Simple Goodbyes (ABN 131 854 361) is committed to protecting your privacy and handling personal information with care and respect.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information when we provide our funeral services and when you interact with our website and related services (Services). We know privacy policies can feel complex. We have written this to clearly explain how we manage your information.
This policy is governed by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles.
1. Our Commitment to Privacy
We are committed to:
Managing personal information in accordance with Australian privacy laws
Being open and transparent about how we collect and use information
Protecting sensitive information with appropriate safeguards
We understand that arranging a funeral involves deeply personal information. We treat that responsibility seriously.
2. When Does This Privacy Policy Apply?
This Privacy Policy applies to personal information handled by Simple Goodbyes in Australia, including information collected:
In person
By phone
By email
Through our website
Through forms or service agreements
It does not apply to third-party websites linked from our website. Those websites have their own privacy policies.
3. What Is Personal Information?
“Personal information” has the meaning given in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). It includes information or an opinion about an identified individual or an individual who is reasonably identifiable, whether true or not and whether recorded in a material form or not.
Personal information does not include:
Aggregated or de-identified information
Business information that does not identify an individual
It does not apply to third-party websites linked from our website. Those websites have their own privacy policies.
Information About a Deceased Person
Under the Privacy Act, information about a deceased person is generally not considered personal information.
However, we recognise that such information is highly sensitive for families. We handle information relating to the deceased with care and discretion.
4. What Types of Personal Information Do We Collect?
The types of personal information we collect depend on how you interact with us.
If You Are Arranging a Funeral (At-Need)
We may collect:
Your name and contact details
Details of the deceased
Next of kin information
Identification documents (where legally required)
Religious, cultural or burial preferences (this may be sensitive information)
Medical cause of death (where required)
Details required for death registration
Payment and billing information
Correspondence between you and us
If You Are Planning Ahead (Pre-Planning)
We may collect:
Your date of birth
Next of kin details
Funeral preferences
Burial or cremation preferences
Cultural or religious information
If You Attend a Funeral Service
We may collect:
Guestbook or attendance details
Photographs or video footage where services are livestreamed or recorded (with notice provided)
If You Use Our Website
We may collect:
Browser and device information
IP address
Pages visited and session data
Enquiry form submissions
Information collected via cookies and analytics tools
If You Apply for Employment
We may collect:
Resume and employment history
Referee details
Background check information (where relevant)
5. Sensitive Information
Sensitive information may include:
Health information
Religious beliefs
Cultural background
We only collect sensitive information:
With your consent; or
Where required or authorised by law.
We use sensitive information only for the purpose for which it was collected or a directly related purpose permitted by law.
6. How We Collect Personal Information
We collect personal information:
Directly from You
When you:
Contact us by phone or email
Submit an enquiry
Enter into a Funeral Services Agreement
Provide documentation
Attend a funeral service
Indirectly
From:
Hospitals or aged care facilities
Medical practitioners
Government authorities (e.g. Births, Deaths and Marriages)
Next of kin or authorised representatives
Cemeteries and crematoria
Through Technology
We may collect information using cookies, analytics tools and tracking technologies when you use our website.
7. Can You Deal With Us Anonymously?
You may make general enquiries without identifying yourself.
However, to provide funeral services and complete legal documentation, we will generally need to collect personal information and may be required by law to do so.
8. Why We Collect, Hold and Use Personal Information
We collect and use personal information to:
Provide funeral services
Complete required legal documentation
Register deaths
Arrange burial or cremation
Coordinate with cemeteries and crematoria
Process payments
Communicate with families
Maintain records
Improve our services
Respond to enquiries
Comply with legal obligations
We may also use personal information for related secondary purposes that you would reasonably expect.
9. Disclosure of Personal Information
We may disclose personal information to:
Cemeteries and crematoria
Celebrants or clergy
Government agencies (e.g. Births, Deaths and Marriages)
Medical professionals
IT service providers
Payment processors
Professional advisers
Contractors assisting in service delivery
We may also disclose information:
Where required or authorised by law
In connection with a sale or restructure of our business
We do not sell personal information.
10. Overseas Disclosure
Some of our service providers (such as cloud storage or software providers) may store or access information outside Australia.
Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure personal information is handled in accordance with Australian privacy laws.
11. Direct Marketing
We may send you information about our services if:
You have requested information; or
You have opted in to receive communications.
You may opt out of marketing communications at any time using the unsubscribe link or by contacting us directly.
We will not send marketing communications contrary to the Privacy Act or Spam Act 2003 (Cth).
12. Cookies and Online Tracking
We may use cookies and analytics tools (such as Google Analytics or similar services) to:
Understand website traffic
Improve user experience
Measure marketing effectiveness
You can disable cookies in your browser settings. However, this may affect website functionality.
Third-party providers have their own privacy policies governing how they handle data.
13. Storage and Security
We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access.
Personal information may be stored:
In secure paper files
In password-protected electronic systems
On secure servers
While we use appropriate safeguards, no method of internet transmission is completely secure.
14. Access and Correction
You may request access to personal information we hold about you.
You may request correction if the information is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete or misleading. We will respond within a reasonable time (generally within 30 days).
In some circumstances, we may refuse access or correction where permitted by law, and will provide written reasons.
15. Complaints
If you have concerns about how we handle personal information, please contact us.
We will:
1.
Acknowledge your complaint (generally within 7 days)
2.
Investigate the matter
3.
Respond in writing (generally within 30 days)
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact:
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) www.oaic.gov.au
