Privacy Policy

1. About Us

African Elegance Pty Ltd (ACN 082 221 449 | ABN 49 082 221 449), the holder of Australian Credit Licence No. 390841, operates under the trading names Absolute Advantage Financial Solutions (and the brand name Northern Beaches Car Loans).

In this Privacy Policy, references to "we", "us", "our" mean African Elegance Pty Ltd and its credit representative, Bulelwa Freer, operating across all trading names.

Our registered address is: 7 Daly Street, Bilgola Plateau NSW 2107.

We provide credit assistance under the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 (Cth) ("NCCP Act"), including home loans, investment loans, personal loans, car finance, equipment finance, marine finance, and other asset finance products. We are a member of the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia (MFAA), Credit Adviser No. 10271.

2. Our Commitment to Privacy

We take the privacy of every person we deal with very seriously. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, hold, use, and disclose your personal information — including credit-related information — in accordance with:

• The Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the 13 Australian Privacy Principles (APPs)
• The Privacy (Credit Reporting) Code 2014
• The National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 (Cth)
• Any other applicable Australian laws and regulations

3. What Is Personal Information?

Personal information means information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable — whether true or not, and whether recorded in material form or not.

Sensitive information is a subset of personal information that includes health information, racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, membership of professional associations, and similar categories. We collect sensitive information only where it is necessary and where you have consented.

Credit information means personal information that is credit-related, such as your credit history, repayment history, credit enquiries, and credit-related court judgments. This category is subject to additional protections under the Privacy (Credit Reporting) Code 2014 and Part IIIA of the Privacy Act 1988.

4. What Information We Collect

Depending on the services you request, we may collect some or all of the following:

Contact & Identity Information

• Full name, date of birth, gender
• Residential and postal address (current and previous)
• Phone numbers and email addresses
• Identity documents (driver's licence, passport — number, expiry, state)

Financial Information

• Income details (salary, business income, rental income, government benefits)
• Employment details (employer name, address, length of employment, ABN for self-employed)
• Assets and liabilities (property, vehicles, savings, debts, credit cards)
• Monthly living expenses
• Bank account details (for repayment purposes)
• Tax information where relevant (e.g. tax returns for self-employed applicants)

Credit Information

• Credit history and credit score
• Details of existing and previous credit facilities
• Repayment history
• Credit enquiries and defaults
• Credit-related court judgments or insolvency information

Website & Digital Information

• IP address and browser type (collected automatically via Google Analytics)
• Pages visited, time on site, referral source
• Information you submit through our online contact or enquiry forms
• Email address if you request our free guide or newsletter

5. How We Collect Your Information

We collect personal information in the following ways:

• Directly from you — through our website contact and application forms, phone consultations, emails, face-to-face meetings, and written correspondence
• From third parties — including credit reporting bodies, lenders, your employer or accountant (for verification purposes), real estate agents, financial advisers, and referral partners who introduced you to us
• From our aggregator — Finsure Finance Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of BNK Banking Corporation Limited trading as Goldfields Money (ACL 246884), may share information with us as part of our aggregation arrangement
• From public sources — such as the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) register, PPSR, or publicly available information relevant to your application
• Automatically via our website — through Google Analytics, cookies, and web tracking technologies

Where it is reasonable and practical, we will collect information directly from you. We will tell you why we need the information and how we plan to use it at the time of collection, or as soon as practicable afterwards.

6. Why We Collect Your Information

We collect personal information primarily to:

• Assess your eligibility for, and assist you in obtaining, credit products (loans, leases, and other finance)
• Verify your identity as required by law (Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006)
• Comply with our responsible lending obligations under the NCCP Act — specifically, to assess whether a proposed credit contract is "not unsuitable" for you
• Identify the most appropriate lender and credit product for your objectives and financial situation
• Prepare and lodge your finance application with lenders on our panel
• Respond to your enquiries submitted through our website, email, or phone
• Provide you with our free resources, guides, and newsletter (where you have requested these)
• Manage our ongoing relationship with you as a client
• Comply with our legal and regulatory obligations
• Improve our website, services, and client experience

7. How We Use Your Personal Information

We use your personal information for the primary purposes described above, and for secondary purposes that you would reasonably expect, including:

• Contacting you to discuss your finance needs, provide updates on your application, or respond to your enquiries
• Sending you information about our products and services, industry updates, and resources relevant to your interests (where you have opted in, or where permitted under law)
• Complying with requests from regulators, courts, law enforcement, or government agencies
• Managing internal records, reporting, and business administration
• Defending or bringing legal claims where necessary

8. Who We Share Your Information With

We may disclose your personal information to the following types of organisations:

Finance Providers

We submit your information to lenders, banks, non-bank lenders, and other finance providers on our panel for the purpose of obtaining credit approval on your behalf.

Our Aggregator

We operate through Finsure Finance Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of BNK Banking Corporation Limited trading as Goldfields Money (ACL 246884). Your information may be shared with our aggregator as part of the processing and lodgement of your application.

Credit Reporting Bodies

With your consent, we may obtain your credit report from, or disclose credit information to, credit reporting bodies such as Equifax, Experian, or illion.

Regulators and Government Bodies

We may disclose information to ASIC, the ATO, AFCA, courts, or law enforcement agencies where required by law.

9. Overseas Disclosure

Some of the third parties we disclose your information to may be located overseas, including in the Philippines, as part of the outsourcing and operational arrangements of our aggregator, Finsure Finance Pty Ltd.

Before disclosing your information to an overseas recipient, we take reasonable steps to ensure that the recipient does not breach the Australian Privacy Principles.

10. Credit Reporting Information

As a credit assistance provider, we handle credit information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 Part IIIA and the Privacy (Credit Reporting) Code 2014 (CR Code).

With your prior written consent, we may obtain a credit report about you from a credit reporting body to assess your application for credit.

11. Complaints

If you have a concern about the way we have handled your personal information, we encourage you to raise it with us directly. Contact our Internal Complaints Officer (Bulelwa Freer) using the details below.

If you are not satisfied with our response, or have not heard from us within 30 days, you may lodge a complaint with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA):

• Website: www.afca.org.au
• Email: info@afca.org.au
• Phone: 1800 931 678 (free call)
• Post: GPO Box 3, Melbourne VIC 3001

12. Contact Us

For all privacy enquiries, access requests, correction requests, or complaints, please contact: