Gardeners Dalston Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Gardeners Dalston collects, uses, stores and protects personal data of its customers. It applies to all Gardeners Dalston customers in the local service area who use our gardening, maintenance or related services, whether as regular or one-off customers.

We are committed to handling your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and all applicable data protection laws. This Privacy Policy describes the types of information we collect, the lawful bases we rely on, how long we keep your information, the processors we use, and the rights you have over your data.

Data Controller

Gardeners Dalston is the data controller for the personal data described in this Privacy Policy. As data controller, we decide how and why your personal information is processed when you engage us for services within our operating area.

Personal Data We Collect

We only collect information that is necessary to provide and manage our services, to run our business, and to meet our legal and regulatory obligations. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identification and contact details, such as your full name, postal address, property address where services are provided, and any other location details needed to reach your garden or outdoor space.

Communication details, such as your preferred contact method and records of communications with you, including notes from phone conversations and written messages where relevant to our services.

Service and contract information, such as details of the gardening or maintenance services you request, frequency of visits, access instructions, job history, quotations and invoices.

Payment and transaction information, such as records of payments received, payment method used and related transaction information. We do not store full payment card details if you pay by card.

Usage information, such as how you heard about Gardeners Dalston, your preferences for services, and feedback or reviews you provide about our work.

In limited cases, access and safety information, such as notes on potential hazards at the property, presence of pets or specific access restrictions, where this is necessary for safe service delivery.

How We Collect Your Data

We collect personal data directly from you when you contact us to request a quote, make a booking, confirm a service, or communicate with us about existing or future work. This may be done in person, by phone, or through written communication.

We may also receive personal data from third parties who refer you to us, such as neighbours, landlords or letting agents, but only where it is lawful for them to share your details and where the information is necessary for us to provide services.

Lawful Bases for Processing

We process your personal data on one or more of the following lawful bases under the UK GDPR:

Contract. We process your data as necessary to prepare a quotation, enter into a service agreement with you, provide gardening and maintenance services, manage appointments, and handle payments and billing.

Legitimate interests. We process certain information to manage and improve our business, maintain records of work completed, respond to customer queries, prevent fraud and misuse, and protect our legal rights. When relying on legitimate interests, we balance our interests with your rights and reasonable expectations.

Legal obligation. We process certain information to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, such as maintaining accounting and tax records, and responding to lawful requests from public authorities where required.

Consent. In situations where we rely on your consent, such as for specific forms of optional marketing, we will only process your data for that purpose if you have given clear permission. You may withdraw your consent at any time.

How We Use Your Personal Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

To provide and manage gardening and related services you have requested, including site visits, ongoing maintenance, and one-off jobs.

To communicate with you about quotes, bookings, changes to appointments, access arrangements and general customer service matters.

To prepare and send invoices, record payments and manage our accounts and financial records.

To maintain internal records of work carried out at your property for planning, quality control and continuity of service.

To improve our services, including by reviewing feedback and considering how we can better meet customer needs in the Gardeners Dalston service area.

To protect our business, including by managing disputes, enforcing agreements and protecting our rights, property and safety, and those of our customers.

Data Sharing and Processors

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your personal data with trusted third parties who act as data processors on our behalf, or as independent controllers where necessary and lawful.

Data processors are service providers who process personal data for us under our instructions, for example providers of accounting software, payment processing services, and secure data storage or backup services. These processors are only allowed to process your data for the purposes we specify and must keep your data secure.

We may also share personal data with professional advisers, such as accountants or legal advisers, where necessary to obtain professional services or comply with our obligations.

In limited cases, we may share relevant information with landlords, letting agents or property managers, where they are a party to the service arrangements and where sharing is necessary to manage the work at the property.

We may disclose personal data if required by law, regulation or a valid request from a public authority, or in order to protect our legal rights or the safety of our staff and customers.

International Transfers

Where any of our service providers or data processors store or access personal data outside the United Kingdom, we take appropriate steps to ensure an adequate level of protection for your data. This may include relying on adequacy regulations or putting in place appropriate safeguards in accordance with data protection law.

Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law.

Customer account and service records, including details of work performed, quotations and communications, are typically retained for up to seven years after the end of our relationship with you. This period reflects tax, accounting and legal limitation requirements.

Financial records, including invoices and payment details, are generally kept for at least the minimum period required by tax and accounting laws.

Where personal data is no longer needed for the original purpose and we are not required to keep it by law, we will take reasonable steps to delete, anonymise or otherwise securely dispose of it.

Security of Your Data

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, alteration or disclosure. These measures include limiting access to personal data to those who need it for their role, using secure methods to store records, and keeping our systems and processes under review.

While we take appropriate steps to safeguard your information, no method of transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure. You should also take care to protect your own information when communicating with us.

Your Data Protection Rights

As a customer of Gardeners Dalston within our service area, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data under the UK GDPR, subject to certain conditions and exemptions. These include:

The right of access. You can request confirmation that we process your personal data and ask for a copy of the information we hold about you.

The right to rectification. You can ask us to correct or complete any personal data that you believe is inaccurate or incomplete.

The right to erasure. In certain circumstances, you can request that we delete your personal data, for example where it is no longer needed for the purposes for which it was collected and we have no legal obligation to retain it.

The right to restrict processing. You can ask us to restrict the processing of your personal data in specific situations, such as while we are reviewing a concern you have raised about its accuracy or how it is being used.

The right to object. You can object to certain types of processing based on our legitimate interests, and we will stop processing your data unless we have compelling legitimate grounds or we need to continue for legal reasons.

The right to data portability. In certain cases, you can request that we provide you with personal data you have given us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, or ask us to transmit it to another controller where technically feasible.

Where we rely on consent to process your personal data, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before you withdraw it.

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 legal requirements. Any updated version will apply to all Gardeners Dalston customers in our service area from the date it is made available.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically so that you remain informed about how we protect your personal data.