United Financial Services Group

Privacy Policy Statement

“United Financial Services Group respects your Privacy”

United Financial Services Group (“UFSG”)

UFSG prides itself in being a respected leader in the provision of financial services across the country through its network of accreditations with some of Australia’s leading Credit Providers and Insurance Companies

We make available to our customers:

Financial Products

Lending:

• Consumer loans secured and unsecured
• Commercial Loans (Leasing & Hire Purchase) & Mortgage Loans

and

Insurance:

• Motor Comprehensive, GAP, Warranty and Loan Protection

Financial Service and Satisfaction

The key components of our success are service and the satisfaction of our customers. We achieve this through our trained and dedicated staff and introducers and by maintaining a healthy compliance culture within our organisations.

We keep up to date with the nature and impact of changing legislation so that customers can be reassured that their rights, and particularly their right to privacy, are respected in all our business activities.

We strive to comply not only with the letter but also the spirit of all legislation protecting our customers’ interests.

United Financial Services Group members deal with the three classes of personal information subject to Privacy Legislation.

General Information…basic information which will assist us to identify who we are dealing with and to keep in contact.

Information such as your name, address, drivers licence, date of birth, sex, current or previous employer, contact telephone numbers etc.

This may be required in the normal course of business -for example -if you obtain finance or insurance to purchase a car or apply for a job with us.

We generally obtain this information from you at the time the transaction takes place.

Consumer Credit Information…additional personal details which are required to assess creditworthiness where an individual applies for a loan, acts as a guarantor for a loan, applies to obtain a credit facility or other financial purpose.

Details of your finances, past and present, occupation, salary etc. are obtained from you and other sources such as Credit Advantage Limited or previous and current credit providers.

The authority and consent form which you have read and signed (or had explained to you by telephone) will have outlined in detail the organisations or types of organisations from whom we may obtain or to whom we may be required to disclose these details.

Group members are experienced in using this information and are particularly careful to ensure that the collection, use and disclosure of this information is in accordance with all legislative requirements.

Sensitive Information...personal information about your health, religion, race, sexual preference, union or political party membership or criminal record details.

Health information may be collected by group members in the finance/ insurance sector and disclosed to underwriters where personal insurance products have been applied for or if a claim under a policy is made.

Other sensitive information is generally not required for the business purposes of group members and it is our policy to delete sensitive information inadvertently obtained.

However, if a customer requests special consideration in the management of their account for health, religious or other reasons, we will retain the information in such form as will enable us to comply with the request.

The highest security consideration is given to the storage and handling of sensitive information.

UFSG Privacy Policy Statement

UFSG undertakes to handle personal information in accordance with the 10 National Privacy Principles and makes the following statement:

Collection
We will only collect information that is necessary for what we do.
We will be fair in the way we collect information about you.
We will tell you who we are and what we intend to do with information about you.
Where practicable we will collect personal information directly from you.
When we need to collect information about you from someone else we will, wherever possible, make sure you know we have done this.

Use and Disclosure
We will only use or disclose information about you in ways that are consistent with your expectations or are required in the public interest.

Data Quality
We take particular care to ensure that the personal information we collect, use and disclose is accurate, complete and up to date when we collect, use or disclose it.

Data Security
We will keep information about you secure and protect it from misuse, loss or unauthorised handling and will maintain that level of security when the information is destroyed, erased or permanently de-identified.

Openness
We will be open with you about what kinds of personal information we hold and what we do with it.

Access and Correction
Wherever possible we will let you see the information we hold about you and correct it if it is wrong.

Identifiers
We will limit our use of identifiers that government agencies have assigned to you.

Anonymity
Wherever it is lawful and practicable, individuals have the option of not identifying themselves when entering a transaction.

Onward Transfers of personal information.
We will take steps to protect your privacy if we send personal information about you to someone in a foreign country.

Sensitive Information
We will limit the collection of highly sensitive information about you and if it becomes necessary to do so it will be done with your consent or as authorised in accordance with the National Privacy Principles.

Sharing Information

Information sharing within UFSG
Information is only shared between group members in pursuit of the primary or related purposes for which consent has been given, or it can reasonably anticipated would be given, by customers dealing with members of the group.

Information sharing outside UFSG
Unless additional consents are obtained we only obtain from, disclose to or exchange information with organisations outside the group in relation to the primary purpose for which that information is gathered or as required or authorised by law.

Trading in personal Information
Group policy generally prohibits any other trade or exchange in personal information.

Security of Information
Group members protect the security of all information by maintaining:

• physical security - by taking measures to prevent unauthorised entry into premises and providing secure storage facilities for paper based information.
  


• computer network security - by ensuring that systems and networks are protected from unauthorised access.



• communications security - by preventing the interception of communications via data transmission and voice.



• personnel security - by restricting access to paper and IT based information to authorised staff and for approved purposes.

Destruction of Records
Sensitive records will be destroyed by secure means. Paper documents are to be shredded or disposed of by security bins through a licensed security service.

If you require more information or access to your personal information held by our member company or have a complaint please contact the Public Relations Officer for the company concerned.

UFSG Contact Details

The Companies of the United Financial Services Group are wholly owned subsidiaries of