Privacy policy

Privacy Policy

Hydro Vision Limited T/A Hydro Vision

Effective Date: October 2024

Your privacy matters to us. Hydro Vision Limited ("Hydro Vision", "we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 and the Privacy Principles.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, disclose, and protect your personal information when you engage with our services or interact with our business.

1. Information We Collect

We collect personal information that is necessary to provide our services and conduct our business operations. The types of information we may collect include:

1.1 Information You Provide Directly

Contact Information: Name, postal address, email address, phone number, mobile number
Business Information: Company name, business address, ABN/GST registration details (for business customers)
Service Information: Property details, service requirements, access instructions, site-specific information
Financial Information: Bank account details for payments, credit card information (processed securely through our payment providers)
Credit Information: Credit history, credit references, and creditworthiness information (for credit account applications)
Identification Information: Driver's licence details, date of birth (where required for credit applications or identity verification)
Communication Records: Records of your communications with us, including emails, phone calls, and messages

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website or interact with our digital platforms, we may automatically collect:

Technical Information: IP address, browser type and version, device type, operating system
Usage Information: Pages viewed, time spent on pages, navigation paths, referring websites
Cookie Information: Data collected through cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 9)

1.3 Information from Third Parties

We may collect information about you from:

Credit reporting agencies and credit reference providers
Publicly available sources, including public registers and social media
Business partners, suppliers, and sub-contractors
Your representatives or agents (where you have authorised them to act on your behalf)

2. How We Use Your Information

We collect and use your personal information for the following purposes:

2.1 Service Delivery

Providing, delivering, and managing our services to you
Communicating with you about service appointments, scheduling, and updates
Responding to your enquiries and requests
Managing and maintaining our customer relationships

2.2 Business Operations

Processing payments and managing accounts
Assessing and processing credit applications
Debt collection and credit management
Maintaining business records and accounts
Managing our contractual obligations

2.3 Legal and Compliance

Complying with legal and regulatory obligations
Responding to legal requests and preventing fraud
Protecting our legal rights and interests
Enforcing our terms and conditions

2.4 Marketing and Communications

Sending you information about our services, promotions, and special offers (where you have consented)
Conducting customer surveys and market research
Improving our services based on feedback

2.5 Website and Technology

Operating and improving our website and digital platforms
Analysing website usage and user behaviour
Ensuring website security and preventing misuse

3. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal information on the following legal bases:

Contractual Necessity: To perform our contract with you and deliver the services you have requested
Consent: Where you have given us explicit consent to use your information for specific purposes (such as marketing)
Legal Obligation: To comply with legal and regulatory requirements
Legitimate Interests: To pursue our legitimate business interests, including improving our services, preventing fraud, and managing our business operations

4. How We Share Your Information

We may share your personal information with the following parties:

4.1 Service Providers and Contractors

We may share your information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in delivering our services, including:

Sub-contractors and tradespeople
Payment processors and financial institutions
IT service providers and cloud storage providers
Administrative and professional service providers

4.2 Credit Reporting and Financial Services

Credit reporting agencies for credit checks and reporting
Debt collection agencies for debt recovery
Credit reference providers

4.3 Legal and Regulatory Authorities

Law enforcement agencies, courts, and regulatory authorities (when required by law)
Legal and professional advisers
Government agencies and public authorities

4.4 Business Transactions

In the event of a business sale, merger, or acquisition, we may transfer your information to the relevant third parties involved in the transaction.

4.5 With Your Consent

We may share your information with other parties where you have provided explicit consent for us to do so.

Important: We do not sell your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes.

5. Information Security

We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

Our security measures include:

Secure storage systems with restricted access
Encryption of sensitive data during transmission
Regular security assessments and updates
Staff training on privacy and data protection
Secure disposal of information when no longer required
Access controls and authentication procedures

While we implement robust security measures, no system is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your information transmitted through our systems or stored on our servers.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including:

For the duration of our business relationship with you
As required to comply with legal, accounting, and regulatory obligations
To establish, exercise, or defend legal claims
As specified in our records management policies

Typical Retention Periods:

Customer Records: 7 years from the end of the customer relationship (or as required by law)
Financial Records: 7 years (as required by tax and accounting regulations)
Credit Information: As permitted under the Privacy Act 2020
Marketing Information: Until you withdraw consent or we no longer have a legitimate need

Once information is no longer required, we securely destroy or anonymise it in accordance with our data retention and disposal procedures.

