Privacy Policy - Gardeners Merton Park

Gardeners Merton Park is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in the area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information when you engage our gardening services. It applies to all Gardeners Merton Park customers in the area, including prospective customers, active customers, and individuals who enquire about our services.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Gardeners Merton Park acts as the data controller for the personal data we process in connection with our services. This means we determine why and how your personal data is used. We are committed to processing data lawfully, fairly, and transparently in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We take a privacy-first approach and only collect the information needed to provide, manage, and improve our services.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

Identity details such as your name and title.
Contact information such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details such as the type of gardening work requested, property access instructions, preferred dates, and service history.
Communication records including enquiries, feedback, complaints, and service-related correspondence.
Billing and payment information such as invoicing details and payment status.
Technical data if you interact with us electronically, including IP address, browser type, and device information where relevant.
Special category data only where strictly necessary and usually only if you choose to provide it, for example information relating to access needs or health-related considerations affecting service delivery.

We do not intentionally collect more information than is needed. If you provide additional details, we will only use them where there is a lawful basis to do so and where they are relevant to our service provision.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
to deliver gardening services and manage appointments;
to process payments, invoices, and account records;
to maintain service quality and customer support;
to communicate updates related to booked work;
to comply with legal and regulatory obligations;
to manage disputes, claims, or complaints;
to improve our operations, training, and customer experience.

We only use your information where it is necessary, proportionate, and compatible with the purpose for which it was collected.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each processing activity. Gardeners Merton Park relies on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process your personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes, booking services, carrying out work, and handling payments.

Legitimate Interests

We may process your data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include service administration, record keeping, fraud prevention, and improving service quality.

Legal Obligation

Some information must be retained or processed to comply with legal obligations, such as accounting requirements, tax rules, and record-keeping laws.

Consent

Where we rely on your consent, we will make this clear at the point of collection. You may withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties only where necessary and appropriate. These third parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the context.

Examples of processors may include:

IT and software providers that support email, data storage, invoicing, or scheduling systems;
Payment processors that handle secure payment transactions;
Accountancy or bookkeeping providers who assist with financial records;
Administrative service providers who help manage records or communications.

We require processors to handle personal data securely, use it only on our instructions, and comply with data protection obligations. We do not sell your personal data.

We may also disclose information if required by law, to law enforcement, or to protect our legal rights, property, staff, or customers.

6. International Transfers

Where any processor stores or accesses data outside the United Kingdom, we will take steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. This may include approved contractual protections and checks on the security practices of the provider. Our aim is to ensure that your personal data remains protected at a standard equivalent to UK data protection requirements.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes it was collected, and for any period required by law. Retention periods depend on the type of information and the reason for processing.

Customer service records are generally retained for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and invoice records are retained in line with tax and accounting requirements.
Communications and complaints are retained as long as needed to resolve issues and support our legitimate interests.
Consent-based information is kept until consent is withdrawn or it is no longer required.

When data is no longer needed, we will delete, anonymise, or securely destroy it.

8. How We Protect Your Data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff training, and restricted permissions.

Although no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to maintain a high standard of data protection and review our practices regularly.

9. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have rights under data protection law. Depending on the circumstances, these may 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 cases;
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit how we use your data;
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;
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent;
Right to complain – to raise a concern with the relevant supervisory authority if you believe your rights have been infringed.

We encourage you to raise any concerns with us first so we can try to resolve them promptly and fairly. Your rights are important, and we will always consider requests carefully in line with the law.

10. Marketing Communications

We do not send unwanted marketing communications. If we ever contact you for promotional purposes, we will do so only where permitted by law and, where necessary, with your consent. You may opt out of marketing at any time.

11. Cookies and Online Data

If we use a website or online form as part of our service process, technical data may be collected through cookies or similar technologies. Such data is generally used to improve performance, security, and usability. Where required, consent will be requested before placing non-essential cookies.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or our data handling practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise made available. We encourage you to review it periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Gardeners Merton Park treats your personal data with care, respect, and responsibility. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and lawful purposes, keep it only as long as required, and work with processors who uphold appropriate security and confidentiality standards. We are committed to maintaining trust with all Gardeners Merton Park customers in the area and ensuring that your privacy rights are recognised and protected.

Privacy, transparency, and accountability are central to how we operate. If you use our services, you can expect your personal information to be handled lawfully, fairly, and securely.