1. Introduction

Wheels Warehouse Pty Ltd respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, disclose and protect personal information when you:

• Visit wheelswarehouse.co.za.
• Request a quotation.
• Place an order.
• Contact us by telephone, WhatsApp, website form or social media.
• Register an account on our website.
• Arrange delivery or collection.
• Subscribe to marketing communications.
• Purchase or enquire about our wheels and related accessories.

This Privacy Policy applies to customers, prospective customers, website visitors, suppliers, service providers and other people who interact with Wheels Warehouse Pty Ltd.

We process personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013, commonly known as POPIA, and other applicable South African laws.

2. Responsible Party

For purposes of POPIA, the responsible party is:

Wheels Warehouse Pty Ltd No. 7 Morrissen Street Durban South Africa

Privacy-related requests may be addressed to the Information Officer of Wheels Warehouse Pty Ltd through our website contact form, the WhatsApp or telephone number displayed on our website, or at the physical address above.

3. Personal Information We Collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following information:

3.1 Identity Information

• Full name and surname.
• Company or trading name.
• Identity or company registration information where reasonably required.
• Account username or customer number.

3.2 Contact Information

• Telephone number.
• WhatsApp number.
• Billing address.
• Delivery address.
• Collection details.
• Preferred communication method.

3.3 Order and Transaction Information

• Products ordered or requested.
• Order numbers.
• Quotations.
• Invoices.
• Payment status.
• Proof of payment.
• Delivery and collection instructions.
• Returns, exchanges, complaints and warranty information.

3.4 Vehicle and Fitment Information

Where required to recommend or supply suitable wheels or accessories, we may collect:

• Vehicle make and model.
• Vehicle year.
• Current wheel size.
• Preferred wheel size.
• PCD.
• Wheel offset.
• Centre-bore measurements.
• Suspension information.
• Vehicle modification information.
• Photographs provided for fitment or product enquiries.

You are responsible for ensuring that the information you provide about your vehicle is accurate and complete.

3.5 Payment Information

Payments may be processed through banks, payment gateways or other authorised payment-service providers.

Wheels Warehouse Pty Ltd does not normally store or have access to your complete card number, CVV number or online-banking password when payment is processed through an external payment provider.

We may retain payment references, proof of payment, transaction confirmations and payment-status information.

3.6 Communication Information

We may keep records of communications made through:

• Website enquiry forms.
• Telephone calls.
• WhatsApp.
• Social-media platforms.
• Customer-support enquiries.
• Product reviews or feedback.
• Complaints and return requests.

3.7 Technical and Website Information

When you use our website, certain information may be collected automatically, including:

• Internet Protocol address.
• Device type.
• Browser type.
• Operating system.
• Approximate location derived from an IP address.
• Pages viewed.
• Links clicked.
• Referring website.
• Date and time of access.
• Shopping-cart activity.
• Cookie identifiers.
• Website performance and error information.

3.8 Marketing Preferences

We may record whether you have:

• Agreed to receive marketing.
• Opted out of marketing.
• Responded to an advertisement.
• Interacted with our social-media content.
• Selected preferred products or communication channels.

4. How We Collect Personal Information

We may collect personal information:

• Directly from you when you contact us, request a quote, create an account or place an order.
• Through our website, cookies and similar technologies.
• Through WhatsApp or social-media platforms.
• From payment processors, banks and fraud-prevention providers.
• From delivery companies and couriers.
• From suppliers or business partners involved in fulfilling your order.
• From publicly available sources where collection is lawful.
• From another person acting with your authority.

Where you provide personal information about another person, you confirm that you are authorised to provide that information to us.

5. How We Use Personal Information

We may process personal information to:

• Respond to enquiries.
• Prepare and send quotations.
• Process and fulfil orders.
• Confirm product availability.
• Verify payments.
• Arrange delivery or collection.
• Communicate order and delivery updates.
• Recommend suitable wheels or accessories.
• Manage customer accounts.
• Process returns, exchanges and warranty requests.
• Prevent fraud, theft and unauthorised transactions.
• Maintain accounting, tax and transaction records.
• Improve our website, products and customer service.
• Analyse website traffic and advertising performance.
• Send marketing communications where legally permitted.
• Respond to legal requests or regulatory requirements.
• Establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
• Protect our business, customers, employees and systems.

