Privacy Policy - Landscaping Addiscombe

Effective for all Landscaping Addiscombe customers in the area. This Privacy Policy explains how Landscaping Addiscombe collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing landscaping, garden maintenance, design, and related services. It applies to all customers, prospective customers, suppliers, and website or enquiry users located in the Addiscombe area and surrounding local service area.

1. Introduction

Landscaping Addiscombe is committed to handling personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We understand that privacy matters, and we aim to ensure that any personal information provided to us is used only for legitimate business purposes and protected with appropriate security measures.

This policy sets out what information we collect, why we collect it, the lawful basis for processing, how long we keep it, which third parties may process it on our behalf, and what rights individuals have in relation to their personal data. By engaging our services or interacting with us, you acknowledge that your data may be processed as described in this policy.

2. Data We Collect

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

Identity details, such as your name, title, and, where relevant, business name.
Contact details, such as address, email address, telephone number, and site location details.
Service information, including details of the landscaping work requested, quotations, service preferences, project specifications, and communication history.
Payment information, such as billing details, transaction records, and payment status. We do not routinely store full card details unless necessary through secure payment systems.
Technical data, if you interact with our digital systems, such as IP address, browser type, and basic usage information.
Correspondence data, including messages, enquiries, complaints, feedback, and notes from calls or site visits.
Property and project data, such as photographs of gardens, access notes, measurements, and work history necessary to carry out landscaping services.

We generally collect data directly from you when you make an enquiry, request a quotation, enter into a service agreement, or communicate with us. In some cases, we may receive data from third parties acting on your behalf, such as property managers, family members, or contractors authorised to arrange services.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data only where it is needed to operate our business and provide services effectively. Typical uses include:

responding to enquiries and preparing quotations;
delivering landscaping and maintenance services;
managing customer accounts, invoicing, and payments;
recording project requirements and service history;
communicating about appointments, schedules, and service updates;
handling complaints, disputes, or warranty-related matters;
meeting legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations;
improving our services, processes, and customer experience;
protecting our business, staff, customers, and property against fraud or misuse.

We will not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons it was collected unless we have a valid lawful basis to do so.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for every type of processing activity. Landscaping Addiscombe relies on the following bases:

Contract

We process data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes, arranging services, completing landscaping work, and managing billing or customer support.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain data where required to comply with legal obligations, including accounting, tax, insurance, and record-keeping requirements.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include maintaining service records, preventing fraud, improving service quality, and ensuring effective business administration.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where specific optional marketing or certain data uses require it. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as data processors on our behalf. These processors only handle data under our instructions and are required to protect it appropriately. Examples may include:

accounting and bookkeeping providers;
payment service providers;
IT, cloud storage, and communications providers;
customer relationship management or scheduling systems;
subcontractors assisting with landscaping services, where necessary for service delivery;
professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers;
public authorities, regulators, or law enforcement where disclosure is required by law.

We take care to ensure that any processor used by Landscaping Addiscombe provides sufficient guarantees regarding security, confidentiality, and compliance with data protection law. We do not sell your personal data.

6. International Transfers

Where any processor or system stores or accesses data outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms designed to protect your data to a standard equivalent to UK requirements.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, and operational needs. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the nature of the relationship.

Customer and service records are generally retained for as long as needed to manage the relationship and for a reasonable period afterward in case of queries, disputes, or warranty issues.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Communication records are retained for as long as necessary to respond to enquiries and maintain business continuity.
Photographs and site notes are kept while needed for project delivery, record-keeping, and service history.

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

8. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, password protection, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and limiting access to those who need it for legitimate business purposes. While no system is completely risk-free, we work to maintain a high standard of data protection.

9. Your Rights

Individuals whose personal data we process have a number of rights under data protection law. Subject to legal limitations, you may have the right to:

access the personal data we hold about you;
rectify inaccurate or incomplete information;
erase your data in certain circumstances;
restrict how we use your data;
object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing;
data portability where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means;
withdraw consent where consent is the lawful basis;
lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your rights have been infringed.

We may need to verify your identity before responding to a request. We aim to respond within the time required by law and will let you know if additional information is needed.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are directed to adults and property-related customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is incidental and necessary in connection with a lawful service arrangement, such as a property where a family member is the account holder. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without appropriate authority, we will take steps to delete it where required.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or processing practices. The most current version will apply to your use of Landscaping Addiscombe services. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

12. Summary

Landscaping Addiscombe processes personal data fairly and lawfully to provide services, manage customer relationships, and meet legal obligations. We collect only the data we need, use it for defined purposes, share it only with appropriate processors, and keep it only as long as necessary. Customers in the Addiscombe area have clear rights over their information, and we are committed to respecting and protecting those rights.