Privacy Policy

INFORMATION ON THE COLLECTION OF PERSONAL DATA AND CONTACT DETAILS OF THE CONTROLLER

1.1

We are delighted that you are visiting our website and thank you for your interest. Below, we inform you about the handling of personal data when using our website. Personal data includes all data with which you can be personally identified.

1.2

The controller responsible for data processing on this website is The Pet Department. The controller for personal data is the natural or legal person who, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of processing personal data.

The Pet Department
Sydney, Australia
Email: Support@the-pet-department.com

1.3

This website uses SSL or TLS encryption for security reasons and to protect the transmission of personal data and other confidential content (such as orders or inquiries to the responsible person). You can recognise an encrypted connection by the string "https://" and the lock symbol in your browser bar.

2. DATA COLLECTION WHEN VISITING OUR WEBSITE

When you use our website for informational purposes only, without registering or providing information in any other way, we only collect the data that your browser sends to our server (server log files).

When you visit our website, we may collect the following data, which is technical and necessary to display the website to you:

  • The website visited

  • Date and time of access

  • Amount of data sent in bytes

  • Source/reference from which you accessed the page

  • Browser used

  • Operating system used

  • IP address used (possibly anonymised)

Processing is carried out based on our legitimate interest in improving the stability, security and functionality of our website.

The data is not passed on or used in any other way except where necessary for the operation of our website or where required or permitted by applicable law. We reserve the right to check server log files retrospectively if there are concrete indications of illegal or unauthorised use.

3. COOKIES

To make your visit to our website attractive and to enable the use of certain functions, we use various types of cookies on different pages.

These are small text files that are stored on your device. Some of the cookies we use are deleted after the end of the browser session, i.e. when you close your browser (session cookies). Other cookies remain on your device and allow us or our partner companies to recognise your browser on your next visit (persistent cookies).

These persistent cookies are automatically deleted after a specified period, which may vary depending on the type of cookie.

Some cookies are used to store settings and simplify the ordering process (e.g. remembering the contents of a virtual shopping cart for a later visit to the website).

Where cookies process personal data, this is done where necessary to fulfil a contract, provide the functionality of our website, protect our legitimate business interests, or where you have provided consent where required.

We may collaborate with advertising partners to make our website more interesting and relevant for you. When you visit our website, cookies from partner companies may also be stored on your device (third-party cookies).

If we collaborate with advertising partners, information about the use of such cookies and the scope of the information collected may be provided through our website or cookie settings.

Please note that you can set your browser to inform you about the setting of cookies and individually decide whether to accept them, or you can disable the acceptance of cookies for specific cases or in general.

The way in which cookie settings are managed varies by browser and is described in the help menu of each browser.

Please note that if you do not accept cookies, the functionality of our website may be limited.

4. CONTACT US

When you contact us (e.g. via the contact form or email), we collect personal data.

The specific data collected via a contact form can be found in the respective form. This data is used primarily to respond to your request and for associated technical and administrative purposes.

If your contact is related to concluding or fulfilling a contract, your information may also be processed for this purpose.

Your data will be retained for as long as reasonably necessary to process your request and to comply with applicable legal, accounting or business requirements.

For questions regarding your personal data, you can contact us at:

Support@the-pet-department.com

5. DATA PROCESSING WHEN OPENING A CUSTOMER ACCOUNT AND FOR CONTRACT EXECUTION

Personal data is collected and processed when you provide it to us for the execution of a contract, processing of an order or to open a customer account.

The specific data collected is determined based on the information you provide via the relevant input forms.

You may request to have your customer account deleted at any time by sending a message to:

Support@the-pet-department.com

We store and use the data you provide for processing orders and fulfilling our contractual obligations.

Once the contract has been fully executed or your customer account has been deleted, certain information may continue to be retained where required for tax, accounting, fraud prevention, dispute resolution or other applicable legal purposes.

Once applicable retention periods have expired and the information is no longer required, the data will be deleted or securely de-identified where appropriate.

6. USE OF YOUR DATA FOR DIRECT ADVERTISING

6.1 Registration for our email newsletter

When you subscribe to our email newsletter, we may regularly send you information about our offers, products, promotions and news.

The primary information required for sending the newsletter is your email address. Any additional data may be voluntarily provided and used to address you personally.

By subscribing to our newsletter, you consent to receiving marketing communications from The Pet Department.

When you subscribe, we may store information relating to your subscription, including your email address, IP address and the date and time of registration, where available.

The data collected during your subscription to the newsletter is used for marketing and communication purposes.

You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time via the unsubscribe link included in the newsletter or by sending a message to:

Support@the-pet-department.com

Once you unsubscribe, we will stop using your email address for newsletter marketing unless further use is required or permitted by applicable law.

6.2 Sending email communications to existing customers

If you have provided us with your email address when purchasing goods or services, we may use your email address to send you information relating to our products, services or similar offers where permitted by applicable law.

You have the right to opt out of marketing communications at any time.

You can do this using the unsubscribe link included in our emails or by contacting:

Support@the-pet-department.com

Upon receipt of your request, we will stop using your email address for direct marketing purposes.

7. DATA PROCESSING FOR ORDER PROCESSING

7.1

The personal data we collect is processed as part of order fulfilment and may be shared with the transport company, fulfilment partner or supplier responsible for delivery, as far as necessary for the delivery of the goods.

Your payment details may be transmitted to the respective payment provider or financial institution for payment processing where necessary.

Information is shared only to the extent reasonably necessary for processing your order, payment and delivery.

7.2 Use of payment service providers

When you select a payment method during checkout, the information required to process your payment may be transmitted to the relevant payment service provider.

The payment providers available to you will be displayed during checkout.

