This policy explains what we do with your personal information when you contact us, request a quote or use this website. We have kept it as short and plain as we can.
Rich Grounds and Gardens Darlington is a gardening and grounds maintenance business based in Darlington, County Durham. We are the data controller for the information described in this policy.
If you have any question about your information, contact us using the details above.
When you use the enquiry form. Your name, phone number, the service you are asking about and anything you write in the message box. The form does not ask for your email address, so we will usually reply by phone or WhatsApp.
When you message us on WhatsApp. Your phone number, your WhatsApp profile name, the messages you send and any photos you send us.
When you call or email us. Your phone number or email address and whatever you tell us.
When we quote for or carry out work. Your name, address, contact details, notes about the job and the payments you make.
Photographs of work. We take before and after photographs of the gardens and grounds we work on. We use some of these on our website and on Checkatrade. If you would prefer us not to use the before and after photographs of your property, please let us know and we will not use them.
When you browse the website. Our hosting provider records technical information such as your IP address, browser type and the pages you view, for security and to keep the site running. We do not track or analyse your visit. Cookies are covered in our Cookie Policy.
We do not ask for special category data, such as health or ethnicity, and we do not want you to send it to us.
What we use it for | Legal basis |
Replying to your enquiry and giving you a price | Steps taken at your request before entering a contract |
Booking, carrying out and invoicing work | Performance of our contract with you |
Keeping records of jobs, quotes and payments | Legal obligation, and our legitimate interest in running the business properly |
Keeping the website secure and working | Our legitimate interest in protecting the site |
Publishing photographs of completed work | Our legitimate interest in showing the standard of our work. You can ask us not to use photographs of your property at any time |
Dealing with a complaint or a legal claim | Our legitimate interest in defending our position |
We do not send marketing messages. If that changes we will update this page first and ask for your permission.
We do not use your information to make automated decisions about you, and we do not profile you.
We do not sell your information and we do not share it for marketing. We share it only with the suppliers who help us run the business:
We may also share information if the law requires it, for example with HMRC or in response to a court order.
Some of these suppliers process information outside the UK. Where that happens, the transfer is covered by UK adequacy regulations or by the International Data Transfer Agreement or Addendum, which are the safeguards the UK government recognises.
Information | How long |
Enquiries that do not become jobs | 12 months, then deleted |
Customer and job records, including invoices | 6 years after the last job, to meet HMRC requirements |
WhatsApp conversations | Deleted once the job is finished and paid, unless needed for a dispute |
Photographs published on the website | Until we refresh the gallery, or sooner if you ask us to remove one |
Website server logs | As set by our hosting provider, normally no more than 12 months |
Under UK data protection law you can ask us to:
Where we rely on your consent, you can withdraw it at any time. That does not affect anything we did before you withdrew it.
To use any of these rights, contact us on info@richgroundsandgardens.com or 07803 550477. We will reply within one month. We do not charge for this.
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information, please tell us first so we can put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.
The website uses an SSL certificate, so anything you send through the enquiry form is encrypted in transit. Access to enquiries and customer records is limited to Rich Grounds and Gardens Darlington and the suppliers listed above. We keep devices and accounts protected with passwords and, where available, two-step verification.
This website and our services are aimed at adults. We do not knowingly collect information about anyone under 16.
If we change how we use your information, we will update this page and change the date at the top. Please check it from time to time.
