Privacy Policy - Tree Surgeons Osterley

Tree Surgeons Osterley is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of everyone who uses our services. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and safeguard personal information in connection with our tree surgery, tree care, and related services. It applies to all Tree Surgeons Osterley customers in area, including prospective customers, current customers, and individuals who contact us on behalf of a property, business, or organisation in the Osterley area.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Tree Surgeons Osterley acts as the data controller for the personal data we collect and use in the course of providing our services. This means we decide why and how your personal information is processed. We are committed to processing data fairly, lawfully, and transparently in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary for the services we provide. Depending on your interaction with us, we may collect the following categories of information:

Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, the name of your business or organisation.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Property details including site access notes, garden or land information, and details of trees or vegetation requiring work.
Service information such as quotation requests, job history, appointment details, and records of work carried out.
Payment and billing information where needed to process invoices, payments, and refunds.
Communication records including emails, messages, and notes from phone conversations.
Technical data such as basic website usage information if you submit an enquiry through a digital form or online channel.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you provide it voluntarily, for example where it is relevant to access arrangements or safety. If such information is ever processed, we will apply additional safeguards.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data only for legitimate business and legal purposes connected to our services. These purposes may include:

Providing quotations and assessing work requirements.
Arranging surveys, appointments, and job scheduling.
Delivering tree surgery and related services safely and effectively.
Managing invoices, payments, and account records.
Communicating about your enquiry, booking, or completed work.
Handling complaints, disputes, or insurance matters.
Meeting legal, regulatory, and tax obligations.
Improving our services, administration, and customer experience.

We will only use personal data in ways that are compatible with the purposes for which it was collected. Tree Surgeons Osterley will never sell your personal data.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data under one or more lawful bases set out in data protection law. These are:

Contract

We process data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotes, arranging services, carrying out tree work, and handling payments.

Legal Obligation

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

Legitimate Interests

We may use data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include maintaining service records, managing communications, improving operations, and protecting against fraud or misuse.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain optional communications or where you voluntarily provide additional information. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Retention of Personal Data

We retain personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes described in this policy or as required by law. Retention periods can vary depending on the type of information and the reason it was collected.

Quotation and enquiry records are typically kept for a reasonable period to support follow-up, service history, and business administration.
Job records, invoices, and payment information are retained to comply with accounting and tax requirements.
Communication records may be kept to resolve disputes, confirm instructions, and maintain accurate service history.
Health and safety-related records may be retained longer where required by law or insurance obligations.

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete, anonymise, or securely archive it in accordance with our retention practices. We regularly review the data we hold to ensure it is not kept for longer than necessary.

6. Sharing Your Information and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to provide our services, operate our business, or comply with the law. These parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the service they provide.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

IT and cloud service providers that store or manage our secure business systems.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that help with invoicing, tax, and financial administration.
Payment service providers that handle card or electronic payments.
Communication providers that support email, phone, or messaging functions.
Subcontractors or specialist arboricultural partners where additional expertise or equipment is needed to complete a job.
Legal, insurance, or regulatory bodies where disclosure is necessary to protect our rights or meet legal obligations.

All processors are required to handle data securely and only in accordance with our instructions and applicable law. We aim to ensure that any third party we use has appropriate technical and organisational measures in place.

7. International Transfers

Where any processor stores or accesses data outside the UK, we will take steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. This may include using approved contractual protections or transferring data only to countries recognised as providing adequate protection.

8. Data Security

We take the security of personal data seriously and apply reasonable measures to protect it from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or alteration. These measures may include access controls, password protection, secure storage, and staff confidentiality practices.

While we work hard to protect information, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If we become aware of a data breach affecting your personal data, we will respond in accordance with our legal obligations.

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 the legal basis for processing:

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 information.
Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data in certain situations.
Right to restrict processing – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
Right to data portability – to receive certain data in a commonly used format where applicable.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, you may make a request using the appropriate legal process. We may need to verify your identity before responding. We will always aim to deal with requests promptly and in line with applicable time limits.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are aimed at property owners, occupiers, businesses, and adults responsible for arranging tree work. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If we discover that we have unintentionally processed a child’s personal data without appropriate justification, we will take steps to delete it where required.

11. Changes to This Policy

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

12. Contact and Complaints

If you have concerns about how your personal data is handled, you may raise them with us through the usual formal route for data protection enquiries. We will review concerns carefully and respond as required. You also have the right to complain to the UK data protection authority if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed.

Summary of our commitment: Tree Surgeons Osterley will process personal data fairly, securely, and only for valid business, legal, and contractual purposes. We keep data only as long as needed, use trusted processors, and respect your rights under data protection law.