STERLING GROUP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD ACN 49 057 435 471 (“Sterling”) collects personal information that you voluntarily provide when applying or registering for an account with Sterling or making a purchase on Sterling website; www.sterlingwine.com.au (the “Website”).

By using our website and services, you agree that we may collect, use and disclose your information in the manner described below and in accordance with the terms described in this privacy policy.


1. Collection of personal information

You may visit and browse the Website, without us recording any of your personal information. However, your IP address may be used by Sterling for analytics and evaluation.

When you register or make a purchase from the Website, you register to Sterling's auction mailing lists (“Newsletter”), Sterling may collect the following information in its server logs:

• Information that you voluntarily provide when applying or registering for access to Website and/or Newsletter, which may include your name, your date of birth, your email- address, your billing and/or delivery address, telephone number, as well as demographic information, such as your post code. Sterling also collects your IP address during registration.
  
  
• Technical details of your computer system (including but not limited to the type and version of your browser, operating system, display resolution, JavaScript-settings and other items).
  
  
• Referrer URL (the address of the site that has been accessed before).
  
  
• URL's visited at www.sterlingwine.com.au
  
  
• Hostname of your computer (IP address).
  
  
• Time and date of access.  Information about your interaction with the Website, including searches, your use of such search results, selections which you make, frequency with which you visit the site, transaction related information, customer service usage, and other information related to your use of the Website.

When you visit our site, our server may send small data files known as 'cookies' and other technologies to your computer. When you revisit Sterling, the cookies allow the site to recognise your browser. The cookies may also store your preferences and other information that will allow us to tailor and simplify your experience when using Sterling's services. Additional information may be collected if you choose to enter promotions.

Sterling may also ask for voluntary information from time to time. This information is not mandatory for you to provide and may be used for our own marketing purposes.

When making a transaction your credit card details will only be disclosed to our payment gateway service and will not be kept on file or in any form by Sterling. These details may be stored at the payment gateway service (“eWAY”). For further information, please see eway.com.au

In the case of customer enquiries by phone, email or in writing, we may collect further personal information from you to best resolve your query.

2. Use of personal information

Sterling uses your personal information and the information we collect in the following ways:

• To deliver and fulfil the services or carry out the transactions you have requested (including but not limited to purchases of Sterling product and delivery of the Newsletter).
  
  
• Communications with you relating to the Website, such as service notices, reminders and administrative messages, as well as auction newsletters that may contain advertising for products and services of Sterling or third parties. These communications are considered part of your Sterling account. You may only opt out of receiving them by altering your email preferences in “My Account” or by terminating your registration with Sterling.

Sterling may employ third parties to provide services on its behalf. The access of such parties to your personal information will be limited to the data they need in order to deliver the service and/or products.

Sterling may also share information in order to obtain content from third parties, analyse usage patterns, provide demographic information, and other similar uses that will facilitate third party contacts in appropriate cases with parties selected by Sterling, as well as to prevent, investigate or take action regarding suspected fraud and other illegal activities as well as situations involving potential threats to the physical safety of any person and violations of Sterling's terms of service.

Sterling may access and/or disclose your personal information if we, in our sole discretion, deem it necessary to:

• comply with applicable laws or (b) respond to subpoenas, court orders, or legal process, or (c) to establish or exercise our legal rights or to defend ourselves against legal claims. We may also provide the information which we collect to our successors and assigns in the event that we transfer, sell or dispose of all or any portion of our business and the information is relevant to that business segment.

3. Use of the Website

You agree to use Website only for purposes as permitted under this Agreement and any applicable law or regulations. You agree to refrain from doing any prohibited acts as set out in this Clause 3.

You agree that you will not use the Website to:

• pretend to be anyone, or any entity, you are not, you will not impersonate or misrepresent yourself as another person (including celebrities), entity, a Sterling employee, or a civic or government leader, or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity. Sterling reserves the right to reject or block any user which could be deemed to be an impersonation or misrepresentation of your identity, or a misappropriation of another person's name or identity;
  
  
• engage in any copyright infringement or other intellectual property infringement, or disclose any trade secret or confidential information in violation of a confidentiality, employment, or non-disclosure agreement or otherwise;
  
  
• use, distribute, reproduce or commercialise any content from the Website or Sterling service except as permitted by this Policy, by law, and with prior written agreement from Sterling;
  
  
• transmit any unsolicited advertising, promotional material or other forms of solicitation in connection with your use of the Service without the prior written agreement of Sterling;
  
  
• forge any TCP-IP packet header or any part of the header information or otherwise putting Information in a header designed to mislead recipients as to the origin of any content transmitted through the Website ("spoofing";);
  
  
• access (or attempt to access) any part of the Website by any means other than through the interface provided by Sterling;
  
  
• engage in any activity which disrupts or interferes with the Website or the servers and networks that host the Website;
  
  
• interfere with or disrupt the Website (including accessing the Website through any automated means, like scripts or web crawlers), or any servers or networks connected to the Website, or breach any policies, requirements or regulations of networks connected to the Website (including gaining unauthorised access to, use or monitoring of data or traffic thereon); or
  
  
• plan or engage in any potentially fraudulent or illegal activity.

4. Security

Sterling works with secure data networks protected passwords. We use security measures in order to safeguard your identifying details. We also limit access to personal information to our and our affiliates' employees who we believe reasonably need to come into contact with that information to provide our products and services to you.

If a members name and password is used to help to protect your account from unauthorized access, you must keep such login data confidential and must not disclose it or share it with anyone.

We reveal only the last four digits of your credit card number of transacting an order. The entire number credit card number will be transmitted to the appropriate credit card company during order processing.

You should protect your password and any unauthorised access to your computer. If you have used a shared computer you must ensure that you sign out.

Sterling will only share your personal information with a third party when:

• it is required to complete a purchase transaction, including provision of credit or debit card information to a financial institution;
  
  
• it is required to ensure delivery of your purchased goods; and
  
  
• as required by law or
  
  
• pursuant to this Policy.

You agree and understand that information transmitted over the internet and provided to the Website can never be guaranteed as secure. Sterling will strive to protect your personal information, however you accept that Sterling will not be held liable for any access to your personal information by any third party and you acknowledge that there are security and privacy limitations for data transmitted over the internet which are beyond the control of Sterling.

5. Changes to this privacy policy

Sterling will occasionally update this privacy policy to reflect user feedback and changes in our services. We encourage you to review this policy at regular intervals in order to be informed of how we are handling your information. Sterling reserves the right to change its privacy policy at any time, with or without notice to you, by posting an updated version of the policy on the Website. The amended privacy policy will apply whether or not we have given you specific notice of any change.

6. Terms & Conditions

This document is a part of Sterling’s Terms and Conditions and is subject to the provisions, which are set forth therein.

7. Questions

If you have any further queries relating to our privacy policy, or you have a problem or complaint, please contact us at [email protected]