Privacy Policy - Subsidence Repairs Australia

1. Introduction

Subsidence Repairs Australia (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when you:

Visit our website
Contact us for information or quotes
Engage our services
Interact with us in any other way

By using our website or services, you consent to the collection and use of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy.

2. What Personal Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

We may collect the following personal information when you contact us or engage our services:

Contact Information:

Full name
Email address
Phone number(s)
Mailing address
Property address (if different from mailing address)

Property Information:

Property details and characteristics
Property ownership status
Details of subsidence or structural issues
Photos or videos of property damage
Building plans or previous structural reports (if provided)

Service Information:

Details of your enquiry or service request
Quote acceptance and service agreements
Communication preferences
Payment information (processed securely through third-party payment processors)

Communication Records:

Records of phone calls, emails, and other correspondence
Customer feedback and survey responses
Complaints and their resolution

2.2 Information We Collect Automatically

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect:

Technical Information:

IP address
Browser type and version
Operating system
Device information
Pages visited and time spent on pages
Referring website or source

Cookies and Tracking Technologies:

We use cookies and similar technologies to improve website functionality and user experience (see Section 9 for more details)

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from:

Insurance companies (if you make a claim related to our services)
Real estate agents or property managers (with your consent)
Other contractors or engineers working on your property (with your consent)
Publicly available sources (such as property records)

3. How We Collect Personal Information

We collect personal information through:

Website contact forms and callback request forms
Email correspondence
Phone calls
Site inspections and property visits
Written quotes and service agreements
Payment processing
Customer surveys and feedback forms
Social media interactions
Business cards or other documents you provide

We will only collect personal information by lawful and fair means, and where reasonably necessary for our business functions.

4. Why We Collect Personal Information

We collect and use your personal information for the following purposes:

4.1 Service Delivery

To provide quotes and assessments for subsidence repair services
To schedule and perform site inspections
To carry out subsidence repairs and related services
To communicate with you about our services
To process payments and manage accounts

4.2 Business Operations

To maintain records of our business transactions
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations
To manage warranties and guarantee claims
To handle complaints and disputes
To improve our services and customer experience

4.3 Marketing and Communication

To send you information about our services (with your consent)
To respond to your enquiries and requests
To provide customer support
To send service-related updates and notifications

4.4 Legal and Safety

To comply with legal requirements and court orders
To protect our legal rights and interests
To ensure workplace health and safety
To prevent fraud or other illegal activities

5. How We Use and Disclose Personal Information

5.1 Internal Use

Your personal information is used internally by our employees and contractors who need access to perform their duties in relation to providing services to you.

5.2 Third-Party Service Providers

We may disclose your personal information to trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our business, including:

Professional Services:

Accountants and auditors
Legal advisors
Insurance providers and brokers
Professional engineers and consultants

Business Services:

Payment processors and financial institutions
IT service providers and web hosting companies
Marketing and advertising platforms
Customer relationship management (CRM) systems
Email and communication services

Subcontractors:

Specialist contractors who assist in performing repairs
Equipment suppliers

All third-party service providers are required to protect your personal information and may only use it for the specific purposes for which we provide it.

5.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your personal information if required by law, including:

In response to court orders or subpoenas
To government agencies or regulators
To law enforcement agencies investigating potential crimes
To protect our legal rights or defend against legal claims

5.4 Insurance Companies

With your consent, we may provide information to insurance companies if you are making a claim related to subsidence damage.

5.5 Property-Related Parties

With your consent, we may communicate with:

Real estate agents or property managers
Body corporate or strata managers
Landlords or tenants
Building inspectors or certifiers

5.6 Business Transfers

If we sell, merge, or transfer any part of our business, your personal information may be transferred to the purchaser or successor entity, subject to privacy protections.

5.7 With Your Consent

We may disclose your personal information for other purposes with your express consent.

6. Overseas Disclosure

We generally store and process personal information within Australia. However, some of our third-party service providers may store or process data overseas, including in:

United States (cloud storage and CRM systems)
European Union (email services)
Other countries where our service providers operate

When we disclose personal information overseas, we take reasonable steps to ensure the recipient complies with the APPs or is subject to similar privacy protections.

7. Data Security

7.1 Security Measures

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorized access, modification, or disclosure. Our security measures include:

Physical Security:

Secure storage of physical documents
Restricted access to offices and work areas

Technical Security:

Secure servers and encrypted data transmission (SSL/TLS)
Firewalls and intrusion detection systems
Regular security updates and patches
Secure password policies
Regular data backups

Administrative Security:

Staff training on privacy and data protection
Confidentiality agreements with employees and contractors
Access controls and user authentication
Regular review of security practices

7.2 Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including:

Service records: Minimum 7 years (for legal and warranty purposes)
Financial records: Minimum 7 years (for tax and accounting purposes)
Marketing communications: Until you unsubscribe or request removal
Website analytics: Typically 26 months

After the retention period expires, we will securely destroy or de-identify your personal information.

