Privacy Policy for WineBusiness.com.au

Last Updated: 31/1/2026

1. Introduction

Welcome to WineBusiness.com.au (“we,” “us,” “our,” or the “Website”). WineBusiness.com.au is an online classified platform dedicated to the Australian wine industry, connecting buyers and sellers of wine-related businesses, products, equipment, services, employment opportunities, and other industry-related listings.

We are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, store, and protect your personal information when you access or use our Website, in compliance with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

By accessing, browsing, or using WineBusiness.com.au, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

2. Who We Are

WineBusiness.com.au is operated by:

Wine Resources International Pty Ltd
ABN: 82096225768
Address: 3525 Main South Road, Aldinga SA 5173
Email: classifieds@winebusiness.com.au

For privacy-related inquiries, please contact our Privacy Officer at classifieds@winbusiness.com.au

3. Information We Collect

We may collect and process the following types of personal information:

3.1 Information You Provide Directly

• Account Registration Information: Name, email address, phone number, username, password, business name, and location.
• Classified Listing Information: Details included in your advertisements, such as business descriptions, product or equipment details, pricing, images, contact details, and location.
• Employment Listings: Job titles, position descriptions, salary ranges, qualifications, and employer contact details.
• Communication Data: Information you provide when you contact us or other users through the Website, including messages, inquiries, and feedback.
• Payment Information: Billing name, billing address, and payment details (e.g., credit card information) when you purchase premium listings or other paid services. Payment processing is handled by secure third-party payment processors; we do not store complete credit card numbers on our servers.
• Identity Verification Information: Documentation or information provided to verify your identity or business credentials.

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Technical Data: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type, screen resolution, and language preferences.
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time and date of visits, time spent on pages, click-through data, search queries, referring/exit URLs, and browsing patterns.
• Cookies and Tracking Technologies: Information collected through cookies, web beacons, pixel tags, and similar technologies (see Section 9 for more details).
• Location Data: General geographic location based on your IP address.

3.3 Information from Third Parties

• Information from social media platforms if you choose to log in or link your account using a third-party service (e.g., Facebook, Google, or LinkedIn).
• Information from business partners, advertising networks, and analytics providers.
• Publicly available information related to your business or professional profile.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

4.1 Providing and Managing Our Services

• To create and manage your user account.
• To publish and manage your classified listings.
• To facilitate communication between buyers and sellers.
• To process payments and transactions for paid services.
• To provide customer support and respond to inquiries.

4.2 Improving Our Website and Services

• To analyse usage patterns and trends to enhance user experience.
• To conduct research, surveys, and statistical analysis.
• To develop new features, products, and services.
• To test, troubleshoot, and improve the Website’s functionality.

4.3 Communication

• To send account-related notifications (e.g., registration confirmation, listing expiration, password resets).
• To send service updates, newsletters, and promotional communications (with your consent where required).
• To notify you of changes to our terms, policies, or services.

4.4 Safety and Security

• To detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, security risks, and technical issues.
• To verify user identities and authenticate accounts.
• To enforce our Terms and Conditions and other policies.
• To comply with legal obligations and protect our legal rights.

4.5 Advertising and Marketing

• To deliver targeted advertisements and personalised content based on your interests and browsing behaviour.
• To measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.
• To send you marketing communications about products, services, or opportunities that may be of interest to you (you may opt out at any time).

4.6 Legal Compliance

• To comply with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes, or governmental requests.
• To establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

5. Legal Basis for Processing

Under the Australian Privacy Act 1988 and the APPs, we collect and process your personal information where:

• You have given your consent.
• It is necessary for the performance of our services and obligations to you.
• It is required by law or regulation.
• It is in our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.
• It is necessary to protect your vital interests or those of another person.

6. How We Share Your Information

We may share your personal information with the following categories of recipients:

6.1 Other Users

• Information included in your classified listings (e.g., business name, contact details, listing descriptions) will be publicly visible to other users of the Website and may be indexed by search engines.

6.2 Service Providers

We engage trusted third-party service providers to assist in operating the Website, including:

• Website hosting and cloud storage providers.
• Payment processors and financial institutions.
• Email and communication service providers.
• Analytics and data analysis providers.
• Customer support platforms.
• Marketing and advertising partners.

These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes for which it was disclosed.

6.3 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, restructuring, sale of assets, or bankruptcy, your personal information may be transferred to the acquiring entity or successor.

6.4 Legal and Regulatory Authorities

We may disclose your information where required by law, regulation, court order, or government request, or where we believe disclosure is necessary to:

• Comply with legal obligations.
• Protect the rights, property, or safety of WineBusiness.com.au, our users, or the public.
• Investigate or prevent fraud, security breaches, or illegal activities.

6.5 With Your Consent

We may share your personal information with other parties where you have provided your express consent.

