Privacy Policy Drive Chat Pty Ltd & Direct Connect Pty Ltd

  1. We respect your privacy
    • Drive Chat Pty Ltd (‘DC’) & Direct Connect Pty Ltd (‘DCT’) respects your right to privacy and is committed to safeguarding the privacy of our customers and website visitors.
    • This privacy policy applies between you, the visitor to this website, our customers and ‘DC’ & ‘DCT’, the owner and provider of this website who also acts as a Data Controller under the General Data Protection Regulation (‘GDPR’).
    • We adhere to the National Privacy Principles established by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and also to the GDPR. This policy sets out how we collect and treat your personal information, being information we hold which is identifiable as being about you.
    • ‘DC’ & ‘DCT’ takes the privacy of your information very seriously. We have a few simple principles which we abide by in order to protect your privacy:
  2. We only ask you for information which we genuinely need in order to provide you with a better service, for example your name and e-mail address if you want to enquire about our services; and
  3. Unless legally obliged to do so we won’t share your information with anyone, other than for the standard running of our business. For example, for you to make payment for our services we would need to ask additional personal and financial information to give to our bank in order to process the transaction.

This privacy policy applies to our use of any and all data collected by us or provided by you in relation to your use of the website and/or the provision of our services to you. The Services may include chat and messaging features and services, sharing features, review submission features, reporting, chat and sms areas, email features and functions, file communities, polls, surveys, and other services. We aim to make our collection and use of your data as clear and as transparent as possible, but for brevity it has not been possible to list every circumstance in which we will use your data. We recommend that you read this privacy policy carefully. Any questions or queries you may have can be sent directly to us at customerservice@drivechat.com.au or admin@directconnect.com.au or at the following location:

Drive Chat Pty Ltd / Direct Connect Pty Ltd

Suite 305, 75 Tulip Street

Cheltenham VIC 3192

Tel: 1800 548 324

  1. Important Information Regarding Our Website
    • This privacy policy applies only to the website of Drive Chat Pty Ltd & Direct Connect Pty Ltd (https://drivechat.directconnect.com/) and does not extend to any third party websites that can be accessed from this Website, including but not limited to, any links we may provide, including to social media websites. These links are meant for your convenience only. Links to third party websites do not constitute sponsorship or endorsement or approval of these websites. Please be aware that ‘DC’ & ‘DCT’ is not responsible for the privacy practices of other such websites. We encourage our users to be aware, when they leave our website, to read the privacy statements of each and every website that collects personally identifiable information.
    • We may from time to time use cookies on our website. Cookies are very small files which a website uses to identify you when you come back to the site and to store details about your use of the site. Cookies are not malicious programs that access or damage your computer. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies but you can choose to reject cookies by changing your browser settings. However, this may prevent you from taking full advantage of our website.
    • Cookies may be used to serve relevant ads to website visitors through third party services such as Google Adwords and Google Analytics. These ads may appear on this website or other websites you visit. You can learn about Google’s practices by going to https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/
    • For more information on the Cookies we use, please visit our cookies privacy page. https://drivechat.directconnect.com/cookie-policy
  2. Information Collection on Our Website:

We collect the following information on our Website:

  1. Location Information. When you use our services, if you allow it, we will receive your location information via your IP address.
  2. Device Information. We receive information about the device and software you use to access our website and services. This can include the device type, browser version, operating system, and other device and usage identifiers.
  3. Usage information. We receive information about how you use our services, including information you manually enter into our website, including your name, contact details, and other information that you may choose to share.
  4. Google Analytics. We use Google Analytics to collect standard internet log information about visitors to our website. This is done in order to discover, for example, how many visitors we have to the website. The information is processed in such a way that visitors to our website are not identified, and we do not permit Google Analytics to process your information in a way which would allow you to be identified. You can read more about the use of Google Analytics and their privacy policy here: https://policies.google.com/privacy
  5. Website Security. We use a third party hosting service to maintain the security and performance of our website, and in order to do this it is necessary to collect the Internet Protocol (‘IP’) address of visitors to our website.
  6. We may also collect information such as browser type, operating system, website visited immediately before coming to our site, etc. This information is used in an aggregated manner to analyse how people use our site, such that we can improve our service.
  7. Information Collection from Third Parties:

