Privacy Policy - Gardeners St James

Gardeners St James is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of everyone who uses our services. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. It applies to all Gardeners St James customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and former customers who have interacted with our services.

1. Who we are

For the purposes of data protection law, Gardeners St James acts as the data controller for the personal information we process in connection with our gardening services. This means we decide why and how your personal data is used. We are responsible for ensuring that your information is handled lawfully, fairly, and transparently.

2. Information we collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant to providing our services, managing enquiries, and maintaining accurate records. The types 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 postal address, email address, and telephone number
Service information such as the type of gardening work requested, service preferences, appointment details, and property access notes
Billing and payment records such as invoices, payment status, and transaction references
Communication records including messages, queries, complaints, and notes of discussions
Technical information if you use a digital enquiry form, such as basic device or browser data gathered for security and performance purposes

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless you provide it voluntarily and it is necessary for a specific, lawful purpose. If such information is ever required, we will ensure it is handled with additional care and only where permitted by law.

3. How we use your data

We use personal data only where there is a clear and lawful reason to do so. Typical uses include:

Responding to enquiries and providing quotations
Delivering gardening services and managing bookings
Handling payments, invoices, and account administration
Keeping records of customer preferences and service history
Managing complaints, disputes, or service issues
Improving service quality, planning, and customer care
Meeting legal, accounting, and tax obligations

We aim to use your data in a way that is relevant, proportionate, and limited to the purpose for which it was collected.

4. Lawful basis for processing

Under GDPR, we must identify a lawful basis before processing your personal data. Gardeners St James relies on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotations, scheduling services, carrying out gardening work, and managing billing.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is in our legitimate interests to do so and where those interests are not overridden by your rights. This can include keeping internal records, improving our services, and managing routine customer communications.

Legal obligation

We may process and retain information when required by law, such as for accounting, tax compliance, fraud prevention, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example if we ask to send optional updates or use data for a specific purpose that is not otherwise covered by another lawful basis. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Data sharing and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us operate our services. These third parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the nature of the arrangement. We only share the minimum information necessary and require appropriate safeguards.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

IT and hosting providers that support data storage, backup, and system security
Payment service providers that process transactions and financial records
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that help with financial administration
Communication tools used to manage messages and appointment notifications

We may also disclose personal data where required to comply with law, enforce our rights, protect the safety of others, or respond to a valid request from a public authority. We do not sell personal data.

6. International transfers

If any of our service providers store or process data outside the UK, we will only allow this where appropriate protections are in place. These may include adequacy regulations or contractual safeguards designed to keep your information secure and legally protected.

7. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, and to meet legal, accounting, or operational requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason it is held.

Customer and service records are generally kept for the duration of the customer relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards
Financial records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting law
Communications and enquiry records are retained only as long as needed to manage the enquiry or resolve any issue

When data is no longer needed, we securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in a controlled manner.

8. Security measures

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or alteration. These measures may include restricted access, secure storage, password controls, and regular review of data handling practices. While no system is completely risk-free, we work hard to maintain a high standard of protection.

9. Your rights

Under data protection law, you have rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis used. They include:

Right of access – to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
Right to rectification – to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information
Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data in certain cases
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations
Right to data portability – to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing
Right to withdraw consent – where processing relies on consent, you may withdraw it at any time

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data rights have been infringed. We encourage you to raise concerns with us first so we can address them promptly and fairly.

10. Children’s data

Our services are intended for adults and general household or business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children in the ordinary course of our services. If we become aware that such data has been collected inadvertently, we will take appropriate steps to delete it or handle it lawfully.

11. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or our data handling practices. Any changes will take effect when the updated version is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal data.

12. Summary of our approach

Gardeners St James handles personal data with care, fairness, and respect. We collect only what we need, use it for clear purposes, keep it only as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or where required by law. We recognise the importance of privacy and aim to ensure that every customer in our service area can rely on a responsible and GDPR-compliant approach to data protection.

Privacy, transparency, and trust are central to the way we operate. If you choose to use Gardeners St James, you can be confident that your personal information will be processed in a lawful and proportionate manner, consistent with this policy and applicable data protection law.