Privacy Policy - Tree Surgeon Merton

This Privacy Policy explains how Tree Surgeon Merton collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with our tree surgery, arboricultural, and related services. It applies to all Tree Surgeon Merton customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and people who have previously used our services. We are committed to handling personal data in a way that is lawful, fair, transparent, and consistent with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

By using our services, making an enquiry, or otherwise providing us with personal data, you acknowledge the practices described in this policy. We take privacy seriously and aim to collect only the information we need to provide safe, reliable, and efficient tree surgery services.

1. Data We Collect

Tree Surgeon Merton may collect and process different types of personal data depending on the nature of your enquiry or service request. This may include:

Identity details such as your name and title.
Contact details such as address, email address, and phone number.
Service details such as information about your property, the trees or hedges involved, and the work requested.
Communication records including emails, messages, notes from calls, and any correspondence related to quotations, bookings, or complaints.
Payment-related information where necessary to process invoices, payments, refunds, or account records.
Site and technical information such as photographs, access notes, and relevant details about the location where work is to be carried out.
Usage data if you interact with our digital systems, which may include basic technical information needed for security, record-keeping, or troubleshooting.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you have provided it yourself, or there is another lawful reason for us to process it. If such information is shared with us unexpectedly, we will only use it where permitted by law and where relevant to your enquiry or service.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotations.
To assess the work required and prepare for site visits.
To deliver tree surgery, pruning, felling, stump removal, inspection, and related services.
To manage bookings, scheduling, invoices, and payment administration.
To maintain service records and evidence of work completed.
To handle complaints, queries, and aftercare requests.
To improve our services, safety standards, and customer experience.
To comply with legal, regulatory, tax, and insurance obligations.

We only use personal data where we have a valid reason to do so. We do not use your data in a way that is incompatible with the purposes explained in this policy.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, Tree Surgeon Merton must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. Depending on the circumstances, we 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 use your contact details, site information, and service requirements to provide quotations, arrange work, and complete our services.

Legal Obligation

We may process data where needed to comply with the law, including accounting obligations, tax requirements, health and safety duties, and obligations connected with insurance or dispute resolution.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests do not override your rights and freedoms. This may include maintaining records, managing customer relationships, preventing fraud, improving service quality, and ensuring the safe organisation of work. Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider whether the processing is necessary and proportionate.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent. If we do, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Where consent is the basis for processing, we will explain this clearly at the point of collection.

4. Sharing Data with Processors

Tree Surgeon Merton may share personal data with trusted third parties that act as data processors on our behalf. These processors only handle data according to our instructions and must protect it appropriately. Examples of processors may include:

IT and cloud service providers used for storing records, emails, and business files.
Accounting or bookkeeping providers used to manage invoices, tax records, and financial administration.
Payment processing services where needed to handle customer payments securely.
Customer management or scheduling tools used to organise jobs and service records.
Professional advisers such as insurers, legal advisers, or compliance consultants when necessary.

We may also share data where required by law, court order, or a regulatory authority. If a service delivery situation requires it, we may share limited information with subcontractors or partner specialists involved in completing work, but only where necessary and proportionate.

We do not sell your personal data. We also do not share data for unrelated marketing by third parties without a lawful basis.

5. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, and to meet legal, accounting, insurance, or reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of information and the reason for processing it.

Customer and job records may be retained for the duration of the business relationship and for a reasonable period afterward.
Financial and invoice records are kept for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Communications and quotations may be stored for operational, legal, or evidential purposes.
Where data is no longer needed, it will be deleted, anonymised, or securely destroyed.

We review retention regularly to make sure we are not keeping information longer than necessary. If a longer retention period is needed because of a legal claim, insurance matter, or dispute, we may retain relevant records until the matter is resolved.

6. Data Security

We use 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, staff awareness, and limited access to records based on business need.

Although no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to reduce risk and to handle data responsibly. If a personal data breach occurs that is likely to create a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will take appropriate steps in line with legal requirements.

7. Your Rights

As a data subject under UK GDPR, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to legal limitations or exemptions, but we will always consider your request carefully.

Right of access – you can ask for confirmation of whether we process your data and request a copy of it.
Right to rectification – you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure – in some circumstances, you can ask us to delete your data.
Right to restriction – 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 – in some cases, you can request your data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

To protect your privacy, we may need to verify your identity before responding to a request. We aim to respond within the time limits required by law.

8. Marketing and Communication Preferences

We only send marketing communications where we have a lawful basis to do so. If you receive marketing from us and no longer wish to do so, you can object to or opt out of such communications where applicable. Service-related messages, such as booking confirmations or important updates about work you have requested, are not marketing and may still be sent when necessary.

9. Third-Party Data

If you provide us with personal data about another person, you confirm that you have the authority to do so and that you have informed that person about this Privacy Policy where necessary. We will handle such data in accordance with the same principles described here.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or data handling practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it takes effect. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their personal data is used.

11. Summary of Our Approach

Tree Surgeon Merton is committed to processing personal data responsibly, transparently, and lawfully. We collect only what we need, use it for clear business and legal purposes, keep it only as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or where required by law. We respect your rights and will work to address any privacy concerns fairly and promptly.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Tree Surgeon Merton customers in the area. We encourage you to read it carefully so you understand how your information is handled when you choose our services.