Privacy Policy - Tree Surgeons Victoria

Tree Surgeons Victoria is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in the area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, where applicable. It applies to all Tree Surgeons Victoria customers in area, including prospective customers, existing customers, and individuals who contact us regarding our services.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Tree Surgeons Victoria is the data controller for the personal information described in this policy. This means we determine the purposes and means of processing personal data collected through enquiries, quotations, service delivery, and related business activities.

This policy covers information collected in relation to tree surgery, tree maintenance, arboricultural services, stump removal, site assessments, and any associated customer support activities.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

Identity data such as name and title.
Contact data such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Property and site data such as service location, access notes, and job-specific instructions.
Communication data including emails, messages, and records of calls or enquiries.
Service data relating to quotes, bookings, work completed, and customer preferences.
Payment and transaction data where necessary for invoicing, accounting, and record-keeping.
Technical data such as IP address, browser type, and device information when you interact with our digital systems.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and you provide it voluntarily, for example where access requirements or health-related considerations are relevant to service delivery. If such data is processed, we will do so only where a lawful basis exists and additional safeguards are in place.

3. How We Collect Your Data

We collect personal data in several ways:

When you request a quotation or contact us about a service.
When you book work or agree to receive a site visit or assessment.
When you communicate with us by phone, email, or other means.
When we receive information from third parties acting on your behalf, such as property managers or contractors.
When you provide information during payment, invoicing, or account administration.
When our systems automatically collect technical information during website or online interactions.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We only process personal data where permitted by law. Depending on the context, our lawful bases include:

Performance of a Contract

We process your personal data where it is necessary to provide a quotation, carry out agreed tree surgery services, manage bookings, complete work, issue invoices, or fulfil our contractual obligations to you.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include responding to enquiries, maintaining business records, improving service quality, preventing fraud, and managing customer relationships.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain records to comply with tax, accounting, insurance, health and safety, and other legal requirements.

Consent

Where required, we rely on your consent. If we use consent as a basis for any specific processing, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal of consent will not affect processing carried out before it was withdrawn.

5. How We Use Your Information

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotations.
To arrange and deliver tree surgery services.
To manage customer records and service history.
To issue invoices and manage payments.
To communicate about bookings, updates, or service-related matters.
To meet legal, tax, and regulatory obligations.
To improve our operations, systems, and customer experience.

We will not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the original reason it was collected unless we have a lawful basis to do so.

6. Sharing Your Data and Processors

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

Examples of processors may include:

IT and cloud service providers.
Accounting, bookkeeping, and invoicing systems.
Communication and messaging service providers.
Website hosting or technical support providers.
Payment processing providers.

We may also share personal data with professional advisers, insurers, regulators, or public authorities where necessary and lawful. If a business transfer, restructuring, or similar event occurs, personal data may be transferred as part of that process subject to appropriate safeguards.

7. International Transfers

If any of our processors store or access data outside the UK or European Economic Area, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as an adequacy decision or standard contractual protections, where required by law.

8. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, and to satisfy legal, accounting, tax, insurance, and operational requirements. Retention periods will vary depending on the type of information and the purpose of processing.

In general:

Enquiry data may be retained for a limited period if no service is booked.
Customer service records may be retained for the duration of the relationship and a reasonable time thereafter.
Financial and accounting records are retained for the period required by law.
Records needed for legal claims, safety matters, or insurance purposes may be kept longer where necessary.

When data is no longer needed, it will be securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in a safe and lawful manner.

9. Data Security

We take 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 awareness, and procedural safeguards.

While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to reduce risk and handle your information responsibly.

10. Your Rights Under GDPR

You have a number of rights in relation to your personal data, subject to legal limitations and exemptions. These rights include:

The right to be informed about how your data is used.
The right of access to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
The right to rectification to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
The right to erasure in certain circumstances, sometimes called the “right to be forgotten.”
The right to restrict processing in certain situations.
The right to data portability where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Rights related to automated decision-making, where applicable.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in line with our legal obligations and within the timeframes required by data protection law.

11. Marketing Communications

We may send service-related communications where necessary for legitimate business or contractual reasons. We will only send marketing communications where permitted by law and, where required, with your consent. You can object to or withdraw consent for marketing at any time.

12. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with service arrangements and collected lawfully.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data processing practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers to review it periodically.

14. Summary of Key Principles

Tree Surgeons Victoria processes personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently. We collect only the information needed to deliver our services, rely on appropriate lawful bases, keep data only as long as necessary, and use processors carefully under contractual controls. We also respect your rights and aim to handle all personal information in a secure and responsible manner.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Tree Surgeons Victoria customers in area.