7.3 Third-Party Security

While we choose reputable third-party service providers, we cannot guarantee the security of information transmitted to or stored by third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you use.

8. Your Rights and Choices

8.1 Access to Your Information

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you. To request access:

Contact us using the details in Section 14
Provide proof of identity
Specify what information you wish to access

We will respond to your request within 30 days. There is no charge for reasonable access requests, but we may charge a reasonable fee for excessive or complex requests.

8.2 Correction of Information

If you believe any personal information we hold about you is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, or misleading, you may request correction. We will take reasonable steps to correct the information within 30 days.

If we refuse to correct information, we will provide you with a written notice explaining our reasons and your right to request that a statement of the disputed information be associated with your record.

8.3 Deletion of Information

You may request that we delete your personal information in certain circumstances, such as:

The information is no longer needed for the purpose it was collected
You withdraw consent (where consent was the basis for collection)
The information was collected or used unlawfully

We may refuse deletion if we are required by law to retain the information or if it is needed for legal claims.

8.4 Marketing Opt-Out

You may opt out of receiving marketing communications from us at any time by:

Clicking the “unsubscribe” link in marketing emails
Contacting us using the details in Section 14
Updating your communication preferences (where applicable)

Even if you opt out of marketing, we may still send you service-related communications (such as appointment reminders or warranty information).

8.5 Do Not Call Register

We respect the Do Not Call Register and will not make unsolicited telemarketing calls to numbers registered on the Do Not Call Register.

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

9.1 What Cookies Are

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit our website. They help us provide a better user experience and understand how our website is used.

9.2 Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies:

Required for website functionality
Enable navigation and access to secure areas
Cannot be disabled

Performance Cookies:

Collect information about how visitors use our website
Help us improve website performance and user experience
Data is aggregated and anonymous

Functionality Cookies:

Remember your preferences and settings
Provide enhanced features and personalization

Advertising Cookies:

Used to deliver relevant advertisements
Track advertising campaign effectiveness
May be set by third-party advertising partners

9.3 Managing Cookies

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may affect website functionality. Most browsers allow you to:

View and delete cookies
Block cookies from specific sites
Block all cookies
Delete all cookies when closing the browser

9.4 Third-Party Cookies

Our website may contain content from third parties (such as Google Analytics, social media widgets, or advertising networks) that may place cookies on your device. We do not control these third-party cookies. Please refer to the relevant third party’s privacy policy for information about their cookies.

9.5 Analytics

We use Google Analytics to analyze website traffic and user behavior. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect anonymous information about website usage. You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

10. Social Media

We may maintain social media pages (such as Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn). When you interact with our social media pages:

Your interactions are governed by the privacy policy of the relevant social media platform
We may collect information you publicly share
We may use this information to respond to enquiries or improve our services

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of social media platforms you use.

11. Children’s Privacy

Our services are not directed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected information from a child, we will take steps to delete it promptly.

12. Links to Third-Party Websites

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

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will post the updated Privacy Policy on our website with a revised “Last Updated” date.

If we make significant changes, we will provide more prominent notice (such as email notification or a website banner). Your continued use of our services after changes indicates your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your personal information.

14. Contact Us

14.1 Privacy Enquiries

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

Subsidence Repairs Australia

Office Hours: Monday to Saturday, 6am – 5pm AEST

Contact details are available here.

14.2 Privacy Complaints

If you believe we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles or this Privacy Policy, you may lodge a complaint:

Step 1: Contact us in writing with details of your complaint

Step 2: We will acknowledge receipt within 2 business days

Step 3: We will investigate and respond within 30 days

Step 4: If you are not satisfied with our response, you may escalate to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)

14.3 Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)

If we cannot resolve your privacy complaint to your satisfaction, you may contact:

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner GPO Box 5218 Sydney NSW 2001

Phone: 1300 363 992 Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au Website: www.oaic.gov.au

15. Definitions

Personal Information: Information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable, whether the information is true or not and whether recorded in a material form or not.

Sensitive Information: A subset of personal information including health information, racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, criminal records, biometric or genetic information.

Australian Privacy Principles (APPs): The privacy standards set out in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) that regulate how personal information is collected, used, disclosed, and stored.

16. Consent

By using our website or engaging our services, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy.

If you provide personal information about another person (such as a family member or tenant), you must ensure:

You have their consent to provide their information to us
You have made them aware of this Privacy Policy

Important Notice: This Privacy Policy is designed to be transparent about our privacy practices. We are committed to protecting your personal information and handling it responsibly in accordance with Australian privacy laws.

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please don’t hesitate to contact us.