Privacy Policy

Independence Automotive ("we", "us", "our") respects your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, store and disclose personal information, and how you can contact us about it. We handle personal information in line with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles.

Who we are

Independence Automotive is a family-owned vehicle modification business based at 1/18 Brett Drive, Carrum Downs VIC 3201. We design, supply and install driving controls, seating and transfer solutions, wheelchair lifts and hoists, and wheelchair accessible vehicle conversions.

What personal information we collect

Depending on how you deal with us, we may collect:

• your name, email address, phone number and postal or residential address
• details of your vehicle, such as make, model, year and registration
• information about your mobility needs, physical measurements and the equipment you use, where this is needed to assess, design or fit a modification
• details of your occupational therapist, support coordinator, plan manager or funding body (such as the NDIS, TAC or WorkSafe)
• payment and invoicing details
• anything else you choose to tell us when you contact us or leave feedback

Information about your health or disability is sensitive information. We only collect it with your consent and only where it is reasonably necessary to provide our services.

How we collect it

We collect personal information directly from you when you phone or email us, visit our workshop, complete a contact or feedback form, or become a customer. With your consent, we may also receive information from people acting for you, such as your occupational therapist, support coordinator, family member or funding body.

The contact and feedback forms on this website open your own email program with your message filled in. Your message is sent by email; it is not stored on this website.

How we use it

We use personal information to:

• respond to your enquiry or feedback
• assess your needs and recommend suitable solutions
• quote, supply, install, test and service equipment and vehicle modifications
• prepare reports, quotes and invoices for you or your funding body
• meet our legal, safety, certification and record-keeping obligations
• improve our services

We do not sell your personal information, and we will not send you marketing without your consent. You can opt out of any marketing at any time.

Who we share it with

We only share personal information where it is needed to provide our services or where the law allows or requires it, for example with:

• your occupational therapist, support coordinator or plan manager
• funding bodies such as the NDIS, TAC or WorkSafe, where you are seeking funding
• equipment manufacturers and suppliers, for ordering, warranty and technical support
• engineers, certifiers and government authorities involved in vehicle compliance
• our professional advisers, insurers, and IT and hosting providers

Some equipment manufacturers we work with are based overseas, including in Germany and Italy. If we need to share information with them, we limit it to what is necessary, such as vehicle and product details.

Photos and videos

We sometimes photograph completed vehicles to show our work on this website and on social media. We will not publish photos or videos in which you can be identified without your permission.

This website

This website does not use advertising or analytics cookies and does not track you. Our hosting provider may record standard technical information, such as your IP address and browser type, to keep the site secure and running. Links to other websites and social media platforms are covered by those sites' own privacy policies.

How we store and protect it

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. We keep it only as long as we need it for the purposes above or as required by law, and then securely destroy or de-identify it.

Accessing and correcting your information

You can ask for access to the personal information we hold about you, or ask us to correct it. We will respond within a reasonable time and may need to confirm your identity first. If we refuse a request, we will tell you why.

Complaints

If you have a concern about how we have handled your personal information, please contact us first and we will try to resolve it. If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner atoaic.gov.au.

Contact us

Independence Automotive
1/18 Brett Drive, Carrum Downs VIC 3201
Phone: (03) 9070 6222
Email: admin@independenceautomotive.com.au

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be on this page.