Privacy Policy - Tree Surgeons Brixton

Tree Surgeons Brixton is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers, website visitors, and anyone who contacts us in connection with our services. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This policy applies to all Tree Surgeons Brixton customers in the area, including individuals and property owners who use our services for tree surgery, tree removal, pruning, maintenance, inspections, and related arboricultural work. By engaging with us, you acknowledge that your personal data will be handled as described in this policy.

1. Information We Collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary for delivering our services, managing our business, and meeting legal obligations. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name.
Contact details such as telephone number, email address, and postal address.
Property and job information relating to the location, condition, and requirements of the trees or site involved.
Payment and billing information where needed to process invoices and payments.
Communication records including enquiries, correspondence, estimates, and service-related notes.
Technical data such as basic website or device information if you interact with our digital services.
Health and safety-related information where necessary for risk assessments, access requirements, or safe service delivery.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and lawful to do so. If such data is provided to us, we will treat it with additional care and only process it where permitted by law.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and assess service requirements.
To carry out tree surgery and related services safely and effectively.
To manage bookings, schedules, and job completion records.
To send invoices, process payments, and handle accounting matters.
To communicate with customers about ongoing or completed work.
To maintain business records and service history.
To comply with legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations.
To resolve complaints, disputes, or claims.
To improve our services and customer experience.

We only use personal data where we have a valid lawful basis and where the processing is limited to the purpose for which it was collected.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

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

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. For example, we need your contact details and property information to provide a quote, carry out work, and manage payment.

Legal Obligation

We may process data when required to comply with legal duties, such as tax records, insurance requirements, health and safety obligations, and record-keeping laws.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests do not override your rights and freedoms. This may include maintaining customer records, improving our services, managing enquiries, preventing fraud, and ensuring service quality.

Consent

In some situations, we may rely on your consent, particularly where the law requires it. If we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time, although this will not affect any processing already carried out before withdrawal.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties when necessary for operating our business and delivering our services. These third parties act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. We only share data where necessary and in a manner consistent with data protection law.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

Accounting and bookkeeping providers used for invoicing, tax, and financial administration.
IT and cloud storage providers used to securely store business records and communications.
Payment processors used to handle card or bank payments.
Communication service providers used for email, phone, or message management.
Professional advisers such as insurers, legal advisers, or auditors where needed.
Subcontractors or specialist contractors assisting with services, where required for job completion.

All processors are expected to protect your data, act only on our instructions, and implement appropriate security measures. We do not sell personal data.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, court order, regulatory request, or to protect our rights, property, staff, customers, or the public.

5. Data Retention

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

Customer and service records are generally retained for a reasonable period after completion of work to support warranties, dispute resolution, and service history.
Financial records are usually retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Communication records may be retained for as long as needed to manage ongoing queries or follow-up work.
Health and safety records may be retained where required for compliance and incident management.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or otherwise dispose of it in a lawful and safe manner.

6. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, and careful handling of paper and electronic records.

Although we take reasonable steps to protect your data, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. We therefore cannot guarantee absolute security, but we continually work to reduce risk and safeguard information.

7. Your Rights Under Data Protection Law

As a data subject, you have several rights under the UK GDPR. Subject to legal limitations, you may have the right to:

Access your personal data and receive a copy of the information we hold about you.
Rectification of inaccurate or incomplete information.
Erasure of your data in certain circumstances.
Restriction of processing in specific situations.
Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Data portability for information you have provided to us, where applicable.
Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

You also have the right to be informed about how your data is used and the right to raise concerns about our data handling practices. We will respond to any valid request within the timescales required by law.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a property, household, or legal matter and is provided by an appropriate adult or lawful representative. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected data from a child without proper authorisation, we will take steps to delete it where required.

9. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect it. This may include using countries with adequate protection or relying on approved contractual safeguards.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data protection practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain aware of how their personal data is handled.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Tree Surgeons Brixton respects your privacy and handles personal data responsibly, lawfully, and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and legitimate purposes, keep it only as long as necessary, and protect it with suitable safeguards. We also ensure that our processors are bound by appropriate obligations and that your rights are respected at every stage.

By using our services, you confirm that you understand the practices described in this Privacy Policy and that it applies to all Tree Surgeons Brixton customers in the area.

This policy is written to reflect GDPR principles of fairness, transparency, data minimisation, purpose limitation, accuracy, storage limitation, integrity, and confidentiality.