Privacy Policy
Introduction
We understand that all users of our web site are quite rightly concerned to know that their data will not be used for any purpose unintended by them, and will not accidentally fall into the hands of a third party. We regret that if there are one or more points below with which you are not happy, your only recourse is to leave our web site immediately.
Except as set out below, we do not share, or sell, or disclose to a third party, any personally identifiable information collected at this site or other sites associated with Counsellors Community Australia.
Here is a list of the information we collect from you, either through our web site or because you give it to us in some other way, and why it is necessary to collect it
Business & Personal Information
This includes basic identification and contact information, such as your name and contact details and also includes all information given to us in the course of your business and ours, such as information you give us in your capacity as our client. We undertake to preserve the confidentiality of the information and of the terms of our relationship. It is not used for any other purpose. We expect you to reciprocate this policy.
This information is used:
1. To provide you with the services which you request;
2. For verifying your identity for security purposes;
3. For marketing our services and products;
4. Information which does not identify any individual may be used in a general way by us or third parties, to provide class information, for example relating to demographics or usage of a particular page or service.
We keep information, which forms part of our business record for a minimum of seven years. That is because we may need it in some way to support a claim or defense in court. That is also the period within which our tax collecting authorities may demand to know it.
Marketplace
When we obtain information from you specifically to enable you to buy a service offered on our website by some other person, we assume that in giving us your information, you are also giving us permission to pass it to the relevant person.
Your domain name and email address
This information is recognised by our servers and the pages that you visit are recorded. We shall not under any circumstances, divulge your e-mail address to any person who is not an employee or contractor of ours and who does not need to know, either generally or specifically. This information is used:
1. To correspond with you or deal with you as you expect;
2. In a collective way not referable to any particular individual, for the purpose of quality control and improvement of our website;
3. To send you news about the services to which you have signed up;
4. To tell you about other of our services or services of sister websites.
Information you post on our site
Information you send to us by posting to a forum or blog or in your advertisement, is stored on our servers. We do not specifically use that information except to allow it to be read, but you will see in our terms and conditions that we reserve a right to use it in any way we decide.
Website Usage Information
We may use software embedded in our website (such as JavaScript, Google Analytics or Facebook Pixel) to collect information about pages you view and how you have reached them, what you do when you visit a page, the length of time you remain on the page, and how we perform in providing content to you. [We do not presently associate such information with an identifiable person.]
Financial information and credit cards
This information is never taken by us either through our website or otherwise. At the point of payment, you are transferred to a secure page on the website of [WorldPay / SagePay / PayPal / Stripe] or some other reputable payment service provider. That page may be dressed in our “livery”, but it is not controlled by us. Our staff and contractors never have access to it.
Third party content
Third parties may advertise on our website. In doing so, those parties, their agents or other companies working for them may use technology that automatically collects your IP address when they send an advertisement that appears on our website to your browser. They may also use other technology such as cookies or JavaScript to personalise the content of, and to measure the performance of their adverts. We do not have control over these technologies or the data that these parties obtain. Accordingly, this privacy notice does not cover the information practices of these third parties.
Information we obtain from third parties
Although we do not disclose your personal information to any third party (except as set out in this notice), we do receive data which is indirectly made up from your personal information, from software services such as Google Analytics and others. No such information is identifiable to you.
Content you provide to us with a view to be used by a third party
If you provide information to us with a view to it being read, copied, downloaded, or used by other people, we accept no responsibility for what that third party may do with it. It is up to you to satisfy yourself about the privacy level of every person who might see your information. If it is available to the World, neither we nor you have no control whatever as to how it is used.
Cookies
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer’s hard drive through your web browser when you visit any web site. They are widely used to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the owners of the website.
Like all other users of cookies, we may request the return of information from your computer when your browser requests a web page from our server. Cookies enable our web server to identify you to us, and to track your actions and the pages you visit while you use our website. The cookies we use may last for a single visit to our website (they are deleted from your computer when you close your browser), or may remain on your computer until you delete them or until a defined period of time has passed.
