Privacy Policy

1. About this policy

1.1. This Privacy Policy describes how The Solution Team Pty Ltd ABN 63 682 316 525 trading as The Automotive Solutions Team ("we", "us", "our", "The Automotive Solutions Team") collects, holds, uses, discloses, and protects personal information through The Automotive Solutions Team platform at theautomotivesolutions.com.au ("the Platform").

1.2. We are committed to handling personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles ("APPs") set out in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), regardless of whether we are currently required to do so by law.

1.3. By using the Platform, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you provide personal information of other individuals to us (for example, your staff or customers), you must ensure that those individuals are aware of this Privacy Policy and that you have obtained any necessary consents.

1.4. We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify registered users of material changes by email or in-platform notification. The current version is always available at theautomotivesolutions.com.au/legal/privacy.

2. Who we are

2.1. The Solution Team Pty Ltd operates The Automotive Solutions Team platform from Queensland, Australia. For privacy enquiries, contact us at:

The Solution Team Pty Ltd
Trading as The Automotive Solutions Team
ABN 63 682 316 525
ACN 682 316 525
State: QLD, Australia
Email: [email protected]

3. What personal information we collect

3.1. We collect the following categories of personal information through the Platform:

Account and identity information

• Full name, email address, phone number, and business role

• Business name, ABN, registered address, and trading address

• Account credentials (passwords are stored in hashed form only, we never store plain-text passwords)

• Staff member details added by a tenant account holder (name, email, phone, role)

• Profile photographs and avatars

Business and licensing information

• Business type (e.g. auto wrecker, collision repairer, mechanical workshop, parts supplier)

• Queensland motor dealer, wrecker, chattel auctioneer, or motor salesperson licence numbers where provided

• GST registration status

• Business hours and service areas

• Business descriptions and service offerings

Transaction and operational records

• Inventory listings (parts descriptions, images, pricing, condition)

• Customer enquiries and communications between Users

• Bookings, job cards, quotes, tenders, and invoices

• Vehicle details including make, model, year, VIN, and registration numbers

• Reviews and ratings

• Purchase and sales records

Technical and usage information

• IP addresses and browser/device information

• Pages visited, features used, and time spent

• Notification preferences and delivery logs (email, SMS, in-app)

• Error logs and performance data

Communications

• Messages sent through the Platform's messaging system

• Support requests and complaint records

• Marketing consent records and preferences

3.2. We do not intentionally collect sensitive information (such as health information, racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, or criminal records). If sensitive information is inadvertently provided to us (for example, in a free-text message or job card note), we will treat it with appropriate care and delete it if it is not necessary for the relevant purpose.

4. How we collect personal information

4.1. We collect personal information:

• directly from you when you create an account, update your profile, submit listings, send messages, create invoices, or otherwise use the Platform;

• from your employer or business principal if they add you as a staff member;

• from other Users who submit information about you (for example, a customer enquiry containing your name, or a review of your business);

• from your device and browser through standard web technologies when you access the Platform; and

• from third parties in limited circumstances, such as ABN verification through the Australian Business Register where you have authorised the check.

4.2. Where we collect personal information about you from a third party, we will take reasonable steps to notify you, either directly or through a reference to this Privacy Policy.

4.3. You can choose not to provide certain personal information, but this may limit your ability to use some Platform features. For example, you cannot create an account without providing a name, email address, and business details.

5. Why we collect and use personal information

5.1. We collect and use personal information for the following primary purposes:

• to create and manage your account;

• to provide the Platform services, including inventory management, bookings, job cards, invoicing, quoting, messaging, reviews, and the business directory;

• to verify your identity and business details;

• to facilitate communication and transactions between Users;

• to send you operational notifications about your account and transactions (for example, booking confirmations, invoice notifications, enquiry alerts, and security notices);

• to enforce our Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy;

• to respond to your support requests and complaints;

• to maintain the security and integrity of the Platform;

• to comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes; and

• to improve and develop the Platform.

5.2. We may also use personal information for the following secondary purposes where you would reasonably expect it:

• to generate de-identified, aggregated analytics and reporting (for example, total bookings per region, average response times, no individual is identifiable);

• to detect and prevent fraud, misuse, or security incidents;

• to maintain audit logs of significant actions (for example, account creation, staff changes, listing modifications);

• to preserve records required by tax, corporate, or regulatory law; and

• to protect our legal rights and interests, including responding to legal processes and enforcing our Terms.

5.3. We will not use your personal information for direct marketing without your express consent. See Section 10 for details on marketing.

6. Who we share personal information with

6.1. We may share personal information with:

Other Users: When you use the Platform, certain information is shared with other Users as part of the service:

• Your business name, location, services, and public profile information are visible to other Users and the public through the business directory and marketplace.

• Enquiry messages are delivered to the business you contact, including your name and contact details to the extent you provide them.

• Booking and transaction details are shared between the parties to the transaction.

• Reviews are displayed publicly alongside your name (or first name) as provided.

• PII disclosure rules: customer first name only until a booking is confirmed; full details on confirmation only.

Service providers: We use third-party service providers to operate the Platform, including:

• cloud hosting and infrastructure (data stored in Australia where reasonably practicable);

• email delivery services;

• SMS delivery services; and

• error monitoring and logging services.

These providers are contractually required to handle personal information in accordance with our instructions and applicable privacy laws. They are not permitted to use your personal information for their own purposes.

Legal and regulatory bodies: We may disclose personal information where required or authorised by law, regulation, court order, or tribunal order, including to the Australian Taxation Office, the OAIC, the ACCC, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading, or law enforcement agencies.

