This policy explains how we handle personal information. We’re bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles. Where we handle credit information, Part IIIA of the Privacy Act and the Privacy (Credit Reporting) Code also apply.

Whose information we hold

People who owe money on accounts referred to us, our clients and their staff, guarantors, authorised representatives such as financial counsellors and lawyers, and people who contact us or apply to work with us.

What we collect

• Identity and contact details — name, date of birth, addresses, phone numbers, email
• Account information — what the debt is for, balances, payments, correspondence and our contact notes
• Financial information — income and expenses you tell us about when we discuss an arrangement or hardship
• Credit information — where the account is one we’re permitted to deal with under Part IIIA
• Sensitive information — such as health details, only where you give it to us in support of a hardship request and only with your consent

How we collect it

Mostly from our client, the creditor, when an account is referred. We also collect information directly from you when you contact us, and from public registers, credit reporting bodies and locate services where the law permits.

Why we use it

• To verify that a debt is accurate and enforceable before we contact anyone
• To contact you about the account and to negotiate payment or an arrangement
• To assess and respond to disputes, hardship requests and complaints
• To locate a debtor where we’re entitled to do so
• To report to our client on their account
• To meet legal, regulatory and record-keeping obligations We don’t use information collected while collecting a debt for marketing.

Who we disclose it to

• The creditor whose account we’re collecting
• Your authorised representative, where you’ve nominated one
• Solicitors, courts and process servers, where legal action is taken
• Credit reporting bodies, only where Part IIIA permits it for that account
• Service providers who host our systems or process payments, bound to protect the information
• Anyone else where the law requires or authorises it

When contacting a third party solely to find your contact details, we don’t disclose that you owe a debt.

Overseas disclosure

We don’t disclose personal information to overseas recipients.

Keeping it secure

Information is held in access-controlled systems, restricted to staff who need it for their work, with encryption in transit, and physical records held securely. Staff are trained on privacy and confidentiality, and access is logged.

How long we keep it

We keep account records for at least seven years after a file closes, then destroy or de-identify them securely. Where a longer period is required by law, we keep it for that period.

Data breaches

If a breach is likely to cause serious harm, we’ll notify the people affected and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

Access, correction and complaints

You can ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you, and ask us to correct anything that’s wrong. Write to our privacy officer at privacy@blacblok.com.au, or by post to Melbourne Law Courts, Parcel Locker 10086 47351, 277 William St, Melbourne VIC 3000. We’ll respond within 30 days.
There’s no fee to ask; we’ll tell you in advance if a reasonable cost applies to providing copies, and we’ll give written reasons if we can’t grant a request.

If you’re unhappy with how we’ve handled your information, complain to us first. If we haven’t resolved it within 30 days, you can go to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner on 1300 363 992.

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Changes

We’ll publish any updated version here with a new date.