We will not use personal information for a purpose that is incompatible with the purpose for which it was originally collected unless permitted by law.

6. Legal Grounds for Processing

We may process your personal information where:

• You have provided consent.
• Processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you.
• Processing is required to comply with a legal obligation.
• Processing protects your legitimate interests.
• Processing protects the legitimate interests of Wheels Warehouse Pty Ltd or another person, provided that your privacy rights are appropriately considered.
• Processing is otherwise permitted under applicable law.

You may withdraw consent where processing is based on consent. Withdrawal does not affect processing that took place lawfully before consent was withdrawn.

7. Information Required to Complete an Order

Some personal information is necessary for us to provide a quotation, process payment, deliver products or manage a return.

Where required information is not provided, we may be unable to:

• Complete your order.
• Verify payment.
• Deliver your products.
• Recommend compatible wheels.
• Process a return or warranty request.
• Respond fully to your enquiry.

8. Sharing Personal Information

We may share personal information with trusted third parties where reasonably necessary, including:

• Courier and delivery companies.
• Warehousing and fulfilment providers.
• Banks and payment processors.
• Website-hosting providers.
• Information-technology and cybersecurity providers.
• Accountants, auditors and professional advisers.
• Product suppliers and manufacturers.
• Fraud-prevention and verification providers.
• Advertising, analytics and social-media platforms where applicable.
• Government departments, regulators, courts or law-enforcement authorities where required by law.

Third-party service providers are only given the information reasonably necessary to perform their services.

We do not sell personal information to third parties.

9. Payment Providers

Online payments may be handled by an external payment processor such as Payfast or another authorised service provider.

When you use an external payment provider, your payment information is also subject to that provider’s privacy and security terms.

Wheels Warehouse Pty Ltd may receive confirmation that a payment was successful or unsuccessful, together with the relevant transaction reference and order information.

10. Couriers and Delivery Providers

To deliver an order, we may provide a courier or transport company with information such as:

• Your name.
• Telephone or WhatsApp number.
• Delivery address.
• Order number.
• Delivery instructions.
• Information required to identify and deliver the package.

Courier companies process this information according to their own legal obligations and privacy policies.

Where you arrange your own courier, you are responsible for considering that courier’s privacy and security practices.

11. Direct Marketing

Where legally permitted, we may send information about:

• Wheels.
• Wheel accessories.
• Promotions.
• Special offers.
• New stock.
• Sales events.
• Related services.

Marketing communications may be sent through SMS, WhatsApp, telephone, social media or other electronic channels.

We will request consent where consent is required by law.

You may opt out at any time by:

• Using the unsubscribe or opt-out option provided in the communication.
• Replying with an opt-out request.
• Contacting us through our website.
• Requesting removal through the WhatsApp number displayed on our website.

Opting out of marketing will not prevent us from sending necessary transactional communications about an existing quotation, order, payment, delivery, return or customer-service matter.

12. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Keep products in your shopping cart.
• Remember website preferences.
• Maintain secure login sessions.
• Process online orders.
• Understand how visitors use the website.
• Improve website performance.
• Prevent fraud and protect the website.
• Measure advertising performance.
• Display relevant advertising where permitted.

Cookies may be classified as:

12.1 Essential Cookies

These cookies are required for the website, shopping cart, security and checkout functions to operate correctly.

12.2 Preference Cookies

These cookies remember selected settings and preferences.

12.3 Analytics Cookies

These cookies help us understand website traffic and visitor behaviour.

12.4 Advertising Cookies

Where used, these cookies may help measure advertising campaigns or display more relevant advertising.

You may manage cookies through your browser settings or through a cookie-consent tool displayed on the website.

Disabling essential cookies may prevent certain website functions from operating correctly.

