01 Introduction

Pohl’s Panelbeaters (Pty) Ltd (“Pohl’s Panelbeaters”, “we”, “us” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, and the rights you have in relation to it. We process personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA).

This policy applies to information collected through our website (pohls.co.za), by telephone or email, and in person at our premises in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga.

02 Information We Collect

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

• Contact details: your name, telephone number and email address (for example, when you request a quote or send us a message).
• Vehicle information: your vehicle’s make, model, registration number and details of the damage or work required.
• Insurance & claim information: your insurer, policy or claim number and related details, where we assist with a claim.
• Identification details: where reasonably required to process a repair, claim or payment.
• Website usage information: limited technical data such as your IP address and browsing activity, collected through cookies (see section 9).

03 How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information to:

• provide quotations and carry out repairs;
• communicate with you about your vehicle and booking;
• process and assist with insurance claims;
• follow up on completed work and measure customer satisfaction;
• process payments and keep proper business records; and
• comply with our legal and regulatory obligations.

04 Lawful Basis for Processing

We process your personal information where it is necessary to provide the services you have requested, to perform a contract with you, to comply with a legal obligation, for our legitimate business interests, or where you have given consent. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time, although this may affect our ability to provide certain services.

05 Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We may share it with:

• your insurer, assessors and, where relevant, vehicle manufacturers, in order to process a claim or warranty repair;
• trusted service providers who assist us in operating our business (for example IT, payment and customer-follow-up providers), who are required to protect your information; and
• law enforcement, regulators or other parties where required by law.

06 Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect the personal information in our possession against loss, unauthorised access and misuse. While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure.

07 Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, including to meet legal, accounting, warranty and reporting requirements.

08 Your Rights (POPIA)

Under POPIA, you have the right to:

• access the personal information we hold about you;
• request that we correct or delete information that is inaccurate, irrelevant or out of date;
• object to the processing of your information in certain circumstances; and
• lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Information Officer using the details in section 13.

09 Cookies & Website Analytics

Our website may use cookies, small text files stored on your device, to help the site function and to understand how visitors use it. You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings, although some features may not work as intended.

10 Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, such as insurers or manufacturers. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those websites and encourage you to review their policies.

11 Children’s Privacy

Our services are directed at vehicle owners and are not intended for children. We do not knowingly collect the personal information of children without the consent of a parent or guardian.

12 Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The latest version will always be available on this page, with the effective date shown above.

13 Contact & Complaints

If you have any questions about this policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact our Information Officer:

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa). Their current contact details are available atinforegulator.org.za.