Breakthrough Marketing Pty Ltd, trading as Hire Assets (“Hire Assets”, “we”, “us”, “our”), respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, hold, disclose and protect personal information when you use our website, platform, marketplace, applications, communications and related services (together, the “Platform”).
Hire Assets is an online marketplace that connects people who want to hire equipment with people and businesses who list equipment for hire.
1. What this policy covers
This policy applies to personal information we collect from:
- visitors to our website
- people who create an account
- hirers
- owners and vendors
- people who contact us or make enquiries
- people who interact with our marketing, customer support, or communications
2. The kinds of personal information we collect
Depending on how you use the Platform, we may collect and hold personal information such as:
- your name
- email address
- phone number
- billing address and other contact details
- account login details
- identity verification information
- business details if you list on behalf of a business
- payment and payout information, including information processed through third-party payment providers
- listing information, equipment details, pricing, availability, location and images
- booking, hire, transaction and payout records
- communications between users and with our support team
- reviews, ratings, dispute information and claims information
- technical data such as IP address, browser type, device information, cookies, usage data and analytics data
- marketing preferences
- any other information you provide to us directly or through your use of the Platform
We generally do not seek to collect sensitive information unless it is reasonably necessary for our functions or required by law.
3. How we collect personal information
We may collect personal information:
- directly from you when you register, list equipment, make a booking, complete forms, contact us, subscribe to updates, or otherwise use the Platform
- from your interactions with the Platform, including website activity, cookies, analytics and device data
- from third-party service providers who help us operate the Platform
- from identity, payment, fraud prevention, verification, hosting, analytics, advertising, customer support, CRM and security providers
- from other users where relevant to a booking, enquiry, review, dispute or support request
4. Why we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information
We collect, hold, use and disclose personal information for purposes including to:
- provide and operate the Platform
- create and manage user accounts
- publish listings and enable bookings
- process payments, payouts, deposits, refunds and related transactions
- verify users, reduce fraud and support trust and safety
- facilitate communication between hirers and owners
- provide customer support
- investigate complaints, disputes, incidents and claims
- improve the Platform, website functionality and user experience
- personalise content, search results, recommendations and communications
- conduct analytics, reporting and service optimisation
- send service messages, transactional notifications and administrative communications
- send marketing communications where permitted by law
- enforce our terms, policies and marketplace rules
- comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests
- protect our rights, users, staff, systems and business
If you do not provide certain personal information, we may not be able to provide all or part of the Platform or our services to you.
5. AI and automated tools
We may use software tools, machine learning systems, artificial intelligence-assisted tools, and automated processes to help us operate and improve the Platform and user experience.
These tools may be used for purposes such as:
- improving search, discovery and recommendations
- assisting with customer support workflows
- identifying spam, fraud, suspicious activity or abuse
- improving content quality, moderation and marketplace operations
- generating summaries, prompts, suggestions or other service enhancements
Where we use these tools, we do so to support our business operations and improve the quality, relevance, efficiency and safety of the Platform. We do not promise that any AI-assisted output will always be complete, accurate or suitable for your specific needs, and users should exercise their own judgment.
We may also use de-identified, aggregated or operational data to improve platform performance, service quality and user experience.
6. Direct marketing
We may send you marketing or promotional communications about our services, listings, offers, platform updates or related content where permitted by law.
You can opt out of marketing communications at any time by:
- using the unsubscribe link in an email
- adjusting your account preferences, where available
- contacting us using the details below
We may still send important non-marketing service and transactional communications.
7. Who we may disclose personal information to
We may disclose personal information to:
- other users where necessary to facilitate bookings, listings, enquiries, pickups, returns, reviews or disputes
- payment processors and financial service providers
- identity verification and fraud prevention providers
- cloud hosting, storage, analytics, CRM, customer support and communications providers
- marketing, advertising and website optimisation providers
- professional advisers, insurers, auditors and legal advisers
- law enforcement, regulators, government bodies or courts where required or authorised by law
- a purchaser, investor or successor in connection with a business sale, restructure, merger or asset transfer
- related companies, contractors and service providers who help us operate the Platform
We only disclose personal information where reasonably necessary for our business functions, service delivery, legal compliance, or the protection of our users and business.
8. Offshore disclosure and overseas storage
Some personal information we collect may be stored, processed or disclosed outside Australia.
In particular:
- we use CRM and communications tooling, and data stored through those systems may be processed or stored in outside Australia.
- our website, infrastructure, hosting environment, cloud services, backups, analytics and related systems may be hosted or processed outside Australia
- listing data, account data, user communications and operational data may therefore be stored or processed in offshore environments
By using the Platform, you acknowledge that your personal information may be disclosed to, stored in, or processed in jurisdictions outside Australia, including the United States.
We take reasonable steps to ensure that overseas recipients and service providers handling personal information on our behalf are subject to appropriate contractual, technical and organisational safeguards. Under the Australian Privacy Principles, before disclosing personal information overseas, an APP entity must take reasonable steps to ensure the overseas recipient does not breach the APPs, and the disclosing entity may remain accountable for certain overseas acts or practices.
9. Security of personal information
We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
These steps may include:
- access controls and role-based permissions
- password protection and authentication controls
- secure hosting and managed infrastructure
- encryption or secure transmission where appropriate
- provider due diligence and contractual controls
- monitoring, logging and security processes
- restricted access to personal information on a need-to-know basis
However, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure. While we take reasonable steps to protect personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Under APP 11, organisations must take reasonable steps to protect personal information and, where appropriate, destroy or de-identify information that is no longer needed.
10. Cookies, analytics and similar technologies
We may use cookies, pixels, tags, session tools, analytics tools and similar technologies to:
- operate the website
- remember preferences
- measure performance
- understand usage patterns
- improve content and user experience
- support advertising and remarketing where used
You can adjust your browser settings to manage cookies, but doing so may affect website functionality.
11. Third-party services and links
The Platform may contain links to third-party websites, services or tools. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties. You should review their privacy policies before providing personal information to them.
This may include third-party payment providers, authentication providers, analytics tools, CRM systems, hosting providers, mapping tools, verification services and communication platforms.
12. Access and correction
You may request access to the personal information we hold about you, and you may request that we correct personal information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading.
We may need to verify your identity before responding. In some circumstances permitted by law, we may refuse access or correction requests, but if we do, we will explain why where required.
The APPs require privacy policies to explain access and correction rights and provide contact details for those requests.
13. Data retention
We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary to:
- provide the Platform and our services
- maintain business and transaction records
- comply with legal, tax, accounting, insurance, fraud prevention, dispute and enforcement obligations
- resolve complaints, claims and disputes
- protect our legitimate business interests
When personal information is no longer reasonably required, we may delete, destroy or de-identify it, subject to legal and operational requirements.
14. Children
The Platform is not intended for children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18 without appropriate authority. If you believe a child has provided personal information to us without proper authorisation, please contact us.
15. Complaints
If you have a complaint about how we handle your personal information, please contact us using the details below.
Please provide enough detail for us to investigate. We will review your complaint and respond within a reasonable time.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may be able to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).
16. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will publish the updated version on our website and update the “Last updated” date. Your continued use of the Platform after an update may constitute acceptance of the updated policy to the extent permitted by law.
17. Contact us
For privacy enquiries, access requests, correction requests or complaints, contact:
Hire Assets
Email: support@hireassets.com.au
General contact: support@hireassets.com.au
Website: www.hireassets.com.au