Payment providers process your information in accordance with their own terms and privacy policies.

The Pet Department only shares information with payment providers to the extent reasonably necessary for payment processing, fraud prevention and related services.

8. CONTACT FOR REVIEW REMINDER

If you have consented during or after your order, or where otherwise permitted, we may use your email address for a one-time reminder asking you to review your order or purchased products through the review system we use.

You can withdraw your consent or opt out of review reminders at any time by sending a message to:

Support@the-pet-department.com

9. USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA: SOCIAL PLUGINS

9.1 Facebook

Our website may contain links, buttons or other integrations relating to Facebook.

These features may be provided by Meta Platforms and may allow you to visit or interact with our Facebook presence.

When you click a Facebook link or button, you may be redirected to Facebook, where the platform may collect or process information in accordance with its own privacy policy and account settings.

The Pet Department does not control the processing of personal information performed independently by Facebook.

9.2 Instagram

Our website may contain links, buttons or other integrations relating to Instagram.

Instagram is operated by Meta Platforms.

When you click an Instagram link or button, you may be redirected to Instagram, where information may be processed in accordance with Instagram's own privacy practices and your account settings.

The Pet Department does not control the processing of personal information performed independently by Instagram.

10. ONLINE MARKETING

10.1 Google Advertising

This website may use online marketing and advertising services provided by Google.

Google may use cookies and similar technologies to display relevant advertisements, improve campaign performance reporting and measure interactions with advertisements.

These technologies may allow us and Google to understand whether a user has interacted with an advertisement and subsequently visited or made a purchase through our website.

Depending on your browser settings and consent preferences, Google may collect information relating to your device, browser, website activity and interactions with advertisements.

You can manage advertising and cookie preferences through your browser and applicable Google privacy and advertising settings.

Disabling cookies may limit certain functionality of our website.

10.2 Google Ads Conversion Tracking

This website may use Google Ads conversion tracking.

We may use Google Ads to draw attention to our products and offers on external websites and to understand how successful our advertising campaigns are.

A conversion tracking cookie or similar technology may be used when a user interacts with a Google advertisement.

The information obtained through conversion tracking may be used to create statistics about advertising performance.

We do not receive information from Google through these reports that directly identifies individual users.

You can prevent or limit advertising tracking through your browser settings and applicable Google advertising preferences.

11. WEB ANALYSIS SERVICES – GOOGLE ANALYTICS

This website may use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google.

Google Analytics uses cookies and similar technologies that allow us to analyse the use of our website.

Information generated through these technologies may include information about:

  • Pages visited

  • Time spent on the website

  • Device and browser information

  • Approximate geographic information

  • IP address

  • Website interactions

  • Traffic source

Google may process this information on our behalf to evaluate the use of our website, compile reports on website activity and provide other services related to website and internet usage.

Where available and appropriate, IP addresses may be anonymised or otherwise processed using privacy-protective measures.

You can prevent or limit the storage of cookies through your browser settings. However, please note that doing so may prevent you from using all functions of this website to their full extent.

12. RETARGETING / REMARKETING / REFERRAL ADVERTISING

Facebook / Meta Pixel

This website may use advertising technology provided by Meta, including the Meta Pixel.

With the appropriate consent where required, user behaviour may be tracked after viewing or clicking on an advertisement.

This method may be used to evaluate the effectiveness of advertisements for statistical and market research purposes and to optimise future advertising campaigns.

The data collected through Meta's technology may be processed by Meta and may be connected to a user's Meta account in accordance with Meta's own privacy practices.

Cookies and similar technologies may be used for these purposes.

You can manage the use of cookies through your browser settings and, where available, through the privacy or advertising settings provided by Meta.

Google Ads Remarketing

Our website may use Google Ads Remarketing.

This allows us to advertise The Pet Department and our products through Google services and participating third-party websites.

For this purpose, Google may place cookies or use similar technologies on your device to help display advertisements based on previous visits or interactions with our website.

If you are signed into a Google account, Google may process information in accordance with your Google account settings and Google's own privacy practices.

You can manage advertising personalisation and cookie settings through your browser and Google account settings.

13. YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS

13.1 Access and correction

Depending on applicable privacy laws, you may have certain rights in relation to the personal information we hold about you.

These may include the right to:

  • Request access to personal information we hold about you

  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information

  • Ask questions about how your personal information is collected and used

  • Withdraw consent where processing is based on your consent

  • Opt out of direct marketing communications

  • Make a complaint regarding the handling of your personal information

To exercise a privacy-related request, please contact:

Support@the-pet-department.com

We may need to verify your identity before processing certain requests.

13.2 RIGHT TO OBJECT TO DIRECT MARKETING

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OPT OUT OF THE USE OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION FOR DIRECT MARKETING PURPOSES.

YOU CAN EXERCISE THIS RIGHT AT ANY TIME BY USING THE UNSUBSCRIBE OPTION PROVIDED IN OUR MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS OR BY CONTACTING US AT:

SUPPORT@THE-PET-DEPARTMENT.COM

IF YOU OPT OUT, WE WILL CEASE USING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION FOR DIRECT MARKETING PURPOSES, EXCEPT WHERE OTHERWISE PERMITTED OR REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

14. DURATION OF STORAGE OF PERSONAL DATA

The duration of storage of personal data is determined based on the purpose for which the information was collected and any applicable legal, accounting, tax or business retention requirements.

After the relevant retention period expires, personal information will generally be deleted, destroyed or de-identified where it is no longer reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected and where we are not required or permitted to retain it.

15. CONTACT

If you have any questions about this Data Protection Policy, your personal information or the way we handle your data, please contact us:

The Pet Department
Sydney, Australia
Email: Support@the-pet-department.com