Privacy Policy

1. What personal information we collect

1.1 Information you provide

We collect personal information you provide directly, including:

• Name, email address, phone number, and physical address when you create an account or submit a brief.
• Payment information — processed by Stripe. We do not store full credit card numbers.
• Pool brief details — pool type, size, budget, site characteristics, and project notes.
• Listing information — photos, descriptions, pricing, and location of items for sale.
• Builder profile information — business name, ABN, years in business, licence number, insurance details, portfolio photos.
• Communications — messages sent through the platform's messaging system.
• Account preferences and settings.

1.2 Information collected automatically

When you use the platform, we automatically collect:

• Device information — browser type and version, operating system, device identifiers.
• Usage data — pages visited, features used, time spent, links clicked.
• IP address and approximate location (city/region level).
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 8).

1.3 Information from third parties

We may receive information from third parties including:

• Stripe — payment status and transaction identifiers.
• State licence registers — to verify builder licence status.
• Google Maps API — to geocode postcodes for builder matching.
• Analytics providers — aggregated usage data.

2. Why we collect personal information

We collect and use personal information for the following purposes:

• Providing the platform: operating the Quote Engine and Marketplace, matching homeowners with builders, processing payments, and enabling communications between users.
• Account management: creating and managing your account, authenticating your identity, and sending account-related communications.
• Builder verification: verifying builder licences and insurance to ensure homeowners are connected with legitimate businesses.
• Improving the platform: analysing usage patterns to fix bugs, improve features, and develop new functionality.
• Marketing and communications: sending platform updates, product announcements, and promotional content (with your consent where required by law).
• Legal and compliance: complying with legal obligations, responding to disputes, and enforcing our Terms and Conditions.
• Fraud prevention: detecting and preventing fraudulent, misleading, or harmful activity on the platform.

3. How we share personal information

3.1 With other users

When a Builder pays to unlock a brief, the Homeowner's name, phone number, email address, site address, and brief notes are shared with that Builder. This is a core function of the platform and Homeowners consent to this sharing when submitting a brief.

When a Buyer submits an enquiry about a Marketplace listing, the Buyer's name, email address, phone number, and message are shared with the Seller.

3.2 With service providers

We share personal information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating the platform, subject to appropriate confidentiality obligations:

• Stripe: payment processing. Stripe's privacy policy is at stripe.com/privacy.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS): cloud hosting, file storage (S3), and content delivery (CloudFront).
• Resend: transactional email delivery.
• Algolia: search functionality for Marketplace listings.
• Google: maps, geocoding, and optional analytics.
• PostHog: product analytics.

3.3 Legal disclosures

We may disclose personal information if required to do so by law, court order, or regulatory authority, or where we reasonably believe disclosure is necessary to protect the safety of any person or to prevent fraud or other illegal activity.

3.4 Business transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or part of our business, personal information may be transferred to the relevant third party. We will provide notice before personal information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

3.5 No sale of personal information

We do not sell personal information to third parties for their own marketing purposes.

4. Data storage and security

Personal information is stored on servers located in Australia (AWS ap-southeast-2, Sydney region). Some data may be processed by third-party service providers outside Australia (including the United States). Where we transfer data internationally, we take reasonable steps to ensure it receives equivalent privacy protections.

We implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect personal information from unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These include:

• encrypted transmission (HTTPS/TLS) for all data in transit;
• encryption at rest for sensitive data;
• access controls and authentication requirements;
• regular security reviews.

No security system is impenetrable. In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm, we will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) as required by the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

5. Data retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to provide the platform and comply with our legal obligations. Specific retention periods:

• Account data: retained for the life of your account, plus 7 years after account closure for tax and legal purposes.
• Transaction records: retained for 7 years to comply with Australian taxation law.
• Brief and quote data: retained for 3 years after the brief closes.
• Listing data: retained for 2 years after a listing expires or is removed.
• Usage logs: retained for 90 days.

When data is no longer required, it is securely deleted or anonymised.

6. Your rights and choices

6.1 Access and correction

You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you and to request correction of any inaccuracies. You can access and update most of your information directly through your account settings. For other requests, contact us at admin@poolified.com.

6.2 Deletion

You may request deletion of your account and personal information. We will delete your data where we are not required to retain it by law. Note that some data may be retained in anonymised or aggregated form.

6.3 Marketing communications

You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by clicking "unsubscribe" in any marketing email or by contacting us. You cannot opt out of transactional communications (e.g., brief notifications, payment receipts) while you hold an active account.

6.4 Complaints

If you believe we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles, you may lodge a complaint with us at admin@poolified.com. We will respond within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the OAIC at oaic.gov.au.

7. Children's privacy

The platform is not directed at children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

8. Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

• maintain your session and keep you logged in;
• remember your preferences;
• analyse how users interact with the platform;
• improve the relevance of search results and recommendations.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of the platform. We do not use cookies for cross-site advertising tracking.

9. Third-party links

The platform may contain links to third-party websites (e.g., builder websites, external resources). This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party sites. We recommend reviewing the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify you by email or by displaying a prominent notice on the platform. The updated policy will include a revised effective date. Your continued use of the platform after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact us

For any privacy-related questions, requests, or complaints, please contact:

Privacy Officer — Poolified Pty Ltd, ABN 88 098 860 747

Email: admin@poolified.com