Privacy Policy

How SM Automotive Solutions handles personal information collected through this website.

1. About This Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how SM Automotive Solutions (ABN 70 270 045 035), a sole trader operating in South Australia ("we", "us", or "our"), collects, uses, stores, and discloses personal information through this website (smautomotivesolutions.com) and its associated service agreement pages.

We are committed to handling personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) as a matter of best practice, regardless of whether we are formally subject to the Act.

2. What Information We Collect

We only collect information you choose to provide, plus a small amount of standard technical information your browser sends automatically.

Through the enquiry form:

• Your name
• Your email address
• Vehicle details you choose to share (year, make, model)
• The service you are enquiring about
• The message you write

Through the service agreement page (when sent a personalised signing link):

• Your full legal name (as your electronic signature)
• Vehicle details and registration number
• The service booked, agreed price, and pickup date
• Any additional notes recorded on the agreement
• The date and time the agreement was signed
• The browser user-agent string at the time of signing (for audit purposes)
• The version and content hash of the Terms & Conditions you signed

Collected automatically by our hosting provider and form processor:

• Your IP address
• Browser type and version
• Standard HTTP request information (referring page, time of access)

3. Sensitive Information

We do not seek to collect sensitive information (such as health, racial, religious, or political information) through this website. If you voluntarily include any sensitive information in an enquiry message, it will be used only for the purpose of responding to your enquiry and is otherwise handled with the same care as other personal information.

4. Why We Collect It and How We Use It

We use the information you provide for the following purposes only:

• To respond to enquiries about workshop services;
• To prepare quotes, estimates, and bookings;
• To provide and record signed service agreements;
• To maintain customer and job records for the duration of any work performed;
• To meet our legal and tax record-keeping obligations.

We do not use your information for marketing emails, newsletters, or any unrelated purpose, and we do not sell, rent, or trade it to any third party.

5. Third-Party Services Used by This Website

Operating this website involves a small number of third-party services. Each is governed by its own privacy practices, and we have no control over what those providers do with the data their systems process.

• Web3Forms — processes enquiry form and service agreement submissions and forwards them to us by email. Submissions pass through Web3Forms' servers.
• Facebook (Meta) — the home page includes an embedded Facebook page feed. Loading this widget allows Facebook to receive information about your visit, including your IP address, and to set cookies as described in Facebook's own privacy policy.
• Google Fonts — typography is loaded from Google's font CDN, which allows Google to log basic request information including your IP address.
• Our hosting provider — serves the website and logs standard server-access information.

We do not currently use any analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) on this website.

6. Cookies and Tracking

This website itself does not set its own cookies. However, the embedded Facebook page feed and other third-party services may set cookies on their respective domains when you visit a page that loads them. You can control or block cookies through your browser settings. Blocking third-party cookies will not prevent the website from functioning.

7. When We Disclose Information

We do not sell or share your personal information for marketing or commercial purposes. We may disclose information only in the following circumstances:

• To our service providers (such as Web3Forms and our hosting provider) strictly as required to operate the website and deliver enquiries to us;
• To our accountant or legal advisors if necessary for tax, accounting, or dispute matters;
• Where required or authorised by Australian law (for example, in response to a court order or lawful request from a government agency).

8. Storage and Security

Enquiry and signed-agreement submissions are delivered to us by email and retained in our business records. We take reasonable steps to protect the information we hold from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification, and disclosure — including secure access to our email and storage systems, and the use of HTTPS-secured transmission for all form submissions.

No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Overseas Transfer of Data

Some of the third-party services listed above (notably Web3Forms, Facebook, and Google Fonts) are operated by overseas entities and may process or store your information on servers located outside Australia. By using this website you acknowledge that your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than Australia.

10. How Long We Keep Your Information

We retain information only for as long as we have a reasonable business need:

• Enquiries — kept while we are in active communication with you and for a reasonable period afterwards (typically up to 12 months) in case of follow-up questions.
• Signed service agreements and related job records — retained for a minimum of seven (7) years to meet Australian taxation and business record-keeping requirements.
• Server access logs — retained according to our hosting provider's own retention policy.

After these periods we will destroy or de-identify the information unless we are required by law to retain it for longer.

11. Your Rights

Under the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to:

• Request access to the personal information we hold about you;
• Request correction of any information you believe to be inaccurate or out-of-date;
• Withdraw consent for the handling of your information (which may mean we can no longer provide services to you);
• Make a complaint about how your personal information has been handled.

We will respond to requests within a reasonable timeframe and may need to verify your identity before releasing information. There is no fee to make a request, but a reasonable administrative charge may apply where extensive work is involved in providing copies of records.

12. Children's Privacy

This website is not directed at children under 18 years of age, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has submitted information through this website, please contact us so we can delete it.

13. Complaints

If you have a privacy concern or complaint, please contact us in the first instance using the contact details below. We take complaints seriously and will work to resolve them promptly.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be reflected by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Material changes that affect how we handle your information will be highlighted at the top of the policy for a reasonable period after they take effect.

15. Contact

For any privacy matter — to request access to your information, request a correction, ask a question, or make a complaint — please get in touch via the enquiry form on the home page. Your message will reach us directly.