PRIVACY POLICY
Geek Helpline Privacy Policy
We know that how we collect, use, exchange, and protect your information is important to you, and we value your trust. Our Privacy Policy outlines how we do this, in accordance with the Privacy Act and the Australian Privacy Principles. It covers:
- Information we collect.
- How we use your information.
- Who we exchange your information with.
- How we keep your information secure.
- How you can access, update and correct your information.
- How you can make a complaint about misuse of your information.
- About this policy
The Privacy Act 1988 requires entities bound by the Australian Privacy Principles to have a privacy policy. This privacy policy outlines the personal information handling practices of Geek Helpline Pty Ltd ABN 18 789 756 516 (‘GH’, ‘we’ or ‘us’).
This policy is written in simple language. The specific legal obligations of GH when collecting and handling your personal information are outlined in the Privacy Act 1988 and in particular in the Australian Privacy Principles found in that Act. We will update this privacy policy when our information handling practices change.
- Collection and storage of your personal information
2.1. Why do we collect your personal information?
If you are a customer: – to provide you with IT repair and support services for your computer and peripheral devices, including collateral services. We always try to collect only the information we need for the services that you have asked us to provide to you!
If you are an applicant: – seeking employment or appointment as a contractor so that we can assess your suitability.
If you are an employee or contractor, for all purposes relevant to your employment or engagement with us.
2.2. What personal information do we collect and store?
The personal information we collect, and the store will depend on why you contact us and on which GH services and products you order and/or subscribe to. The information may include:
- your name and contact details, including your physical address, email address, and telephone number(s).
- your ABN.
- your bank account and/or credit card details.
- your employment history (which may include sensitive information) if you apply for a job with us.
- other employment-related information if you apply for a job with us; and
- other information you may provide to us, e.g. through customer surveys.
2.3. How do we collect personal information?
Direct collection
There are quite a few ways we may seek information from you directly. We might collect your information when you fill out an electronic form on our website, sign up for our newsletter, enter one of our competitions, apply for a job with us, telephone us, send us an email, or complete a customer survey.
Social media
Some customers like to engage with us through social media channels. We may collect information about you when you interact with us through these channels.
Email lists
We collect your email address and, if you provide it, other contact details when you subscribe to our email lists. We only use this information to send you our newsletter, regular updates on GH and our services, and to administer the lists.
Electronic forms
We use e-forms to enable you to lodge a complaint, application, or inquiry online via our website.
Collecting through our website and our use of cookies
Where our website allows you to make comments, give feedback, or communicate with us, we sometimes collect your email address and sometimes some other contact details. We may use your email address to respond to your comments, feedback, or communication.
We might also use cookies (small text files stored in your browser) and other techniques such as web beacons (small, clear picture files used to follow your movements on our website). These collect information that helps us understand how you use our online products and services and how we can make them more relevant to you. Third parties may also place cookies on your browser for targeted advertising purposes.
We may use a persistent cookie (a cookie that stays linked to your browser) to record your visits so we can recognize you if you visit our website again. It also lets us keep track of products or services you view so that, with your consent, we can send you news about them.
We also use cookies to measure traffic patterns, to determine which areas of our website have been visited, and to measure transaction patterns in the aggregate. This helps us research our user’s habits so that we can improve our online products and services. You can set your internet browser so that your computer refuses cookies or lets you know each time a website tries to set a cookie.
We may log IP addresses (that is, the electronic addresses of computers connected to the internet) to analyze trends, administer the website, track user movements, and gather broad demographic information.
Indirect collection
In order for us to provide our services, we may collect personal information about you indirectly from third parties such as:
- publicly available sources; or
- your representative, such as an assistant or colleague, an adult relative, a caregiver, who contacts us on your behalf.
2.4. How do we store/hold your personal information?
All your information is stored electronically and securely in our database and other secure information systems.
2.5. Anonymity
Where possible, we will allow you to interact with us anonymously or using a pseudonym.
For example, if you contact our Customer Service Team with a general question, you will not be required to give your name.
However, for most of our services, we usually need your name and contact information and enough information about the particular matter to enable us to fairly and efficiently handle your inquiry, request, complaint, or application, or to act on your communication with us.
2.6. Opting Out of Targeted Ads
- Web browser: You can opt out of receiving personalized ads (including retargeted ads) served by us or on our behalf by clicking on the blue icon that typically appears in the corner of the ads we serve and following the instructions provided. Please note that this “opt-out” function is browser-specific and relies on an “opt-out cookie”, thus, if you delete your cookies or upgrade your browser after having opted out, you will need to opt-out again. If you use a Safari browser, please also see directions regarding our cookie-less technology opt-out, below.
