Privacy Policy

At Sample & Partners we want to provide the best possible service across our wide range of financial products and services.To achieve this aim we need to make the most efficient use of your personal information.

However it is equally important to us that you are confident that any of your personal information entrusted to us is treated with the appropriate degree of privacy.

Who is Sample & Partners?
Sample & Partners is a trading name for the following companies:

GMS Group (QLD) Pty Ltd
GMS Group (NSW) Pty Ltd
GMS Group (VIC) Pty Ltd

What does "personal information" mean?
Personal information is any information about you that identifies you or by which your identity can be reasonably determined.

Why we collect your personal information?
Collecting your personal information is essential for Sample & Partners to be able to conduct its business of providing financial products and services.

By collecting personal information we,

• set up and administer products and services with various lenders
• determine your requirements and provide the appropriate product or service from these lenders
• assess and perform variations on one or more of our products
• assess and service your needs
• improve our services
• identify you and protect you from unauthorised access to your personal information, accounts or services

If we do not collect and make use of your personal information, we are unable to do business with you.

How do we collect your personal information?
Where possible we collect your personal information directly from you.

Collection may take place in a number of ways such as when you complete an application form for a product or request a product or service over the telephone or Internet.

Often personal information is collected during the course of our relationship with you. Examples of personal information collection during our relationship may be when you arrange an insurance policy through our referral service or seek a variation to the terms of a loan you may have with us.

Sometimes personal information may be collected about you from other sources. Examples of where we may receive personal information about you from another source and why this would happen are,

• a credit reference about you from a credit reporting agency in the course of assessing your application for a loan
• your employer in the course of establishing and administering your application of a product and verifying your income and employment status
• an insurance investigation or reference service in the course of assessing your claim under, or request for, a policy of insurance
• a medical practitioner in the course of assessing your claim under a policy of insurance or determining your eligibility for a life insurance product

In most cases we will require you to specifically consent to any collection, use or disclosure of your personal information by Sample & Partners. Your consent will usually be required in writing but we may accept your verbal consent in certain circumstances.

Sometimes your consent may be implied through your conduct with us such as when you continue a telephone call to our Call Centre or to our offices.

However, no matter how your personal information is collected it is dealt with by Sample & Partners in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

How we use your personal information?
We use the personal information that we collect so that we can conduct our business of providing financial products and services and to administer and enhance the financial service relationship we have with you.

To enable us to do this we may share your personal information with the related companies within
Sample & Partners.

Direct Marketing?
From time to time we may use your personal information to provide you with information about our extensive range of financial products and services.

If you do not want to receive any of this information just contact us at any one of our offices.

Once you told us you no longer wish to receive information about our products and services, we will not send you any further material.

You can, however, change your mind about receiving information about our products and services at any time - either way; you just need to let us know.

Sample & Partners does not disclose your personal information to a party outside Sample & Partners for the purposes of allowing them to direct market their products or services to you.

Often the law requires us to provide you with certain information about the product or service that you receive from us. You will continue to receive this type of information from us even if you have decided not to receive information about our products and services generally.

Do we disclose your personal information to anyone?
Sample & Partners may disclose your personal information in certain circumstances.
Sometimes we are required or authorised by law to disclose your personal information. For example we may disclose your personal information to a Court in response to a subpoena or to the Australian Tax Office following a direction issued under taxation laws.

We may also disclose your personal information where you have consented to us doing so. Your consent to the disclosure of your personal information may be given explicitly such as in writing or verbally or may be implied from your conduct such as when you discuss details of the relationship you have with us publicly with the media.

Generally however we do not disclose your personal information to a party outside Sample & Partners, unless that party is contracted to Sample & Partners to provide administrative services or activities on our behalf and that party is bound by the same privacy rules we follow.

Some examples of parties outside Sample & Partners to whom we may disclose your personal information and the reason for disclosure are:

• Mail service providers for the mailing of newsletters, updates and Sample & Partners direct marketing material etc.,
• Your legal representative for the purpose of explaining and witnessing your mortgage documents.
• Lenders who provide and manage your facility or mortgage.

