Privacy Policy

1. About This Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Automotive Experience Pty Ltd (ABN 41 673 922 855) ("Automotive Experience", "we", "us", "our") collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects your personal information when you use the automotiveexperience.com website and related services (the "Service").

This Policy is written in plain English. If anything is unclear, contact us at the address at the end.

This Policy is compliant with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). It also addresses obligations under the EU/UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) for users in those jurisdictions.

2. What We Collect

We collect information you give us, information collected automatically, and information from third parties.

• Account details such as name, email, and phone number.
• Address or general location information.
• Event submissions and any content, descriptions, or photos you upload.
• Communications you send us, including support requests and feedback.
• For business accounts: business name, contact details, and Stripe payment information processed by Stripe. We do not store full card details.
• Device and browser data, including IP address, device type, operating system, browser type, referring URLs, pages viewed, and timestamps.
• Precise GPS location data, where you grant permission, to help surface nearby events.
• Usage data, interaction patterns, and cookie or similar tracking data.
• Social login data from Google, Facebook, or Apple if you choose to sign in using those providers.
• Information from analytics and advertising partners about how you interact with our marketing.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use personal information to operate, improve, secure, and promote the Service.

• Create and manage your account.
• Provide the Service, including helping you discover events relevant to your location and interests.
• Review, publish, and moderate event submissions.
• Process business featured listing payments via Stripe.
• Communicate with you about your account, transactions, and the Service.
• Send marketing communications and newsletters where you have consented or where permitted by law.
• Personalise content and recommendations.
• Analyse usage and improve the Service.
• Detect, prevent, and respond to fraud, abuse, security incidents, and breaches of our Terms.
• Comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests.

4. Legal Bases (GDPR / UK Users)

• Performance of a contract: to provide the Service you have requested.
• Legitimate interests: to operate, secure, improve, and market the Service, where this does not override your rights.
• Consent: for marketing communications, non-essential cookies, and precise GPS location. You can withdraw consent at any time.
• Legal obligation: to comply with applicable laws.

5. Who We Share Information With

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only as described in this Policy.

We use trusted third parties to operate the Service. Each provider only accesses the data they need, and only for the purposes for which we engage them.

• Vercel for hosting and infrastructure.
• Supabase for database and authentication.
• Stripe for payment processing for business featured listings.
• Google for analytics, advertising, and social login.
• Meta for Facebook/Instagram pixel advertising and social login.
• TikTok for advertising pixel services.
• Apple for social login.
• Email service providers for newsletters and transactional emails.
• Other Service users may see public content you submit, such as event listings.
• Legal, safety, and business-transfer disclosures may occur where required by law or necessary to protect rights, users, or the public.

6. International Transfers

Our service providers may store or process personal information outside Australia, including in the United States and other countries. When we transfer data internationally, we take reasonable steps to ensure it is protected to a standard consistent with Australian law and, where applicable, GDPR, including through Standard Contractual Clauses or equivalent safeguards.

7. How Long We Keep Your Information

• Active accounts: we retain data while your account is active.
• Closed accounts: when you request account deletion, we delete or anonymise your personal information within 30 days, except for data we are legally required to keep or need to retain to resolve disputes, enforce our Terms, or prevent fraud.
• Backups: residual data may persist in encrypted backups for a limited period before being overwritten in the ordinary course.

8. Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information, including encryption in transit, access controls, and trusted service providers. No internet service is completely secure. You are responsible for keeping your account credentials confidential. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately.

9. Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights in relation to your personal information. To exercise rights, email admin@automotiveexperience.com. We will respond within the timeframes required by applicable law, generally 30 days.

• Access: request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion: request that we delete your personal information.
• Objection or restriction: object to or restrict certain processing for GDPR/UK users.
• Portability: receive your data in a portable format for GDPR/UK users.
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
• Opt out of marketing via the unsubscribe link in any marketing email or by contacting us.
• Complain to a regulator, including the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner or your local supervisory authority if you are in the EU/UK.

10. California Residents (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, including the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to delete personal information, the right to correct inaccurate information, and the right to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information.

We do not sell personal information in the traditional sense, but the use of advertising cookies such as those by Meta, Google, and TikTok may qualify as "sharing" under the CCPA. You can opt out at any time through our cookie banner or by emailing admin@automotiveexperience.com.

We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights.

11. Children

The Service is intended for users aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a minor, contact us and we will delete it.

12. Cookies & Tracking

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies. For details, see our Cookie Policy.

13. Marketing Communications

With your consent, we may send you newsletters, promotional emails, or other marketing communications about events and features. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any marketing email, or by emailing us. Unsubscribing from marketing does not stop transactional or account-related communications.

14. Automated Decision-Making

We do not make decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects on you using solely automated means. We may use automated tools, such as recommendation algorithms, to surface relevant events; these do not produce binding decisions about you.

15. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The publication date at the top reflects the latest version. Material changes will be communicated via the Service or by email where reasonable.

16. Contact

Automotive Experience Pty Ltd, ABN: 41 673 922 855, 1 Sussex St, Barangaroo NSW 2000, Australia.

Email: admin@automotiveexperience.com