Privacy Policy - Tree Surgeons Haringey

This Privacy Policy explains how Tree Surgeons Haringey collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing tree surgery and related services. It applies to all Tree Surgeons Haringey customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, property owners, tenants, business clients, and anyone who contacts us about our services.

We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy is designed to help you understand what information we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, who we may share it with, and what rights you have.

1. Who we are

Tree Surgeons Haringey provides tree care services such as pruning, felling, crown reduction, stump removal, tree inspections, and related arboricultural work. In providing these services, we may process personal data about customers, site owners, occupiers, and other people connected with a job or enquiry.

Important: This policy applies only to personal data processed in connection with our services and operations. It does not cover third-party websites or unrelated organisations.

2. Personal data we collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary for the services we provide. The information we collect may include:

Identity data: name, title, and, where needed, proof of authority to act on behalf of a property or organisation.
Contact data: address, email address, and telephone number.
Property and service data: details about the property, site access, tree location, and the services requested or completed.
Payment and billing data: payment status, invoicing details, and transaction records.
Communication data: messages, call notes, enquiry history, complaints, and feedback.
Technical data: basic information gathered through our systems, such as IP-related logs where relevant to security and fraud prevention.
Visual records: photographs or videos of trees, sites, or completed works, where needed for quotes, safety records, quality control, or dispute handling.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and lawful to do so. If such data is ever provided to us incidentally, we will handle it with extra care and only where there is a valid legal basis.

3. How we use personal data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
to assess site requirements and plan safe tree work;
to perform services and manage customer jobs;
to issue invoices, process payments, and manage accounts;
to keep records of work carried out;
to manage complaints, claims, or disputes;
to comply with legal and regulatory obligations;
to maintain the security of our systems and operations;
to improve our services and customer experience;
to communicate with customers about their bookings or project updates.

We will only use your personal data in ways that are compatible with the purposes described in this policy. Where required, we will seek additional permission before using data for a new purpose.

4. Lawful basis for processing

We process personal data only where we have a lawful basis under UK GDPR. Depending on the situation, we rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotations, arranging visits, carrying out tree work, invoicing, and responding to service requests.

Legal obligation

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

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is reasonably necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and interests do not override those interests. This can include managing operations, improving services, preventing fraud, maintaining security, and handling disputes.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where you choose to receive optional marketing communications. If we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

Vital interests

In rare emergency situations, we may process data if it is necessary to protect someone’s vital interests, such as in a serious tree safety incident.

5. Retention of personal data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected, unless a longer period is required or permitted by law. Our retention periods are based on legal, operational, and contractual needs.

Customer and enquiry records: kept for a reasonable period after the last interaction so we can manage follow-up, warranties, or disputes.
Invoices and financial records: kept for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Site reports, job notes, and photographs: kept for as long as needed to support service records, safety, and dispute resolution.
Complaint or claim information: kept until the matter is resolved and for any additional period required for legal defence.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention practices. We do not keep data indefinitely.

6. Processors and sharing of data

We may share personal data with trusted third parties, known as processors or service providers, where necessary to run our business and deliver services. These may include:

IT and cloud service providers: for secure storage, email, and system administration.
Accountants and bookkeeping providers: for invoicing, tax, and financial reporting.
Payment service providers: to process card or electronic payments.
Insurance providers and advisers: to handle claims, liability issues, or coverage requirements.
Legal or compliance advisers: where advice is needed for contracts, disputes, or regulatory matters.
Subcontractors or specialist contractors: where required to complete a project safely and effectively.

We require processors to handle personal data only on our instructions, to keep it secure, and to use it only for the agreed purpose. Where appropriate, we may also disclose personal data to public authorities, regulators, courts, or law enforcement if we are legally required to do so.

We do not sell personal data. Any sharing is limited and carried out only where necessary and lawful.

7. Security of your data

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, alteration, loss, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, and limited staff access on a need-to-know basis.

No system is completely secure, but we work to maintain appropriate safeguards and regularly review our data handling practices. If a personal data breach occurs that is likely to result in a risk to your rights or freedoms, we will take appropriate action in line with legal obligations.

8. Your rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights regarding your personal data. These include:

Right of access: you may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure: in certain circumstances, you may ask us to delete your data.
Right to restriction: you may ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object: you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability: where applicable, you may request that your data be provided in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent: where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

These rights are subject to certain legal conditions and exceptions. For example, we may need to retain some information to comply with legal obligations or to defend a legal claim.

9. Children’s data

Our services are generally not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a property, household, or legal arrangement and is provided by an appropriate adult or authorised person.

10. International transfers

Where personal data is processed by a provider outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect the data, such as adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections. We will only transfer data where lawful and where suitable protections exist.

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 practices. Any revised policy will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers in the area to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their information is handled.

12. Summary of our approach

We aim to process personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently. We collect only what is needed, 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 respond to valid requests in accordance with data protection law.

By engaging with Tree Surgeons Haringey, requesting a quote, or using our services, you acknowledge that this Privacy Policy applies to your personal data where relevant.