MARTIN PEST CONTROL MELBOURNE

1. Introduction

Martin Pest Control Melbourne (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of every individual who interacts with our business, including customers, website visitors, prospective clients, and any person whose personal information we handle in the course of providing pest control services.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, store, and protect your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Privacy Act), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in Schedule 1 of the Privacy Act, and any other applicable Australian laws and regulations.

This policy also describes your rights in relation to your personal information and how you can contact us if you have a question, concern, or complaint.

By accessing our website, requesting a quote, booking a service, or otherwise interacting with us, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

2. Scope of This Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to:

• All personal information collected through our website at https://martinpestcontrol.com.au
• Personal information collected via phone, email, text message, or in person
• Personal information provided when booking or receiving our pest control services
• Personal information collected through third-party platforms we use (e.g., Google, social media)

This policy does not apply to the practices of third-party companies or websites that we do not own or control, or to persons we do not employ or manage. Where we link to third-party websites, we encourage you to review their privacy policies.

3. Personal Information We Collect

3.1 Information You Provide Directly

We may collect the following types of personal information directly from you:

• Full name
• Residential or business address (service location)
• Phone number(s)
• Email address
• Details of your pest problem or the nature of the service requested
• Payment information (processed securely via third-party payment providers; we do not store card details)
• Feedback, reviews, and complaints you submit to us
• Any other information you choose to provide when contacting us

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect:

• IP address and approximate geographic location
• Browser type and version
• Device type and operating system
• Pages visited, time spent on pages, and links clicked
• Referring website or search query
• Date and time of your visit

This information is collected through cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies. Please refer to Section 10 (Cookies and Tracking Technologies) for more information.

3.3 Sensitive Information

We do not intentionally collect sensitive information (as defined by the Privacy Act, including health information, racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, criminal records, or biometric data) unless it is reasonably necessary for our services and you have provided explicit consent. If you disclose sensitive information to us incidentally (for example, in describing a health condition affecting our service), we will handle it with the utmost care.

4. How We Collect Personal Information

We collect personal information in a number of ways, including:

• Directly from you — when you complete our online contact or quote request form, call us, send us an email or SMS, or interact with us on social media
• From our website — through automated technologies such as cookies and analytics tools (see Section 10)
• From third parties — such as online booking platforms, referral partners, or review platforms, where you have provided consent for sharing
• In the course of service delivery — when our technicians visit your property, they may record information necessary to carry out the service and provide a report

We will only collect personal information by lawful and fair means, and not in an unreasonably intrusive way. Where practicable, we will collect information directly from you.

5. Why We Collect and Use Your Personal Information

We collect and use personal information for the following purposes:

5.1 Primary Purposes

• To provide, schedule, and complete pest control services at your property
• To respond to your enquiries, questions, and service requests
• To prepare and deliver quotes, invoices, and service reports
• To communicate with you about your bookings, service outcomes, and follow-up treatments
• To process payments
• To comply with our legal obligations under Australian law, including occupational health and safety laws and environmental protection legislation

5.2 Secondary Purposes

• To improve our services and the user experience of our website
• To conduct customer satisfaction surveys and request reviews (with your consent)
• To send you service reminders, promotional offers, or industry tips (only where you have opted in or it is otherwise permitted by law)
• To analyse website traffic and usage patterns using aggregated, de-identified data
• To meet audit, insurance, and regulatory requirements

We will not use or disclose your personal information for a purpose other than the primary purpose for which it was collected, unless you have consented, or the secondary use or disclosure is directly related to the primary purpose and you would reasonably expect us to use or disclose it for that purpose, or we are required or permitted to do so by law.

6. Disclosure of Personal Information

We may disclose your personal information to:

6.1 Our Staff and Contractors

Our employees, technicians, and subcontractors who need access to your information to deliver services or support our operations. All staff are required to handle personal information in accordance with this policy.

6.2 Service Providers and Technology Partners

• Cloud storage and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) providers used to manage bookings and customer records
• Website hosting, maintenance, and analytics providers (including Google Analytics)
• Email, SMS, and communication platform providers
• Payment processing providers (e.g., Square, Stripe — these providers operate under their own privacy policies)
• Scheduling and dispatch software providers

We require all third-party service providers to maintain confidentiality and handle personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act and this policy.

