The privacy of your personal information has always been important to us at Sharp Computing Services. We are committed to respecting your right to privacy and protecting your personal information. We are bound by the National Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth) and any relevant  state legislation, as well as other applicable laws and codes affecting your personal information. Our staff are trained to respect your privacy in accordance with our standards, policies and procedures.

About this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy outlines how we manage your personal information.

It also describes generally the sorts of personal information held and for what purposes, and how that information is collected, held, used and disclosed.

Our Privacy Policy applies to all your dealings with us whether through our call centres or via our websites. However, depending on the Sharp Computing Services organisation with which you deal, further privacy information may apply in addition to the matters discussed in this Privacy Policy (see, for example, "Our Websites" below).

We encourage you to check our websites regularly for any updates to our Privacy Policy.

Collecting your personal information

If you are acquiring or have acquired a product or service from Sharp Computing Services, we will collect and hold your personal information for the purposes of:

• providing you with the relevant product or service (including assessing your application and identifying you)
• managing and administering the product or service
• protecting against fraud where it is a product or service.

Sharp Computing Services may also collect your personal information for the purpose of letting you know about products or services that might better serve your e-commerce and lifestyle needs or promotions or other opportunities in which you may be interested.

The information collected may include your name, residential, postal and e-mail address, date of birth, drivers licence details or other information the organisation considers necessary.

We will, if it is reasonable or practicable to do so, collect your personal information from you. This may happen when you purchase a product or fill out a service application or an administrative form (eg a change of address form), or when you give us personal information over the telephone, or through one of Sharp Computing Services websites.

In certain cases we collect your personal information from third parties. For example, we may need to collect personal information from a credit reporting agency, your representative (such as a legal adviser), your financial adviser, your employer or publicly available sources of information or any of the other organisations identified below under "Using and Disclosing Your Personal Information".

Using and disclosing your personal information

In line with modern business practices and to meet your specific needs, we may disclose your personal information to the organisations described below. Where your personal information is disclosed we will seek to ensure that the information is held, used or disclosed consistently with the National Privacy Principles, any relevant  state legislation and other applicable privacy laws and codes.

The relevant organisations are those

• involved in providing, managing or administering your product or service such as third party suppliers, loyalty and affinity program partners, printers, posting services, call centres, and our advisers
• which are Sharp Computing Services organisations who wish to tell you about their products or services that might better serve your e-commerce and lifestyle needs or promotions or other opportunities, and their related service providers, except where you tell us not to
• involved in maintaining, reviewing and developing our business systems, procedures and infrastructure including testing or upgrading our computer systems
• involved in a corporate re-organisation
• involved in a transfer of all or part of the assets or business of a Sharp Computing Services organisation
• involved in the payments system including financial institutions, merchants and payment organisations
• involved in product planning and development
• which are your representatives including your legal advisers
• as required or authorised by law, for example, to government or regulatory bodies for purposes related to public health or safety, the prevention or detection of unlawful activities or to protect public revenue
• where you have given your consent.

In addition, for Sharp Computing Services organisations offering

• all products or services - other organisations to which personal information is usually disclosed are card producers, card schemes, credit and fraud reporting agencies, debt collection agencies, and your guarantors  

Your personal information may also be used in connection with such purposes.

As we operate throughout the world, some of these uses and disclosures may occur outside Australia, some of these uses and disclosures may occur outside Victoria with your consent.

Marketing our products and services

It is our practice to seek your consent to use or disclose your personal information to let you know about, and develop, products and services from across the Sharp Computing Services that might better serve your e-commerce and lifestyle needs or promotions or other opportunities in which you may be interested. This may be done after an initial marketing contact. We assume we have your consent to use service providers to assist us with this (such as a posting service or an advertising agency), unless you tell us otherwise (see 'Contacting Us' below).

Keeping your personal information accurate and up-to-date

We aim to make sure that the personal information we collect, use or disclose is accurate, complete and up-to-date. We will take reasonable steps to make sure this is the case. This way we can provide you with better service.

If you believe your personal information is not accurate, complete or up to date, please contact us (see 'Contacting Us' below).

Protecting your personal information

We store information in different ways, including in paper and electronic form. The security of your personal information is important to us and we take reasonable steps to protect it from misuse and loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Some of the ways we do this are:

• confidentiality requirements for our employees
• document storage security policies
• security measures for systems access
• providing a discreet environment for confidential discussions
• only allowing access to personal information where the individual seeking access has satisfied our identification requirements
• the security measures described below under 'Our Websites'.

Your privacy on the Internet

Our Websites

We take care to ensure that the personal information you give us on our websites is protected. For example, our websites have electronic security systems in place, including the use of firewalls and data encryption. Depending on the Sharp Computing Services organisation with which you deal, user identifiers, passwords or other access codes may also be used to control access to your personal information. Please refer to the website of the Sharp Computing Services organisation with which you transact electronically for more information on our website specific privacy and security procedures.

Links to Other Sites

You may be able to access external websites by clicking on links we have provided. Those other websites are not subject to our privacy standards, policies and procedures. You will need to contact or review those websites directly to ascertain their privacy standards, policies and procedures.

Gaining access to your personal information

You can gain access to your personal information. This is subject to some exceptions allowed by law. Factors affecting a right to access include:

• access would pose a serious threat to the life or health of any individual
• access would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of others
• a frivolous or vexatious request
• the information relates to a commercially sensitive decision making process
• access would be unlawful
• access would prejudice enforcement activities relating to criminal activities and other breaches of law, public revenue, a security function or negotiations with you
• legal dispute resolution proceedings
• where a third party has given us health information about you in confidence
• denying access is required or authorised by or under law.

We will give you reasons if we deny access.

Contact us to get a form requesting access (see 'Contacting Us' below). In some cases we may be able to deal with your request over the telephone.

Using government identifiers

Although in certain circumstances we are required to collect government identifiers such as your tax file number, Medicare number or pension card number, we do not use or disclose this information other than when required or authorised by law or unless you have voluntarily consented to disclose this information to any third party.

Dealing with us anonymously

You can deal with us anonymously where it is lawful and practicable to do so. For example, if you inquire about our pricing for products and services there is no need to provide your personal details.

Your sensitive information

Without your consent we will not collect information about you that reveals your racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs or affiliations, membership of a professional or trade association, membership of a trade union, details of health, disability, sexual orientation, or criminal record.

This is subject to some exceptions including

• the collection is required by law
• when the information is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of a legal claim

Resolving your privacy issues

If you have any issues you wish to raise with Sharp Computing Services, or would like to discuss any issues about our Privacy Policy, then you are able to do so a number of ways:

• you are always welcome to speak directly to our staff and they will do their best to resolve your issue. If investigation is required we will keep you advised of progress. If staff are unable to resolve the matter, it will be escalated as appropriate to facilitate resolution.
• you can call our Help Line on 1300- 85 7467 (1300-85SHOP) any time between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday EST anywhere in Australia at the cost of a local call.
• you can email your issue to support@sharp.com.au  
• you can fill out a 'Resolving Problems' form outlining your issue that will then be forwarded to our customer resolution team. You ask for one to be sent to you (see 'Contacting Us' below).

Contacting us

We can be contacted by email at privacy@sharp.com.au or call 1300-85 7467 (1300-85SHOP) at the cost of a local call anywhere in Australia.

For more information about privacy in general, you can visit the Federal Privacy Commissioner's website www.privacy.gov.au