Privacy Policy - Gardeners Whetstone

This Privacy Policy applies to all Gardeners Whetstone customers in area and explains how personal data is collected, used, stored, shared, and protected when you use our gardening services. We are committed to handling information fairly, lawfully, and transparently in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. We aim to keep our practices clear so customers understand what happens to their data and what rights they have.

This policy is written for customers, prospective customers, suppliers, and anyone who interacts with our services in connection with Gardeners Whetstone. It covers information provided directly by you, information collected automatically, and information we may receive from third parties where it is relevant to delivering our services.

1. Information We Collect

We only collect data that is necessary for legitimate business purposes. The types of personal data we may process include:

Identity details such as your name.
Contact details such as your address, telephone number, and email address.
Service information such as property access notes, garden preferences, quotation requests, and details of work to be carried out.
Billing and transaction records including invoices, payment status, and service history.
Communication records such as correspondence, complaints, feedback, and service updates.
Technical information where relevant, such as limited website or device data collected through standard security or analytics tools.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and there is a lawful reason to do so. In the normal course of providing gardening services, we do not seek sensitive information about health, religion, ethnicity, or similar matters.

2. How We Use Your Data

Your information is used for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and manage enquiries.
To deliver gardening and maintenance services.
To schedule visits, manage bookings, and confirm work details.
To issue invoices, receive payments, and maintain financial records.
To communicate about service changes, appointments, or issues.
To handle complaints, queries, and customer support.
To maintain business records and meet legal obligations.
To improve the quality, efficiency, and safety of our services.

We use data minimisation principles and only process information that is relevant to the purpose for which it was collected. We also keep our records accurate and up to date where possible.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. Gardeners Whetstone may rely on one or more of the following bases:

Contract

We process your data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotations, carrying out agreed work, taking payment, and managing customer accounts.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data when required to comply with legal and regulatory duties, such as tax records, accounting obligations, or other statutory requirements.

Legitimate Interests

We may use data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include service administration, record keeping, fraud prevention, and improving customer service. When we rely on this basis, we consider whether the processing is reasonable and proportionate.

Consent

In limited situations, we may ask for your consent, for example for optional communications or specific uses of data not covered by another lawful basis. Where consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time.

4. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected. Retention periods depend on the type of information and the reasons for holding it.

Customer and service records are generally retained for the duration of the customer relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and tax records are kept in line with applicable legal and accounting requirements.
Correspondence and complaints may be retained for a period needed to resolve issues and demonstrate proper handling.
Consent-based records are kept only until consent is withdrawn or the purpose ends.

When information is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer be linked to an identifiable person. Retention is reviewed periodically to make sure we do not hold personal data for longer than necessary.

5. Processors and Third Parties

We may share personal data with trusted third-party service providers, known as processors, who act on our instructions and help us operate our business. These may include:

Bookkeeping or accounting providers.
Payment processing services.
IT and cloud storage providers.
Communication and scheduling tools.
Professional advisers such as legal or tax advisers where needed.

Processors are required to protect your information and may only use it for the services we have instructed them to provide. We do not sell personal data. If data is shared with third parties outside the processor relationship, it is only done where necessary and subject to an appropriate lawful basis.

Where possible, we aim to ensure that any third party handling personal data has adequate security measures and contractual obligations in place. We remain responsible for ensuring that processing is carried out in accordance with data protection law.

6. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, staff confidentiality obligations, and restricted data sharing.

Although no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, we work to reduce risks and maintain appropriate safeguards. If a personal data breach occurs and it presents a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will deal with it in accordance with legal requirements.

7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have important rights in relation to your personal data. These 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 information.
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 information.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data has been handled unlawfully. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve concerns promptly and fairly.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults or for individuals acting on behalf of property owners or occupiers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is required in a limited and appropriate context and supported by a lawful basis.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business practice, or the way we process data. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We recommend reviewing the policy periodically so you remain informed about how we protect your data.

10. Summary of Our Commitment

Gardeners Whetstone is committed to privacy, fairness, and transparency. We collect only the information needed to provide reliable services, we process it on lawful grounds, and we keep it only for as long as necessary. We use appropriate processors, protect information with suitable safeguards, and respect your rights under data protection law. Your trust matters to us, and we handle personal data with care and accountability.