Privacy Policy - Gardeners Leaves Green

Gardeners Leaves Green is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in the area where we provide services. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information, and it sets out the rights available to individuals under applicable data protection law, including the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This policy applies to all Gardeners Leaves Green customers in area, including prospective customers, current customers, and anyone who has previously enquired about our services. By engaging with our services, requesting a quote, or otherwise providing us with personal data, you acknowledge that your information will be handled in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

1. Who We Are

Gardeners Leaves Green provides gardening and related outdoor maintenance services to customers in the area. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as the data controller for the personal data we collect and use in the course of operating our business. This means we determine why and how your personal data is processed.

We take data protection seriously and apply reasonable technical and organisational measures to safeguard information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or alteration.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary, relevant, and limited to what is required for our business activities. The categories of information we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, the name of your household or business.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information including details of the gardening services you request, property access notes, service preferences, and scheduling requirements.
Billing and payment information such as invoice details and records of payments made or outstanding.
Communications including messages, enquiries, complaints, feedback, and records of correspondence.
Technical or usage information if you interact with our digital systems, for example basic device or access logs used for security and operational purposes.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and legally permitted. Where such information is received inadvertently, we will handle it with enhanced care and only use it where a lawful basis applies.

3. How We Collect Data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

request a quotation or service;
enter into a service agreement;
communicate with us by phone, email, message, or in person;
make a payment or receive an invoice;
leave feedback or raise a complaint;
provide information to help us complete a gardening task safely and effectively.

We may also receive information from third parties where necessary, such as payment providers, contractors, or referral partners, but only where this is lawful and appropriate.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each type of processing. Gardeners Leaves Green may rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract - to provide requested services, manage bookings, issue invoices, and fulfil our obligations to you.
Legitimate interests - to operate and improve our business, respond to enquiries, manage customer relationships, keep records, and protect our services, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.
Legal obligation - to comply with accounting, tax, insurance, or regulatory requirements.
Consent - where required, for example for certain optional communications or where the law specifically requires consent.

Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

5. Why We Use Your Information

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations, book services, and carry out gardening work;
to maintain customer records and service history;
to process payments and manage accounts;
to communicate about appointments, service changes, or follow-up matters;
to handle complaints, disputes, or requests;
to comply with legal and financial obligations;
to protect our business, staff, and customers from fraud or misuse;
to improve our services, systems, and customer experience.

We will not use your personal data for unrelated purposes unless we have a lawful basis to do so and, where appropriate, we have informed you.

6. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to run our business and provide services. These third parties may act as processors or, in some cases, as independent controllers.

Examples of processors we may use include:

IT and hosting providers who support our systems, storage, or security tools;
payment processors who handle card or electronic payments;
accounting or bookkeeping services that support financial administration;
communications providers that help manage emails, messaging, or call systems;
service partners or contractors who assist with delivery of specific gardening tasks under our instructions.

Where processors are used, they are only permitted to process personal data on our instructions, and they must implement appropriate security and confidentiality measures. We do not sell personal data.

We may also disclose information if required by law, court order, or lawful request from a public authority, or where necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as it is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or for as long as required by law. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason for processing.

Customer and service records are typically kept for the duration of the customer relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and invoicing records may be retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Correspondence and complaint records are kept as long as needed to manage the matter and protect our legal interests.
Technical records are retained for a limited period consistent with security and operational needs.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention practices.

8. Security of Personal Data

We take appropriate steps to safeguard personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, misuse, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, confidentiality requirements, and regular review of our information handling practices.

While we work to protect data, no system can be guaranteed completely secure. If a data breach occurs that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will act in accordance with applicable law.

9. Your Rights

Depending on the legal basis for processing and the circumstances, you may have the following rights under data protection law:

Right of access - to obtain confirmation about whether we process your data and receive a copy of it.
Right to rectification - to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure - to request deletion of your data in certain situations.
Right to restriction - to ask us to limit how we use your data in specific cases.
Right to object - to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability - to request transfer of certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent - where consent is the lawful basis, you may withdraw it at any time.

These rights are not absolute, and may be subject to exceptions under applicable law. If you wish to exercise a right, we will respond within the time limits required by law and may need to verify your identity before doing so.

How We Handle Requests

When you contact us to exercise your rights, we will assess your request carefully and respond in a fair and timely manner. If we cannot comply with all or part of a request, we will explain the reasons where permitted by law.

10. International Transfers

In general, we aim to keep personal data within the UK or the European Economic Area where possible. If any processor or service provider stores or accesses data outside these regions, we will ensure suitable safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with applicable law.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and household or business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is provided by a parent, guardian, or authorised adult in connection with a service request. If we become aware that we have collected such data without appropriate authority, we will take steps to remove it where required.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal obligations, or operational needs. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review the policy periodically to stay informed about how personal data is handled.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Gardeners Leaves Green respects privacy and handles personal data with care, fairness, and transparency. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and lawful purposes, retain it only as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or where required by law. All Gardeners Leaves Green customers in area are covered by this policy, and we are committed to upholding your rights under data protection law.