Privacy Policy - Gardeners Rush Green

Gardeners Rush Green is committed to protecting the personal data of its customers and service users. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information in connection with our gardening and related services. It applies to all Gardeners Rush Green customers in our service area, including individuals who enquire about, book, receive, or pay for our services.

This policy is written in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. It aims to provide clear and transparent information about our data practices, the lawful bases we rely on, the types of third parties that may process data on our behalf, how long we keep information, and the rights available to individuals under data protection law.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary for providing our services, managing customer relationships, handling enquiries, and meeting legal obligations. The information we may collect includes:

Identity details such as name and title.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information such as the type of gardening work requested, property access notes, service preferences, and appointment details.
Payment information such as billing records, transaction references, and payment status.
Communication records such as emails, messages, and notes from telephone conversations.
Technical or usage data if you interact with digital systems that record basic log information, such as date and time of communication.
Feedback and complaint information where you share comments about our work or service experience.

We do not intentionally collect sensitive special category data unless it is necessary and you have chosen to provide it. If such data is ever required, we will only process it where a lawful basis and additional condition under data protection law applies.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal information for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotes.
To arrange, deliver, and manage gardening services.
To communicate about appointments, changes, and service updates.
To issue invoices, process payments, and maintain accounting records.
To maintain service history and customer records.
To deal with complaints, disputes, or follow-up requests.
To comply with legal, tax, and regulatory obligations.
To improve our services, where appropriate and lawful.

We will only use your information in a fair and lawful way, and we will not use it for unrelated purposes unless the law allows us to do so.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under GDPR, we must have a lawful basis before processing personal data. Gardeners Rush Green 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 preparing quotes, scheduling services, carrying out agreed work, and managing billing.

Legal Obligation

We process data where required to comply with legal obligations, including tax records, financial reporting, and other regulatory requirements.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data for our legitimate business interests where these are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include maintaining service records, preventing fraud, managing customer communications, and improving operational efficiency.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where you voluntarily agree to receive certain optional communications. If consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

Where special category data is processed, we will only do so if an appropriate legal condition exists and, where necessary, explicit consent or another permitted ground applies.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We do not sell personal data. We may share it only when necessary and only with trusted third parties who help us operate our business. These third parties act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers.

Examples of processors may include:

IT and cloud service providers that store or secure customer records.
Accounting or bookkeeping providers that assist with invoicing and financial administration.
Payment service providers that handle payment transactions.
Scheduling or communications providers that support appointment management and customer correspondence.
Professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers, where necessary.

When we use processors, we ensure they are bound by appropriate contractual obligations to protect your data, process it only on our instructions, and apply suitable security measures.

We may also disclose information if required by law, court order, law enforcement request, or other legal obligation. If business ownership or structure changes, personal data may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to applicable legal safeguards.

5. Data Retention

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

Customer enquiry records may be kept for a reasonable period to manage follow-up and service administration.
Service records and invoices are normally kept for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Complaint or dispute records may be retained longer where needed to resolve issues or defend legal claims.
Communication records are kept only as long as necessary for business and legal purposes.

When data is no longer needed, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so it can no longer identify you.

6. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, misuse, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, confidentiality practices, and limiting access to those who need it for legitimate business purposes.

While we work hard to protect information, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If a data incident occurs that affects your information, we will handle it in accordance with applicable law.

7. Your Rights

Under GDPR, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and legal basis used for processing.

Right of access – you may ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure – you may ask us to delete your data in certain situations.
Right to restriction – you may ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
Right to object – you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – you may request certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to raise concerns with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your rights have not been respected. We encourage you to contact us first so we can address any concerns promptly.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults or adult household contacts arranging services on behalf of a property. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is incidental and necessary for service delivery, and only with appropriate safeguards.

9. International Transfers

If any service provider processes data outside the UK, we will ensure suitable protections are in place to safeguard the information in accordance with GDPR requirements. Such protections may include approved contractual safeguards or equivalent legal mechanisms.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect legal, operational, or service changes. Any revised version will apply from the date it is issued. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to remain informed about how we handle personal data.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Gardeners Rush Green respects privacy and handles personal information with care, transparency, and accountability. We collect only what is needed, use it for clear and lawful purposes, store it securely, share it only with trusted processors when necessary, and retain it for no longer than required. Your rights matter to us, and we aim to support them in a timely and lawful manner.

This policy applies to all customers within the Gardeners Rush Green service area and governs the handling of personal data in relation to our gardening services.