Gardeners North Finchley Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Gardeners North Finchley collects, uses, stores and protects personal data relating to customers and prospective customers in the North Finchley area. It applies to all Gardeners North Finchley customers and anyone who contacts us to enquire about our gardening and related services within this area.

We are committed to complying with the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 and to handling your personal data lawfully, fairly and transparently.

Personal data we collect

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

Identification and contact details, such as your name, postal address, property address where the gardening work is carried out, and any other contact details you choose to provide to us.

Service and contract information, such as details of the services you request or receive from us, quotes, invoices, payment records, job notes, and any preferences you express about how and when services are delivered.

Communication records, including information you provide when you contact us in person, by post or through other communication channels you choose to use, and any notes we make in relation to your enquiries or our ongoing services.

Payment-related information, such as the fact that a payment has been made, the payment method type and transaction references. We do not store full payment card details, which are handled securely by our chosen payment processors where applicable.

Technical and usage data when you interact with our online content, which may include the IP address, approximate location based on IP, and basic information about the device and browser you use. This is used to ensure the security and proper functioning of any online pages we operate.

How we collect personal data

We collect personal data in the following ways:

Directly from you when you contact us to request a quote, make a booking, ask a question, or otherwise communicate with us about our services.

During the provision of services at your property, for example when our gardeners attend to carry out a job and record what was done and any relevant notes relating to your garden or preferences.

From payment transactions, where transaction details and confirmations are made available to us via our payment service or bank for accounting and record-keeping purposes.

Automatically, where technical information is generated by your interactions with any website or online content we operate, such as server logs and basic security-related data.

Purposes and lawful bases for processing

We process your personal data for the following purposes and under the following lawful bases:

To provide and manage our gardening services. This includes handling enquiries, providing quotes, scheduling and performing work, and managing ongoing service arrangements. The lawful basis is the performance of a contract with you or taking steps at your request before entering into a contract.

To manage billing and payments. This includes issuing invoices, processing payments, managing refunds where applicable, and keeping appropriate accounting records. The lawful basis is the performance of a contract and compliance with legal obligations relating to accounting and taxation.

To communicate with you. We may contact you about your bookings, changes to appointments, important information relating to safety or access, or to respond to your questions and requests. The lawful basis is the performance of a contract or our legitimate interests in providing effective customer service.

To maintain and improve our services. We may use information about the services delivered and any feedback you provide to improve how we operate, manage our resources and plan future work. The lawful basis is our legitimate interests in running and developing our business, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.

To comply with legal and regulatory obligations. We may process and retain certain information where required to do so by law, for example for tax and accounting purposes or to respond to lawful requests from public authorities. The lawful basis is compliance with legal obligations.

Where we wish to send you marketing information about our services that is not directly related to your existing bookings, we will only do so in compliance with applicable marketing rules and, where required, based on your consent. You can withdraw your consent or object to such marketing at any time.

Data sharing and processors

We do not sell your personal data. We may share personal data with carefully selected third parties who act as data processors on our behalf or as independent controllers where appropriate.

Data processors may include providers of payment processing services, accounting or bookkeeping services, document storage or cloud hosting services, and external contractors who help us manage our scheduling or customer records. These processors are only allowed to process your data according to our instructions and must protect it with appropriate technical and organisational measures.

In some cases we may share necessary information with independent professionals, such as accountants or legal advisers, where this is required for us to obtain professional advice or to comply with our legal obligations. In those circumstances, these parties will usually act as independent data controllers, responsible for their own compliance.

We may also share data where required by law, for example with law enforcement agencies or public authorities if we are under a legal obligation to disclose or if it is necessary for the prevention or detection of crime.

Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as is reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet any legal, accounting or reporting requirements.

In general, contact details, service records and billing information are kept for the duration of your relationship with us and for a period after that, typically up to seven years after the end of the relevant tax year, to meet our legal and accounting obligations.

Information that is no longer required and is not subject to a legal retention duty will be securely deleted or anonymised so that it can no longer be associated with you.

International transfers

Where we use service providers whose systems are located outside the United Kingdom, your personal data may be transferred to and stored in other countries. In such cases we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as the use of approved data protection clauses or equivalent lawful mechanisms, to ensure your data remains protected to standards essentially equivalent to those in the United Kingdom.

Security of your data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction or damage. These measures may include restricted access to records on a need-to-know basis, secure storage, and procedures designed to maintain the confidentiality, integrity and availability of personal data.

While we take reasonable steps to protect the personal data we hold, no system can be guaranteed as completely secure. You also play an important role in keeping your information secure by communicating sensitive information carefully and letting us know promptly if you believe your data may have been compromised.

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights apply in most circumstances and may be subject to conditions or exceptions. They include:

The right of access. You can request confirmation of whether we hold personal data about you and ask for a copy of that data, along with certain information about how we use it.

The right to rectification. You can ask us to correct or complete personal data that is inaccurate or incomplete.

The right to erasure. In some circumstances, you can ask us to delete your personal data, for example where it 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.

The right to restrict processing. You can ask us to restrict the processing of your personal data in certain situations, for example while we are checking its accuracy or considering an objection you have raised.

The right to object. You can object to processing based on our legitimate interests, including profiling based on those interests, where you believe that your fundamental rights and freedoms override those interests. You always have the right to object to direct marketing.

The right to data portability. In certain circumstances, you can request that we provide you with personal data you have given us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, or ask us to transmit it to another controller where this is technically feasible.

Where processing is based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before you withdraw.

How to exercise your rights and complaints

If you wish to exercise any of your data protection rights in relation to Gardeners North Finchley, or if you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle personal data, you can contact us using the usual contact channels you use for our services.

If you are not satisfied with our response or believe that your data protection rights have been infringed, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority in the United Kingdom.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our services or our data protection practices. Any updates will apply from the date they are published. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your personal data.