Although your browser software enables you to disable cookies, we recommend that you allow the use of cookies in order to take advantage of the features of our website that rely on their use. If you prevent their use, you will not be able to use all the functionality of our website. Here are the ways we use cookies:
1. Consent to cookies is not a requirement of Australian Privacy Legislation
2. To allow essential parts of our website to operate for you;
3. To operate our content management system;
4. To operate the online notification form – the form that you use to contact us for any reason. This cookie is set on your arrival at our website and deleted when you close your browser;
5. To enhance security on our contact form. It is set for use only through the contact form. This cookie is deleted when you close your browser;
6. To collect information about how visitors use our website. We use the information to improve your experience of our website and enable us to increase sales. This cookie collects information in an anonymous form, including the number of visitors to the website, where visitors have come to the website from, and the pages they visited;
7. To record that a user has viewed a webcast. It collects information in an anonymous form. This cookie expires when you close your browser;
8. To record your activity during a web cast. An example is as to whether you have asked a question or provided an opinion by ticking a box. This information is retained so that we can serve your information to you when you return to the website. This cookie will record an anonymous ID for each user, but it will not use the information for any other purpose. This cookie will last for [three] months, when it will be deleted automatically;
9. To store your personal information so that you do not have to provide it afresh when you visit the site next time. This cookie will last for [90] days;
10. To enable you to watch videos we have placed on YouTube. YouTube will not store personally identifiable cookie information when you use YouTube’s privacy-enhanced mode.
Complaining
When we receive a complaint, we record all the information you have given to us. We use that information to resolve your complaint. If your complaint reasonably requires us to contact some other person, we may decide to give to that other person some of the information contained in your complaint. We do this as infrequently as possible, but it is a matter for our sole discretion as to whether we do give information, and if we do, what that information is.
We may also compile statistics showing information obtained from this source to assess the level of service we provide, but not in a way that could identify you or any other person.
Use of site by children
We do not market to children, nor do we sell products or services for purchase by children. We do sell products and services for end use by children, but for purchase by adults. If you are under 18, you may use our website only with consent from a parent or guardian.
Disclosure to Government and their agencies
We are subject to the law like everyone else. We may be required to give information to legal authorities if they so request or if they have the proper authorisation such as a search warrant or court order.
Review or update personally identifiable information
At any time you may review or update the personally identifiable information that we hold about you, by contacting us at the address below. To better safeguard your information, we will also take reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting access or making corrections to your information.
Removal of your information
If you wish us to remove personally identifiable information from our website, you may contact us at team@aussiecounsellors.com.au and/or you may unsubscribe at any time from our email list via the unsubscribe button at the bottom of emails.
Data may be processed outside of Australia
Our website is hosted in Australia. We also use outsourced services in countries outside Australia from time to time in other aspects of our business such as our Facebook group. Accordingly data obtained within Australia may be processed outside Australia and data obtained in any other country may be processed within or outside that country.
Complaints procedure
1. If you have a complaint about how we have collected or handled your personal information, please contact us. We will endeavour in the first instance to deal with your complaint and take action to resolve the matter.
2. If your complaint cannot be resolved at the first instance, we will ask you to lodge a formal complaint in writing, explaining the circumstances of the matter that you are complaining about, how you believe your privacy has been interfered with and how you believe your complaint should be resolved.
3. We will acknowledge receipt of your formal complaint and indicate the timeframe that you can expect a response. We will endeavour to resolve the complaint as quickly as possible, but if the matter is complex and our investigation may take longer, we will let you know when we expect to provide our response.
4. If you are unhappy with our response, you may refer your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.
How you can contact us
team@aussiecounsellors.com.au
OAIC contact details:
Officer of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)
Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au
Change in Privacy Policy
As we plan to ensure our privacy policy remains current, this policy is subject to change. Please return periodically to review our privacy policy.