Privacy policy

Last updated: October 16, 2025

1. What Information Do We Collect?

When you purchase something from our store, as part of the buying and selling process, we collect the personal information you provide such as your name, address, phone number, and email address.

When you browse our store, we also automatically receive your computer's internet protocol (IP) address and other device and network identifiers in order to provide us with information that helps us operate our store (including security, fraud prevention, analytics, and personalization).

Email marketing (if applicable): With your permission, we may send you emails about our store, new products, and other updates.

2. Australian Privacy Principles Compliance

Whites Forestry Equipment complies with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). We are committed to protecting your personal information and ensuring its privacy, security, and integrity.

Our privacy practices include:

  • Collecting only information necessary for our business functions
  • Ensuring information is accurate, complete, and up-to-date
  • Protecting information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorized access
  • Destroying or de-identifying information when no longer needed
  • Providing access to your information upon request

You have the right to request access to your personal information, and to request corrections if it is inaccurate. If you are not satisfied with our handling of your personal information, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm, we will notify affected individuals and the OAIC as required by law.

How do you get my consent?

When you provide personal information to complete a transaction, verify your credit card, place an order, arrange for delivery, or return a purchase, we imply consent to our collecting and using it for that specific reason only.

If we ask for your personal information for a secondary reason, like marketing, we will either ask you directly for express consent, or provide you with an opportunity to opt out.

How do I withdraw my consent?

You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us at sales@whitesforestry.com or mailing us at:

Whites Forestry Equipment, P.O Box 187, Mirboo North, Victoria, 3871, Australia

4. Disclosure

We may disclose your personal information if required by law, to protect our rights, or if you violate our Terms of Service.

5. Data Retention and Security

We retain personal information only as long as necessary for purposes including:

  • Processing orders and providing customer service
  • Maintaining business records for tax, legal, and accounting purposes
  • Analyzing website usage to improve our services
  • Marketing our products to you (with your consent)

We take reasonable precautions and follow industry best practices to help ensure your information is not lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered, or destroyed.

Credit card information is encrypted using SSL/TLS and industry-standard protections. While no method of electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow PCI-DSS requirements and applicable standards.

6. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to computers outside your jurisdiction where privacy laws differ. By submitting your information, you consent to this transfer.

Where we disclose information to third parties outside Australia, we take reasonable steps to ensure those recipients comply with the APPs or are subject to comparable protections. This includes transfers to Shopify and certain service providers so they can provide services to us (including features that incorporate data from interactions with other merchants and with Shopify).

7. Third-Party Services (Hosted by Shopify)

Our store is hosted by Shopify. Shopify provides the online e-commerce platform that allows us to sell our products and services to you and processes personal information when you visit and make purchases on our store—including to provide enhanced services that may be based on interactions with other merchants and with Shopify.

For details on how Shopify handles personal information, please review the Shopify Consumer Privacy Policy and the Shopify Privacy Portal.

Payment gateways and processors have their own privacy policies, which we recommend you review. Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy.

8. Cookies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience, operate the store, perform analytics, and (where permitted) personalize content or advertising. Examples include:

  • _session_id, _secure_session_id: Session management
  • cart: Stores contents of your cart
  • _tracking_consent: Tracks cookie consent status
  • _landing_page, _orig_referrer, _shopify_uniq, _shopify_visit: Analytics and attribution
  • storefront_digest: Used to confirm password access (if applicable)

Analytics and Tracking

We may use analytics services (e.g., Google Analytics) and Shopify technologies to understand how visitors use our site. For visitors in regions that require consent (e.g., EEA/UK/CH), non-essential cookies and tracking are activated only with your consent via our cookie banner or preferences.

Managing Cookies & Global Privacy Control (GPC)

You can control cookies in your browser settings and via the Cookie Preferences link in our footer or cookie banner (where shown). We also honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals in regions where required. Declining non-essential cookies or signaling GPC will limit the use of your data for non-essential purposes (including advertising) in Shopify Network Intelligence (see Section 15).

9. Age of Consent

By using this site, you represent that you are at least the age of majority in your location, or you have provided consent for your minor dependents to use this site.

10. GDPR (EEA/UK/CH) Rights

If you are an EEA, UK, or Swiss resident, you have rights under the GDPR/UK GDPR, including:

  • Access, correction, deletion, and data portability
  • Object to or restrict processing
  • Withdraw consent at any time (where processing is based on consent)

Where required, we will obtain your consent for ads/personalization based on activity across our store, other merchants, and Shopify, and provide mechanisms to withdraw consent. You can also exercise certain rights directly with Shopify via its privacy portal.

We may also process your IP address to determine your location for functions like currency or content localization. A temporary session cookie may store your selected currency until you close your browser.

11. California & Certain U.S. State Privacy Rights

If you are a resident of California or other U.S. states with similar laws, you may have the right to:

  • Know what personal information is collected, used, or shared
  • Delete personal information (subject to exceptions)
  • Correct inaccuracies
  • Opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information and of processing for targeted advertising
  • Not be discriminated against for exercising your rights

You can submit an opt-out request using our Data Sharing Opt-Out page (where available), or by contacting us using the details below. Where supported, we also honor browser-based Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals.

12. Marketing Communications

With your permission, we may send you marketing emails. We comply with the Spam Act 2003 (Cth). You may unsubscribe at any time by:

  • Clicking the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of marketing emails
  • Emailing us at sales@whitesforestry.com
  • Writing to us at the address below

We will process unsubscribe requests within 10 business days.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time. Updates take effect immediately upon posting. If material changes are made, we will notify you here. If our store is acquired or merged, your information may be transferred to new owners.

14. Contact Information

If you would like to access, correct, amend, or delete any personal information we hold about you, register a complaint, or request further information, please contact our Privacy Compliance Officer:

Whites Forestry Equipment [Re: Privacy Compliance Officer]
P.O Box 187, Mirboo North, Victoria, 3871, Australia
Email: sales@whitesforestry.com

15. Shopify Network Intelligence (“SNI”) & Enhanced Services

What is SNI? When SNI is enabled, Shopify securely uses our customers’ data together with data from other Shopify merchants and from Shopify to generate insights that power advanced features (the “Enhanced Services”) that help protect, grow, and improve our business (for example: security and fraud prevention, store performance improvements, analytics and personalization, and advertising). No other merchant can access your personal information.

How consent and opt-outs work

  • Cookie choices & GPC: If you decline non-essential cookies via our cookie banner or preferences, or if your browser sends a supported Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal in regions where required, Shopify marks your device/activity so it is not used by SNI for non-essential purposes (including advertising).
  • U.S. “Do Not Sell/Share” & targeted advertising opt-out: If you opt out via our Data Sharing Opt-Out page (where available) or another supported method, Shopify marks your activity so it is not used by SNI for advertising.
  • Deletion cascades to SNI: If you request deletion of your data from us, Shopify also deletes your data from SNI. You can also make requests directly via the Shopify Privacy Portal.

International transfers: To provide Enhanced Services, information may be shared with Shopify and certain service providers, which can be located outside Australia.

Links: Shopify Consumer Privacy Policy · Shopify Privacy Portal

16. Your Choices & How to Exercise Rights

  • Cookie Preferences: Manage non-essential cookies using the banner (where shown) or the Cookie Preferences link in our footer.
  • Do Not Sell/Share (US states): Use our Data Sharing Opt-Out page (where available) to opt out of “sale”/“sharing” and targeted advertising.
  • Shopify privacy requests: In addition to contacting us, you can submit requests directly to Shopify via the Shopify Privacy Portal.