Privacy Policy
Gardeners Waterloo Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Gardeners Waterloo collects, uses, stores and protects personal data relating to our customers and prospective customers. It applies to all Gardeners Waterloo customers and service users located within our service area, regardless of how you contact us or use our services.
Gardeners Waterloo acts as the data controller for the personal data described in this Privacy Policy. We are committed to complying with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and any applicable local data protection laws. We only process personal data in a lawful, fair and transparent manner and only for purposes that are clearly defined in this document.
Personal data we collect
We collect and process different categories of personal data, depending on how you interact with Gardeners Waterloo and which services you use.
When you make an enquiry or request a quotation, we may collect:
Your name
Your postal address and property location
Your preferred contact details, such as email or other contact method you provide
Details about your garden, outdoor space or property that are necessary to prepare an estimate or provide advice
When you become a customer and we provide gardening or related services, we may also collect:
Information about the services you request and receive
Photographs or notes about your garden or outdoor space where necessary to plan or evidence work
Billing and payment information, excluding full payment card details which are handled by our payment processor
Correspondence and communications between you and Gardeners Waterloo regarding our services
When you visit our website or interact with our online content, we may collect:
Technical data such as your IP address, browser type and device type
Usage data such as pages visited and time spent on the site, collected via cookies or similar technologies where permitted by law and your browser settings
We do not intentionally collect special category data, such as health information, unless it is strictly necessary for the provision of our services and you choose to share it with us. In such cases, we will only use that information for the specific purpose for which it was given.
Purposes and lawful bases for processing
Gardeners Waterloo only processes personal data where we have a valid lawful basis under data protection law. The main purposes and corresponding lawful bases are outlined below.
To respond to enquiries and provide quotations. We use your contact details and information about your property to answer your questions, arrange visits and prepare estimates. The lawful basis is our legitimate interest in responding to potential customers and, where you request a quotation with a view to using our services, taking steps at your request prior to entering into a contract.
To provide gardening and related services. We use your personal data to schedule and deliver services, communicate with you about appointments, and manage your account. The lawful basis is the performance of a contract with you and, where necessary, our legitimate interests in managing our business.
To manage billing and payments. We process limited personal data to issue invoices, record payments and administer our accounts. The lawful basis is the performance of a contract with you and our legal obligations relating to financial record keeping.
To maintain service records and improve our services. We keep records of work carried out, customer preferences and feedback to improve quality and ensure continuity of service. The lawful basis is our legitimate interests in running and developing our business, balanced against your rights.
To send service updates and important notices. We may contact you to inform you about changes to our services, terms or privacy information. The lawful basis is our legal obligations and our legitimate interests in keeping customers informed.
To send marketing communications where permitted. We may occasionally send marketing communications about our services to existing customers. The lawful basis is our legitimate interests in promoting our services, and you have the right to object or opt out at any time. Where required by law, we will obtain your consent before sending direct marketing.
To comply with legal obligations and resolve disputes. We may need to process personal data for legal compliance, to respond to requests from public authorities, or to establish, exercise or defend legal claims. The lawful basis is compliance with legal obligations and our legitimate interests in protecting our rights.
Data retention
Gardeners Waterloo keeps personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including any legal, accounting or reporting requirements.
Customer and service records, including contact details and information about work performed, are typically retained for a period that allows us to respond to queries, handle complaints and maintain accurate business records. Financial and invoicing information is kept for the period required by applicable tax and accounting laws.
Enquiry data from potential customers who do not proceed with our services is kept for a shorter period, sufficient to follow up on your enquiry and maintain a record of our communications. Technical and usage data collected through our website may be stored for analytical and security purposes for a limited period, after which it is deleted or anonymised.
When we no longer need your personal data, we will either delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer be associated with you.
Data processors and sharing of personal data
Gardeners Waterloo does not sell or rent your personal data. We may share your personal data with trusted third parties who act as data processors on our behalf, strictly in accordance with our instructions and for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.
These processors may include:
IT and hosting providers who store data and maintain our systems
Customer management or scheduling tools used to organise appointments and service delivery
Payment processing services that handle secure payments and transactions
Professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers where necessary for our business operations and compliance
Where we use data processors, we ensure there is an appropriate contract in place requiring them to protect personal data, keep it confidential and only process it in accordance with applicable data protection laws.
We may also share personal data where required to comply with a legal obligation, court order or request from a competent authority, or where necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
Gardeners Waterloo aims to store and process personal data within the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area where possible. If data is transferred outside these areas, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data in accordance with data protection law.
Your data protection rights
As a customer or service user within the Gardeners Waterloo service area, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data under data protection law. These include:
The right of access. You can request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and obtain a copy of that data, together with information about how we use it.
The right to rectification. You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data that we hold about you.
The right to erasure. In certain 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 there is no legal requirement for us to retain it.
The right to restrict processing. You may ask us to restrict the use of your personal data in specific situations, such as while we are verifying its accuracy or assessing an objection you have raised.
The right to object. You can object to our processing of your personal data where the lawful basis is our legitimate interests. You also have an absolute right to object at any time to the use of your personal data for direct marketing.
The right to data portability. In certain cases, you can request that we provide your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine readable format, or ask us to transmit it to another controller where technically feasible.
Where our processing of your personal data 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 processing carried out before the withdrawal.
If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity to protect your privacy and security. We will respond to all valid requests in accordance with the applicable legal timeframes and conditions.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
Gardeners Waterloo may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services or legal requirements. Any changes will apply to all customers and users in our service area from the date the updated policy is made available. We recommend that you review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we handle your personal data.
