Privacy Policy

Gardeners Limehouse Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Gardeners Limehouse collects, uses, stores and protects personal data relating to our customers in the local service area. It is intended to comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and related data protection laws. By using our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

Scope and who this policy applies to

This Privacy Policy applies to all Gardeners Limehouse customers and prospective customers in our service area, including individuals who contact us for quotations, make bookings, receive gardening or maintenance services, or otherwise interact with us in the course of our business.

The Policy covers personal data collected through any communication channel, including in person, by post, and through digital means such as online forms or messaging platforms.

Personal data we collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary for providing our gardening and related services. The categories of personal data we may collect include:

Identification and contact details: name, address, billing address, and general contact details you choose to provide when making enquiries or bookings.

Service and contract information: details about the garden or property where services are provided, service history, quotations, invoices, and records of work carried out.

Communication records: information contained in messages, notes of telephone conversations, and any feedback or complaints you submit to us.

Payment information: records of payments made and amounts due. Payment card details, if used, are handled in a way that prevents us from retaining full card details once the transaction is authorised.

Technical and usage data: basic technical data that may be generated if you interact with any online tools we operate, such as the date and time of your interaction and the general type of device or browser used. We do not seek to identify you from this data unless required for security or legal reasons.

How we collect personal data

We collect personal data directly from you when you contact us for a quotation, request a visit, make a booking, enter into a contract for services, or communicate with us in relation to an existing or past service.

We may also obtain personal data from third parties where this is necessary to provide our services, for example through referrals from existing customers or property managers, or where another person books services on your behalf.

Lawful basis for processing

Gardeners Limehouse processes personal data only where a lawful basis applies under data protection law. The main lawful bases we rely upon are:

Performance of a contract: where processing your personal data is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, for example to provide gardening services, arrange access to your property, issue quotations, or process payments.

Legitimate interests: where we have a legitimate business interest in processing your data that is not overridden by your rights and freedoms, such as managing our customer relationships, improving our services, ensuring site and system security, or pursuing and defending legal claims.

Legal obligation: where we must process personal data to comply with legal or regulatory requirements, such as maintaining certain accounting and tax records or responding to lawful requests from public authorities.

Consent: where the law requires consent for particular types of processing, or where we choose to rely on consent as a lawful basis, for example for certain direct marketing activities. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

How we use your personal data

We use your personal data to:

Provide and manage gardening and related services, including booking appointments, attending your property, and completing agreed work.

Prepare and send quotations, invoices, and payment confirmations.

Communicate with you about your bookings, rescheduling, service updates, queries or complaints.

Maintain internal records for administration, accounting, and business planning.

Protect our business and customers, for example by managing access to properties where services are provided and verifying identity when appropriate.

Comply with legal and regulatory obligations that apply to us.

Subject to applicable rules, inform you of updates to our services or related offerings that may be of interest to you. You can object to direct marketing at any time.

Data processors and sharing of personal data

We may share your personal data with trusted third parties who act as data processors on our behalf. These processors only process your personal data in accordance with our instructions and for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

Categories of data processors may include:

IT and cloud service providers that host our records or communication tools.

Accounting or bookkeeping services that help us manage invoices and financial records.

Providers of software used for scheduling, job management or document storage.

We may also share personal data with other third parties where required by law or where necessary to protect our rights or the rights of others. This can include regulators, public authorities, legal advisers, and law enforcement where appropriate.

If we work with subcontractors or specialist partners to complete particular jobs, we will share only the minimum necessary information, such as your address and service requirements, to allow them to perform the work, and we will take steps to ensure that they handle your data in a secure and lawful manner.

International transfers

Where any of our service providers or systems operate outside the United Kingdom, we will take appropriate steps to ensure that your personal data receives an equivalent level of protection. This may include relying on adequacy regulations, contractual clauses or other safeguards recognised by data protection law.

Data retention and storage

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

In general:

Customer and service records are kept for as long as you remain an active customer and for a reasonable period afterwards, in case of queries, disputes, or repeat work.

Financial records, including invoices and payment details, are retained for periods required by tax and accounting laws.

Communication records are kept for as long as needed to manage our relationship with you and to address any issues that may arise.

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete it or anonymise it so that it can no longer be linked to an identifiable individual.

Data security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction or damage. These measures include limiting access to personal data to those who need to know it, using secure methods to store and transmit data where possible, and periodically reviewing our security procedures.

While we strive to protect your personal data, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. We therefore cannot guarantee absolute security but are committed to maintaining a high standard of data protection.

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights apply to all Gardeners Limehouse customers and prospective customers in our service area, subject to certain legal limitations and exemptions.

Right of access: you can request confirmation of whether we hold personal data about you and obtain a copy of that data.

Right to rectification: you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

Right to erasure: in some circumstances, you can request that we delete your personal data, for example where it is no longer needed for the purposes for which it was collected and we have no legal obligation to retain it.

Right to restriction of processing: you can ask us to limit the way we use your data in certain situations, such as while we are considering a request to correct or erase your data.

Right to object: you can object to our processing of your personal data where we rely on legitimate interests as our lawful basis. You also have an absolute right to object to your data being used for direct marketing.

Right to data portability: where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means, you may request that we provide your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, or that we transmit it to another data controller where technically feasible.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or how we process personal data. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically to stay informed about how we handle your personal data.