PRIVACY POLICY

Please read this user agreement carefully before using the site. By using the My Optometrist website these Terms of Use apply to you and you agree to comply with the terms of Use. The terms of use set out below apply to this and all other websites owned or operated by My Optometrist (unless specifically states otherwise).

Our website, products and services are intended for adult residents of South Africa only. No representation is made (unless specified) that the information, contents, and services offered on this website are available or valid outside of South Africa. The use of this website and any legal disputes arising out of this website is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of South Africa.

The user understands and accepts all risks of using this website. My Optometrist is not responsible for the lack of functionality, capability or reliability of any device or software used to access My Optometrist’s website and/or information. The User indemnifies that My Optometrist will not be liable for loss incurred or damages suffered (direct or indirect) for any interruption, downtime delayed or failed transmission or other failure of the website or databases for any reason. This website contains hyperlinks to internal pages (e.g. linked to information, terms and conditions, policies, and disclaimers). The user agrees the validity of the terms and conditions is not affected if some or all of the hyperlinks fail or malfunction.

My Optometrist website, products and services are subject to approval; My Optometrist may accept or refuse at their sole discretion. My Optometrist may without notice modify, suspend, discontinue, or restrict access to the website, specific webpages or any services offered, whether temporarily or permanently.

 

GENERAL

Your privacy is important to us. This Privacy Policy governs the way My Optometrist (‘we’, ‘our’, ‘us’) treats your personal information, collected electronically when you use our website, communicate with us via email or any other channel requiring services offered by My Optometrist.

Please ensure that you have read, understood, and agree to the Privacy policy before you provide us with your personal information.

My Optometrist recognises the importance of protecting your personal information and your right to having your personal information kept private. My Optometrist ensures that it adheres to all data protection laws and has the implemented safeguards to ensure that your personal information is kept safe from unauthorised access.

This Privacy policy relates to the collection and use of personal information you may supply to us through your use of any of our service channels. This policy governs the way your personal information is collected, managed, and securely stored.

 

PERSONAL INFORMATION

My Optometrist aligns its definition of “personal information” with that as set out in the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA). In general, you may visit My Optometrist’s website without revealing any personal information. There are times, however, when My Optometrist or its partners and/or affiliates may request personal information from you.

If requested, you may choose to give us your personal information, for example your name and address or email addresses. My Optometrist has the highest regard for the privacy of its customers, all information specific to yourself that is provided to us via our website, via e-mail or any other channel will be classified as personal information.

 

This includes but is not limited to the following reasons:

-Process your instructions/requests or provide you with adequate service

-To ensure that we have the correct and most up to date information

-For security and identity verification

-Billing and invoicing for services rendered

-Purpose of recruitment or potential employment

-Our own research and statistical purposes

-Direct Marketing (only when opt-in/consent to)

 

COLLECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

What Personal Information do we collect?

In terms of POPIA, Personal Information is defined as: information relating to a natural/juristic person, including, but not limited to:

– Name and Surname

– Identification number or date of birth

– Email address

– Marital status

– Your race and/or gender

– Biometric information

– Contact number(s)

– Physical/Postal address

– Any account information for billing purposes

– Views or opinions about you also constitute your personal information

If a person is younger than 18, or disabled, the personal information of the parent or legal guardian or the person responsible for the account is needed.

 

SHARING OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

My Optometrist will not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any external third party.

By sharing your Protected Information with us, you consent that the Protected Information may be shared where such sharing is lawful. My Optometrist will ONLY share necessary information about you to partners or affiliate service providers to provide a direct service to you. My Optometrist shall take reasonable steps to ensure personal Information shall only be shared for such particular purpose and on the strict understanding that the information is kept confidential and are prohibited from using the information for any other purpose.

 

Additional instances we may need to share your information, this includes but is not limited to:

-When you have expressly authorised us to do so

-To comply with any regulation passed under relevant legislation

-To enforce our legal rights or any legal process (e.g. law enforcement and fraud prevention agencies)

-To enforce and protect our rights and property

-For the purpose of recruitment or potential employment

-In urgent circumstances in order to protect safety (personal and public) or where the integrity of our website or database may be compromised.

 

CHILDREN

My Optometrist is committed to comply with all applicable laws aimed at the protection of children and in particular the protection of their personal information and does not knowingly solicit or send requests for personal information from children under the age of 18 years.

Children under the age of 18 years should obtain their parent or legal guardian’s consent before providing / submitting any personal information about themselves. Where a child accesses the website or communicates with us via email any other channel and it is not apparent or disclosed that the child is under the age of 18 years, then we will in good faith process and manage the information unless otherwise notified or we determine that a user is under the age of 18, we will not use or maintain his/her personal information without the parent or legal guardian’s consent.  My Optometrist shall not have the obligation to verify the veracity of any information submitted to it.

 

RENTENTION, CORRECTION AND ACCESS TO PERSONAL INFORMATION

My Optometrist will store and retain your information as part of its database for as long as it is needed to deliver a service to you or if the purpose for which your personal information was requested/supplied initially does not exist anymore or as long it is lawfully required.

You may request to review your personal information contained in My Optometrist records at any time to correct or update the information. you may also request information held by the My Optometrist to be removed.

