Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to all users of our Website, related mobile sites, and software applications, collectively referred to as “our Platforms,” which are used to access and purchase our products and services. The purpose of this Privacy Policy is to explain how, why, and when Bidtiq (Pty) Ltd t/a RC Suppliers (“we,” “us,” or “our”) uses your Personal Information to comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPI”).

It is important that you read this Privacy Policy together with our other terms and conditions, privacy notices, or policies we may provide from time to time when we collect or use your Personal Information.

Please pay special attention to the clauses in this Privacy Policy that are emphasized in bold text, as they:

• May limit the risk or liability of Bidtiq (Pty) Ltd t/a RC Suppliers or a third party.
• May create risk or liability for the user.
• May compel the user to indemnify Bidtiq (Pty) Ltd t/a RC Suppliers or a third party.
• Serve as an acknowledgment by the user of a fact.

We respect your privacy and take the protection of Personal Information very seriously. To deliver excellent service, we need to use some of your Personal Information. This Privacy Policy describes how we handle the Personal Information we collect about you and/or receive from you. By using our Platforms, you agree to the processing of your Personal Information as set out in this Privacy Policy.

Definitions

In this Privacy Policy, the terms:

• “Personal Information” and “process/processing” bear the same meanings as set out in POPI.
• “We,” “us,” or “our” refers to Bidtiq (Pty) Ltd t/a RC Suppliers.
• “You” and “your” refers to every person that accesses or uses our Platforms, also referred to as a user.
• “Registered user(s)” refers to anyone registered on our Platforms who has provided us with a unique email address and other Personal Information to order goods and services.

If You Are Below the Age of 18

If you are below the age of 18 years, you must obtain permission from your parent or guardian before using our Platforms or providing us with your Personal Information. We may verify this permission by contacting your parent or guardian. If we cannot verify such permission, or if a parent or guardian confirms that you do not have their permission, you may not use our Platforms.

What Personal Information We Collect and Process

Bidtiq (Pty) Ltd t/a RC Suppliers processes Personal Information reasonably, adequately, relevantly, non-excessively, and purpose-specifically. We collect and process Personal Information when you:

• Access and use our Platforms.
• Register to use our Platforms.

This may include:

• Name and surname.
• Email address.
• Physical address.
• Gender.
• Mobile phone number.
• Online identifiers.

You warrant that the information you provide is accurate, current, true, and correct and that it does not impersonate or misrepresent any person or entity or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with anyone or anything.

Information from Using Our Platforms

When you access our Platforms, whether or not you are a registered user, Bidtiq (Pty) Ltd t/a RC Suppliers processes some of your Personal Information. This may include:

• Log information, including how, when, and for how long you use our Platforms, content viewed, and search queries submitted.
• Information about the equipment used to access our Platforms, such as device type, browser, operating system, and IP address.
• Geographic location data from your device’s GPS, nearby Wi-Fi networks, and cell towers.
• Other information from third parties, such as social media platforms.

Why We Process Your Personal Information

We process Personal Information to:

• Identify and verify your identity.
• Fulfill our contractual obligations when you order goods.
• Provide you with requested information, products, or services.
• Communicate with you about our Platforms, including billing, customer support, resolving complaints, and quality control.
• Notify you of changes to our Platforms, services, products, terms, and conditions.
• Send you information about competitions, newsletters, products, or services that may interest you.
• Gather feedback to develop our products and services.
• Comply with legal or regulatory obligations.
• Conduct research for statistical purposes (without identifying you).

Marketing Communications

By using our Platforms and agreeing to our terms and conditions, you consent to receive marketing communications from Bidtiq (Pty) Ltd t/a RC Suppliers via email and WhatsApp. These communications may include information about promotions, new products, services, and other updates that may be of interest to you.

Opting Out:

• You may opt out of receiving marketing communications at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions provided in the communication or by contacting us directly.
• Please note that even if you opt out of marketing communications, we may still send you important service-related communications, such as updates regarding your orders or changes to our terms and conditions.

Retention and Restriction of Records

We retain your Personal Information for as long as:

• It is necessary to provide our Platforms, products, or services to you.
• It is required or allowed by law.
• It is necessary to uphold the contract between you and us.
• You have agreed to us keeping your Personal Information, subject to your request to stop processing it.

