Privacy Policy

Choose Local Pty Ltd (ABN 12 345 678 901) ("Choose Local", "we", "us", "our") operates the Choose Local platform available at chooselocal.com.au and via our mobile applications. 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).

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

From homeowners: name, email address, phone number, property address, job description, and suburb. We also collect the details of any service requests submitted through the platform.

From trade professionals (contractors): full name, business name, ABN, trade licence number, insurance details, email address, phone number, business address, coverage area, bank account details (for billing purposes only), and profile information including photos and service descriptions.

Automatically collected information: device information, IP address, browser type, pages visited, session duration, and cookie data. We use cookies and similar technologies to improve platform performance and deliver personalised experiences.

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 insurance 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.

We share personal information only as described below:

Between users: When a contractor accepts a lead, the homeowner's contact details (name, phone, email, and property address) are shared with that contractor 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 trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating the platform, including Stripe (payment processing), AWS (cloud infrastructure), Twilio (SMS), and Resend (email delivery). Each provider is contractually bound to protect your data and use it only for the services they provide to us.

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.

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).

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.

Under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and applicable state privacy legislation, 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 privacy@chooselocal.com.au. We will respond within 30 days.

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to operate our platform, remember your preferences, and analyse usage. You can control cookie settings through your browser, but disabling certain cookies may affect platform functionality. We use Google Analytics (with IP anonymisation) to understand aggregate usage patterns. We do not use tracking cookies for third-party advertising.

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.

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.

For privacy-related enquiries, corrections, or complaints:

Choose Local Pty Ltd Privacy Officer privacy@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.