Vision Eye Health Privacy Policy

In today’s technology age, the protection and retention of your private information is essential. The Optical Company (Aust) Pty Ltd, (Trading as Vision Eye Health), including the parent company, its subsidiaries and/or partners (us, we, our) maintain a policy of strict confidence concerning your (you, your) personal information (Privacy Policy).  This Privacy Policy has been developed in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act).  The Privacy Policy applies to the collection, storage, use and disclosure by us of your personal information, whether you use our services online or in store.

In making a purchase from us or receiving our services (whether in-store or online), or accessing the site https://www.visioneyehealthgoldcoast.com.au/  (Site), you accept the terms of this Privacy Policy.  This Privacy Policy applies to information provided to us whether via this Site or any other means and demonstrates how we will comply with the Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act.

1. What personal information do we keep?

The personal information we hold may include:

-Name, address, contact details, date of birth;
-Email address;
-Business/company name;
-Payment details;
-Level of health cover and health fund details;
-Claim details;
-Medicare number;
-Pension/Health Care Card numbers;
–Prescription information;
Medical history;
-Lifestyle and hobbies; and
-Products and services purchased.

When you visit the website, we may record information about your visit for statistical purposes. The information collected on a daily basis may include:

-your server address
-your domain address
-the date and time you visited our website
-the pages you accessed
-the previous sites your visited
-the type of internet browser
-the type of operating platform you used

2. Where and how do we obtain your personal information?

If it is reasonable and practical to do so, we will collect personal information directly from you. This will include contact details and other information relevant to providing products or services to you. This may take place in a number of ways, such as by telephone, directly in person, electronically, online, private health insurers, government agencies (such as Medicare), health service providers, doctors and medical specialists.

This information will be collected with each purchase or alternatively through updates to the personal online account. Where a prescription is not provided either by email, fax or upload, we may be required to contact your prior optometrist as selected and approved by you. Such information may be pertaining, but not limited to customer details such as address and contact information. All consequent records from purchases will be kept on our secure database.

Where we provide our services to children, we may collect personal information from a parent or legal guardian.

We will not collect any sensitive information from you, revealing your race, ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union memberships.    Exceptions to this include where you have given express consent to us to do so and the information is reasonably necessary for us to carry out our functions or activities.  In order to properly provide our products and services to you, we may be required to collect sensitive information about your health, including your medical history, prescriptions and any disabilities that you may have.  We will only collect this information with your express consent.

We will not collect personal information unless the information is reasonably necessary for or directly related to one, or more of our functions or activities.  If we are unable to collect personal information we reasonably require, we may not be able to do business with you or the organisation with which you are connected.       

3. Cookies

When you visit the Site the server may attach a “cookie” to your computer’s memory.  A “cookie” assists us to store information on how visitors to the Site use it and the pages that may be of most interest.  This information may be used to provide users of your computer with information that we think may interest the users of your computer.  However, this information is not linked to any personal information you may provide and cannot be used to identify you. If you would prefer to disable this feature, it can be done in your web browser preferences, however some features on our website may be dismantled by such action. 

By providing any details through the website, be it relating to your person or optical prescription, you grant us full consent to have that information.

4. How do we use your personal information?

We use personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles. The information that we collect from you will be utilised for the primary purpose of ensuring the ongoing provision of products and services. This can be achieved by facilitating business functions such as providing products and services, direct marketing, eye test and product recall or re-order reminders, market research, invoicing and customer service. We may use any postal address, email address or other personal information you provide to us at any time for this purpose.

Your personal information may also be used for reference to third parties such as lens manufacturers, medical specialists, health funds or government organisations. If the information provided to us is not accurate or complete, we may not be able to provide an accurate quote or benefits for the requested products or services. Uses of your personal information is not limited to this list, however, any use of your information will be conducted with the principles of this privacy policy, the applicable law and your confidentiality in mind.

Additionally, any correspondence sent to you will give you the opportunity to “opt out” of receiving further marketing or research correspondence. You agree and acknowledge that even if you opt out of receiving marketing material, we will still send you essential information that we are legally required to send you relating to the services we provide. Once you opt out of receiving marketing material from us, you agree and acknowledge that this removal from our distribution lists may take several business days after the date of you request to be removed.