    We may receive information from third parties, including:

    • If you choose to link our Services to a third-party account (Such as Google or Facebook), we may receive information about you, including your profile information, photo, and use of the third-party account.
    • Other Third Parties. We may receive additional information about you from third parties such as data or marketing partners and combine it with other information we have about you to assist in delivering our service.
  8. Live Chat Services on our website
    • We use third party providers to supply and support our Live Chat service, which we use to handle customer enquiries in real time. If you use the Live Chat service we will collect the contents of your Live Chat session. This information will be retained for 2 (two) years (unless otherwise stated) and will not be shared with any other organisations. You can request a transcript of your Live Chat session if you provide your email address at the start of your session or when prompted at the end.
    • We use the following third party providers:
  9. Live chat software from Snapengage. The chat software stores the transcripts for approximately 60 (sixty) days then deletes it. Their position on GDPR is https://help.snapengage.com/does-snapengage-comply-with-eu-data-protection-requirements/ ]; and
  10. We use Zendesk to process the chat transcripts. The data is stored for 2 (two) years. Their position on GDPR is https://www.zendesk.com/company/customers-partners/eu-data-protection/
  11. Google Reviews Platform. You can learn about their privacy policy here: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/
  12. Facebook and Facebook Reviews Platform. Their privacy policy can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/previous">
  13. Other third party providers may be used from time to time.
  14. Collection of personal information
    • ‘DC’ & ‘DCT’ will, from time to time, receive and store personal information that you enter onto our website, provide to us directly or give to us in other forms.
    • In line with our principles, in addition to electronic data automatically collected when you use our website, in order to provide you with a service or to respond to any questions or queries you may have, we may request and collect the following data from you:
  1. Name;
  2. Contact Information such as email addresses and telephone numbers; and
  3. Financial information such as credit/debit card numbers.
  • ‘DC’ & ‘DCT’ may receive personal information from third parties. If we do, we will protect it as set out in this Privacy Policy and in adherence to the GDPR.
  1. How we use the information we collect
    • Drive Chat Pty Ltd & Direct Connect Pty Ltd may use personal information collected from you to provide you with information, updates and our services. We may also make you aware of new and additional products, services and opportunities available to you. We may use your personal information to improve our products and services and better understand your needs. This will always be done with your consent and you may remove your details from our database at any time. We will never rent or sell any of the data you provide to us, and any third parties we use will only ever process your information for us on a need to know basis and in accordance with this privacy policy.
    • Social Media/Networking Platforms and other Online Service providers. Our Services allow you to, upon your direction, share information with social networking services, such as Facebook, Instagram, Google, and Yelp. You understand and agree that the use of your information by any social networking websites will be governed by the privacy policies of these third-party platforms and your privacy settings on that third party platform. These services may also collect information about your use of other websites, apps, and online resources, and we encourage you to review their privacy policies.
    • Other than data we are legally obliged to keep for longer periods, e.g. taxation records, we will retain any data you submit to us for a period of 2 (two) years. This includes e-mail correspondence. All of your data which we collect is stored securely with appropriate physical, managerial and electronic safeguards in accordance with the principles of the GDPR and any other applicable legislation. Where you withdraw your consent for us to use your data we will delete any copies immediately.
    • Where necessary, ‘DC’ & ‘DCT’ may contact you by a variety of measures including, but not limited to telephone, email, sms or mail.
  2. Disclosure of your personal information, including to third parties
    • ‘DC’ & ‘DCT’ may disclose your personal information to any of our employees, officers, insurers, professional advisers, agents, suppliers or subcontractors located in Australia, the USA, the Philippines, or any other country in which we conduct business.
    • Disclosure of the information we collect is done so insofar as reasonably necessary for the purposes set out in this Policy. Personal information is only supplied to a third party when it is required for the delivery of our services. Any use for other purposes is strictly prohibited. Furthermore, any data that is processed by third parties for us will be processed within the terms of this privacy policy and in accordance with the GDPR.
    • We may from time to time need to disclose personal information to comply with a legal requirement, such as a law, regulation, court order, subpoena, warrant, in the course of a legal proceeding or in response to a law enforcement agency request.