- Mobile Device Opt-Out: To opt-out of receiving targeted ads that are based on your behavior across different mobile applications follow the below instructions, for iOS and Android devices:
- iOS 7 or Higher: Go to your Settings > Select Privacy > Select Advertising > Enable the “Limit Ad Tracking” setting; and
- For Android devices with OS 2.2 or higher and Google Play Services version 4.0 or higher: Open your Google Settings app > Select Ads > Enable “opt out of interest-based advertising”.
- Note to Safari users. When you are to opt-out on a browser, we, other advertising platforms, and other third parties, generally place a cookie on your browser instructing us not to use our other online behaviors to customize the ads you see. However, if you are using a Safari browser, opt-out cookies that are set for purposes of restricting this type of advertising may be deleted prior to their intended expiration date; we have no control over these browser controls or cookie deletions.
- What if you do not provide us with your personal information?
If you don’t provide your personal information to us, we may not be able to properly provide our service to you, administer your account, verify your identity, and/or let you know about other products and services that might be useful to you.
- When will we notify you that we have received your information?
When we receive personal information from you directly, we’ll take reasonable steps to notify you how and why we collected your information, who we may disclose it to and how you can access it, seek correction of it or make a complaint.
- Disclosure
Your privacy and the protection of your personal information are very important to us. We do not disclose your personal information to any other person, organization, or entity except our contracted service providers and related bodies corporate.
5.1. Service providers
GH uses several service providers to whom we disclose personal information only in order to provide our services to you. These include providers that host our website servers, manage our IT, and provide third-party specialist repair services to our customers.
5.2. Disclosure of personal information overseas
We do not disclose personal information overseas.
- Quality of your personal information
To ensure that the personal information we collect is accurate, up-to-date, and complete we do one or more of the following (where practicable and relevant):
- record information in a consistent format.
- promptly add updated or new personal information to existing records; and/or
- verify our contact lists to check their accuracy.
The accuracy of your information is of course largely dependent on what you provide us. To make sure we have got your most current and accurate details, please let us know when your information changes (e.g. if you change your name or move to a new house).
- Security of your personal information
The security of your personal information is a high priority for us. We take reasonable steps to protect it from misuse, interference, and loss, and from unauthorized access, modification, or disclosure. Some of the ways we do this are:
- confidentiality requirements of our employees.
- security measures for access to our system.
- other security measures in our system (including keeping a record or ‘audit trail’ of when someone has added, changed, or deleted personal information).
- electronic security measures in our system like firewalls and data encryption; and
- control of access to our office.
- Direct Marketing
We may send you direct marketing communications and information about our products, services, discounts, competitions, and special promotions that we consider may be of interest to you.
We may do this via email, telephone, SMS, mail, or any other electronic means.
We will always let you know that you can opt-out from receiving our marketing offers and will provide easy-to-follow steps to do so.
- Accessing and correcting your personal information
You have the right to ask for access to personal information that we hold about you and ask that we correct that personal information. You can ask for access or correction by contacting us and we must respond within 30 days. If you ask, we must give you access to your personal information, and take reasonable steps to correct it if we consider it is incorrect, unless there is a law that allows or requires us not to.
We will ask you to verify your identity before we give you access to your information or correct it, and we will try to make the process as simple as possible. If we refuse to give you access to, or correct, your personal information, we must notify you in writing setting out the reasons why.
If we make a correction and we have disclosed the incorrect information to others, you can ask us to tell them about the correction. We must do so unless there is a valid reason not to.
If we refuse to correct your personal information, you can ask us to associate with it (for example, attach or link) a statement that you believe the information is incorrect and why.
- How to make an inquiry or a complaint
If you have an inquiry or a complaint about how we handle your personal information, we want to hear from you. Please let us know about your concerns in one of the following ways:
- submitting an electronic contact form via www.geekhelpline.com.au
- calling our Customer Service Team on 1300 433 554
- emailing us at privacy@geekhelpline.com.au
- writing to us at PO Box 1447 Buderim, Queensland 4556.
We are committed to resolving your complaint and doing the right thing for our customers. Most complaints are resolved quickly, and you should hear from us within five business days.
If you are not satisfied with our response you may ask for a review by a more senior officer within GH (if that has not already happened).
If you still feel your issue hasn’t been resolved to your satisfaction, then you can raise your concern with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner:
- online at: www.oaic.gov.au/privacy
- by phone on: 1300 363 992
- via email to: enquiries@oaic.gov.au
- 2999, Canberra, ACT 2601
- fax on: +61 2 9284 9666.