PaintersPro ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of our customers and website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and disclose your personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

By using our website at painterspro.com.au or engaging our painting services, you consent to the practices described in this policy.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of personal information:

1.1 Information You Provide Directly

Contact Details: Name, email address, phone number, and street address or suburb when you submit our contact form, request a quote, or call us directly.
Project Information: Details about your painting project including property type, scope of work, preferred dates, paint colour preferences, and photographs you provide.
Payment Information: Bank transfer details or payment card information processed securely through our payment provider. We do not store credit card numbers on our systems.
Communications: Records of emails, phone calls, text messages, and online chat conversations between you and our team.

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

Website Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, click patterns, referring websites, and search terms used to find our site.
Device Information: Browser type and version, operating system, screen resolution, and device type (desktop, mobile, tablet).
Location Data: Approximate geographic location based on your IP address, used to provide locally relevant content and service area information.
Cookies and Tracking: Information collected via cookies and similar technologies as described in Section 6 below.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information we collect for the following purposes:

Service Delivery: To respond to your enquiry, prepare and deliver painting quotes, schedule and complete painting projects, and provide after-service support.
Communication: To contact you about your project, respond to questions, provide updates on project progress, and send appointment confirmations and reminders.
Business Operations: To manage our business records, process payments, maintain warranty records, and comply with accounting and tax obligations.
Marketing: With your explicit consent, to send you information about our services, seasonal promotions, colour trend updates, and maintenance reminders. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Website Improvement: To analyse website traffic patterns, understand how visitors use our site, improve user experience, and optimise our content and services.
Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes.

3. Legal Basis for Processing

Under Australian privacy law, we collect and process your personal information based on:

Consent: Where you have given clear consent for us to process your information for a specific purpose (e.g., marketing communications).
Contractual Necessity: Where processing is necessary to fulfil a service agreement between you and PaintersPro.
Legitimate Interest: Where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as improving our services, provided this does not override your privacy rights.
Legal Obligation: Where processing is required to comply with Australian law.

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

Our Team: With PaintersPro employees and contractors who need the information to provide painting services, prepare quotes, or manage your project.
Service Providers: With trusted third-party service providers who assist our business operations, including website hosting (Vercel), email services, analytics providers (Google Analytics), and payment processors. These providers are contractually required to protect your information.
Paint Suppliers: In limited cases, we may share project details (not your personal contact information) with paint manufacturers for warranty registration purposes.
Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or government authority, or to protect our legal rights, safety, or property.
Business Transfer: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of business assets, your information may be transferred as part of the transaction with the same privacy protections maintained.

5. Data Security

We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it, including:

Encrypted data transmission (SSL/TLS) on our website
Secure, access-controlled storage of customer records
Regular security reviews of our systems and processes
Staff training on privacy and data protection obligations
Secure disposal of personal information no longer required

While we take all reasonable steps to protect your information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but are committed to maintaining best-practice standards.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to:

Essential Cookies: Ensure the website functions correctly, maintain security, and remember your preferences during a session.
Analytics Cookies: Understand how visitors interact with our website, which pages are most popular, and how visitors navigate between pages. We use Google Analytics for this purpose.
Marketing Cookies: Track the effectiveness of our advertising and provide relevant content. These are only placed with your consent.

You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies, delete existing cookies, or be alerted when a cookie is being placed. Disabling essential cookies may affect website functionality.

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand website usage patterns. Google Analytics collects information anonymously and reports website trends without identifying individual visitors. You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected:

Quote enquiries: Retained for 12 months if no project proceeds, then securely deleted.
Project records: Retained for 7 years after project completion to support warranty claims, tax obligations, and legal requirements.
Marketing contacts: Retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
Website analytics data: Aggregated anonymised data retained indefinitely; identifiable data deleted after 26 months.

8. Your Rights Under Australian Privacy Principles

Under the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to:

Access: Request access to the personal information we hold about you. We will respond within 30 days.
Correction: Request correction of any inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated personal information.
Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information where it is no longer needed for the purpose it was collected (subject to legal retention requirements).
Opt-out: Unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email or contacting us directly.
Complaint: Lodge a complaint if you believe we have mishandled your personal information.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in Section 11 below.

9. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to external websites, including paint manufacturer sites, review platforms, and social media. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any third-party website you visit.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. For significant changes, we will endeavour to provide notice via our website or email where appropriate.

11. Contact Us and Complaints

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your privacy rights, or want to make a complaint about how we have handled your personal information, please contact us:

Email: info@painterspro.com.au
Phone: 0412 345 678
Online: Contact form

We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 business days and endeavour to resolve it within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

Website: www.oaic.gov.au
Phone: 1300 363 992