Privacy Policy

Green Way Tech Solutions Pvt Ltd, trading as GWC Wiper Blades ("GWC", "we", "our", "us"), respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website gwcwipers.com.au and use our services.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Personal Information You Provide

When you interact with our website, we may collect:

• Account Information: Name, email address, password (encrypted), phone number
• Order Information: Billing and shipping addresses, payment details (processed securely by third parties), order history
• Customer Profile: Saved vehicle preferences, shipping addresses, order preferences
• Review Information: Name, email, order number, ratings, comments, photos (optional), location
• Communication Data: Messages sent via contact forms, customer service inquiries, AI chat assistant interactions
• Marketing Preferences: Email address for newsletter subscriptions, promotional campaign participation

1.2 Automatically Collected Information

We automatically collect certain information when you visit our website:

• Technical Data: IP address, browser type and version, device information, operating system
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, clickstream data, referring website URLs
• Location Data: General geographic location based on IP address (not precise GPS location)
• Cookies and Tracking Technologies: See Section 7 for detailed information

1.3 Third-Party Information

We may receive information from:

• Payment processors (Stripe, PayPal) regarding transaction completion
• Shipping carriers (Australia Post, StarTrack, DHL, TNT) regarding delivery status
• Social media platforms if you choose to authenticate using OAuth (Google, etc.)
• Analytics providers (Google Analytics, TikTok Pixel) regarding website usage patterns

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information for the following purposes:

2.1 Order Processing and Fulfillment

• Process and complete your orders
• Generate shipping labels and arrange deliveries
• Send order confirmations, shipping notifications, and delivery updates via email
• Handle returns, refunds, and customer service inquiries

2.2 Account Management

• Create and maintain your account
• Authenticate your identity and prevent fraud
• Save your preferences, vehicle selections, and shipping addresses
• Provide personalized shopping experiences

2.3 Marketing and Communications

• Send promotional emails and newsletters (with your consent)
• Display targeted marketing campaigns and promotional popups
• Send promotional codes and special offers
• Conduct customer satisfaction surveys

2.4 Website Improvement and Analytics

• Analyze website usage and performance
• Understand customer behavior and preferences
• Improve website functionality and user experience
• Conduct A/B testing and performance optimization
• Generate business intelligence and sales reports

2.5 Security and Legal Compliance

• Detect and prevent fraud, spam, and abuse
• Verify human users using Google reCAPTCHA v3
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms of service
• Protect our rights, property, and safety, and that of our users

3. Third-Party Services and Data Sharing

We share your information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our business. We do not sell your personal information.

3.1 Essential Service Providers

3.2 Analytics and Advertising

3.3 Security Services

4. AI Chat Assistant & Critical Disclaimer

• Your messages and conversation context are transmitted to Google's servers for AI processing
• Google may analyze, process, and store your chat data according to their own privacy policies
• We temporarily retain conversation context for continuity but do not store full transcripts long-term
• Chat data may be used by Google to improve their AI models

Liability Disclaimer:

GWC Wiper Blades is not responsible for how third-party AI providers (including Google) handle, store, process, or use your chat data.Any data breach, misuse, unauthorized access, or exposure of information shared through the AI chat assistant by third-party services is beyond our control, and we cannot be held liable for such incidents. We strongly recommend reviewingGoogle's Privacy Policyand Gemini API Termsbefore using the chat assistant.

5. Data Storage and Retention

5.1 Where We Store Data

• Database: Supabase cloud infrastructure (primary data storage)
• Local Storage: Cart data, user preferences, saved vehicles, form data (stored in your browser)
• Cloud Storage: Review images, product photos (Supabase storage buckets)
• Third-Party Systems: Payment records (Stripe/PayPal), email records (MailerLite/Resend), shipping records (Shippo)

5.2 Data Retention Period

• Account Data: Retained until you request deletion or close your account
• Order Data: Retained for 7 years for tax and legal compliance purposes
• Marketing Data: Retained until you unsubscribe from our mailing list
• Analytics Data: Aggregated and anonymized, retained indefinitely for business intelligence
• Chat Logs: Temporary conversation context (not permanently stored by us, but may be stored by Google)
• Review Data: Retained indefinitely unless you request deletion

5.3 Data Location

Your data may be stored and processed in Australia and overseas locations where our service providers operate (including the United States and Europe). We ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place when transferring data internationally.

6. Your Privacy Rights

Under Australian privacy law (Privacy Act 1988) and general data protection principles, you have the following rights:

6.1 Access and Correction

• Request access to your personal information we hold
• Update or correct inaccurate information via your account settings
• Request a copy of your data in a portable format

6.2 Deletion and Erasure

• Delete your account through account settings
• Request deletion of specific personal information (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Note: Order data must be retained for 7 years for tax compliance

6.3 Marketing Preferences

• Unsubscribe from marketing emails using the link in any promotional email
• Opt out of promotional popups by closing or dismissing them
• Manage your communication preferences in your account settings

6.4 Data Portability

• Request an export of your personal data in a structured, commonly used format
• Transfer your data to another service provider

6.5 Object to Processing

• Object to specific data processing activities (e.g., marketing, profiling)
• Withdraw consent for data processing where consent is the legal basis

To exercise your rights: Contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days of receiving your request.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience and collect usage data.

7.1 Types of Cookies We Use

7.2 Local Storage

We use browser local storage to save:

• Shopping cart contents (persist across sessions)
• Saved vehicle selections
• Checkout form data (for convenience)
• Marketing settings and popup preferences

7.3 Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through:

• Browser Settings: Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies
• Opt-Out Links:Google Analytics Opt-out
• Note: Disabling cookies may affect website functionality

8. Data Security

We implement reasonable security measures to protect your personal information:

• Encryption: HTTPS/SSL encryption for all data transmitted between your browser and our servers
• Password Security: Passwords are hashed and encrypted using industry-standard algorithms
• Payment Security: PCI-DSS compliant payment processing (we do not store credit card details)
• Access Controls: Limited employee and admin access to personal data
• Regular Security Audits: Ongoing monitoring and security updates
• Secure Infrastructure: Data hosted on secure cloud platforms (Supabase)

9. Children's Privacy

Our website is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately so we can delete it.

10. 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. We will notify you of material changes by:

• Posting the updated policy on this page with a new "Last Updated" date
• Sending an email notification for significant changes (if you have an account)
• Displaying a prominent notice on our homepage

Your continued use of our website after changes indicates acceptance of the updated policy.

11. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in countries outside Australia, including:

• United States (Supabase, Google, Stripe, PayPal)
• European Union (various service providers)
• Other countries where our third-party providers operate

These countries may have different data protection laws than Australia. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as standard contractual clauses and service provider commitments to data protection.

12. Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, sale of assets, or bankruptcy, your personal information may be transferred to the successor entity. We will provide notice before your information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

13. Legal Disclosures

We may disclose your information if required by law or in response to:

• Valid legal process (subpoenas, court orders, search warrants)
• Government or law enforcement requests
• Protection of our rights, property, and safety, or that of our users or the public
• Detection and prevention of fraud, security breaches, or technical issues
• Enforcement of our Terms of Service

14. Contact Us & Complaints

If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Complaint Process: If you believe we have breached your privacy rights, please contact us first. We will investigate and respond within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you can lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

• Website: www.oaic.gov.au
• Phone: 1300 363 992
• Email: [email protected]