By accessing and using the Platform, you consent to us retaining records of your Personal Information for no longer than necessary to achieve the purpose for which the information was initially collected or subsequently processed.

User Tracking and Cookies

When you access and use our Platforms, we may use cookies and other technological tools to improve your experience. Cookies are small text files placed on your device, allowing us to associate you with a particular device. Many websites use cookies, and we use them to:

• Make our Platforms more user-friendly.
• Personalize your interactions with our Platforms.
• Provide relevant advertising based on your online activities.

By accessing and using the Platform, you consent to our use of cookies.

Who Else Gets to Process Your Personal Information

We do not sell your Personal Information to third parties. We may share your Personal Information with:

• Our employees and third-party service providers to interact with you via our Platforms.
• Law enforcement, government officials, fraud detection agencies, or other third parties if required by law or necessary to protect our rights.
• Third parties in the event of a reorganization, merger, or sale.
• Service providers who assist us with business operations, under contract, which requires them to keep your information confidential.

Sending Your Personal Information Outside South Africa

We may transfer Personal Information outside South Africa for purposes such as data storage and back-up. By accessing and using our Platforms, you consent to such transfers in accordance with POPI.

Securing Your Personal Information

We secure the integrity and confidentiality of your Personal Information by implementing appropriate technical and organizational measures. These measures include:

• Physical, technical, and network security.
• Access controls and monitoring.
• Secure storage, destruction, and encryption of records.
• Breach reporting and remediation.
• Security and confidentiality obligations on third parties who process Personal Information on our behalf.

Should you disclose your Personal Information to any third party other than Bidtiq (Pty) Ltd t/a RC Suppliers, we are not liable for any loss or damage arising from such disclosure.

Know Your Rights

You have the right to:

• View, correct, and/or amend your Personal Information.
• Request a record or description of your Personal Information (a fee may apply).
• Request the correction, destruction, or deletion of your Personal Information.
• Be informed if we change your Personal Information and this affects decisions about you.
• Be notified of unauthorized access to your Personal Information.
• Submit a complaint to the Information Regulator.

For further details, refer to our PAIA Manual.

How to Lodge a Complaint with the Information Regulator

If you have any complaints about this Privacy Policy or our compliance with it, you can lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator. Contact details are available on their website at: https://justice.gov.za/inforeg/.

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This version of the Privacy Policy replaces any previous versions. By using our Platforms, you agree to the terms outlined in the current version.

This Privacy Policy applies to all users of our Website, related mobi-sites and software applications, collectively referred to as “our Platforms”, which are used to access and purchase our products and services.

The purpose of this Privacy Policy is to set out how, why and when Bidtiq (Pty) Ltd t/a RC Suppliers  uses your Personal Information so as to comply with the  Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPI”).

It is important that you read this Privacy Policy together with our other terms and conditions, privacy notices or policies we may provide from time to time when we collect or use your Personal Information.

Further, please pay special attention to the clauses in this Privacy Policy that appear in similar text and style (i.e. bold) which:

·         may limit the risk or liability of Bidtiq (Pty) Ltd t/a RC Suppliers or a third party.

·         may create risk or liability for the user.

·         may compel the user to indemnify Bidtiq (Pty) Ltd t/a RC Suppliers or a third party.

·         serves as an acknowledgement, by the user, of a fact.

We respect your privacy and take the protection of Personal Information very seriously. We strive to deliver excellent service every time you shop with us, and to do this, we need to use some of your Personal Information. This Privacy Policy describes how we handle the Personal Information we collect about you and/or receive from you. By using our Platforms, you agree to the processing of your Personal Information as set out in this Privacy Policy.

In this Privacy Policy, the terms  –

·         “Personal Information”, and “process/processing” bear the same meanings as set out in POPI.

·          “we”, “us” or “our” refers to Bidtiq (Pty) Ltd t/a RC Suppliers.

·         “you” and “your” refers to every person that accesses or uses our Platforms also referred to as a user.

·         “registered user(s)” refers to anyone registered on our Platforms and has provided us with a unique email address as well as other Personal Information in order to order goods and services on our Platforms.

