Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 6 January 2026
Last Updated: 6 January 2026

1. Introduction

Hire a Tree Surgeon (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy and personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you use our website at hireatreesurgeon.com (the “Site”).

This policy complies with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Data Controller

Hire a Tree Surgeon is the data controller responsible for your personal data.

Contact us: https://hireatreesurgeon.com/contact-us/

3. Information We Collect

3.1 Information You Provide Directly

For All Users:

Name and contact details when you enquire about services
Email address if you subscribe to our newsletter
Review content if you post reviews of service providers
Any information in messages you send through our contact forms

For Service Providers (Tree Surgeons/Arborists):

Business name and trading details
Contact information (phone, email, website, address)
Business registration details
Insurance and qualification information
Payment information (processed securely by our payment provider)
Photos and descriptions of your services

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our Site, we automatically collect:

Technical information: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, time zone setting
Usage data: Pages you visit, time spent on pages, links clicked, referring website
Device information: Device type, unique device identifiers
Location data: Approximate location based on IP address (country/region level)

3.3 Cookies and Similar Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies. See our Cookie Policy for detailed information about:

What cookies we use
Why we use them
How you can control them

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

Consent: When you provide explicit consent (e.g., subscribing to our newsletter, accepting cookies)

Contract: When processing is necessary to provide services you’ve requested (e.g., Service Provider listings, responding to enquiries)

Legitimate Interests: When we have a legitimate business interest (e.g., improving our Site, preventing fraud, analytics)

Legal Obligation: When we must process data to comply with legal requirements (e.g., tax records, dispute resolution)

5. How We Use Your Information

5.1 For All Users

We use your information to:

Provide and improve our directory service
Respond to your enquiries and requests
Connect you with tree surgery service providers
Send you relevant communications (with your consent)
Analyse how visitors use our Site
Prevent fraud and abuse
Comply with legal obligations

5.2 For Service Providers

We additionally use your information to:

Create and manage your business listing
Process your subscription payments
Send account-related communications
Provide customer support
Verify your credentials and insurance status
Display your services to potential customers

5.3 Marketing Communications

With your consent, we may send you:

Newsletter and updates about our service
Information about new features
Promotional offers (for Service Providers)

You can opt out of marketing emails at any time by clicking “unsubscribe” in any marketing email or contacting us.

6. Data Sharing and Disclosure

6.1 Service Provider Listings

Information provided by Service Providers is publicly displayed on our Site, including:

Business name and description
Contact details (phone, email, website, address)
Service areas and specialisations
Photos and pricing information

6.2 Third-Party Service Providers

We work with carefully selected third-party service providers who help us operate our Site, including:

Payment processing services
Web analytics and performance monitoring
Technical infrastructure and hosting
Security and fraud prevention services

All third-party providers:

Only access data necessary for their specific functions
Are contractually obligated to protect your data
Comply with UK GDPR and appropriate data protection standards
Are regularly reviewed for security and compliance

We conduct thorough due diligence before engaging any service provider that processes personal data.

6.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to:

Comply with legal obligations or court orders
Enforce our Terms & Conditions
Protect our rights, property, or safety
Protect the rights, property, or safety of others
Prevent fraud or illegal activity

6.4 Business Transfers

If we sell, merge, or transfer any part of our business, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change.

7. International Data Transfers

Your data is primarily stored and processed within the United Kingdom. If we transfer data outside the UK, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as:

Adequacy decisions
Standard contractual clauses
Binding corporate rules

8. Data Retention

8.1 General Users

We retain your personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this policy:

Enquiry data: 2 years from last contact
Review data: Until you request removal or the Service Provider listing is removed
Analytics data: 26 months (standard analytics retention)

8.2 Service Providers

We retain Service Provider data:

Active listings: For the duration of your subscription plus 6 months
Cancelled listings: 3 years (for legal compliance and dispute resolution)
Financial records: 7 years (UK tax law requirement)

8.3 Legal Obligations

We may retain data longer if required by law or to defend legal claims.

9. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

9.1 Right to Access

You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (Subject Access Request).

9.2 Right to Rectification

You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.

9.3 Right to Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”)

You can request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances:

The data is no longer necessary for the purpose it was collected
You withdraw consent (where consent was the legal basis)
You object to processing and there are no overriding legitimate grounds
The data has been unlawfully processed

Note: We may not be able to delete data if we have a legal obligation to retain it.

9.4 Right to Restrict Processing

You can ask us to restrict how we use your data in certain circumstances.

9.5 Right to Data Portability

You can request your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.

9.6 Right to Object

You can object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.

9.7 Rights Related to Automated Decision-Making

We do not use automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal effects or significantly affects you.

9.8 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, contact us via our contact form:
https://hireatreesurgeon.com/contact-us/

We will respond within one month. We may ask for proof of identity to protect your data from unauthorized access.

10. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including:

Technical Measures:

SSL/TLS encryption for data transmission
Secure server infrastructure
Regular security updates and patches
Access controls and authentication
Regular backups

Organisational Measures:

Staff training on data protection
Confidentiality agreements with staff and contractors
Regular security assessments
Incident response procedures

However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Children’s Privacy

Our Site is not intended for children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such data, please contact us immediately so we can delete it.

12. Third-Party Websites

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these sites. We encourage you to read their privacy policies.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by:

Updating the “Last Updated” date
Posting a notice on our Site
Emailing registered Service Providers

Your continued use of the Site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

14. Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience on our Site. For detailed information about:

What cookies we use
Why we use them
How you can control them

Please see our separate Cookie Policy.

15. Complaints and Concerns

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, please contact us first.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK’s supervisory authority:

Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
Website: https://ico.org.uk
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Address: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

16. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us via our contact form.

By using our Site, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.