Privacy Policy - Landscaping Morden

This Privacy Policy explains how Landscaping Morden collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Landscaping Morden customers in the area, including existing customers, prospective customers, website visitors, and anyone who communicates with us in connection with our landscaping services.

We are committed to handling personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and other applicable privacy laws. This policy is designed to help you understand what information we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, who we share it with, and what rights you have.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect and process different types of personal information depending on the services requested and the way you interact with us. The information we collect may include:

Identity data such as your name, title, and, where relevant, company name.
Contact data including your address, email address, and telephone number.
Service data relating to landscaping work requested or carried out, site preferences, project notes, quotations, and appointment details.
Payment and transaction data such as billing records, payment confirmations, and invoicing details.
Communication data including messages, enquiries, feedback, complaints, and any records of correspondence.
Technical data if you visit a digital service we use, such as IP address, browser type, and device information.
Site access and operational notes where needed to complete work safely and effectively, such as gate codes, access instructions, or service preferences.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and lawful to do so. If such information is provided to us, it will only be processed where a valid legal basis exists and appropriate safeguards are in place.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and carry out landscaping services.
To manage customer relationships and respond to enquiries.
To schedule visits, complete projects, and maintain service records.
To prepare invoices, process payments, and handle accounting matters.
To improve our services, workflow, and customer experience.
To maintain safety, quality, and operational standards on site.
To comply with legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations.
To resolve disputes, manage complaints, and establish or defend legal claims.

We only use data where we have a lawful reason to do so. We do not sell personal data to third parties.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. Depending on the context, we may rely on one or more of the following legal bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract or to perform our contractual obligations. This includes providing quotes, scheduling work, delivering services, and managing payment arrangements.

Legal Obligation

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

Legitimate Interests

We may process data for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include managing customer records, improving services, preventing fraud, and protecting our business from legal claims. When relying on legitimate interests, we assess the impact on your privacy and take steps to minimise any unnecessary intrusion.

Consent

In some cases, we may rely on your consent, especially where the law requires it. If we ask for consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before it was withdrawn.

Vital Interests

In rare situations, we may process personal data if it is necessary to protect someone’s vital interests, such as in an emergency where health or safety is at risk.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary for the operation of our business and the delivery of services. These third parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the nature of the relationship.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

Accounting and bookkeeping providers who support invoicing, payment reconciliation, and financial records.
IT and cloud storage providers who host or secure business data and communications.
Payment service providers who handle card or electronic transactions.
Administrative support providers who assist with scheduling, document management, or record keeping.
Professional advisers such as legal, tax, or insurance advisers where needed.
Subcontractors or specialist service partners who help deliver specific landscaping tasks under our instructions, where appropriate.

Where we use processors, they are required to process personal data only on our instructions, keep it secure, and comply with data protection law. We may also disclose data if required by law, court order, or government authority.

If data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information, such as adequacy decisions or approved contractual protections.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including for legal, accounting, tax, and record-keeping purposes. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason for processing.

In general:

Customer and service records are retained for the period needed to manage the service relationship and any follow-up matters.
Financial and invoicing records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Correspondence and complaint records are retained for as long as needed to respond to queries or resolve disputes.
Technical or operational records are retained only for the period necessary for security, administration, or service improvement.

When data is no longer needed, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or destroyed. Where we are required to keep certain data for legal reasons, we will do so only for the required period.

6. Your Rights

You have a number of rights under data protection law in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and any legal exemptions that may exist. They include:

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

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond within the time limits set by law. We may need to verify your identity before acting on your request. Please note that some rights may be limited where processing is necessary for legal compliance or the establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims.

7. 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, secure storage, staff confidentiality expectations, and regular review of our data handling practices.

Although we take reasonable steps to safeguard information, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. We therefore cannot guarantee absolute security, but we will act promptly and responsibly if any data incident occurs.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a customer’s service request and is provided lawfully by a parent, guardian, or authorised adult.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal obligations, or service arrangements. Any updated version will take effect when published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

10. Summary of Our Commitment

Landscaping Morden respects your privacy and handles personal data responsibly. We collect only what is needed to provide our services, rely on valid lawful bases, use trusted processors where necessary, retain data only for appropriate periods, and support your rights under data protection law. This policy applies to all Landscaping Morden customers in area and is intended to make our data practices clear, fair, and transparent.