HALP Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

House And Land Packages Pty Ltd (ABN 92 631 641 408) ("HALP", "we", "us", or "our") operates multiple property and business directory platforms including:

www.halp.com.au
www.boutiquedevelopments.com.au
Associated websites within our network

We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). "Personal Information" has the meaning given in the Privacy Act, being in sum - Information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable, whether true or not, and whether recorded in material form or not.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, disclose, and manage your personal information we collect either from you when you use our websites, services, and platforms or otherwise interact with us, or from third parties.

2. Information We Collect and How we Collect it

2.1 Personal Information

We may collect the following types of personal information — contact information (name, email, phone, mailing address, suburb, state, postcode); property-related information (search preferences, budget and finance capacity, preferred locations and school zones, property type preferences, investment or owner-occupier status); professional information for business listings (business name, ABN/ACN, business address, licenses, professional indemnity insurance, trust account details where applicable, logo and marketing materials, service areas); mortgage and finance information (income, employment status, deposit, current commitments, credit-related information via third parties only); account information (username, encrypted password, preferences, subscription and payment history, saved searches, communication preferences); and inquiry and communication data (contact-form messages, email, phone records, feedback, support interactions).

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our websites we automatically collect technical information (IP address, device identifiers, browser, OS, device type, screen resolution), usage data (pages visited, search queries, properties viewed, click paths, referral sources, date/time of access), and location data (general location by IP address; precise location if you grant permission on mobile; location preferences for property searches).

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from real estate agents, developers and builders you contact through our platform; mortgage brokers and financial service providers in our network; property data providers; credit reporting agencies (with consent); social media platforms (if you connect); marketing and analytics providers; government databases (school zones, demographics); and your employer or organisation in the course of our dealings with them.

2.4 Information You Choose to Provide

We may also collect information when you subscribe to newsletters or alerts, register for an account, complete mortgage calculators, download property guides, submit property listings or business directory entries, participate in surveys or promotions, provide reviews or testimonials, or attend our events or webinars.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information to provide access to our property search and discovery platforms; connect you with property developers, builders and real estate agents; facilitate mortgage broker connections and home loan services; deliver school zone information and property insights; process and display property listings; manage business directory listings and subscriptions; respond to inquiries and provide customer support; send property alerts and mortgage/finance updates; communicate account and subscription information; improve our platforms and analyse usage; and, with your consent, send marketing communications.

We also process information based on legitimate business interests — preventing fraud and maintaining platform security; enforcing our Terms of Service; protecting our legal rights and property; complying with legal obligations; managing and improving our business operations; and conducting business analytics and reporting.

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We may share your personal information with property industry partners (developers, builders, agents, project marketing and sales teams whose listings you inquire about); financial services partners (HALP Home Loans broker network, lenders, aggregators, comparison services); professional service providers (conveyancers, solicitors, building inspectors, valuers, removalists and utility connection services — on request); technology and service providers (Amazon Web Services, Pipedrive, ActiveCampaign, Google Drive, Google Workspace, Stripe, Google Analytics, marketing automation platforms, SMS providers); business operations (related bodies corporate, professional advisors, and any business purchaser or successor); and legal recipients (government agencies, courts and regulators when required by law).

Property Listing Inquiries — when you submit an inquiry about a specific property listing, your inquiry goes directly to the listing agent, developer or builder. HALP does not store or process these property-specific inquiries. The property advertiser becomes the data controller for your inquiry and you should review their privacy policy. We facilitate the connection but do not retain your inquiry data.

General Platform Inquiries — when you use our general inquiry forms (Contact Us, Join Us, Advertise With Us) your information is collected and stored by HALP in our CRM systems (Pipedrive, ActiveCampaign), with supporting documentation in Google Drive. We use this information to respond and may follow up.

Business Directory — if you list your business in our directory, your business information will be publicly displayed on our websites.

Aggregated Data — we may share anonymised, aggregated data that does not identify you personally for industry reporting, market analysis and research.

No Sale of Personal Information — we do not sell your personal information to third parties.

5. Data Security and Storage

We implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures — SSL encryption for data transmission, encrypted storage, secure authentication and access controls, regular security assessments, restricted access on a need-to-know basis, secure AWS data centres, regular backups on AWS, PCI-DSS compliant payment processing through Stripe, and staff training on privacy and data security.