13. Social Media and Third-Party Platforms

Our website may include links, buttons, pixels or integrations connected to platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, Google or other third-party services.

These providers may collect information according to their own privacy policies.

Wheels Warehouse Pty Ltd does not control how an independent third-party platform processes information after you leave our website or interact directly with that platform.

14. Cross-Border Processing

Some service providers, hosting platforms, payment processors, analytics providers or cloud-storage systems may process or store information outside South Africa.

Where personal information is transferred outside South Africa, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that the transfer is permitted under POPIA and that appropriate protection is in place.

15. Information Security

Wheels Warehouse Pty Ltd uses reasonable technical and organisational safeguards to protect personal information against:

• Loss.
• Unauthorised access.
• Unlawful use.
• Alteration.
• Destruction.
• Disclosure.
• Cyberattacks.

Security measures may include access controls, password protection, secure hosting, software updates, backups, staff controls and secure payment processing.

No website, electronic communication or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Customers should protect their account passwords and immediately inform us of suspected unauthorised use.

16. Security Incidents

Where there are reasonable grounds to believe that personal information has been accessed or acquired by an unauthorised person, Wheels Warehouse Pty Ltd will investigate the incident and take appropriate action.

Where legally required, we will notify the Information Regulator and affected persons as soon as reasonably possible, subject to any lawful delay required by law-enforcement authorities.

17. Retention of Personal Information

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

• Fulfil the purpose for which it was collected.
• Complete orders and customer-service requests.
• Meet tax, accounting and record-keeping obligations.
• Manage returns, warranties and disputes.
• Prevent fraud.
• Establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
• Comply with applicable law.

When personal information is no longer required, we will securely delete, destroy or de-identify it where reasonably possible.

Some records may be retained for longer where required by law, contractual obligations or legitimate business needs.

18. Your Rights

Subject to POPIA and other applicable laws, you may have the right to:

• Ask whether we hold personal information about you.
• Request access to your personal information.
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Request deletion or destruction of information where legally permitted.
• Object to certain processing.
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
• Object to direct marketing.
• Request information about third parties that have received your information.
• Submit a complaint to the Information Regulator.

We may need to verify your identity before processing a privacy request.

Some requests may be refused or limited where retaining or processing the information is required or permitted by law.

19. Updating Your Information

You should inform Wheels Warehouse Pty Ltd when your personal information changes.

We are not responsible for delivery delays, failed communications or other problems caused by incorrect or outdated information supplied by a customer.

20. Children’s Information

Our website and products are not intentionally directed at children.

We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children without the permission of a competent person or another lawful basis.

Where we become aware that children’s information was collected unlawfully, we will take reasonable steps to delete or appropriately restrict the information.

21. Third-Party Websites

Our website may contain links to websites operated by other businesses.

Wheels Warehouse Pty Ltd is not responsible for the content, security or privacy practices of independent third-party websites.

Customers should review the privacy policy of each third-party website before providing personal information.

22. Complaints

Privacy concerns should first be submitted to the Information Officer of Wheels Warehouse Pty Ltd through:

• The contact form on wheelswarehouse.co.za.
• The WhatsApp or telephone number displayed on the website.
• Written correspondence delivered to No. 7 Morrissen Street, Durban, South Africa.

We will investigate and respond to privacy complaints within a reasonable period.

You may also lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa through its official website and eServices portal.

23. Changes to This Privacy Policy

Wheels Warehouse Pty Ltd may update this Privacy Policy when:

• Our business practices change.
• Website functions change.
• Service providers change.
• Legal or regulatory requirements change.

The latest version will be published on wheelswarehouse.co.za with an updated effective date.

Continued use of the website after an updated Privacy Policy is published means that the revised policy will apply to information processed from that date, subject to applicable law.

24. Contact Information

Privacy requests and questions may be addressed to:

The Information Officer Wheels Warehouse Pty Ltd No. 7 Morrissen Street Durban South Africa

Customers may contact us using the website contact form or the WhatsApp and telephone details displayed on wheelswarehouse.co.za.