External Privacy Policy

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Policy Purpose

Wells Group, including its related companies, business units, and trading brands (referred to as “Wells”, “we”, “us”, or “our”), complies with the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 when dealing with personal information.

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Personal information is information about an identifiable individual (a living person).

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This policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information. This policy does not limit or exclude any of your rights under the Privacy Act 2020.

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For more information, see the Office of the Privacy Commissioner website www.privacy.org.nz

 

Changes to this Policy

We may update this policy from time to time by publishing a revised version on our website www.westernswitchgear.co.nz

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Changes apply from the date the updated policy is published.

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Who do we collect your information from

We collect personal information from a range of sources depending on the services we provide.

 

In many cases, Wells does not collect personal information directly from individuals. Instead, we receive personal information from third parties (such as our clients, including energy retailers, infrastructure providers, or other organisations) who engage us to carry out services on their behalf.

 

These organisations are typically responsible for collecting your personal information and notifying you how your information will be used and shared, including engagement of service providers such as Wells.

 

We may also collect personal information:

• directly from you when you interact with us

• from third parties where authorised

• from publicly available sources

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Indirect collection of personal information (IPP3A)

Where we receive personal information from third parties, we generally do not collect that information directly from you.

 

In these circumstances:

• the organisation that originally collected your information is responsible for notifying you about how your personal information will be used and disclosed, including sharing it with service providers such as Wells; and

• Wells uses that information only for the purposes of delivering the services requested by that organisation.

 

Due to the nature and scale of our operations, including the high volume of job-related information we receive on a daily basis, it is not reasonably practicable for Wells to notify each individual directly when their personal information is provided to us by a third party.

 

Wells relies on these organisations to ensure that any required notifications under the Privacy Act 2020 have been provided at the time of collection.

 

If you have questions about how your information was originally collected, or the basis on which it was provided to Wells, you should contact the organisation that engaged Wells to perform the relevant services.

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What personal information do we collect

Personal information we collect and use may include:

• your name and contact details

• address or location information relating to services performed

• limited emergency or safety-related information relevant to services

• information relating to services provided to you

• billing and payment information

• information about your use of our websites or digital services

• any other information required to complete services requested by you or an authorised third party

• any other information provided to us by you or an authorised third party

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How we use your personal information

We will use your personal information:

• To verify your identity

• To provide products and services to you

• To carry out services on behalf of our clients in accordance with contractual obligations

• To communicate with you about services, where permitted by law

• To improve the services and products that we provide to you

• To bill you and to collect money that you owe us, including authorising and processing credit card transactions (via 3rd party gateways)

• To conduct surveys, research and statistical analysis

• To protect and/or enforce our legal rights and interests, including defending any claim

• For any other purpose authorised by you either directly or indirectly from an authorised third party or the Privacy Act 2020

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Disclosing your personal information

We may disclose your personal information to:

• other companies or business units within the Wells Group

• contractors or subcontractors performing work on our behalf

• third-party service providers (e.g. IT systems, hosting, payment processing)

• organisations that engaged Wells to perform services

• regulatory authorities where required by law

• any person or entity authorised by you

• any other person or entity permitted under the Privacy Act 2020

 

Some service providers may be located outside New Zealand. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure those providers handle personal information in a manner consistent with New Zealand privacy expectations.

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How we protect your personal information

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from loss, unauthorised access, use, modification, or disclosure.

 

These measures include:

• access controls and authentication

• network and system monitoring

• encryption of data in transit and at rest where appropriate

• use of trusted service providers

• regular review of security practices

 

Our approach aligns with our internal Cyber Security and Defence Policy.

 

How long we hold your personal information

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to:

• fulfil the purposes for which it was collected

• meet our contractual obligations with our clients

• comply with applicable legal and regulatory requirements in New Zealand, including taxation, employment, and energy sector obligations

 

Where we hold personal information on behalf of a client, retention may also be governed by that client’s contractual or regulatory obligations.

 

The specific retention period will vary depending on the type of information and the service being provided.

 

When personal information is no longer required, we take reasonable steps to securely delete or anonymise it, unless we are required to retain it by law.

 

Accessing and correcting your personal information

You have the right to request access to and correction of your personal information, subject to the Privacy Act 2020.

 

To make a request, contact us using the details below. We may require proof of identity.

 

If we do not agree to a correction request, we will take reasonable steps to note your request alongside the information.

 

Where personal information has been provided to us by a third party, we may refer your request to that organisation, or they may continue to provide updated information to us as part of ongoing services.

If you want to exercise either of the above rights, email us at privacy@wells.co.nz. Your email should provide evidence of who you are and set out the details of your request (e.g. the personal information and the correction or removal that you are requesting).

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Website use and external links

While we take reasonable steps to protect personal information transmitted through our website, no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure.

 

If you choose to provide personal information to us online, we will take appropriate steps to protect that information in accordance with this policy.

 

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. Those websites are not controlled by Wells and have their own privacy policies. We recommend that you review those policies before providing personal information.

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Contact Information

If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your personal information, or if you wish to request access to or correction of your personal information, please contact us:

 

Email: privacy@wells.co.nz

 

We may require proof of identity before processing your request.

 

Where your personal information has been provided to us by a third party (such as a client who engaged Wells to perform services), we may refer your request to that organisation.