5. Third Parties and your information

The personal information that we have either in hard copy or on the computer database, can only be accessed by our employees or authorized personnel engaged for maintenance, IT work or other necessary functions. All computers and databases are equipped with password authorizations, held only by our staff or designated personnel for the purpose of carrying out functions as mentioned above.

In accordance with this policy, we may be required to disclose your personal information to:

·         manufacturers and suppliers of optical products

·         health service providers including health insurers, government agencies, private and public hospitals, doctors and medical specialists;

·   our contractors and service providers performing services including (but not limited to) marketing, market research, mail-house services and product development services; or

·         our existing and future strategic partners in respect of co-branded products and services.

We take reasonable steps to ensure that these organisations are bound by privacy obligations in relation to the protection of your personal information.

We may provide certain information about you including your personal information to our related bodies corporate.

In the event of a security incident involving unauthorised access, use or disclosure of personal information where a third party with whom we share personal information is involved, we will seek to work cooperatively with them to protect the personal information we have shared with them.

We will only collect, store, use or disclose personal information as set out in this Privacy Policy unless we are required by law to protect our rights or property (or those of any third party), or to avoid injury to any person.

6. External website links

Although the Site may link directly to websites operated by third parties (Linked Sites), you acknowledge that Linked Sites are not operated by us.  We encourage you to always read the applicable privacy Policy of any Linked Site on entering the Linked Site.  We are not responsible for the content or practices of the Linked Sites nor their privacy policies regarding the collection, storage, use and disclosure of your personal information.

7. How do we keep your personal information secure?

The personal information that we collect of yours is treated with the intention of keeping it secure and confidential. All information, either housed on hard or soft copy is protected by industry recognised software and protocol. All documentation in hard copy is protected by physical security measures. Additionally, firewalls and the latest security software safeguard information stored on computer devices across our network.

These security measures are designed to ensure your personal information is not subject to unauthorised access, loss or misuse.  If you reasonably believe that there has been unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal information please contact us (see below).

If we no longer need your personal information, unless we are required under Australian law or a court or tribunal order to retain it, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify your personal information, in accordance with our document and information retention policy.

Notwithstanding the reasonable steps taken to keep information secure, breaches may occur.  In the event of a security incident we have in place procedures to promptly investigate the incident and determine if there has been a data breach involving personal information, and if so, to assess if it is a breach that would require notification.  If it is, we will notify affected parties in accordance with Privacy Act requirements.

We will use all reasonable endeavours to keep your personal information in a secure environment, however, this security cannot be guaranteed. Therefore we will not be liable for any breach of security or unintended loss or disclosure of information due to the Site being linked to the Internet.

8. Is my personal information accurate? Can it be corrected?

The accuracy of your personal information is important to us. We will take reasonable steps to ensure your personal information is accurate, up-to-date, complete, relevant and not misleading, but we rely on you to advise us of any changes to your contact details and any other personal information. If you believe that any personal information we hold about you is not accurate, up-to-date, complete, relevant and not misleading, please contact us immediately (see below) and we will take all reasonable steps to correct it within a reasonable time.

9. Your consent

By your use of our services and the Site you consent to the collection, storage, use and disclosure of your personal information in accordance with this Privacy Policy and as otherwise permitted under the Privacy Act.

10. Can the privacy policy be amended?

At our discretion, we may need to alter the privacy policy in some manner. To ensure that you are aware of any changes, please revisit this page regularly for any updates. You will be deemed to have consented to such variations by your continued use of the Site following such changes being made. This Policy was last updated August 2019.

11. Access to information we hold about you

If you request access to the personal information we hold about you, we will respond to your request within a reasonable period of time and, where reasonable and practicable, give access to the information in the manner you request.  This will be subject to any exemptions allowed under the Privacy Act. You may request this information by writing to:

Privacy Officer,

The Optical Company

Suite 202, 418A Elizabeth Street,

Surry Hills NSW 2010.

We may charge a reasonable fee for providing that information.

When contacting us you have the option to either not identify yourself or to use a pseudonym.  However, this will not apply if it is impracticable for us to communicate with you that way.  We are required or authorised under Australian law (or a court or tribunal order) to only deal with individuals who have identified themselves.

12. Additional Information

If you have any requests regarding updating, removing or any other question pertaining to the privacy policy and your personal information, please contact our privacy officer by calling (02) 9212 4871.