Privacy Policy / Terms & Conditions

This privacy policy applies to aussieproperty.com Pty Ltd - ABN 47 169 499 496 and its related bodies corporate including SMATS Services (Australia) Pty Ltd (we, us and our).

aussieproperty.com and its related bodies corporate including SMATS Services (Australia) Pty Ltd is bound by the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act). The APPs are designed to protect the confidentiality of information and the privacy of individuals by regulating the way personal information is collected, used, disclosed, and managed. Personal information has the meaning given to it in the act. Personal Information, generally speaking, is information or an opinion relating to an identified, or reasonably identifiable, individual.

We are committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains how your personal information may be collected and held and how that information is used and with whom the information is shared. It also sets out how you can contact us if you have any queries or concerns about this information.

Our privacy policy may be reviewed from time to time to take account of new laws, technology, changes to our operations and practices and the changing business environment.

We through our Privacy Officer, are happy to provide further details as to the extent to which we are required to comply with the APPs should any person wish. Alternatively, further details of the obligations imposed upon organisations under Australia’s privacy laws can be obtained directly from the office of the Australian Information Commissioner (Commissioner) or by reference to the APPs and the Commissioners associated guidelines at www.oaic.gov.au.

Collection and use of information

We may collect personal information from you directly or via your use of our services. We will only collect personal information which is reasonably necessary for, or directly related to, our functions or activities.

Sensitive information

Sensitive information is any information about a person’s racial or ethnic origin, political opinion, membership of a political association, religious beliefs or affiliations, philosophical beliefs, membership of a professional or trade association, membership of a trade union, sexual preferences or practices, criminal record or health information.

We will not ask you to disclose sensitive information, but if you elect to provide sensitive information it may also be captured and stored.

What types of information do we collect?

The types of personal information held by us includes the following:

• Names, email address, contact details, residential and mail addresses, occupation, photographic identification, past or current employers details of properties and other personal information provided by individuals to us or our service providers in acquiring, using, or subscribing to our services.
• Financial information such as assets and liabilities, income and expenses, credit reference information and credit card/banking details.
• Property valuations and details of properties obtained to make, analyse and/or assess those valuations.
• Databases of comparable sales of properties and/or businesses in order to appraise the value of other properties and businesses and in order to assist in the marketing of those properties and businesses.
• Information used with respect to the marketing, sale/or leasing of real estate properties and/or businesses.
• Information from sellers, buyers, lessors, and/or tenants, and potential sellers, buyers, lessors and/or tenants of properties and/or businesses.
• Details of properties, owners, and tenants used for the purpose of  managing the leasing of both commercial and residential properties, references associated with tenancy applications.
• Data obtained from third parties regarding lease applicants’ rental histories, including from previous or current landlords

What other information do we collect?

Personal information may be collected by way of forms filled out by individuals, including via online forms, live chat, surveys, emails, telephone conversations, online user-generated content and market research, face-to-face meetings, events and interviews. Where necessary and with your consent, we supplement the information we receive from you with information from third party sources for the purpose of providing our tax, finance, and property services including but not limited to individuals, agents and representatives (eg: lawyers, settlement agents, accountants, buyers, sellers, lessors, tenants).

We may be required to collect personal information by virtue of legal or regulatory requirements (eg: the Real Estate and Business Agents Act 1978).

You may in some circumstances have the option of not identifying yourself or using a pseudonym when you deal with us. However, if you choose not to provide information we need to fulfil your request for a specific product or service or to participate in standards development activities we may not be able to:

• Provide you with the requested product or service to the same standard or at all; or
• Allow you to participate in our activities; or
• Provide you with all the information about product and services you want; or
• Tailor the content of our websites to your preferences or desired experience.

We may also collect statistical information about visitors to our website using web analytics and session recording technology provided by third party service providers such as Google Analytics. These services use Cookies to assist us in understanding how visitors access and utilise our site. Generally, this information cannot be used to identify particular individuals. However, in some circumstances it may include a visitor's internet protocol (IP) address, which could be linked to an individual.

You can find out more information on how Google uses data when you use Standards Australia's sites or apps at www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/

Advertising and tracking

When you view our advertisements on a Third Party website, the advertising company uses ‘cookies’ and in some cases ‘web beacons’ to collect information such as the server your computer is logged onto, your browser type, the date and time of your visit and the performance of their marketing efforts.

When you access our website after viewing one of our advertisements on a Third Party website, the advertising company collects information on how you utilise our website (eg: which pages you view) and whether you complete an online application.

Cookies

We use ‘cookies’ to provide you with better and more customised service and with a more effective website.

A ‘cookie’ is a small text file placed on your computer by our web page server. A cookie can later be retrieved by our webpage servers. Cookies are frequently used on websites and you can choose if and how a cookie will be accepted by configuring your preferences and options in your internet browser.

We use cookies for different purposes such as:

• to allocate a unique number to your internet browsers;
• to customise our website for you;
• for statistical purposes;
• to identify if you have accessed a Third Party Website; and
• for security purposes.

IP addresses

Your IP address is the identifier for your computer when you are using the internet.

It may be necessary for us to collect your IP address for your interaction with various parts of our website.

Online and live chat enquiries

When you send an online or live chat enquiry to us, we retain the information contained in that enquiry. We are able to then use that information to provide any services that you require.

Security and management of personal information

The security of your information is very important to us. aussieproperty.com will take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse and loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure.

We have put in place physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards in line with industry and regulatory standards.

We regularly review developments in security and encryption technologies. Unfortunately, no data transmission over the internet can be guaranteed as totally secure.

If we no longer require your information, and we are legally permitted to, we will take all reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify the information.

