Privacy Policy

The Hanover Companies* in Australia take their obligations for protecting personal information seriously. We are bound by, and will abide by, the National Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act (Cth) 1988 ("Privacy Act").

What personal information do we collect and hold?

As a group of companies offering a wide range of products and services we collect and hold a range of personal information from and about people (particularly people who wish to purchase our products or use our services). In the process of conducting our businesses, we are likely to collect a broad range of information about our customers, prospective customers, contractors, suppliers, brokers, introducers, agents, service providers and the people who run the businesses we deal with. This information can include such things as contact details, financial information and supporting documentation (including credit history details), identification information, transaction history information, banking details and personal references. In order to satisfy our legal obligations we may need to retain that information even after a transaction has come to an end (subject to our obligations under the National Privacy Principles).

How we collect personal information

Wherever it possible and practical to do so, we collect personal information directly from the person concerned. For example, we will collect personal information when a person deals with us in person or over the telephone, sends us a letter, e-mail or fax, or gives or sends us a completed form (such as an application form). There may be occasions, however, where we need to collect personal information we require for a particular purpose from a third party. This might occur, for example, where it is important for us to obtain personal information from an independent third party.

Why do we collect and hold personal information?

We collect this information in order to undertake and complete the many transactions we have with our customers, suppliers, and other parties with whom we do business, to administer the many products we provide and to maintain the business relationships we have that enable us to carry on our business. Personal information collected may also be used for keeping our customers informed of the many products and services we have, which may include using it for direct marketing.

To what other organisations do we disclose personal information?

The National Privacy Principles allow the Hanover Companies to share personal information provided to any one of them where they are related bodies corporate. Separately, in providing and managing our products and services, we contract with other businesses and may disclose personal information to them in the process. These organisations provide services to the Hanover Companies and may need access to the personal information we hold in order to enable them to perform those services. We require these companies to adhere to our strict confidentiality requirements for handling personal information and also seek to ensure that they adhere to the National Privacy Principles. For more information about our disclosures of personal information, you will need to refer to the Privacy Notices that we provide to applicants for each of our products.

How do you access the personal information we hold about you and make complaints?

If you wish to obtain details of your personal information that we hold, please contact the relevant Hanover Company on the contact details you have been provided with in connection with this Privacy Policy. Privacy complaints will be handled through our normal complaint handling processes in the relevant Hanover Company. Should you wish to complain about a privacy matter please contact the relevant Hanover Company on the contact details you have been provided with in connection with the product or service you have obtained from us. We will attend to your complaint or request as quickly as possible.

Your personal information and e-mails

If you send us an e-mail the Hanover Companies will store and make use of your name, address and other information about you contained in your e-mail and in any attachments. When you submit feedback or questions via e-mail, it is very important that you do not disclose any details that could be used by others to gain access to your account. This includes private details such as your username, password or card number. If you receive an e-mail from us, you should only re-transmit, distribute or commercialise the material or information in the e-mail if you are authorised to do so (under the Privacy Act or otherwise).

Your personal information on the web

We do not collect personal information about you when you visit our web sites unless you apply for credit online or register for access to one of our online Service Centres.

Our sites contain links to other sites. While we try to link only to sites that share our high standards and respect for privacy, we are not responsible for the privacy practices of other web sites to which you provide your personal information.

Web site security

Whenever personal information is sent via our web site we use high security levels to protect it. These security levels are standard for internet banking and large scale e-commerce sites and involve the use of 128-bit encryption. You can check the security level of a web page by clicking on your internet browser's padlock or key icon. Encryption is the standard way of protecting your information as it is transmitted between you and us. This involves converting the information into an unreadable code using a "key" (and also de-coding it using this "key"). The longer the key, the more difficult it is for others to break the encrypted code.

Cookies

A cookie is a tiny element of data that a web site can send to your browser, which may then be stored on your hard drive, so you can be recognised when you return. You may set your browser to notify you when you receive a cookie. Cookies are used on our web sites to monitor the traffic to the site. They are used to count the number of visitors to each page and to track the path each visitor takes to navigate this web site but no personal information about you is collected during this process. If our web site requires you to register or login to gain access to the site, cookies are used to assist in this process. Cookies are used as part of the registration process. They are also used to store the username while the user is logged into the site and to track the number of times the user has tried to log in during a single visit.

Online Service Centres

When you register for access to one of our online Service Centres, the information collected is compared with the details we already have stored, such as your name, date of birth and card number, which we have previously collected from you so we can verify that you are the person seeking access to your personal information. If you do not provide the information requested, you will not be able to access the online Service Centre.

*The Hanover Companies in Australia include all companies which are ultimately owned by Hanover Group Australia Holdings Pty Limited ACN 121 070 077 and which are incorporated or operate in Australia. These companies include Hanover Group Australia Pty Limited ACN 111 214 889, Hanover Management Services Pty Ltd ACN 112 801 448, Hanover Financial Advisory Services Pty Limited ACN 112 802 371, Hanover Property Finance Pty Limited ACN 117 676 767, Hanover Australia Equity Partners Pty Limited ACN 112 308 362 and Hanover Securities Australia Limited ACN 113 554 564,the registered office and a place of business for these companies is Suite 201, Level 2, 225 Miller Street, North Sydney NSW 2060, and Hanover Consumer Finance Pty Ltd ACN 112 319 632 which has its registered office and a place of business at Level 3, 225 Miller Street, North Sydney NSW 2060