Gardeners Blackwall Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Gardeners Blackwall collects, uses, stores and protects personal data of its customers and prospective customers. It applies to all Gardeners Blackwall customers and people who contact or interact with Gardeners Blackwall within its service area. Gardeners Blackwall is committed to complying with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act, and to handling all personal data lawfully, fairly and transparently.

Who this Privacy Policy applies to

This Privacy Policy applies to individual customers, prospective customers, and any other individuals whose personal data is processed in connection with the provision of gardening and related services by Gardeners Blackwall within its operating area. It also applies to individuals who communicate with Gardeners Blackwall, for example to request a quote, ask a question, or provide feedback.

Types of personal data we collect

Gardeners Blackwall collects and processes different categories of personal data depending on how you interact with us. The types of data we may collect include:

Identification and contact details such as name, postal address, service address, and general location within the service area.

Communication details such as the content of messages you send to us, your preferred contact method, and notes of conversations relevant to providing our services.

Service-related information such as details of the gardening services requested or provided, property type and size, photographs of garden areas where necessary for quoting or work records, and access instructions for the property where you choose to provide them.

Billing and payment information such as records of payments made, amounts due, and invoices. Where electronic or card payments are used, limited payment transaction details may be recorded; however, full card information is not retained by Gardeners Blackwall and is processed by secure payment processors.

Technical and usage data where applicable, such as basic information about how you interact with our website or digital communications, including date, time and pages viewed. This is only collected to the extent necessary to operate and improve our services.

How we collect personal data

Gardeners Blackwall may collect personal data directly from you when you contact us to request services, obtain a quote, make an enquiry, complete a form, or communicate with us by any means. We may also collect personal data during site visits and while performing gardening services at your property.

In some cases we may obtain additional information from publicly available sources when necessary to complete address details or verify location, but only where this is proportionate and relevant to providing our services.

Lawful bases for processing

Gardeners Blackwall processes personal data only where there is a lawful basis under the UK GDPR. Depending on the context, the lawful bases we rely on are:

Contract: We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract for gardening services with you. This includes setting up appointments, providing quotes, carrying out work, and handling billing and payments.

Legitimate interests: We process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include maintaining business records, improving our services, managing scheduling and resources, and responding to general enquiries.

Legal obligation: We may process certain personal data to comply with legal obligations, such as bookkeeping, tax requirements, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Consent: In limited situations we may rely on your consent, for example for certain types of optional marketing communications. Where consent is used, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

How we use personal data

Gardeners Blackwall uses personal data for the following purposes:

To provide gardening and related services you request, including assessing your requirements, issuing quotes, scheduling visits, and carrying out agreed work at your property.

To communicate with you about your bookings, ongoing services, and any changes that might affect your appointment or service delivery.

To manage our business operations, including administration, financial management, record keeping, and quality control.

To respond to questions, feedback, or complaints and to resolve issues that may arise.

To maintain safety and security for our staff and customers, for example by keeping necessary access notes for properties where we have agreed appointments.

To meet applicable legal and regulatory requirements, including accounting and taxation duties.

Data sharing and processors

Gardeners Blackwall does not sell personal data. We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to operate our business and deliver services. These third parties act as data processors or independent controllers depending on their role.

Data processors may include providers of cloud or digital storage services for secure record keeping, payment processing services for handling card or electronic payments, and administrative tools used to schedule and manage appointments. These processors are only permitted to process personal data on our documented instructions and must implement appropriate security measures.

We may share limited personal data with professional advisers such as accountants where this is required for financial and legal compliance. Where required by law, we may also share personal data with public authorities or regulators.

All data sharing is carried out in line with data protection law, and only the minimum amount of personal data necessary for the specific purpose is shared.

International data transfers

Where any of our service providers store or process personal data outside the United Kingdom, Gardeners Blackwall will take steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include using providers in countries that have been recognised as providing an adequate level of protection, or entering into standard contractual clauses or equivalent safeguards approved by data protection authorities.

Data retention

Gardeners Blackwall keeps personal data only for as long as it is needed for the purposes for which it was collected, or as long as is required to meet legal, accounting or reporting obligations.

Basic customer records and service details are generally retained for a period that allows us to provide ongoing or repeat services and to maintain accurate historical records, taking into account typical gardening service cycles. Certain financial and transaction records may need to be kept for longer periods in line with legal and tax requirements.

When personal data is no longer required, it will be securely deleted, anonymised or otherwise disposed of in a way that protects your privacy.

Data security

Gardeners Blackwall takes appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, disclosure or destruction. These measures include limiting access to personal data to individuals who need it to perform their role, using secure systems for digital records where applicable, and maintaining reasonable safeguards for any physical records.

While no method of transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure, Gardeners Blackwall aims to ensure a level of security appropriate to the nature of the data and the risks associated with processing it.

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, individuals have a number of rights in relation to their personal data processed by Gardeners Blackwall. These rights may be subject to certain legal conditions or limitations, but Gardeners Blackwall will always aim to facilitate the exercise of your rights wherever possible.

Right of access: You have the right to request confirmation as to whether we process your personal data and to obtain a copy of that data, together with certain information about how it is used.

Right to rectification: You have the right to ask us to correct any inaccurate personal data and to complete incomplete information.

Right to erasure: In certain circumstances, you may have the right to request that we delete your personal data, for example where it is no longer needed for the purposes for which it was collected and there is no legal reason to retain it.

Right to restriction of processing: You may have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data in specific situations, such as while we are considering a request for rectification or objection.

Right to object: You have the right to object to certain types of processing, including processing based on legitimate interests, where you believe your rights and interests outweigh our reasons for processing.

Right to data portability: In some situations, you may have the right to receive personal data you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, and to request that we transmit it to another controller where technically feasible.

Where processing is based on your consent, you also have the right to withdraw that consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

Gardeners Blackwall may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements or how we handle personal data. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published and will govern the use of personal data from that point onwards.

Customers in the Gardeners Blackwall service area are encouraged to review this Privacy Policy periodically so that they remain informed about how their personal data is processed and protected.