Absolute Financial Services is committed to complying with Commonwealth legislation governing privacy of personal information by businesses and to protecting and safeguarding your privacy when you deal with us. We want you to be confident that the personal information you provide to us is treated with the highest degree of integrity and privacy. This Privacy Policy sets out how we intent to respect your privacy in accordance with the National Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). We acknowledge that any personal information we collect about you will only be used for the purposes indicated in our Policy.
WHO IS ABSOLUTE FINANCIAL SERVICES
Absolute Financial Services is an organisation that specialises in organising all types of consumer and commercial loan facilities and associated insurance products within the mortgage and finance industry for clients. The business operates from premises situated at 1/144 Bazaar Street Maryborough, Queensland, Australia.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Personal information is any information about you that identifies you or by which your identity can be reasonably determined.
WHY WE COLLECT YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
Collecting your personal information is essential for Absolute Financial Services to be able to conduct its business of arranging and/or providing financial products and services and insurance on behalf of its customers. The information we collect, either from you directly, or about you from other sources is necessary to enable us to prepare an application on your behalf. If we do not collect this information we may not be able to fully assess your requirements and facilitate the most advantageous products/s for your particular purposes. To enable us to maintain a successful business relationship with you, we may disclose your personal information with other organisations that provide products or services used or marketed by us. The types of organisations to which we are likely to disclose information about you include mortgage intermediaries, lenders, valuers, lenders mortgage insurers, accountants, credit reporting agencies and lawyers.
HOW DO WE COLLECT YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
Where reasonable and practical we will collect your personal information only directly from you. Collection may take place in a number of ways, such as when you complete an application form for a product or request a product or service over the telephone or internet. Often personal information is collected during the course of our relationship with you. An example of personal information collection may be when you contact us to discuss your existing loans and/or insurances. Sometimes personal information may be collected about you from other sources. Examples of where we may receive your personal information from another source and why this would happen are:
Credit information or payment history we obtain about you from a credit reporting agency or a financier in the course of preparing an application for a loan on your behalf.
Your employer, in the course of confirming your employment details to support your application.
Your landlord, in the course of confirming your residence and rent payments to support your application.
In most cases we will require you to specifically consent to any collection, use or disclosure of your personal information by Absolute Financial Services. Your consent will usually be required in writing but we may accept your verbal or implied consent in certain circumstances. However, no matter how your personal information is collected it is dealt with by Absolute Financial Services in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
TO WHOM WILL WE DISCLOSE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
Where possible we will inform you, at or before the time of collecting your personal information, the types of organsiations that we intend to disclose your personal information to. Prior to disclosing any of your personal information to another organisation, we will take all reasonable steps to satisfy ourselves that: (a) the organisation has a commitment to protecting your personal information at least equal to our commitment; and (b) you have consented to us doing so. Sometimes we are required or authorised by law to disclose your personal information. Circumstances in which we may disclose your personal information would be to a Court or Tribunal in response to a request or in response to a subpoena or to the Australian Taxation Office.
DIRECT MARKETING
From time to time we may use your personal information to provide you with current information about loans, special offers you may find of interest, changes to our organisation, or new products or services being offered by us or any company we are associated with. If you do not wish to receive marketing information, you may at any time decline to receive such information by contacting our office by telephoning 0741236365 or 1300556246 or by writing to us at PO Box 582 Maryborough, Qld 4650. We will not charge you for giving effect to your request and will take all reasonable steps to meet your request at the earliest possible opportunity.
UPDATING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
It is important to our relationship that the personal information we hold about you is accurate and up to date. During the course of our relationship with you we will ask you to inform us if any of your personal information has changed. If you wish to make any changes to your personal information, you may contact us. We will generally rely on you to assist us in informing us if the information we hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete.
ACCESS TO 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. To access personal information that we hold about you, use the contact details specified above.
DENIED ACCESS TO PERSONAL INFORMATION
There may be situations where we are not required to provide you with access to your personal information. For example, such a situation would be information relating to an existing or anticipated legal proceeding with you, or if your request is vexatious. An explanation will be provided to you, if we deny you access to your personal information we hold.
BUSINESS WITHOUT IDENTIFYING YOU
In most circumstances it will be necessary for us to identify you in order to successfully do business with you, however, where it is lawful and practicable to do so, we will offer you the opportunity of doing business with us, without providing us with personal information. Such a situation would be where you make general inquiries about interest rates or current promotional offers. Where sensitive information is collected, stored, used or transferred about you, we will only use this information if you have consented to or in the exercise or defence of a legal claim. Sensitive information is information relating to your racial or ethnic origin, political persuasion, memberships in trade or professional association or trade unions, sexual preferences, criminal record or health.
HOW SAFE AND SECURE IS YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION THAT WE HOLD?
We will take reasonable steps to protect your personal information by storing it in a secure environment and when the information is no longer needed for any purpose for which the information may be used or disclosed, it will be destroyed or permanently de-identified. We will also take reasonable steps to protect any personal information from misuse, loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. We cannot guarantee that data transmissions over the Internet are fully secure.
FURTHER INFORMATION
You may request information about the way we manage your personal information by writing to us or emailing us or calling to our office.
CHANGE IN OUR PRIVACY POLICY
We are constantly reviewing all of our policies and attempt to keep up to date with market expectations. Technology is constantly changing, as is the law and market place practices. As a consequence we may change this Privacy Policy from time to time or as the need arises.
