Privacy Policy - Tree Surgeons Feltham

This Privacy Policy explains how Tree Surgeons Feltham collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Tree Surgeons Feltham customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and anyone who contacts us about tree surgery, arboricultural services, inspections, quotations, maintenance, emergency callouts, or related work. We are committed to handling personal information lawfully, fairly, transparently, and in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Tree Surgeons Feltham acts as the data controller for the personal data we collect and process in connection with our services. This means we determine why and how personal data is used. We only process personal data where there is a valid legal basis to do so and where it is necessary for legitimate business, legal, or service-related purposes.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process different categories of personal data depending on the services requested and the nature of our interaction with you. The information we collect may include:

Identity information such as your name and, where relevant, company name.
Contact details such as address, phone number, and email address.
Service information such as details of the work requested, site access requirements, property information, and job specifications.
Payment and transaction information such as payment status, invoices, and billing records.
Communication records such as enquiries, messages, appointment notes, and complaint correspondence.
Technical information such as basic website or device data where relevant to service administration, security, or troubleshooting.
Site and safety information such as risk assessments, photographs of work areas, and details needed to carry out tree surgery safely and effectively.

We do not seek to collect unnecessary information. Where special category data is ever provided to us, for example information about accessibility needs or medical circumstances that affect site visits, we will only use it where necessary and with appropriate safeguards.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data to provide our services and run our business efficiently. This may include:

Responding to enquiries and providing quotations.
Assessing job requirements and arranging site visits.
Delivering tree surgery, pruning, removal, stump grinding, maintenance, and related services.
Managing bookings, scheduling work, and communicating updates.
Preparing invoices, processing payments, and maintaining accounts.
Keeping records for quality assurance, safety, and dispute resolution.
Meeting legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations.
Preventing fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.

We only use data in ways that are compatible with the purpose for which it was collected, or where we have another lawful reason to do so.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Tree Surgeons Feltham may rely on one or more of the following bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotations, delivering services, issuing invoices, and managing customer accounts.

Legal Obligation

We process certain data to comply with legal obligations, such as tax laws, accounting requirements, health and safety duties, and record-keeping requirements.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include improving our services, maintaining service records, preventing fraud, and managing business operations securely and efficiently.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where we need to use optional information or carry out certain forms of direct communication. Where consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time.

Important: We do not rely on consent where another lawful basis is more appropriate. If we process any special category data, we will only do so where a separate lawful condition under UK GDPR applies.

5. Sharing Your Data with Processors and Third Parties

We may share personal data with trusted processors who support our operations and only act on our instructions. These may include:

Accounting and bookkeeping providers.
Payment service providers.
IT, cloud storage, and system support providers.
Communication and scheduling tools used to manage appointments and service delivery.
Professional advisers such as insurers, legal advisers, or auditors where necessary.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, court order, regulatory authority, or to protect our legal rights. If a subcontractor or specialist is needed to help complete work, they may receive limited data necessary for the job, but only under appropriate confidentiality and data protection arrangements.

We do not sell your personal data. We do not share data for unrelated marketing by third parties.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or as long as we are required to keep it under law. Retention periods depend on the type of information and the purpose for which it is used.

Customer and service records are typically kept for the period needed to manage the service relationship and resolve any issues that may arise.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by applicable accounting and tax laws.
Health, safety, and job-related records may be retained where needed to demonstrate compliance, manage risk, or respond to claims.
Enquiry records may be kept for a reasonable time to handle follow-up questions or future work requests.

When data is no longer needed, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so it can no longer identify you. We periodically review the personal data we hold to ensure it is not kept for longer than necessary.

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 obligations, and care in the handling of paper and electronic records.

While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take reasonable steps to reduce risk and to safeguard the information entrusted to us. We also ensure that only people who need access to personal data for business purposes are permitted to use it.

8. International Transfers

Where any processor stores or accesses personal data outside the UK, we will take steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. This may include using approved contractual protections or ensuring the recipient meets UK GDPR transfer requirements.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and legal conditions involved. 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 – in certain situations, you can ask us to delete your data.
Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit how your data is used in specific circumstances.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests, and to certain other uses.
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.

Note: These rights are not absolute. We may need to retain or continue processing some data where required by law or where we have overriding legitimate grounds.

10. Complaints and Further Information

If you have concerns about how your personal data is handled, you have the right to raise those concerns with the appropriate data protection authority. You may also contact us to discuss any issues, make a request, or ask for clarification about this policy. We aim to address privacy concerns promptly and responsibly.

11. 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 handling practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their information is used.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Tree Surgeons Feltham is committed to processing personal data with care, transparency, and respect. We only collect information that is relevant and necessary, use it for legitimate purposes, retain it only as long as needed, and protect it with appropriate safeguards. This policy applies to all Tree Surgeons Feltham customers in the area and supports our commitment to lawful, fair, and responsible data handling.