If the purpose for which your personal information was requested/supplied initially does not exist anymore, you have the right to request information held by My Optometrist to be removed. However, this request may be declined if it has been identified that the specified information on the database and the continued retention thereof is required for security, legal or financial purposes.

 

INFORMATION SECURITY AND PROTECTION

My Optometrist will take all reasonable technical and organisational precautions to prevent the loss, misuse or alteration of your personal information. The company will store all the personal information in secured environments (e.g. secured servers). The information that you provide to My Optometrist will be held in My Optometrist’s systems, which are located at My Optometrist’s premises or those of a contracted third party.

 

Website Hosting and Management

My Optometrist may employ the services of third-party service providers to assist with the hosting and management of certain services and parts of the website. My Optometrist applies every effort to ensure that our employed/contracted service providers comply with our Privacy Statements and Policies and widely accepted security standards and they will be accountable for any non-compliance.

My Optometrist shall take all reasonable steps, including the implementation of appropriate security safeguards, to protect the confidentiality of your personal information from loss, misuse or unauthorised alteration. The information concerning My Optometrist clients is stored in databases that have built-in safeguards to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of that information. My Optometrist has implemented appropriate technical and administrative information security measures (including, but not limited to, using authentication and encryption for transmission of information) to help it keep your information secure, accurate and complete. However, My Optometrist cannot assure the security of any information you transmit and you do so at your own risk.

My Optometrist will accept no liability for any unauthorised interception of any information, including but not limited to where the user’s software or device has been compromised in any way, or the unauthorised interception has occurred due to the fault or negligence of the user.

 

Downloads

Although all efforts are made, My Optometrist offers no warranty, whether express or implied, is given that any downloads available via the Website is free of viruses, malicious code or any other data which has the ability to corrupt or affect the operation of the User’s computer, database, network or other information system.

 

USE OF COOKIES / WEBSITE USAGE INFORMATION

My Optometrist’s website uses industry-wide technologies, referred to as “cookies”. A cookie is a small data file that allows websites to write to the user’s hard drive when visited. Our internal Analytics software may collect anonymous information from visitors to the website(s) to analyse trends and statistics and help provide better customer service. Cookies by themselves cannot be used to discover your identity.

You can set your browser to notify you when you receive a Cookie. If preferred not to receive cookies and store it while browsing My Optometrist’s website, you can set your browser to notify you before accepting the use of cookies and refuse the use cookie while browsing. This allows you to decide if you want to accept it or not. If you choose not to accept Cookies from My Optometrist’s website may limit its functionalities or performance and in certain circumstances, it will become impossible for the you to access certain information or request specific service(s).

Disclaimer: By using third party search engines or web browsers to access My Optometrist website, the third party may use the anonymous data collected to contextualise and personalise the ads on its own advertising network.

 

HYPERLINKS

Hyperlinks to external Websites

My Optometrist is not responsible for any representations, information, warranties or content on any third party website. My Optometrist’s website contains web links to other websites and does not share personal information with those websites and is not responsible for their privacy practices and policies. We strongly recommend all users to learn about the privacy policy of third party companies prior to following such links (including social networks).

 

Hyperlinking to My Optometrist website

My Optometrist does not take responsibility for any unauthorised links, frames, metatags or similar from external/third party sites.

 

MARKETING

With your consent, My Optometrist may use your personal information for direct marketing to inform you about additional services, improved products and special offers related to you.

Communication channels include but not limited to:

-Post

-Telephone

-SMS

-Email

You have the right at any time to stop all direct marketing from My Optometrist.

 

COPYRIGHT

Unless otherwise indicated, all materials on these pages are copyrighted (e.g. logos, images, text, downloads and data) belongs to My Optometrist and may not be used for any purpose other than personal use. Any other use is prohibited until written permission is granted by My Optometrist.

 

AMENDMENTS

This privacy policy was last updated in June 2021. The current version of the policy at the time shall govern the respective rights and obligations between you and My Optometrist. You agree to review the Privacy Policy whenever you visit this website for any such amendments.

 

ERRORS AND OMISSIONS ACCEPTED

Although all efforts are made in preparing the information on the website, My Optometrist cannot not warrant that the website is error free, the material, functions and information provided on this website is for communication and informational purposes only and does not claim it as advise or fact, My Optometrist renounces any liability to the user in this regard.

My Optometrist is not responsible for any content or comments posted by any user of this website.

Please address any comments or inaccuracies contained in the website to marlene@myoptometrist.co.za

 

COMPLIANCE

You can contact us with any questions related to this privacy policy:

Registered Information Officer: Marléne Pretorius

Email Address: marlene@myoptometrist.co.za

 

You have the right to lodge a compliant with the Information Regulator:

JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001

P.O Box 31533, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2017

complaints.IR@justice.gov.za

 

ACCESS/DOWNLOAD INFORMATION MANUALS AND FORMS:

PAIA MANUAL – My Optometrist.pdf

FORM Objection to processing Personal information – My Optometrist.pdf

FORM Deletion Correction of personal information – My Optometrist.pdf

FORM Direct Marketing – My Optometrist.pdf