Privacy Policy

1. About this policy

Valen Power Pty Ltd (ABN 27 134 028 961) (Valen Power, we, us) is bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). This policy explains how we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information, and how you can access it, correct it or make a complaint.

It applies to customers, prospective customers, suppliers, contractors, credit applicants, guarantors, directors, website visitors and anyone else who deals with us. It does not apply to employee records handled under the employee records exemption in the Privacy Act.

We may update this policy from time to time. The current version is always available on our website.

2. Dealing with us anonymously

Where it is lawful and practical, you can deal with us without identifying yourself or by using a pseudonym, for example when making a general product enquiry. We will usually need your name and contact details to quote, supply goods or services, or extend credit.

3. Personal Information we Collect

The kinds of personal information we collect depend on how you deal with us. They may include:

Identity and contact details: name, job title, employer, email address, phone number, postal and delivery addresses.
Business details: information about your organisation, role, project sites and purchasing needs.
Transaction details: orders, quotes, invoices, payment history and delivery records.
Payment details: card or bank account details used to process payments. Card payments are handled by our payment providers.
Credit information: for credit applicants, guarantors and directors, as described under Credit information.
Communications: emails, messages, call and meeting notes, and recordings or transcripts where you have been told the call or meeting is recorded.
Website and online data: IP address, device and browser type, pages viewed, referring site, and interactions with our emails and website.
Professional profile information: publicly available details such as your role and employer, for example from LinkedIn or your company website.
Site and technical information: details about sites where our systems are installed, including site contact names and system performance data.

We only collect sensitive information (such as health information) where it is reasonably necessary and you have consented, or where the law requires or allows it. For example, we may need to know about an access or safety requirement when attending a site.

4. How we collect personal information

We collect personal information directly from you wherever practical: when you contact us, request a quote, place an order, apply for credit, attend a meeting or event, visit our website, or subscribe to our updates.

We also collect personal information from third parties where it is reasonable to do so, including:

your employer or colleagues, for example when they name you as a contact for an order or site
distributors, installers, partners and referrers
publicly available sources, such as LinkedIn, company websites and industry directories
business data providers that supply company and professional contact information
credit reporting bodies, trade referees and financial institutions
event and trade show organisers, where you have agreed to share your details.

If we collect your information from a third party, we will take reasonable steps to let you know, for example when we first contact you.

5. Why we collect, use and disclose it

We collect, use and disclose personal information to:

quote for, supply, install, commission and support our products and services
design and size systems for your sites
process payments and manage accounts
assess applications for commercial credit and manage credit accounts
respond to enquiries, warranty claims and complaints
manage our relationships with customers, suppliers and partners
tell you about products, services, events and updates that may interest you
improve our products, services, website and customer experience
protect the security of our systems and prevent fraud
meet our legal, regulatory, insurance and safety obligations.

We may disclose personal information to:

our related entities, including our New Zealand business
contractors, installers and service providers who help us deliver our products and services
IT, cloud, software, CRM, communications and data providers
logistics and freight providers
payment processors and financial institutions
credit reporting bodies and debt collection agencies
professional advisers, such as lawyers, accountants and auditors
insurers
a prospective buyer of, or investor in, all or part of our business, under confidentiality obligations
government agencies and regulators, where required or authorised by law.

We do not sell or rent personal information.

6. Credit Information

When you apply for a commercial credit account, or act as a guarantor or director of an applicant, we may collect and exchange credit-related information. This section is our credit reporting policy

You can ask a credit reporting body not to use your information to pre-screen you for direct marketing by credit providers.
If you believe you are, or are likely to be, a victim of fraud, you can ask a credit reporting body not to use or disclose your credit information.
You can request access to, or correction of, credit information we hold, and complain about how we handled it, using the process under Access and correction and Complaints.

What we collect: identity details, credit applications, details of credit provided, repayment history, defaults, court judgments, insolvency records, and credit scores or assessments from credit reporting bodies.

How we use it: to assess the credit application, assess a guarantor, manage the account, and collect overdue amounts.

Who we exchange it with: with your consent, we may obtain information from and give information to credit reporting bodies, trade referees and financial institutions. We may also tell a credit reporting body if you fail to meet your payment obligations or commit a serious credit infringement.

Credit reporting body we use: CreditorWatch (Creditor Watch Pty Limited), GPO Box 276, Sydney NSW 2001. Phone 1300 50 13 12, email [email protected], website creditorwatch.com.au. CreditorWatch’s privacy policy, available on its website, explains how it manages credit information.

Your rights:
We do not disclose credit information to recipients overseas.

7. Automated decisions and AI tools

Automated decisions: we do not use computer programs to make decisions that could significantly affect your rights or interests, such as whether to extend credit, without a person reviewing the decision. If this changes, we will update this policy to describe the kinds of decisions made and the personal information used.

AI and productivity tools: we use software tools, including artificial intelligence tools, to help our team work efficiently. These may be used to:

transcribe and summarise calls and meetings
draft emails, quotes and documents for our staff to review
research organisations and business contacts using publicly available information
keep our customer records accurate and up to date.

Our staff review the outputs of these tools before acting on them.

8. Use of our website and cookies

Cookies and analytics: our website uses cookies and similar technologies to make the site work and to understand how visitors use it, including Google Analytics. These tools collect your IP address and device information, which we treat as personal information. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings, though some parts of the site may not work properly.

Third-party websites: our website links to other sites, including our careers page hosted by a third party. Those sites have their own privacy policies and we are not responsible for them.

Call and meeting recordings: we may record and transcribe calls and online meetings for quality, training and record keeping. We will tell you at the start if a call or meeting is being recorded. You can ask us not to record

9. Direct marketing and opting out

We may use your contact details to send you information about our products, services, events and news. We comply with the Spam Act 2003 (Cth). You can opt out at any time by:

clicking the unsubscribe link in any marketing email, or
contacting our Privacy Officer.

We will action opt-out requests within five business days.

10. Disclosure overseas

We are likely to disclose personal information to recipients in the United States and New Zealand. These are mainly service providers that host or process data for us (such as cloud, CRM, business software and communications providers) and our New Zealand business. Some cloud providers may also store data in other countries as part of their global networks.

Before disclosing personal information overseas, we take reasonable steps to make sure the recipient handles it in line with the APPs, usually through contract terms. We remain accountable under the Privacy Act for how those recipients handle your information, unless an exception applies.

11. Storage, security and retention

Storage and security: we hold personal information electronically in secure systems, including cloud-based business software, and in limited paper records at our premises. We protect it with access controls, multi-factor authentication, encryption where appropriate, staff training and physical security.

Retention: we keep personal information only for as long as we need it for the purposes in this policy, or as required by law (for example, tax and financial records are generally kept for seven years). After that, we securely destroy or de-identify it.

Data breaches: if we experience a data breach likely to result in serious harm, we will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

11. Access and Correction

You can ask for access to the personal information we hold about you, or ask us to correct it. We will need to verify your identity and will respond within 30 days. We do not charge for making a request, but may charge a reasonable fee to cover the cost of providing access. If we refuse a request, we will tell you why in writing and how to complain.

12. Complaints

If you think we have breached the APPs or mishandled your personal information, contact our Privacy Officer in writing. We will acknowledge your complaint within five business days and aim to resolve it within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the OAIC at www.oaic.gov.au or on 1300 363 992.

13. New Zealand

Our New Zealand business handles the personal information of New Zealand customers in line with the Privacy Act 2020 (NZ). New Zealand customers can use the Privacy Officer contact details in this policy. If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner at www.privacy.org.nz.