Ensuring your personal information is up-to-date
We rely on the personal information we hold about you to efficiently conduct our business of providing financial products and services.

For this reason, it is very important that the personal information we collect from you is accurate, complete and up to- date.

During the course of our relationship with you we will ask you to tell us of any changes to your personal
information however you can contact us at any time to update your personal information or to tell us that the information we hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete.

Is my personal information secure?
The protection of your personal information is a priority for Sample & Partners.

This is why we take all reasonable precautions to safeguard your personal information from loss, misuse,
unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

We employ a number of means to protect your personal information including,

* external and internal premises security
* restricted access to personal information
* entering into confidentiality agreements with all employees, contractors and third party organisations
* having in place stand-by systems to deal with major business interruptions
* maintaining technology products to prevent unauthorised computer access
* regular reviewing and testing of our technology in order to improve the level of security

Furthermore, when we no longer require your personal information it is our practice to securely destroy the information or delete it from our systems.

Can I access the personal information Sample & Partners holds about me?
You may request access to any of the personal information we hold about you.

In most cases, a summary of personal information such as your name and address details, contact telephone numbers, policy numbers, policy cover and the products and services you have with us are freely available to you by calling 1300 137 566 or visiting us at one of our offices.

For more detailed requests for access to personal information, for example, access to information held in
archives, a fee may be charged to cover the cost of retrieval and the supply of this information to you.

All requests for access to personal information will be handled as quickly as possible and we shall endeavour to process any request for access within 30 days of having received the request. Some requests for access may take longer than 30 days to process depending upon the nature of the personal information being sought.

Sample & Partners may be required by law to retain your personal information for a period of time after you have ceased your relationship with us. After the required time has passed we attend to the secure destruction or deletion of your personal information.

Can my request for access to my personal information be denied?
Sample & Partners is not always required to provide you with access to your personal information upon your request.

We may refuse you access to personal information in a number of circumstances such as where the
information may relate to existing or anticipated legal proceedings with you, where denying access is required or authorised by law, or where the request for access is regarded as frivolous or vexatious.

If we deny your request for access to, or refuse your request to correct your personal information, we will explain why.

What is a Commonwealth identifier?
A Commonwealth identifier is a Commonwealth Government or Commonwealth Government agency
designated identification number such as your Tax File Number (TFN) or Medicare number.

Sample & Partners does not use Commonwealth identifiers as a means of identifying the personal information that we may have collected about you.

We only use Commonwealth identifiers as a means by which you may prove your identity, say when you are establishing a bank account with us or for purposes required by law such as when we supply your RFN to the Australian Taxation Office.

Do I have to be identified at all?
Generally it is not possible for us to do business with you unless we have identified you; the law requires that you identify yourself to us.

Wherever it is lawful and practical to do so, we may offer you the opportunity to deal with us anonymously. For example, when making an inquiry about the current interest rates applicable on the type of products or services we offer.

Does my personal information leave Australia ?
Sample & Partners does not send personal information outside Australia unless it is authorised to do so by law.

Sensitive information
If personal information concerns particular topics it is regarded as sensitive information.

Sensitive information can be information about your,

* racial or ethnic origin
* political opinions
* member of a political association
* religious beliefs or affiliations
* philosophical beliefs
* membership of a professional or trade association
* membership of a trade union
* sexual preferences or practices
* criminal record
* health

Sample & Partners only collects uses or discloses sensitive information about you as is allowed by law for example where we have received your consent to do so or the collection is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of a legal claim.

Our Privacy Policy may change from time to time.
Sample & Partners constantly reviews all its policies and
procedures to keep up to date with changes in the law, technology and market practice.

As a result we may change this privacy policy from time to time.

This Privacy Policy was last amended on 30 September 2004 to conform to all Privacy legislation and guidelines that are in effect on this date.

For any issues or concerns that you would like to bring to attention, please contact the Director, Corporate Services as listed below to work to a resolution.

Michael Crouch
Director, Corporate Services

21 Lissner Street
Toowong QLD 4066
Ph: 07 3217 7244
Fax: 07 3217 8499
Email: m.crouch@sampleandpartners.com.au