Payment processing is handled by Stripe (PCI-DSS Level 1). HALP does not store complete credit card numbers on our servers — payment data is encrypted and transmitted directly to Stripe. We may store limited payment information for subscription management (last 4 digits, expiry date) and use tokenised payment methods for recurring subscriptions.

Retention — account information: retained while active plus 7 years after closure. Inquiry and communication records: up to 7 years. Transaction records: 7 years for tax and legal compliance. Marketing data: until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent. Website analytics: typically 26 months.

Storage locations — Australia (primary) plus AWS globally, Pipedrive and ActiveCampaign (cloud), Google Drive, Stripe.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use essential, analytics, functional and marketing cookies. You can control cookies through your browser settings, our cookie consent banner, and third-party opt-out tools (e.g. Google Analytics opt-out). Disabling certain cookies may limit website functionality. We may also use web beacons and pixel tags, device fingerprinting, local storage technologies and social media widgets and plugins.

7. Your Privacy Rights

You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you, request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information, and receive a copy of your personal information in a portable format. To request access or correction, contact us at privacy@halp.com.au.

You can opt out of marketing communications, update your preferences in your account settings, and request account deletion by contacting privacy@halp.com.au. Some information may be retained for legal compliance, dispute resolution or fraud prevention.

Complaints — contact our Privacy Officer at privacy@halp.com.au. We will acknowledge within 7 days and respond within 30 days. If unsatisfied, contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au or 1300 363 992.

8. Children's Privacy

Our services are not intended for children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. Parents or guardians who believe we have inadvertently collected their child's information should contact us at privacy@halp.com.au.

9. Third-Party Links and Services

Our websites may contain links to third-party websites, services and platforms. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. Third-party services we use include Amazon Web Services, Google Analytics, Pipedrive, ActiveCampaign, Google Drive, Stripe and social media platforms — each with its own privacy policy.

10. International Data Transfers

Some service providers may be located overseas or store data on international servers. When we transfer information outside Australia we take reasonable steps to ensure appropriate protections. Countries where data may be transferred include the United States (AWS, Stripe, Google, Pipedrive, ActiveCampaign) and European Union countries.

11. Marketing and Direct Marketing

With your consent, we may send property listings and alerts matching your preferences, newsletters and market updates, information about new developments, home loan and finance updates, educational content and buying guides, and promotional offers. You can opt out at any time by clicking "unsubscribe" in any marketing email, updating your account preferences, replying "STOP" to SMS messages, or contacting unsubscribe@halp.com.au. We do not share your information with third parties for their own direct marketing without your explicit consent.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes we will update the "Last Updated" date, notify account holders via email, and display a notice on our websites. Continued use after changes take effect constitutes acceptance.

13. Contact Us

Privacy Officer — Email: privacy@halp.com.au · Phone: 1300 137 406 · Mail: 235 Glen Huntly Road, Elsternwick VIC 3185.

Response times — general inquiries within 5 business days; access requests within 30 days; complaint investigations within 30 days.

14. Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ summarises key points in plain language. The full policy above governs in case of any inconsistency.

Q1. What personal information does HALP collect? Contact details, property search preferences, mortgage and finance information, business listing details (for advertisers), account information, and technical data such as your IP address and browsing activity.

Q2. How does HALP use my information? To deliver our property search, business directory and home loan connection services; respond to inquiries; improve our platforms; and, only with your consent, send marketing communications.

Q3. Does HALP sell my personal information? No.

Q4. Who does HALP share my information with? Property developers, builders and real estate agents whose listings you inquire about; mortgage brokers and lenders; technology service providers (AWS, Pipedrive, ActiveCampaign, Stripe, Google Analytics); professional advisors; and government/regulatory bodies where legally required.

Q5. Is my information stored in Australia? Some information is stored on Australian servers; some service providers are based overseas (primarily the US and EU).

Q6. How long is my information kept? Account and transaction records generally 7 years after closure. Marketing data until you unsubscribe. Analytics typically 26 months.

Q7. How can I access, correct or delete my information? Email privacy@halp.com.au.

Q8. How do I opt out of marketing? Unsubscribe in any marketing email, reply "STOP" to SMS, update account preferences, or email unsubscribe@halp.com.au.

Q9. How do I make a privacy complaint? Contact privacy@halp.com.au — acknowledged within 7 days and responded to within 30 days. Escalation to OAIC at www.oaic.gov.au or 1300 363 992.