Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

TradeNet Pty Ltd (ABN to be registered) ("TradeNet", "we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, disclose, and protect your personal information when you use the TradeNet platform ("Platform"), including our website, mobile applications, and all related services.

This Privacy Policy is governed by the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) ("Privacy Act") and the Australian Privacy Principles ("APPs"). By using the Platform, you consent to the collection and use of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when you:

• Create an account: Name, email address, phone number, password, and account type (Builder or Contractor).
• Complete your profile: Business name, ABN, trade licences, insurance details, qualifications, profile photo, business address, service areas, and trade categories.
• Post jobs or submit bids: Job descriptions, project locations, budget estimates, timelines, and bid amounts.
• Communicate through the Platform: Messages, files, and attachments sent through our messaging system.
• Leave reviews: Star ratings, written reviews, and photos of completed work.
• Upload portfolio content: Work photos, project descriptions, and categorisation information.
• Contact us: Any information you provide when contacting our support team.
• Make payments: Payment card details, billing address, and transaction history (processed through our secure payment provider).

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you use the Platform, we automatically collect certain information, including:

• Device information: Device type, operating system, browser type and version, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information.
• Usage data: Pages visited, features used, search queries, click patterns, time spent on pages, and referring URLs.
• Location data: With your consent, we may collect your precise or approximate geographic location from your device's GPS, Wi-Fi, or IP address. This is used to show you relevant jobs and contractors near you.
• Log data: IP address, access times, error logs, and server interaction records.
• Cookies and similar technologies: We use cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience, analyse usage patterns, and deliver personalised content. See Section 8 for more details.

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive personal information from third parties, including:

• Authentication providers: When you sign in using a third-party authentication service, we receive your name, email address, and profile information from that provider.
• Referrals: When another User refers you to the Platform, we may receive your name and contact details from the referring User.
• Public sources: We may collect business information from publicly available sources such as ABN registries, licence databases, and business directories to verify your identity and credentials.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

• Providing the Platform: To create and manage your account, facilitate connections between Builders and Contractors, process jobs and bids, enable messaging, and provide all Platform features.
• Verification: To verify your identity, ABN, trade licences, insurance, and other credentials required for Contractor registration.
• Personalisation: To show you relevant jobs, contractors, and content based on your location, trade preferences, and usage history.
• Communications: To send you notifications about jobs, bids, messages, and other Platform activity. To send you service updates, security alerts, and administrative messages.
• Marketing: With your consent, to send you promotional communications about TradeNet features, offers, and industry news. You can opt out of marketing communications at any time.
• Analytics: To analyse usage patterns, improve the Platform, develop new features, and understand how Users interact with our services.
• Safety and security: To detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, security incidents, and technical issues.
• Legal compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes, and government requests.
• Enforcement: To enforce our Terms of Service, including the Non-Circumvention and No Poaching provisions.

4. How We Share Your Information

4.1 With Other Users

Your profile information, including your name, business name, trade categories, service areas, ratings, reviews, portfolio, and availability status, is visible to other Users of the Platform. When you submit a Bid or post a Job, relevant details are shared with the other party. Messages sent through the Platform are shared with the intended recipients.

4.2 With Service Providers

We share personal information with third-party service providers who assist us in operating the Platform, including hosting providers, payment processors, email delivery services, analytics providers, and customer support tools. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

4.3 For Legal Reasons

We may disclose your personal information where required or permitted by law, including:

• To comply with a legal obligation, court order, or government request.
• To protect the rights, property, or safety of TradeNet, our Users, or the public.
• To investigate or prevent fraud, security breaches, or violations of our Terms of Service.
• In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets.

4.4 With Your Consent

We may share your personal information with third parties where you have given your explicit consent to do so.

5. Data Storage and Security

5.1 Storage

Your personal information is stored on secure servers located in Australia and, where necessary for the operation of the Platform, in other jurisdictions with appropriate data protection standards. We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with our services, comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

5.2 Security Measures

We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include encryption of data in transit and at rest, secure access controls, regular security assessments, and employee training on data protection. However, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

5.3 Data Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm to you, we will notify you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) as required by the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme under the Privacy Act.

6. Your Rights

Under the Australian Privacy Act, you have the following rights:

• Access: You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you. We will respond to your request within 30 days.
• Correction: You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate, incomplete, or out-of-date personal information we hold about you.
• Deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to our legal obligations to retain certain data. You can delete your account through the Platform settings or by contacting us.
• Opt-out of marketing: You can opt out of receiving marketing communications at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in our emails or updating your notification preferences in your account settings.
• Withdraw consent: Where we rely on your consent to process your personal information, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.
• Complaint: If you believe we have breached the APPs, you may lodge a complaint with us. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the OAIC at www.oaic.gov.au.

7. Children's Privacy

The Platform is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 18, we will take steps to delete that information as soon as practicable.

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

8.1 What We Use

We use the following types of cookies and tracking technologies:

• Essential cookies: Required for the Platform to function, including authentication, session management, and security. These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how Users interact with the Platform, which pages are most popular, and how Users navigate between pages. We use this data to improve the Platform.
• Functional cookies: Remember your preferences, such as language settings, location preferences, and display options.
• Marketing cookies: Used to deliver relevant advertisements and track the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns. These are only used with your consent.

8.2 Managing Cookies

You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies. However, blocking essential cookies may affect the functionality of the Platform. For more information about cookies, visit www.allaboutcookies.org.

9. Third-Party Links

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites, services, or applications. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these third parties. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any third-party services you access through the Platform.

10. International Data Transfers

Your personal information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than Australia, where our service providers are located. Where we transfer personal information overseas, we take reasonable steps to ensure that the recipient handles your information in accordance with the APPs and this Privacy Policy. By using the Platform, you consent to the transfer of your information to these countries.

11. 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. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated Privacy Policy on the Platform with a revised "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints about this Privacy Policy or our handling of your personal information, please contact us at:

TradeNet Pty Ltd
Privacy Officer
Email: [email protected]
General: [email protected]
Phone: 1300 TRADE NET
Address: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

If you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Website: www.oaic.gov.au
Phone: 1300 363 992
Email: [email protected]