7. Overseas Disclosure of Personal Information

Some of our service providers may be located outside of Australia. Where your personal information is transferred overseas, we take reasonable steps to ensure that the recipients comply with the APPs or are subject to a substantially similar privacy regime. Countries where data may be processed include, but are not limited to:

• United States
• United Kingdom
• European Union member states
• Singapore

By using our Website, you consent to the transfer of your information to these jurisdictions where necessary for the operation of our services.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Specifically:

• Account Information: Retained for the duration of your account and for a reasonable period thereafter (typically up to [Insert Period, e.g., 2 years] after account closure) for legal, regulatory, and business purposes.
• Classified Listings: Retained for the duration of the listing period and archived for [Insert Period, e.g., 12 months] after expiration or removal.
• Transaction Records: Retained for [Insert Period, e.g., 7 years] in accordance with Australian taxation and financial record-keeping requirements.
• Communication Records: Retained for [Insert Period, e.g., 2 years] unless a longer period is necessary for dispute resolution or legal proceedings.
• Technical/Usage Data: Retained in aggregated or anonymised form for analytical purposes.

When personal information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to securely destroy or de-identify it.

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

9.1 What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They help us recognise your device, remember your preferences, and improve your browsing experience.

9.2 Types of Cookies We Use

9.3 Third-Party Cookies

We may use third-party services such as:

• Google Analytics – for website traffic and usage analysis.
• Google Ads / Google AdSense – for advertising purposes.
• Facebook Pixel – for advertising and retargeting.
• Other advertising networks – for classified promotion and audience targeting.

9.4 Managing Cookies

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of the Website. For more information on managing cookies, visit:

• www.allaboutcookies.org
• www.youronlinechoices.com.au

10. Your Rights and Choices

Under the Australian Privacy Act 1988 and APPs, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

10.1 Access

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe (generally within 30 days).

10.2 Correction

You have the right to request correction of any inaccurate, incomplete, out-of-date, or misleading personal information. You can update much of your information directly through your account settings.

10.3 Deletion

You may request the deletion of your personal information where it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, subject to our legal obligations to retain certain data.

10.4 Opt-Out of Marketing Communications

You can opt out of receiving marketing emails by:

• Clicking the “unsubscribe” link in any marketing email.
• Updating your communication preferences in your account settings.
• Contacting us directly at [Insert Email Address].

Please note that you may still receive transactional and service-related communications.

10.5 Anonymity and Pseudonymity

Where practicable, you have the option to interact with us without identifying yourself or by using a pseudonym. However, this may limit your ability to use certain features of the Website (e.g., posting classified listings or making purchases).

10.6 Complaint

If you believe we have breached your privacy or the APPs, you may lodge a complaint with us (see Section 14). If you are not satisfied with our response, you may escalate your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au.

11. Security of Your Information

We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement a range of reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect it from unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, loss, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption: Use of SSL/TLS encryption for data transmitted between your browser and our servers.
• Secure Storage: Personal information stored on secure servers with restricted access.
• Access Controls: Role-based access controls limiting access to personal information to authorised personnel only.
• Password Protection: Hashing and salting of user passwords.
• Regular Security Reviews: Periodic security assessments, vulnerability testing, and software updates.
• Payment Security: Payment transactions processed through PCI DSS-compliant third-party payment processors.

While we strive to protect your personal information, no method of electronic storage or transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but will promptly notify affected users and relevant authorities in the event of a data breach, in accordance with the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme under the Privacy Act 1988.

12. Third-Party Links and Services

Our Website may contain links to third-party websites, applications, or services that are not operated by us. These include, but are not limited to:

• External wine industry websites and resources.
• Social media platforms.
• Third-party payment processors.
• Advertiser websites.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or security of these third-party sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party website you visit.

13. Children’s Privacy

WineBusiness.com.au is not directed at individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that a child under 18 has provided us with personal information without parental consent, we will take steps to delete such information promptly. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at [Insert Email Address].

14. How to Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer:

Privacy Officer
[Insert Business/Company Legal Name]
Email: [Insert Email Address]
Phone: [Insert Phone Number]
Address: [Insert Postal Address]

We aim to acknowledge receipt of complaints within 5 business days and provide a substantive response within 30 days.

15. Complaints to the OAIC

If you are not satisfied with our handling of your privacy complaint, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Website: www.oaic.gov.au
Phone: 1300 363 992
Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au
Address: GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will:

• Post the updated Privacy Policy on this page with a revised “Last Updated” date.
• Notify registered users via email or a prominent notice on the Website.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of the Website after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.

17. Definitions

• “Personal Information” means information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable, whether the information or opinion is true or not, and whether recorded in a material form or not, as defined by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
• “Sensitive Information” means personal information about an individual’s racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, criminal record, health information, or biometric data.
• “Website” refers to WineBusiness.com.au, including all its web pages, subdomains, mobile versions, and associated services.
• “User” or “You” refers to any individual or entity who accesses or uses the Website.

18. Governing Law

This Privacy Policy is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the State of [Insert State, e.g., New South Wales / Victoria / South Australia]. You agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of that state.

© [Insert Year] [Insert Business/Company Legal Name]. All rights reserved.