6.3 Legal and Regulatory Bodies

We may disclose personal information to government agencies, regulators, law enforcement bodies, or courts where we are required or authorised to do so by law — for example, under the Privacy Act, tax legislation, or a court order.

6.4 Business Transfers

If we sell or transfer our business (or any part of it), personal information may be transferred to the acquirer as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such transfer to the extent required by law.

6.5 With Your Consent

We may disclose personal information to other parties where you have specifically consented to such disclosure.

6.6 Overseas Disclosure

Some of our third-party service providers (such as cloud platforms or email tools) may store or process data on servers located outside of Australia. We take reasonable steps to ensure these providers are bound by privacy obligations comparable to the APPs. By using our services, you consent to the possibility of your information being held overseas. We will not send your personal information to a foreign country unless we reasonably believe the recipient is subject to privacy protections that are substantially similar to the APPs, or you have consented.

7. Google Services and Data Compliance

Our website uses several Google services to improve functionality and measure performance. This section explains our use of those services and our compliance with Google’s policies.

7.1 Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to understand how visitors interact with our website. Google Analytics collects data such as pages visited, session duration, device type, and referral source. This data is aggregated and anonymised and does not personally identify individual users.

• We have enabled IP anonymisation in our Google Analytics configuration
• We do not use Google Analytics to serve personalised advertising
• We do not share Analytics data with third parties (other than Google as processor)
• You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on available at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

7.2 Google Ads and Remarketing

We may use Google Ads to promote our services. If remarketing is enabled, cookies may be used to show our advertisements to users who have previously visited our website. We comply with Google’s Advertising Policies and the personalised advertising requirements under Australian Consumer Law.

• You can manage your Google ad preferences at https://adssettings.google.com
• You can opt out of personalised advertising at https://optout.aboutads.info

7.3 Google Business Profile

Our Google Business Profile may display customer reviews. Reviews submitted to Google are subject to Google’s own Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

7.4 reCAPTCHA

Our website may use Google reCAPTCHA to protect forms from spam and abuse. reCAPTCHA collects hardware and software information (including device and application data) to evaluate whether interactions are from a person or an automated program. Use of reCAPTCHA is subject to Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

7.5 Google’s Privacy Policy

For more information about how Google collects and uses data, please refer to Google’s Privacy Policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy.

8. Storage and Security of Personal Information

We take the security of your personal information seriously. We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure.

Our security measures include:

• Encrypted transmission of data using industry-standard SSL/TLS protocols
• Password-protected access to internal systems and databases
• Access controls limiting staff access to personal information on a need-to-know basis
• Regular review of our information security practices
• Use of reputable and security-compliant third-party platforms

Despite our efforts, no data transmission over the internet or electronic storage system is 100% secure. If you have reason to believe that your personal information has been compromised, please contact us immediately.

Personal information is retained for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. When it is no longer needed, we take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify it.

9. Direct Marketing

We may use your personal information to send you marketing communications about our services, promotions, or relevant pest management tips — but only where:

• You have given us your express or implied consent, or
• We have an existing business relationship with you and the communication is relevant to similar services you have previously engaged us for

All electronic marketing communications (email and SMS) comply with the Spam Act 2003 (Cth) and will include a clear and easy-to-use unsubscribe mechanism. You may opt out at any time by:

• Clicking the “Unsubscribe” link in any of our emails
• Replying STOP to any SMS from us
• Contacting us directly at info@martinpestcontrol.com.au

We will honour all opt-out requests promptly and without charge. We will not sell, rent, or trade your contact information to third-party marketers.

10. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

10.1 What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your device by a website when you visit it. They allow the website to remember your preferences and actions and collect analytical information about how you use the site.

