Privacy Policy - Gardeners Fitzrovia

This Privacy Policy explains how Gardeners Fitzrovia collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data when providing gardening and related services. It applies to all Gardeners Fitzrovia customers in the area, including anyone who requests a quotation, books a service, communicates with the business, or otherwise interacts with us in connection with our gardening services.

We are committed to handling personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy is written to help customers understand what data we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and what rights individuals have in relation to their information.

1. Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to all customers, prospective customers, and service users of Gardeners Fitzrovia in the local area. It also applies to individuals who may be authorised to act on behalf of a customer, such as landlords, tenants, property managers, or other representatives involved in arranging gardening work.

By using our services, you acknowledge that we may process personal data as described in this policy.

2. Data we collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide, manage, and improve our services. The categories of personal data we may collect include:

Identity details such as name and, where relevant, business or property-related title information.
Contact details such as postal address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details including the type of gardening service requested, service preferences, property access requirements, appointment notes, and information about the work to be carried out.
Billing and transaction information such as invoice records, payment status, and financial references required for accounting.
Communication records including emails, messages, call notes, complaints, feedback, and correspondence relating to quotes, scheduling, or service issues.
Technical or usage data if you interact with our digital systems, such as basic device or browser information, where applicable.
Site and access information relevant to the safe delivery of services, such as gate codes, parking notes, or access instructions.

We do not intentionally collect special category personal data unless it is necessary and you choose to provide it, for example in relation to access needs or health-related instructions that affect service delivery. If such information is provided, we will handle it with extra care and only where lawful to do so.

3. How we use personal data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
to schedule and deliver gardening services;
to manage customer accounts, bookings, and service history;
to process payments and issue invoices;
to communicate about appointments, service changes, or follow-up matters;
to handle complaints, disputes, or customer support requests;
to maintain business records for tax, legal, and operational purposes;
to improve service quality, internal processes, and customer experience;
to protect against fraud, misuse, or unauthorised access; and
to comply with legal obligations.

We only use personal data where there is a lawful basis to do so.

4. Lawful basis for processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis before processing personal data. Gardeners Fitzrovia relies on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotes, managing bookings, delivering services, and completing billing arrangements.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include maintaining business records, improving service quality, preventing misuse, and managing customer communications. When relying on this basis, we consider whether the processing is necessary and proportionate.

Legal obligation

Some information must be retained or processed to meet legal and regulatory requirements, such as accounting, tax, or record-keeping duties.

Consent

In limited cases, we may ask for your consent, for example where optional marketing communications or the use of certain non-essential information is involved. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

Vital interests or public task

These bases are unlikely to apply in ordinary service delivery, but may be used in exceptional circumstances where necessary to protect someone’s life or where required by law.

5. Sharing data and processors

We do not sell personal data. However, we may share information where necessary with trusted third parties who act as processors on our behalf or, in some cases, as independent controllers. These parties are only given access to the data required for the specific task they perform.

Examples of processors may include:

accounting and bookkeeping providers;
payment service providers;
IT and software support providers;
data storage or cloud service providers;
customer administration tools used for scheduling or record management;
professional advisers such as lawyers or accountants, where necessary;
service partners or subcontractors assisting with delivery of work.

All processors are expected to handle data securely, use it only on our instructions, and implement suitable technical and organisational safeguards. Where a third party is an independent controller, their own privacy practices will apply to the data they process.

We may also disclose information if required by law, court order, regulatory request, or to protect the rights, safety, and security of our business, customers, staff, or others.

6. 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. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the reason for holding it.

Customer and service records are usually retained for the period needed to manage the relationship and any follow-up queries.
Financial and tax records are generally kept for the legally required period.
Communication records may be retained for a reasonable period to resolve disputes, confirm instructions, or support service quality.
Inactive or unnecessary data is securely deleted or anonymised when no longer needed.

Where it is appropriate, data may be archived in a restricted format before final deletion. We review retained data periodically to ensure it is still required.

7. Data security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff awareness, and restricted handling of records. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take reasonable steps to protect information in line with the risk presented.

We also expect any processors we use to apply suitable security measures.

8. International transfers

If personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place as required by applicable data protection law. This may include adequacy regulations or standard contractual protections where relevant.

9. Your rights

Individuals have rights in relation to their personal data. Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

access the personal data we hold about you;
rectify inaccurate or incomplete information;
erase your data in certain situations;
restrict processing in certain circumstances;
object to processing based on legitimate interests;
data portability where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means;
withdraw consent where consent has been used as the lawful basis.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with data protection law. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request. Some rights may be limited where we must retain information for legal or contractual reasons.

10. Complaints

If you have concerns about how your personal data is handled, you may raise them with us so that we can review the matter. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK data protection authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business practices, or the services we provide. The latest version will apply from the date it is published. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their personal data is handled.

12. Summary of our commitment

Gardeners Fitzrovia treats personal data with care, confidentiality, and respect. We collect only what we need, use it only for clear purposes, keep it only as long as necessary, and protect it through appropriate safeguards. Our approach is designed to support a reliable service while respecting the privacy rights of every customer in the area.

In short: your information is processed lawfully, securely, and transparently, with your rights placed at the centre of our data handling practices.