Privacy Policy - Landscaping Swisscottage

This Privacy Policy explains how Landscaping Swisscottage collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing services to customers in the local area. It applies to all Landscaping Swisscottage customers in area, including prospective clients, existing customers, and individuals who interact with us in connection with our landscaping and related services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and applicable UK data protection laws.

1. Who We Are

Landscaping Swisscottage provides landscaping and property maintenance services to residential and commercial customers in the local area. In the context of this Privacy Policy, we act as the data controller for the personal data we collect and use for our own business purposes. This means we determine the purposes and means of processing your personal data.

We take privacy seriously and aim to collect only the information needed to provide services, manage customer relationships, maintain records, and meet legal and operational obligations.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process different categories of personal data depending on the services requested or provided. The data may include:

Identity information such as your name or business name
Contact information such as address, email address, and phone number
Service information such as property details, project specifications, service preferences, and instructions
Payment information such as billing details and payment status
Communication records such as enquiries, messages, feedback, and complaint notes
Technical and usage data where relevant, such as basic device or browser information if you interact with our digital systems
Job and access information including site access details, safety instructions, and scheduling notes

We do not seek to collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and lawful to do so. If such data is ever required, we will process it only with an appropriate legal basis and additional safeguards.

3. How We Collect Data

We may collect personal data in the following ways:

Directly from you when you request a quote, book a service, or communicate with us
When you provide details during site visits, consultations, or contract discussions
From payment and invoicing processes
From third parties acting on your behalf, such as property managers or tenants, where permitted
From service providers or business partners involved in delivering the work

We aim to ensure that any data shared with us by third parties is provided lawfully and fairly.

4. Why We Use Personal Data

We use personal data to operate our business and deliver services effectively. The main purposes include:

Providing quotes, carrying out work, and managing service appointments
Communicating with customers about enquiries, bookings, and service updates
Preparing invoices, processing payments, and managing accounts
Maintaining customer records and service history
Meeting legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations
Managing safety, access, and operational requirements on-site
Improving our services and resolving disputes or complaints

We will only use personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another compatible purpose and that such use is lawful.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under GDPR, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Landscaping Swisscottage relies on the following lawful bases depending on the context:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotations, fulfilling services, handling billing, and managing customer accounts.

Legal Obligation

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

Legitimate Interests

We may process data for our legitimate interests where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. These interests may include managing our business, improving services, maintaining records, preventing fraud, and communicating with customers in an appropriate way.

Consent

Where required by law, we will rely on your consent. If consent is used as the lawful basis, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

6. Data Sharing and Processors

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

Accounting and bookkeeping providers
Payment processing services
IT support, data hosting, and cloud storage providers
Scheduling, administration, or communications tools
Professional advisers, including legal or tax advisers, where necessary

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, to respond to lawful requests from authorities, or to protect our rights, customers, staff, or property.

Where data is transferred to processors or third parties, we seek to ensure appropriate contractual safeguards and security measures are in place. We do not sell personal data.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including meeting legal, accounting, and reporting obligations. The retention period may vary depending on the type of data and the reason it is held.

Customer and contract records are typically kept for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period afterward
Financial and invoicing records may be retained for the period required by tax and accounting law
Communication records may be retained to handle ongoing service matters, disputes, or customer support needs
Site and operational notes may be kept for as long as needed for service delivery, safety, or planning

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you.

8. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, restricted permissions, and careful handling of records.

While we work to protect all data, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. However, we continually review our practices and take reasonable steps to maintain the security of personal information.

9. Your Rights Under GDPR

You have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to legal conditions and exemptions, these rights 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 data
Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit the way we process your data
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing
Right to data portability – to request transfer of certain data in a structured, commonly used format
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent

We will respond to valid requests within the time limits required by law and may need to verify your identity before taking action. In some cases, we may not be able to comply with a request where we are legally permitted or required to keep the data.

10. Complaints and Supervisory Authority

If you are concerned about how we handle your personal data, we encourage you to raise the issue with us first so that we can address it appropriately. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your rights have been infringed.

This policy is intended to provide clear and transparent information about our data practices. We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or internal practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated.

11. Policy Scope

This Privacy Policy applies to all personal data processed by Landscaping Swisscottage in connection with its services in the area. By engaging with our services, making enquiries, or otherwise providing your information, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed in accordance with this policy and applicable law.

We remain committed to using personal data responsibly, securely, and only where there is a valid reason to do so.