Privacy Policy

Gardeners Highbury Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Gardeners Highbury collects, uses, stores and protects personal data relating to our gardening services. It applies to all Gardeners Highbury customers and prospective customers within our service area, including anyone who contacts us to request a quote, makes a booking, or otherwise interacts with our services.

Gardeners Highbury acts as the data controller for the personal data described in this Privacy Policy. We are committed to complying with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and all relevant data protection laws. This document explains what personal data we collect, our lawful bases for using it, how long we keep it, who processes it on our behalf, and the rights you have in relation to your personal data.

Personal data we collect

We collect and process different types of personal data about you depending on how you interact with us and which services you use. The categories of data we may collect include the following.

Identification and contact details such as your name, postal address, property address where the gardening work is carried out, and any additional addresses relevant to the service. We also collect contact details such as your email address and other contact information you choose to provide so we can communicate with you about quotations, bookings, and service updates.

Service and account information such as details of the gardening services you request, quotes we provide, bookings and appointments, records of services carried out at your property, and any preferences you share with us, for example preferred dates or particular garden requirements.

Billing and payment details such as the amount charged, payment method used, and transaction records. Where payments are processed via a third party, we do not receive or store full payment card details, but we may receive confirmation that a payment has been made and basic billing information to reconcile our accounts.

Communication records including information contained in enquiries, emails, messages and telephone conversations relating to the services we provide, feedback and complaints, and notes made by our staff to help manage your account and provide you with an efficient service.

Website and technical data where relevant, such as basic technical information that may be collected when you visit our website, including your approximate location, device information, and how you use the website. This information may be collected through cookies or similar technologies where permitted by law and where you have given consent where required.

Lawful basis for processing your data

We only process your personal data where we have a lawful basis to do so under data protection law. Depending on the circumstances, this will include one or more of the following bases.

Performance of a contract. We use your personal data to provide the gardening services you have requested, to give quotations, to schedule and complete appointments, to issue invoices, and to manage your customer account. Without this data we would not be able to fulfil the services you ask us to deliver.

Legitimate interests. We process certain data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests. These activities include managing and improving our services, communicating with existing customers about service updates, safeguarding our staff while they work at your property, keeping accurate business records, and protecting our business from fraud or misuse.

Legal obligations. We may process and store your data where we are required to do so by law, for example for tax and accounting purposes or to respond to lawful requests from regulatory or law enforcement authorities.

Consent. In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent to process your data, for example for certain types of optional marketing communications or non-essential cookies on our website. Where we rely on consent, you are free to withdraw it at any time and we will stop processing your data for that purpose.

How we use your personal data

We use your personal data to deliver and manage our gardening services in a professional manner and to support the ongoing relationship between you and Gardeners Highbury. This includes contacting you to respond to enquiries, provide quotations, confirm bookings, rearrange appointments, and send information about work being carried out at your property.

We also use your data for administration and internal record keeping, including managing customer accounts, processing payments, issuing invoices and receipts, handling complaints, and maintaining accurate service histories for your property so that we can provide consistent and efficient ongoing services.

We may use your data to improve our services, such as reviewing feedback, analysing typical service patterns, and planning staffing and resources. Where allowed, we may from time to time send you information about similar services that may be of interest, and you can ask us to stop these communications at any time.

Data sharing and processors

We do not sell your personal data. However, we may share your personal data with trusted third parties where this is necessary for the operation of our business or the provision of services to you. These third parties act as data processors and only process your data on our instructions and for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

Types of processors we may use include companies that provide booking and scheduling tools used to manage appointments and allocate gardening teams, payment processing providers that handle payments and help us reconcile our accounts, cloud storage and IT service providers that securely host our data and maintain our systems, and professional advisers such as accountants who assist us in meeting our legal and financial obligations.

Where we use processors, we ensure appropriate contractual and technical safeguards are in place so that your personal data is kept secure and is not used for purposes other than those we define. If we are required by law to share your data with public authorities or law enforcement, we will only share what is strictly necessary and in accordance with legal requirements.

Data retention

We keep your personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. The specific retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and our legal and business needs.

Customer and service records, including contact details, service history and invoices, are normally retained for a period required by tax and accounting regulations, after which they are securely deleted or anonymised. Communication records are retained for a reasonable period to help us manage ongoing enquiries, bookings and any potential disputes.

Where we rely on your consent for specific processing activities, we will retain the relevant data for as long as your consent remains valid or until you withdraw it. When data is no longer needed, we take steps to delete it securely or to irreversibly anonymise it so that it can no longer be linked to you.

How we protect your data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration and destruction. These measures include restricting access to personal data to those employees and processors who need it for their role, using secure systems for storing and transmitting data where appropriate, and regularly reviewing our procedures and security arrangements.

While no system can guarantee absolute security, we aim to ensure that the safeguards we use are proportionate to the sensitivity of the data we hold and the risks involved in processing it.

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to the personal data that Gardeners Highbury holds about you. These rights apply to all customers and prospective customers within our service area, subject to certain limitations and exemptions.

You have the right of access, meaning you can request confirmation that we are processing your personal data and obtain a copy of the data we hold about you. You have the right to rectification, allowing you to ask us to correct or complete any personal data that is inaccurate or incomplete.

You have the right to erasure in certain circumstances, for example where the data is no longer needed for the purposes for which it was collected or where you withdraw consent and there is no other lawful basis for processing. This right may be limited where we must retain data to comply with legal obligations.

You have the right to restrict processing in certain situations, for example while we verify the accuracy of data or consider an objection you have raised. You also have the right to object to processing that is based on our legitimate interests, including certain types of direct marketing, and we will stop processing your data unless we have compelling legitimate grounds to continue.

You have the right to data portability in some cases, which allows you to receive personal data you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and, where technically feasible, to transmit it to another controller.

If you have given consent for specific processing, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before you withdraw it, but we will stop processing your data for the relevant purpose from that point onwards.

You also have the right to raise concerns with the relevant data protection supervisory authority if you believe that your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage you to contact us first so that we can seek to resolve any issues directly.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, changes in the way we process personal data, or updates in data protection law. Any revised version will apply to all Gardeners Highbury customers and prospective customers in our service area from the date it is published. We recommend that you review this Privacy Policy periodically so that you remain informed about how we collect and use your personal data.