At Property Compare, we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, and share your information when you use our website, in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and applicable laws.
1. Information We Collect
We collect information you provide directly when using our services, including but not limited to:
Property details such as property type, location, erf size, monthly expenses (municipal charges, levies, utilities, security fees)
Uploaded documents such as municipal invoices or sectional title statements
Any corrections or adjustments you make to imported data
Contact details when you reach out to us or subscribe to updates (e.g., name, email address)
Usage data such as pages visited, time spent on the site, and other browsing information collected through cookies and similar technologies
2. How We Use Your Information
We use your personal data to:
Provide and improve the Property Compare services
Generate customised property cost comparisons and reports
Aggregate data to produce anonymised insights for benchmarking purposes
Communicate with you, including responding to queries and sending updates or marketing communications (with your consent)
Comply with legal obligations
3. Legal Basis for Processing
We process your personal information based on your consent which you provide when you use our site or services. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us.
4. Sharing Your Information
Your personal information will not be sold or rented. We may share your data as follows:
Aggregate and anonymised data will be published on the website to provide community-wide cost comparisons
We may share your personal information with trusted service providers who assist us in operating the website and delivering services. These parties are contractually required to protect your data.
We may share information with law enforcement or regulatory bodies if legally required.
5. Social Media and Third-Party Services
Our website may contain links to social media platforms or use social media plugins. When you interact with these features, information may be collected by those third parties according to their own privacy policies. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of those platforms before engaging.
6. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, loss, alteration, or destruction.
7. Data Retention
We retain your personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy or to comply with legal obligations. Data used for anonymised comparisons is retained indefinitely in aggregated form.
8. Your Rights Under POPIA
You have the right to:
Access the personal information we hold about you
Request correction or deletion of your personal information
Withdraw your consent for data processing at any time
Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator if you believe your privacy rights have been violated
To exercise these rights, please contact us at [Insert contact email].
9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience on our website. You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings, but some features may not function properly as a result.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy occasionally to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We encourage you to review it regularly.