

We process data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes taking booking details, arranging services, and managing payment obligations.

Legal obligation

We may process personal data to comply with legal duties, such as accounting, tax, fraud prevention, or record-keeping obligations.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. Examples include maintaining service records, responding to customer enquiries, improving service delivery, and protecting our business against misuse or unlawful activity. We always consider whether the processing is proportionate and relevant.

Consent

Where required, we rely on your consent. If we ask for consent, it will be informed, specific, and freely given. You can withdraw consent at any time, although this will not affect processing already carried out before withdrawal.

6. Sharing your data and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third-party service providers, also known as processors, who assist us in operating our business. These processors only act on our instructions and are required to protect your information. They may include:

payment service providers;
accounting or bookkeeping providers;
IT and data storage providers;
communication or scheduling tools;
subcontractors supporting service delivery where necessary.

We may also disclose information if required by law, court order, or a public authority. Where personal data is shared, we take reasonable steps to ensure it is handled securely and only for legitimate purposes. We do not sell personal data.

7. Data retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, tax, and reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason it is held.

Customer and service records are retained for a period that allows us to manage ongoing service matters and maintain accurate business records.
Financial records are retained for the period required by law.
Communication records may be retained for a reasonable period to manage enquiries, resolve disputes, or evidence service history.

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

8. Data security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures are designed to be proportionate to the nature of the information we hold. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to reduce risks and handle data responsibly. Only authorised personnel or approved processors may access personal data when necessary for legitimate business purposes.

9. Your rights under GDPR

You have rights in relation to your personal data, subject to certain legal limits and exemptions. These rights include:

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 data.
Right to erasure – in certain circumstances, you can request deletion of your data.
Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in some situations.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests in certain cases.
Right to data portability – you can request transfer of data you provided to us, where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We aim to deal with requests without undue delay and within the timeframes required by law.

10. Automated decision-making

Gardeners Osterley does not make decisions about customers based solely on automated processing that produce legal or similarly significant effects. If this changes in the future, we will update this policy and provide the required information.

11. Children’s data

Our services are intended for adults and property-related customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is incidental and necessary in a service context. If we become aware that we have collected such data unlawfully, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

12. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data handling practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers in the area to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is used.

13. Complaints and your choices

If you are concerned about how your personal data is handled, you have the right to raise a complaint with the relevant data protection authority. You also have the right to contact us through the normal service channels to raise concerns, request clarification, or exercise your data protection rights. We will treat such requests seriously and respond in a respectful and lawful manner.

Gardeners Osterley values privacy, transparency, and trust. We process personal data only where necessary, keep it secure, and use it in a way that supports our services while respecting your rights.