1. About this policy
Blanchards Global Pty Ltd (ACN 694 292 772) (“Blanchards”, “we”, “us”) is committed to protecting personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). This policy explains what personal information we collect, how we collect it, how we use and store it, and how you can contact us about it.
2. Scope of policy
This policy applies to all products and services offered by us, including our website and any other interactions you may have with us.
3. What personal information we collect
Depending on the nature of your interaction with us, we may collect the following types of information:
- full name;
- date of birth;
- residential address;
- contact details (including mobile and other phone numbers, where available);
- next-of-kin and beneficiary details; and
- information relevant to identifying entitlement to an estate or unclaimed asset.
4. How we collect it
We may collect personal information in various ways including directly from you when you request our services or communicate with us, or automatically through your use of our website.
Blanchards’ work involves identifying and locating beneficiaries and next of kin, often before we are able to contact the individual directly. Because of this, personal information is frequently collected from sources other than the individual themselves, including publicly available records and open-source research, directory and public listing services (e.g. White Pages and similar), and other genealogical and public record research sources. Where we collect information about you from a source other than you directly, we will notify you of this, including what we collected and why, as soon as practicable after we make contact with you, in line with our obligations under Australian Privacy Principle 5.
5. Why we collect it
We collect personal information where reasonably necessary for our functions or activities or if we are permitted or required by law to do so. This includes for the following purposes:
- to identify and locate beneficiaries, next of kin, or persons entitled to an estate or unclaimed asset;
- to administer estate and inheritance matters on behalf of clients; and
- to communicate with individuals regarding potential entitlements.
6. How we store and secure it
Personal information is stored in Salesforce, a customer relationship management platform used across the Blanchards group, including by our related UK entities. Access to this platform is protected by multi-factor authentication (MFA), and Salesforce maintains independent security certifications (including SOC 2 and ISO 27001) covering data hosting, encryption, and infrastructure security. We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure.
We do not warrant that these security measures will prevent any unauthorised access to or unauthorised alteration, disclosure or destruction of personal information. We disclaim all liability in relation to any unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure or destruction of personal information that is outside our reasonable control.
7. Access and correction
You may request access to, or correction of, personal information we hold about you by contacting us using the details in section 9. We will respond within a reasonable period.
8. Complaints
If you have a concern about how we have handled your personal information, please contact us. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the OAIC at oaic.gov.au.
9. Contact us
– Sarah Blanchard, Sarah@blanchardsinheritance.co.uk, 34 The Oaks, Manston Business Park, Ramsgate, Kent, CT12 5FN
Disclosure, including overseas disclosure
We are likely to disclose personal information to overseas recipients. In particular, personal information collected in Australia is accessible to staff of our related entity in the United Kingdom, Blanchards Holdings Ltd, who administer matters on our behalf. Before disclosing personal information to our UK entity, we take reasonable steps to ensure it is handled in a manner consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles, including through platform-level security controls (see section 5) and contractual obligations placed on our UK entity restricting use of the information to the purpose for which it was collected.
If we are required to disclose personal information to overseas recipients, you expressly agree and consent to the disclosure, transfer, storing or processing of your personal information outside of Australia. If you request us to transfer your personal information to an overseas recipient, the overseas recipient may have laws which are different and potentially not as protective as the laws of your own country.
The Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) requires us to take such steps as are reasonable in the circumstances to ensure that any recipients of your personal information outside of Australia do not breach the privacy principles contained within the Privacy Act. By providing your consent, we will not require the overseas recipients to comply with the Privacy Act and we will not be liable for any mishandling of your information in such circumstances.
10. Changes to this policy
– We may update this policy from time to time. Any changes will be effective immediately. The most current version will be published on our website.