We take reasonable steps to preserve the security of cookie and personal information in accordance with this policy. If your browser is suitably configured, it will advise you whether the information you are sending us will be secure (encrypted) or not secure (unencrypted).

We may use an external software platform or cloud storage to store the personal information we hold about you. The external software platform cloud storage and the IT servers may be located outside Australia.

We may disclose your personal information to overseas entities that provide support functions to us. You may obtain more information about these entities by contacting us.

How we use personal information

aussieproperty.com may disclose your personal information to our related bodies corporate and third party suppliers, contractors and service providers for a range of purposes, including;

• Provide you with products, services and advice you have requested
• To conduct business processing internally or with third parties suppliers, contractors and service providers
• Provide you with any communications and publications in which we think you might be interested, or you have requested
• Facilitate your participation or respond to your queries, feedback, surveys and seminar attendance
• Advise you about developments in our procedures, products, services, activities, promotions that might be useful to you
• Analyse and improve aspects of our business, including development processes, business systems, outcomes, communication, website engagement and performance
• Consider employment applications
• To access the performance of the website and improve the website operation
• For administrative, marketing, planning, product & service development, quality control, survey and research purposes, and employees
• To update records and keep your contract details up to date
• To process and respond to any complaint made by you
• To comply with any law, rule, regulation, lawful and binding determination, decision, direction, or a regulator, or in co-operation with any government authority of any country (or political sub-division of a country)

Your personal information will never be sold.

To whom we may disclose your information

aussieproperty.com may need to outsource some of our administrative and other property related functions to external organisations including but not limited to advertising agencies, sign writers, building and garden maintenance contractors or consultants such as accountants, lawyers, surveyors, advisors, landlords, financial agencies strata management, web hosting providers, IT systems, administrators, mailing houses, couriers, payment processors, data entry service providers, electronic network administrators, RP Data, debt collectors, government related bodies, insurers, Landgate, other real estate agencies, titles office, residential tenancies, bond authority, national tenancies database, real estate institutes, referees and emergency contacts.

Direct marketing

We will not use or disclose sensitive information about you for direct marketing purposes unless you have consented to that kind of use or disclosure.

We may use your personal information for direct marketing purposes. If you do not wish to receive direct marketing communications from us or from other organisations, or wish to know the source of the information being used, you may submit a request to the Privacy Officer in writing to privacy@aussieproperty.com.

Disclosure to overseas entities

We do not generally disclose personal information to overseas third party entities in the course of our activities, unless it is necessary to our related bodies corporate located in a foreign country; or our data hosting and other IT service provides located in a foreign country; or third party service providers located in a foreign country; or required to comply with any rule, law, regulation, legal decision by a overseas government authority or regulator.

In the event that a disclosure is made in an oversea country the information will not be protected by the Australian Privacy Principles. By providing your details, you consent to your information being disclosed in this manner.

Security

Our website is linked to the internet, which is inherently insecure. We cannot provide any assurances regarding the security of transmission of information you communicate with us online. We cannot guarantee the information you supply will not be intercepted while being transmitted over the internet. Any personal information you transmit to us online is at your own risk.

Links

Our website may contain links to third party websites. We make no representations or warranties in relation to website links to third party websites or their privacy policies. Third party websites are responsible for informing you of their own privacy policies.

Access and correction to your personal information

We will provide you with access to the personal information we hold about you. You may request access to any of the personal information we hold about you at any time. We may charge a fee for our costs of retrieving and supplying the information to you.

Depending on the type of request that you make we may respond to your request immediately, otherwise we usually respond to you within seven days of receiving your request. We may need to contact other entities to properly investigate your request.

There may be situations where we are not required to provide you with access to your personal information, for example, if the information relates to existing or anticipated legal proceedings, or if your request is vexatious.

An explanation will be provided to you if we deny you access to the personal information we hold about you.

If any of the personal information we hold about you is incorrect, inaccurate or out of date you may request that we correct the information. If appropriate we will correct the personal information at the time of the request.

We may need to consult with other entities as part of our investigation. If we refuse to correct personal information we will provide you with our reasons for not correcting the information.

Where you request access or correction to your personal information in writing to our Privacy Officer we will provide an initial response to you within 14 days of receiving your request. Where reasonable, and after our investigation, we will provide you with details about whether we have corrected the personal information within 30 days.

Refusing to disclose personal information

We may refuse to disclose personal information where in aussieproperty.com’ opinion providing you access may create a serious threat to the life or health of any individual or may be unreasonable intrusion into the privacy of another individual; or would be unlawful; or may prejudice an investigation of possible unlawful activity, or may prejudice enforcement of law; or denying access is specifically authorized by law.

Using government identifiers

If we collect government identifiers, such as your tax file number, we do not use or disclose this information other than authorised by law. We will never use a government identifier in order to identify you.

Complaints

If you are concerned that we have not complied with your legal rights or applicable privacy and data laws, you may make a formal complaint to our privacy officer - privacy@aussieproperty.com and we will take all reasonable steps to ensure an assessment is completed within 90 days. If an eligible breach is confirmed, as soon as practicable aussieproperty.com will provide a statement to all of the individuals affected, including details of the breach and recommendations of the steps individuals should take. A copy of the statement will also be provided to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

By using the aussieproperty.com website and engaging in any of the services promoted within I accept and acknowledge the following conditions:

1. I wish to be informed of items of interest that I specifically select and on events, offers and general information reports issued by aussieproperty.com from time to time and consent to same in respect of any privacy regulations imposed by any authority.
2. Personal particulars and responses to any questionnaires shall remain private within the association of aussieproperty.com and shall not be passed on to any external party without my consent.
3. I shall act with good faith and honesty in all my dealings with aussieproperty.com.
4. I understand that aussieproperty.com is not giving advice, financial or otherwise, and that I rely on my own judgement in making personal investment decisions.