7. Your Privacy Rights

Under the Privacy Act 2020, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

7.1 Right of Access

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you. We will provide you with a copy of your information, subject to certain legal exceptions.

7.2 Right to Correction

You have the right to request correction of any inaccurate, incomplete, or out-of-date personal information we hold about you. We will take reasonable steps to correct the information.

7.3 Right to Object

You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances, including for marketing purposes.

7.4 Right to Withdraw Consent

Where we process your information based on consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing before the withdrawal.

7.5 Marketing Communications

You can opt out of receiving marketing communications from us at any time by:

Clicking the "unsubscribe" link in our marketing emails
Contacting us directly using the details in Section 12
Updating your communication preferences in your account (if applicable)

How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in Section 12. We will respond to your request within 20 working days (or as otherwise required by law).

We may require verification of your identity before processing your request to ensure we are disclosing information to the correct person.

8. Overseas Disclosure

In some circumstances, we may disclose your personal information to overseas recipients, including:

Cloud storage providers and IT service providers (who may store data on overseas servers)
International payment processors
Overseas business partners or service providers

When we disclose your information overseas, we take reasonable steps to ensure that overseas recipients comply with New Zealand privacy laws or are subject to equivalent privacy protections.

Countries where your information may be disclosed include Australia, United States, and members of the European Union (depending on our service providers' data centre locations).

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

9.1 What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit our website. They help us provide you with a better online experience and improve our website functionality.

9.2 Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies: Necessary for the website to function properly and cannot be disabled
Performance Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our website by collecting anonymous information
Functional Cookies: Enable enhanced functionality and personalisation
Marketing Cookies: Used to track visitors across websites to display relevant advertisements

9.3 Managing Cookies

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to:

View what cookies are stored and delete them individually
Block third-party cookies
Block cookies from specific sites
Block all cookies
Delete all cookies when you close your browser

Please note: Disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our website and your user experience.

9.4 Other Tracking Technologies

We may also use other tracking technologies such as:

Web beacons (also known as pixel tags)
Analytics tools (such as Google Analytics)
Social media plugins

10. Third-Party Websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including social media platforms, suppliers, and business partners. This Privacy Policy does not cover those third-party websites.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party websites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit.

11. Privacy Complaints

If you believe we have breached your privacy or mishandled your personal information, you have the right to make a complaint.

Internal Complaint Process:

Contact Us: Send your complaint to us in writing using the contact details in Section 12
Acknowledgement: We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 7 working days
Investigation: We will investigate your complaint and respond within 20 working days
Resolution: We will work with you to resolve the complaint and take appropriate action

Office of the Privacy Commissioner:

If you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint, you have the right to contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner:

Office of the Privacy Commissioner
PO Box 10094, The Terrace
Wellington 6143
New Zealand

Phone: 0800 803 909
Email: enquiries@privacy.org.nz
Website: www.privacy.org.nz

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us:

Hydro Vision Limited
T/A Hydro Vision

Email: office@hydrovision.co.nz
Phone: 027 442 0849

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors.

When we make changes, we will:

Update the "Effective Date" at the top of this policy
Post the updated policy on our website
Notify you of material changes (via email or prominent notice on our website)

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

14. Special Provisions for Different User Types

14.1 Business Customers

If you are a business customer, we may collect additional information about your business, directors, and authorised representatives for credit assessment and business relationship management purposes.

14.2 Residential Customers

We collect and process your information to provide services to your residential property and manage our customer relationship with you.

14.3 Website Visitors

If you visit our website without requesting services, we collect limited information as described in Section 1.2 and Section 9.

15. Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately so we can delete it.

16. Data Breach Notification

In the event of a privacy breach that is likely to cause serious harm to you, we will:

Notify you as soon as practicable
Notify the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (if required by law)
Take steps to contain the breach and prevent further unauthorised access
Provide you with information about the breach and steps you can take to protect yourself

Consent to This Privacy Policy

By using our services, visiting our website, or providing us with your personal information, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Privacy Policy and consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your information as described herein.