Privacy Policy for Competitive Pest Services

1. Introduction

Competitive Pest Services (“CPS”, “we”, “our”, “us”) is committed to protecting the privacy of clients, visitors, and employees. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, store, disclose, and safeguard personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs)

By interacting with us — via our website, service requests, in-person, by phone, or otherwise — you consent to the practices described in this policy (unless otherwise agreed in writing).

2. What Information We Collect

We collect personal information that is reasonably necessary for us to provide pest control services and to operate our business. Types of information may include:

• Identity & contact data: names, mailing address, email address, phone numbers, business name, property address.

• Service data: property details, pest issues history, service records, inspection notes.

• Payment & billing data: billing address, invoicing details, payment methods (via third-party processors).

• Communications & correspondence: records of calls, emails, support tickets, feedback, complaints.

• Website & device data: IP addresses, browser type, device identifiers, cookies, analytics, usage metrics.

• Third-party information: data from subcontractors, referrals, or property managers (where applicable).

We may also collect sensitive information (if required) — for example, health details in relation to employees or contractors — only with explicit consent and only to the extent permitted by law.

3. How We Collect Information

We collect your personal information through:

• Direct interactions (you provide it when requesting services, filling forms, contacting us).

• Website interactions (forms, cookies, analytics tracking).

• Third parties (e.g. referrals, property managers, contractors).

• During service delivery (inspection observations, site access details).

We will always seek to collect data in a fair and lawful manner, and where feasible, we will notify you at the time of collection (via a “collection notice”) about how and why we are collecting it.

4. Purposes of Use

We use personal information for:

• Delivering, managing, and improving our pest control services.

• Scheduling, dispatch, billing, invoicing, and payment processing.

• Communication, support, follow-up, and customer feedback.

• Internal business operations: recordkeeping, compliance, audits, reporting.

• Marketing and promotional communications (with your consent or where permitted).

• Meeting legal, regulatory, or insurance requirements.

• Detecting and preventing fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.

We will not use your information for purposes incompatible with the original purpose without notifying you first.

5. Disclosure of Personal Information

We may disclose your personal information to third parties such as:

• CPS employees, contractors, subcontractors, and service providers (e.g. IT providers, payment processors, auditors).

• Affiliates or related entities within the CPS group.

• Professional advisors (lawyers, accountants) when necessary.

• Government, regulatory, or law enforcement bodies when required or permitted by law.

• Other parties with your consent.

We will require these entities to handle your data securely and only for the purpose for which it was disclosed. If data is disclosed outside Australia, we will take reasonable steps to ensure it is protected in line with Australian data protection standards.

6. Data Quality, Security & Retention

We take reasonable steps to ensure personal information is accurate, complete, and up to date. We rely on you to let us know of any changes to your details.

We implement a mix of technical and organisational measures to protect data against misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. This may include encryption, access controls, firewalls, secure servers, and staff training.

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected, to comply with legal obligations, or in the interests of resolving disputes.

7. Access, Correction & Deletion

You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information held by CPS. To do so, contact us (see section 9). We will respond within a reasonable time (and always in compliance with APP 12).

If your request is denied (for example, for legal reasons), we will provide reasons.

8. Complaints & Resolution

If you believe we have breached this Privacy Policy or mishandled your personal information:

1. Contact our Privacy Officer (see section 9) and provide full details of your complaint.

2. We will investigate promptly and respond within a reasonable timeframe.

3. If you remain unsatisfied, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When changes occur, we will publish the updated version on our website and, where appropriate, notify you via email or other communication methods.

10. Overseas Data Transfers

If we transfer your personal information to overseas recipients (e.g. cloud servers, third-party providers outside Australia), we will take reasonable steps to ensure the overseas recipient protects your data under standards comparable to the APPs.

11. Use of Cookies & Website Tracking

Our website uses cookies and analytics tools to track usage, improve performance, and assist with marketing. You can control or disable cookies via your browser settings. Any data we collect will only be used as disclosed in this policy.

Appendix: Definitions & Relevant Australian Privacy Principles

• Personal information means information about an identified or identifiable individual.

• Sensitive information includes health, racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, etc.

• APPs are the 13 Australian Privacy Principles regulating the collection, use, storage, disclosure, access, and correction of personal information. OAIC