Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Choose Local (ABN 33 161 396 096) ("Choose Local", "we", "us", "our") operates the Choose Local platform at chooselocal.com.au and app.chooselocal.com.au. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

2. Information we collect

We collect personal information that you provide directly to us and information collected automatically when you use our platform.

From customers requesting quotes: name, email address, phone number, suburb or postcode, and the details of your job (your answers to our questions, such as the type of work, timing, property type and whether you own or rent). If a professional needs your street address to do the job, you give it to them directly.

From trade professionals (contractors): full name, business name, ABN, trade licence number, insurance details, email address, phone number, business address, coverage area, and profile information including photos and service descriptions. Card and payment details are collected and held by our payment processor, Stripe; we never see or store full card numbers.

Automatically collected information: device information, IP address, browser type, pages visited and cookie data. See section 8 for how we use cookies.

3. How we use your information

We use your personal information to:

- Match homeowners with suitable local trade professionals - Send lead notifications and job alerts to contractors - Process subscription payments and credit transactions - Send transactional emails and SMS messages (including magic-link status updates and review requests) - Verify trade licences and ABNs for contractor onboarding - Resolve disputes and handle customer support enquiries - Improve our platform, services, and matching algorithms - Comply with our legal obligations - Send marketing communications (with your consent, and with an easy opt-out)

We do not use your personal information for automated decision-making that has a legal or similarly significant effect on you without your knowledge.

4. Sharing your information

We share personal information only as described below:

Between users: When a professional accepts your request, your contact details (name, phone and email) and job details are shared with that professional, and with no more professionals than the number of quotes you chose (1, 2 or 3), to facilitate the job. A contractor's profile information (name, business, reviews, and ratings) is shared with homeowners during the matching process.

Service providers: We share information with service providers who help us run the platform: Supabase (database and accounts, hosted in Sydney, Australia), Vercel (website hosting), Stripe (payments), Mailgun (email) and Twilio (SMS). They may only use your information to provide their services to us.

Overseas disclosure: Your information is stored in Australia, but Vercel, Stripe, Mailgun and Twilio are based in the United States and may access or process it there.

Legal requirements: We may disclose information where required by law, court order, or government authority.

Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you prior to any such transfer.

We never sell your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

5. Data retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. Contractor account data is retained for 7 years after account closure for tax and legal compliance purposes. Homeowner lead data is retained for 3 years. You may request earlier deletion of your data subject to legal retention requirements (see Section 7).

6. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information, including TLS encryption for data in transit, AES-256 encryption for sensitive data at rest, role-based access controls, regular security audits, and secure payment processing via Stripe (we never store full card numbers). While we take these precautions, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Your rights and choices

Under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), you have the right to:

- Access the personal information we hold about you - Correct inaccurate or out-of-date information - Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements) - Opt out of marketing communications at any time via the unsubscribe link in any email, or by contacting us - Lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) if you are not satisfied with our response

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@chooselocal.com.au. We will respond within 30 days.

8. Cookies

We use cookies that are needed for the platform to work, such as keeping professionals and staff signed in.

We also use analytics and advertising cookies from Google (Google Analytics and Google Ads, through Google Tag Manager) and Meta (the Meta Pixel). They tell us which ads and pages lead to quote requests, so we can spend less on advertising that doesn't work. We never send these tools your name, email address or phone number.

When you request quotes, we also record how you found us (for example, the ad or link you clicked and the first page you visited) with your request. We use this only to measure our own advertising.

You can turn off analytics and advertising cookies on this device with the button below, or block cookies in your browser. Blocking essential cookies may stop parts of the platform working.

9. Third-party links

Our platform may contain links to third-party websites or services not operated by Choose Local. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any site you visit.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify you by email or by displaying a notice on our platform prior to the changes taking effect. The date at the top of this page reflects the most recent update.

11. Contact us

For privacy-related enquiries, corrections, or complaints:

Choose Local (ABN 33 161 396 096) Privacy Officer support@chooselocal.com.au 1300 741 451

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au.