10.2 Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential Cookies — required for the website to function properly (e.g., maintaining your session, preventing form re-submission)
• Analytics Cookies — used to collect aggregate, anonymised data about how visitors use our website (via Google Analytics)
• Marketing Cookies — used to deliver relevant advertisements and measure ad campaign effectiveness (e.g., Google Ads)
• Preference Cookies — used to remember your settings and preferences for a better user experience

10.3 Managing Cookies

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

• View which cookies are stored
• Delete individual or all cookies
• Block cookies from specific sites or all sites

Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our website. For detailed instructions, refer to your browser’s help documentation. You can also manage third-party analytics and advertising cookies through tools such as:

• Google Analytics Opt-out: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
• YourOnlineChoices (AU): https://www.youronlinechoices.com.au
• NAI Opt-out: https://optout.networkadvertising.org

11. Your Rights Regarding Your Personal Information

Under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the following rights:

11.1 Right of Access

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you. We will respond to access requests within a reasonable timeframe (generally within 30 days). We may charge a reasonable fee to cover the administrative cost of providing access, but we will always notify you of any fee before proceeding.

11.2 Right to Correction

If you believe that personal information we hold about you is inaccurate, out-of-date, incomplete, or misleading, you have the right to request a correction. We will take reasonable steps to correct the information or, if we refuse to correct it, we will provide you with a written notice explaining why.

11.3 Right to Complain

You have the right to make a complaint if you believe we have mishandled your personal information. Please refer to Section 14 (Complaints) for details.

11.4 Right to Opt Out of Direct Marketing

You have the right to opt out of receiving direct marketing communications from us at any time (see Section 9).

11.5 Right to Anonymity

Where lawful and practicable, you have the option of not identifying yourself, or of using a pseudonym, when dealing with us. However, if you choose not to provide your personal information, we may be unable to provide you with the services you have requested.

11.6 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of the above rights, please contact us using the details in Section 13. We will respond to your request promptly and in accordance with the Privacy Act.

12. Children’s Privacy

Our services are not directed at persons under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us and we will promptly delete that information.

13. Contact Us

For any privacy-related enquiries, access requests, correction requests, or general questions about this policy, please contact us using the following details:

We will acknowledge your request promptly and aim to respond substantively within 30 calendar days. If additional time is required, we will notify you.

14. Complaints

14.1 Internal Complaints

If you have a complaint about how we have handled your personal information, please contact us in the first instance using the contact details in Section 13. Please provide as much detail as possible so we can respond effectively. We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 business days and aim to resolve it within 30 calendar days.

14.2 Escalation to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)

If you are not satisfied with our response, or if we fail to respond within a reasonable time, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

We encourage you to contact us directly before escalating to the OAIC, as we are committed to resolving complaints in a timely and fair manner.

15. Regulatory Compliance

Our pest control operations are conducted in compliance with all applicable Australian and Victorian laws and regulations, including:

• Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles
• Spam Act 2003 (Cth)
• Do Not Call Register Act 2006 (Cth)
• Australian Consumer Law (Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth))
• Pest Management Regulations — Pest Control Products under the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code Act 1994
• Victoria’s Pest Management Licensing requirements under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 (Vic) and associated regulations
• Environment Protection Act 2017 (Vic) — safe handling, storage, and disposal of pest control chemicals
• Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic)

We hold all necessary licences and registrations required to operate as a pest management business in Victoria. Our technicians are trained and certified in accordance with Australian standards.

16. Data Breach Response

We have a Data Breach Response Plan in place. In the event of an eligible data breach under the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme (Part IIIC of the Privacy Act), we will:

• Contain the breach and assess its likely consequences
• Notify the OAIC if the breach is likely to result in serious harm to any affected individuals
• Notify affected individuals as soon as practicable where required by law
• Take remedial action to prevent further breaches

If you believe your personal information held by us has been compromised, please contact us immediately at info@martinpestcontrol.com.au or by calling 0435 073 966.

17. Third-Party Websites and Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, social media platforms, or other online services that we do not own or control. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party websites.

18. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our practices, new legal requirements, or improvements to our services. When we make changes, we will:

• Update the “Effective Date” and “Last Reviewed” date at the top of this document
• Publish the updated policy on our website at https://martinpestcontrol.com.au/privacy-policy/
• Where the changes are material, notify users via email or a prominent notice on our website

Your continued use of our website or services after the publication of an updated Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the changes. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

19. Definitions

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of Victoria, Australia, and the Commonwealth of Australia.

Martin Pest Control Melbourne  |  0435 073 966  |  info@martinpestcontrol.com.au  |  martinpestcontrol.com.au