Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Pet Waste Management NZ Limited (NZBN 9429052991318), trading as PooPals ("we," "us," or "our"), is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website and services.

We comply with the Privacy Act 2020 (New Zealand) and are committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. By using our Services, you consent to the data practices described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information that you provide directly to us, including:

Personal Information:

• Name and contact details (email, phone number, address, suburb)
• Payment information (processed securely through our payment providers)
• Property details relevant to our services, including your answers to our quote questions (such as how many dogs you have, the size of the area, and how often you would like service)
• Pet information (number, type, and any special requirements)
• Referral details: if you refer a friend, we collect your name and email, and your friend's name, email and (optionally) phone number
• Photos: a photo of your closed gate after each visit

Automatically Collected Information:

• Device information (browser type, operating system)
• IP address and location data
• Website usage data and analytics
• Cookies, advertising and analytics identifiers (for example Google and Meta cookie IDs), and similar tracking technologies

We do not collect sensitive information such as health records, religious beliefs, or political opinions unless specifically required for our services and with your explicit consent.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

Service Delivery:

• Provide and maintain our pet waste removal services
• Process bookings and payments
• Communicate about your service appointments
• Respond to your enquiries and support requests
• Contact people you refer to us, and apply referral rewards

Business Operations:

• Improve and optimise our services
• Send promotional communications (with your consent)
• Conduct analytics and research
• Measure and improve our advertising (see section 8)
• Comply with legal obligations

We will never sell your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

4. Information Sharing

We may share your information with:

Service Providers:

• Payment processors for secure transaction handling
• Cloud hosting providers for data storage, including Netlify, which hosts our website and processes the forms you submit on it
• Communication platforms for service notifications
• Analytics providers to improve our services, including Google Analytics
• Trustindex, which displays Google reviews on our website
• Meta (Facebook and Instagram): we use the Meta Pixel and Meta's Conversions API to measure our advertising. When you submit an enquiry, we may send Meta information about that event, including your email address and phone number in hashed (scrambled) form, so that Meta can measure how our ads perform and show our ads to people who may be interested

Legal Requirements:

• When required by law or legal process
• To protect our rights, privacy, safety, or property
• In connection with a business transfer or merger

All third-party service providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

5. Data Security

We take reasonable steps to keep your personal information safe, including:

• Our website uses secure (HTTPS) connections, so information you send us through it is encrypted while it travels
• We store your information with reputable providers (such as our website host and email provider) who use industry-standard security to protect the data they hold for us
• We limit access to your information to the people who need it to provide our services
• We protect the accounts and devices we use with passwords and other access controls

While we take these steps, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we will notify you of any privacy breach affecting your information as required by law.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to:

• Provide our services to you
• Comply with legal obligations
• Resolve disputes and enforce agreements
• Maintain business records as required by law

When your information is no longer needed, we will securely delete or anonymise it. You may request deletion of your data at any time, subject to legal retention requirements.

7. Your Privacy Rights

Under the Privacy Act 2020, you have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of your personal information
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate information

We will also consider reasonable requests to delete your information, or to limit how we use it, subject to legal retention requirements.

To exercise these rights, please contact us at info@poopals.co.nz. We will respond to your request within 20 working days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can make a complaint to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (privacy.org.nz).

8. Cookies and Tracking

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to:

• Remember your preferences and settings
• Analyse website traffic and usage patterns
• Provide personalised content and advertising
• Improve website functionality and performance

Types of Cookies We Use:

• Essential cookies: Required for basic website functionality
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our site (we use Google Analytics)
• Marketing cookies: Used to deliver relevant advertisements and measure their results (we use the Meta Pixel)

You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences. Disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality. You can also opt out of Google Analytics using Google's opt-out browser add-on, and manage how Meta uses your information for ads in your Facebook or Instagram ad preferences.

9. Children's Privacy

Our Services are not directed to children under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately. We will take steps to remove such information from our systems.

10. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than New Zealand, including countries where our service providers are located. Some of our providers, including Netlify, Google and Meta, store and process information in the United States and other countries.

When we transfer data internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be effective immediately upon posting to our website.

We will notify you of significant changes via:

• Email notification to registered users
• Prominent notice on our website

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, please contact us:

• Email: info@poopals.co.nz
• Phone: 027 7778 775
• Based in Wellington, New Zealand