IF YOU ARE BELOW THE AGE OF 18

If you are below the age of 18 years, you must always get permission from your parent or guardian before you use our Platforms or give us your Personal Information. We may check that your parent or guardian has given you such permission, for example by asking you to provide us with your parent’s or guardian’s contact details so we can contact them. We may also check that the contact details you have given us are correct and are the details of a person who is actually your parent or guardian. If we are not able to verify such permission or if a parent or guardian confirms that you do not have their permission, you may not use our Platforms.

WHAT PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT AND PROCESS

Bidtiq (Pty) Ltd t/a RC Suppliers processes Personal Information in a manner that is reasonable, adequate, relevant, non-excessive and purpose-specific. In order for users to access and use our Platforms we collect and process some Personal Information. When you become a user, we have to collect and process your Personal Information to render our services to you.

When you register to use our Platforms, we may collect the following Personal Information:

·         name and surname.

·         email address.

·         physical address.

·         gender.

·         mobile phone number.

·         online identifiers.

You warrant that the information you have provided is accurate, current, true and correct and that does not impersonate or misrepresent any person or entity or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with anyone or anything.

Information from using our Platforms

When you access our Platforms, whether or not you are a registered user, Bidtiq (Pty) Ltd t/a RC Suppliers processes some of your Personal Information. Depending on how you access and use our Platforms, we may receive:

·         log information, through online identifiers, including information on how, when and for how long you use our Platforms and other services, the content you view and search queries you submit.

·         information about the equipment you use to access or use our Platforms, including the type of device you are using, how you access our Platforms, your browser or operating system and your Internet Protocol address.

·         the geographic location from which you accessed our Platforms, including your device’s global positioning system signal and information about nearby wifi networks and cell towers. We get this information when you use location-enabled services.

·         other information about you from third parties, such as social media.

WHY DO WE PROCESS YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?

We process the Personal Information we collect and receive to:

·         identify you;

·         verify your identity;

As a user, we also process your Personal Information in order to:

·         fulfill our contractual obligations to you when you have ordered goods in order for us to deliver those goods and process returns.

·         provide you with information, products or services you request from us.

·         communicate with you regarding our Platforms and provide you with information, products or services, including billing, customer support, resolving complaints and quality control.

·         notify you about changes to our Platforms, services and products, terms and conditions, privacy policy or notices, and any other changes that impact our Platforms, services and products.

·         send you information about competitions, newsletters, products or services that may interest you.

·         get feedback from you which we need to develop our products and services and grow our business.

·         comply with any legal or regulatory obligations such as tax or financial laws.

·         undertake research for statistical purposes. The research and statistics we get from this process do not include your Personal Information and cannot be linked to you, nor can you be identified from these statistics.

RETENTION AND RESTRICTION OF RECORDS

We keep your Personal Information for as long as:

·         we need it to provide our Platforms, products or services to you.

·         it is required or allowed by law and is in line with our internal retention policies.

·         it is necessary to uphold the contract between you and us.

·         you have agreed to us keeping your Personal Information subject to your request for us to stop processing your Personal Information.

We will retain your Personal Information for as long as is necessary to achieve the purpose for which this information was collected or subsequently processed. If your Personal Information is used for more than one purpose, we will retain it until the purpose with the latest period expires but we will stop using it for the purpose with a shorter period once that period expires.

By accessing and using the Platform, you consent to us retaining records of your Personal Information for no longer than may be necessary to achieve the purpose for which the information was initially collected or subsequently processed.

USER TRACKING AND COOKIES

When you access and use our Platforms we may use various technological tools to improve your experience on our websites through the use of cookies and/or user tracking.

Cookies are small text files placed on the device that you use to access our Platforms. These files do not contain your Personal Information but allow us to associate you with a particular device. Many websites use cookies and we use cookies to:

·         make our Platforms more user friendly.

·         personalise your interactions with our Platforms, tailor our services and Platforms to your interests and needs, and ensure they work on your device.

·         provide advertising that is relevant to you, limit the number of times you see the same advertisement and measure the effectiveness of the advertisements on our Platforms  and other websites, based on your online activities such as the websites and apps you use or content you view, and information we have about you.

We will not use your Personal Information for any other purpose without your permission.

By accessing and using the Platform, you consent to our use of cookies.

WHO ELSE GETS TO PROCESS YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

We do not sell your Personal Information to third parties for their marketing or any other purposes.

