Protecting our Customers
The Customer’s Choice
The choice to provide Scratch Magic (also referred to as “the website”, “site”, and “scratchmagic.co.za”) with certain customer information via the website is always the user’s. The user should, however, be aware that in financial dealings, withholding certain details may limit the services Scratch Magic is able to provide.
Our commitment to you, our customer
Scratch Magic will forward or provide personal user information that you fill in our forms to third parties for independent use.
Protecting Customer Information
What is customer information?
Customer information refers to personal and private information submitted to Scratch Magic via the website that identifies or relates to the user, whether the user is an individual or a business.
This information includes details such as name, age, ID numbers, registration numbers, addresses and other contact details, financial information and banking details such as account numbers.
Why does Scratch Magic collect customer information?
Scratch Magic uses customer information to identify the user and to offer better online service. User information is also necessary to enable Scratch Magic to contact the user in the event of any query.
More importantly, Scratch Magic uses customer information to forward to our third party financial services providers that will in turn, at their discretion, contact the user. The more we know about you the better we can serve you.
How does Scratch Magic safeguard your information?
Keeping your financial information secure is one of Scratch Magic’s most important responsibilities. This policy governs the behaviour of employees with regard to accuracy, confidentiality and security of all customer information.
Sharing user information
The only instances in which Scratch Magic is permitted to disclose customer information is when it is:
Authorised by the user, Scratch Magic will not collect or use customer information without obtaining the user’s consent.
In respect of marketing of services or products, consent to collect or use information can be expressed (for example signing an agreement) or implied (e.g. if the user is given an opportunity to opt out of a specific form of information sharing, but chooses not to do so, the user has chosen to share this information).
The type of customer information the user will be asked to provide will vary according to the product or services required.
Scratch Magic will need to share the user’s data with its banking partner, for the express purposes of servicing accounts. The user’s permission to do this will be confirmed whenever opening an account with Scratch Magic. By sharing information about the user’s accounts among different business units, Scratch Magic can serve the user more efficiently.
As your financial services provider, Bidvest Insurance and other scratch and dent insurance companies we work with will have access to your personal information as provided to us.
Required by law
This most often relates to government tax reporting requirements or in terms of a court order or if required in terms of legislation or in accordance with the common law. Scratch Magic will, however, in all instances required by law, only disclose the information specifically requested.
In the public interest
Sometimes Scratch Magic is asked to disclose customer information for matters of public interest, e.g. to assist in the prevention of crimes. Before complying with these requests, Scratch Magic takes every precaution to ensure the authorities involved have legitimate grounds to make such a request.
Cookies
On some parts where the so-called “cookie” technology is used Cookie technology consists of small pieces of data or a small text file which is given to the customer’s browser by the web server when the customer visits the website. This data is stored on the user’s browser. The cookie is sent back to the web server each time the user visits the website.
Cookies are not computer programs and do not run on a computer like programs do. It cannot gather information or function independently. It cannot collect any personal information about the user or the user’s machine and cannot gather data or information about what the user does on the internet.
Cookies merely enable Scratch Magic to provide a more valuable online experience to the customer. While you can set up your Internet browser to disable cookie technology, Scratch Magic does not recommend that the user does this since some parts of this website and Scratch Magic’s online services are cookie enabled. Scratch Magic cannot be held liable for a user’s personalised information changing or being deleted as a result of the customer’s disablement or deletion of cookies.
Right to amend this Privacy Policy
Scratch Magic reserves the right to amend this policy at any time. All amendments to this policy will be posted on the website. Unless otherwise stated, the current version shall supersede and replace all previous versions of this policy.
Third parties
Except as outlined in the section dealing with “Sharing Customer Information”, Scratch Magic will never sell or otherwise make available customer information to other organisations or parties including other companies in the Scratch Magic Group.