    • We may also use your personal information to protect the copyright, trademarks, legal rights, property or safety of Drive Chat Pty Ltd, Direct Connect Pty Ltd, its customers or third parties.
  3. Your access to your data which is held by us
    • Where you are a resident of the EU and GDPR applies to your personal information, you have the right to ask for ‘subject access request’ or ‘SAR’ being a copy of your personal data held by us. Where we do hold such data on you we will provide you with a copy of the data we hold on you. This will be in a commonly used machine readable file where you request us to e-mail the information to you. We will also give you a description of the data, tell you why we are holding it and tell you who we could have disclosed it to. We do not charge for the provisions of this information.
    • Where data we hold on you is incorrect we will rectify the data. We will also stop processing data on your request and you may also request that we delete the data held on you.
    • Where GDPR does not apply, you may request details of personal information that we hold about you in accordance with  the provisions of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). A small administrative fee may be payable for the provision of information. If you would like a copy of the information which we hold about you or believe that any information we hold on you is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading, please email us at customerservice@drivechat.com.au.
    • We reserve the right to refuse to provide you with information that we hold about you, in certain circumstances set out in the Privacy Act.
  4. Transfers outside the European Economic Area (‘EEA’)
    • ‘DC’ & ‘DCT’ has offices in Australia, the Philippines, the USA and the UK. Information that we collect in the EEA may from time to time be stored, processed in or transferred between parties located in countries outside of the EEA which may not have as stringent data protection laws as found in the EEA. These countries may include, but are not limited to Australia, USA and the Philippines.
    • Some of our third party service providers may be also located outside the EEA. If we transfer your data outside the EEA in this way, we will ensure that the third party provider which we use is compliant with the GDPR and that your privacy continues to be protected as outlined in this privacy policy.
    • ‘DC’ & ‘DCT’ has appointed a representative within the European Union in accordance with Article 27 of the GDPR. Details of this representative can be provided on request.
  5. Security of your personal information
    • Drive Chat Pty Ltd & Direct Connect Pty Ltd is committed to ensuring that the information you provide to us to is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic, organisational and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure information and protect it from misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access, modification and disclosure.
    • The transmission and exchange of information is carried out at your own risk. We cannot guarantee the security of any information that you transmit to us, or receive from us. Although we take all reasonable measures to safeguard against unauthorised disclosures of information, we cannot assure you that personal information that we collect will not be disclosed in a manner that is inconsistent with this Privacy Policy.
  6. Complaints about privacy
    • If you have any complaints about our privacy practices, please feel free to send in details of your complaints to Suite 305, 75 Tulip Street, Cheltenham, VIC, 3192, Australia. We take complaints very seriously and will respond within 30 (thirty) days after receiving written notice of your complaint.
      • For data which is subject to the GDPR, our supervisory authority is the ICO and you have the right to lodge a complaint with them if you do not feel we have adequately upheld your rights under GDPR. Contact details for the ICO can be
        found here:https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/
  1. Changes to Privacy Policy
    • Please be aware that we may change this Privacy Policy in the future. We may modify this Policy at any time, in our sole discretion and all modifications will be effective immediately upon our posting of the modifications on our website or notice board. Please check back from time to time to review our Privacy Policy.
  2. General
    • If there is a change of control in our business or a sale or transfer of business assets, we reserve the right to transfer to the extent permissible at law our user databases, together with any personal information and non-personal information contained in those databases. This information may be disclosed to a potential purchaser under an agreement to maintain confidentiality. We would seek to only disclose information in good faith and where required by any of the above circumstances.
    • By providing us with personal information, you consent to the terms of this Privacy Policy and the types of disclosure covered by this Policy.
  3. Governing law and jurisdiction
    • You agree that the statutes and laws of Australia without regard to any principles of conflicts of law will apply to this Privacy Policy, and you further agree that any litigation shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts of Australia.