We may provide or make your Personal Information available to:

·         our employees, the staff of the companies in the Bidtiq (Pty) Ltd t/a RC Suppliers and/or third party service providers in order to enable them to assist us to interact with you via our Platforms for the marketing, ordering or delivery of goods.

·         law enforcement, government officials, fraud detection agencies or other third parties when the disclosure of Personal Information is necessary or appropriate in connection with an nvestigation of fraud, intellectual property infringements, or other activity that is illegal or may expose us to legal liability or financial loss, to report or support the investigation into suspected illegal activity.

·         third parties (such as a potential purchaser and its professional advisors) in the event of any reorganisation, merger, consolation, sale, joint venture, or other disposition of any or all of our assets.

·         our service providers (under contract with us) who help with parts of our business operations (fraud prevention, marketing, public relations, technology services etc). However, our contracts dictate that these service providers may only use your Personal Information in connection with the services they perform for us and not for their own benefit or any other purpose, and must treat such information as confidential information.

SENDING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION OUTSIDE SOUTH AFRICA

We may transfer certain Personal Information outside the geographic borders of South Africa to service providers for purposes set out above (Why we process your Personal Information?), including for data storage and back-up purposes to ensure the integrity of our systems.

When we transfer your Personal Information outside of the geographic borders of South Africa, we will ensure that we do so in accordance with the requirements for lawful transfer outside of South Africa as set out in POPI.

By accessing and using our Platforms, you consent to us transferring your Personal Information outside of South Africa as set out in POPI.

SECURING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

We secure the integrity and confidentiality of your Personal Information in our possession or under our control by taking appropriate, reasonable technical and organisational measures to prevent loss of, damage to or unauthorised destruction of Personal Information; and unlawful access to or processing of Personal Information.

In order to implement and maintain such measures, we have in place policies, controls and related processes, which are reviewed and updated on a regular basis. Our policies, controls and procedures cover for example:

·         physical, technical and network security.

·         access controls and monitoring of access.

·         secure storage, destruction and encryption of records of Personal Information.

·         Personal Information breach reporting and remediation.

·         by way of written agreements, imposition of security and confidentiality obligations on third parties (based within or outside the borders of South Africa) who process Personal Information as part of rendering services to us.

Should you disclose your Personal Information to any third party other than Bidtiq (Pty) Ltd t/a RC Suppliers, Bidtiq (Pty) Ltd t/a RC Suppliers shall not be liable for any loss or damage arising or suffered by you as a result of the disclosure of such Personal Information to any third party. This is because we do not regulate or control how that third party uses your Personal Information. You should always ensure that you read the privacy policy of any third party.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

Having provided adequate proof of your identity, you have the right to:

·         view, correct and/or amend your Personal Information we process.

·         request a record or description of your Personal Information.  Bidtiq (Pty) Ltd t/a RC Suppliers may charge a fee in order to provide you with this record of your Personal Information. Where requests to access and amend your Personal Information are manifestly unfounded, excessive or repetitive Bidtiq (Pty) Ltd t/a RC Suppliers may charge an additional administrative fee or refuse the request.

·         request to have your Personal Information corrected, destroyed or deleted.

·         us complying with your requests upon receipt unless we have credible reason why we cannot comply.

·         us indicating where, if we cannot agree whether to correct or delete your Personal Information as requested, that a correction or deletion was requested but was not made.

·         inform you if reasonably practicable, should we change your Personal Information and this has an impact on decisions about you.

·         notify you of the action taken by us because of your request.

·         notify you of unauthorised access to your Personal Information.

·         provide you with reasonable evidence of our compliance with our obligations under this Privacy Policy on reasonable notice and request.

·         Submit a complaint to the Information Regulator.

As a user, you can exercise all your rights as set out above by referring to our process set out in our PAIA Manual.

HOW TO LODGE A COMPLAINT WITH THE INFORMATION REGULATOR

If you have any complaints about this Privacy Policy or our compliance with this Privacy Policy you can lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator.

The contact details of the Information Regulator are available on its website at: https://justice.gov.za/inforeg/

This version of the Privacy Policy replaces any preceding privacy policy provisions on our website. We may occasionally update this Privacy Policy. When you use our Platforms the version of the Privacy Policy posted on this page applies to you.