Bethel Funerals is committed to providing our families with the highest level of customer service. This includes protecting the privacy of the families we are serving. From the 12th of March 2014 we are bound by new sections of the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988, ‘Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Act 2012’ which outlines principles concerning the protection of personal information.
Why do we need personal information?
In order for Bethel Funerals to provide funeral services for our families, it may be necessary to ask for and record personal information surrounding the deceased person and related parties. Some of these details are required for registering a death and applying for a death certificate from the state department of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
This information may extend (but is not limited) to: names, dates of birth, places of birth, current and previous addresses, occupations, employer details, telephone/mobile numbers, credit card details, bank account details, and e-mail addresses.
Families are under no obligation to provide the requested information. If a family should choose to withhold information, we may not be able to provide them with the funeral related services that depend on the collecting of that information.
How we collect personal information:
So that Bethel Funerals can provide services and information, we may need to collect personal information in a number of ways, including:
- details gathered when contact is made by a family enquiring about funerals or related services (by phone, email or in person);
- information gathered by staff while arranging the funeral;
- details collected when arranging pre-paid funeral services;
- from our own records if applicable;
- from third parties, including doctors, hospitals, cemeteries etc, where such information is required to provide funeral or related services.
- from the details families provide via www.bethelfunerals.com.au (such information will only be used for the purpose for which you have stated).
How we use your personal information:
Your personal information may be used for the following purposes:
- to carry out the services you require and to provide requested information;
- inform you of initiatives and post-funeral related services which are available to our client families;
- to provide internal statistical analysis;
- billing and debt recovery functions.
You have the right to advise Bethel Funerals that you do not want us to send information to you other than for the main reason that we have collected your personal details.
Who we share your information with:
Bethel Funerals is obliged to provide certain personal information related to the funerals we conduct to governmental authorities.
- At no times will Bethel Funerals provide personal information to another person or organisation for the purposes of marketing or advertising.
- Bethel Funerals will only pass on personal information to other organisations when legally required to do so, when it is necessary for the conduct of a funeral or if we are directed by the family of the deceased to do so.
- If a funeral is advertised in a newspaper, Bethel Funerals will consider the details contained in the newspaper notice to be publicly available material and we may publish those on our website or provide those same details over the phone to a member of the public.
- Details may also be published to the website where verbal consent has been obtained from the family.
- When a family requests that a funeral is private, Bethel Funerals will not provide details of the funeral to any member of the public unless specifically authorised to do so by the family.
- Bethel Funerals will not provide personal contact details of family members, or staff members, to any member of the public unless specifically authorised to do so.
- Bethel Funerals will not disclose your personal information to any overseas recipients unless they are required for the purposes of repatriating a deceased person to/from another country.
What information we store:
- Bethel Funerals permanently stores information related to each funeral in order to assist families who may wish to carry out future funerals in a similar manner. Such information includes (but is not necessarily limited to) the type of coffin chosen, the style and colour of flowers and other particulars that the family may wish to be aware of for a future funeral. Bethel Funerals may use this information to make management decisions but does not provide this information to any other party.
- Bethel Funerals does not store credit card or other bank related details of families after a funeral has been paid for.
Access to your personal information:
We will provide you with access to any of your personal information we hold.
If you require access to your personal information, please contact your local branch manager:
Victoria – 03 9873 8866 or info@bethelfunerals.com.au
Queensland – 07 3219 9333 or infoqld@bethelfunerals.com.au
Making a complaint:
If you feel that Bethel Funerals has made a breach of your privacy you may address your complaint to your local branch manager, in writing via email or post:
Victoria – info@bethelfunerals.com.au or 2d Cochrane Street, Mitcham, VIC, 3132
Queensland – infoqld@bethelfunerals.com.au or 2998 Logan Road, Springwood, QLD, 4127
Your complaint will be addressed by the branch manager within 48 hours.
If you feel that your complaint is not addressed satisfactorily you may then direct your complaint to the AFDA (Australian Funeral Directors Association). See www.afda.org.au or call 03 9859 9966.
If you are unsatisfied with the response from the AFDA you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. Details of how to lodge a complaint can be found at:
www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-complaints
More Information:
More information about Privacy Law and the National Privacy Principles is available from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at www.oaic.gov.au