Professional advisers: We may share information with our lawyers, accountants, auditors, or insurers for the purpose of obtaining professional advice.

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

6.3. If we share your information with a recipient outside Australia, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that the overseas recipient handles your information in accordance with the APPs or a substantially similar privacy framework. At this time, our primary service providers process data in Australia. If this changes, we will update this section to identify the relevant countries.

6A. Information we handle for businesses

6A.1. Businesses that use our platform collect information about their own customers, such as names, contact details, vehicle details and job history. For that information, the business decides what is collected and how it is used, and is responsible for telling its customers and meeting its own privacy obligations. We store and process that information on the business's behalf so the software can work. We do not sell it and do not use it for our own marketing. If you are a customer of a business that uses our platform, please contact that business first about your information. We will help the business respond where needed.

7. Data security

7.1. We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Our security measures include:

• encryption of data in transit (TLS/HTTPS);

• encryption of data at rest in our database;

• hashed storage of passwords (we never store plain-text passwords);

• role-based access controls and tenant isolation (each business can only access its own data);

• audit logging of sensitive actions;

• regular security updates and vulnerability management;

• access controls for our staff (least-privilege principle); and

• backup and recovery processes.

7.2. No method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure. We take reasonable precautions, but we do not promise absolute security of your personal information.

7.3. If we become aware of a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm to individuals, we will assess the situation promptly and, if required, notify the Australian Information Commissioner and affected individuals in accordance with the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme under Part IIIC of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) as soon as practicable.

8. Data retention and deletion

8.1. We retain personal information only for as long as it is needed for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy or as required by law.

8.2. General retention periods:

• Active account data: retained while your account is active and for 30 days after closure to allow for data export.

• Transaction records (invoices, job cards, quotes, bookings): retained for a minimum of 5 years from the date of the transaction for tax and business record-keeping purposes, in accordance with ATO requirements.

• Audit logs: retained for 7 years for compliance and dispute-resolution purposes.

• Marketing consent records: retained for the duration of the consent and for 7 years after withdrawal, as evidence of consent status.

• Operational logs (delivery logs, error logs): retained for 12 months, then de-identified or deleted.

• Backup copies: retained for the period necessary for disaster recovery (typically 90 days), then overwritten.

8.3. When personal information is no longer needed and no legal retention obligation applies, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify it.

8.4. You may request deletion of your account and associated personal information at any time by contacting us. We will comply with your request except to the extent that we are required by law to retain certain records (for example, tax records). We will inform you of any records we are required to retain and the reason for retention.

9. Your rights: access and correction

9.1. You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you. To make an access request, contact us at [email protected].

9.2. We will respond to your request within 30 days. In most cases, there is no charge for access. If your request requires significant effort to fulfil (for example, retrieval from archived backups), we may charge a reasonable fee, which we will advise you of in advance.

9.3. We may refuse access in limited circumstances permitted by law (for example, where providing access would unreasonably impact the privacy of another individual, or where the information relates to existing or anticipated legal proceedings). If we refuse access, we will provide written reasons.

9.4. You have the right to request correction of personal information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant, or misleading. You can correct most account information directly through the Platform settings. For other corrections, contact us.

9.5. If we correct information that we have previously disclosed to a third party, we will take reasonable steps to notify that third party of the correction if you request it.

10. Direct marketing

10.1. We will only send you marketing communications (for example, promotional emails, newsletters, or feature announcements) if you have given us your express consent to do so.

10.2. Marketing consent is separate from account creation. You do not need to consent to marketing to use the Platform.

10.3. Every marketing communication will include:

• clear identification of The Automotive Solutions Team as the sender;

• our current contact details; and

• a simple, free unsubscribe mechanism that remains functional for at least 30 days after sending.

10.4. If you unsubscribe from marketing, we will honour your request within 5 business days. Unsubscribing from marketing does not affect operational notifications necessary for the Platform service (for example, booking confirmations and security alerts).

10.5. We do not send marketing messages to purchased or harvested lists.

11. Cookies and analytics

11.1. The Platform uses essential cookies and local storage to maintain your session, remember your preferences, and ensure the Platform functions correctly. These are necessary for the service and do not require separate consent.

11.2. We use Google Analytics 4 (provided by Google LLC) on the public pages of the Platform, and only if you accept analytics cookies through the cookie banner or the Cookie Preferences page. Analytics is never loaded on signed-in areas (such as dashboards, messages, invoices, and customer records), IP addresses are anonymised, and we do not use advertising cookies. If we introduce any other analytics or tracking technology in the future, we will:

• update this Privacy Policy before activation;

• provide you with clear information about what data is collected and how it is used;

• obtain your consent where required by law or good practice;

• provide you with the ability to opt out or manage your preferences; and

• exclude analytics tracking from authenticated pages containing sensitive business data (such as messages, invoices, and customer records) unless specifically reviewed and approved.

11.3. See our Cookie Preferences page for current details and preference controls.

12. Children

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

13. Complaints

13.1. If you believe we have breached the APPs or handled your personal information inappropriately, you may lodge a complaint with us at [email protected].

13.2. We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 business days and investigate it. We aim to resolve complaints within 30 days. If we need more time, we will let you know and explain why.

13.3. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

• Website: www.oaic.gov.au

• Phone: 1300 363 992

• Post: GPO Box 5288, Sydney NSW 2001

14. Contact us

14.1. For any privacy-related enquiry, access or correction request, complaint, or request to delete your account, contact us at:

The Solution Team Pty Ltd
Trading as The Automotive Solutions Team
ABN 63 682 316 525
ACN 682 316 525
State: QLD, Australia
Email: [email protected]