Privacy Policy

VanLife Connect Pty Ltd
ACN: 689 008 802 | ABN: 72 689 008 802
Effective date: March 2026

This Privacy Policy describes how VanLife Connect Pty Ltd (“VanLife Connect“, “we“, “us“, or “our“) collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects your personal information when you use our mobile application (the “App“), website, and related services (collectively, the “Services“).

We are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). This policy is informed by international privacy standards and platform requirements.

By downloading, accessing, or using the VanLife Connect App or website, you consent to the data practices described in this policy. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use our Services.

Due to the nature of our platform which involves bookings, payments, peer-to-peer interactions, and identity-based safety features, it is not practicable for users to interact with VanLife Connect anonymously or under a pseudonym. Verified identity is required to ensure platform safety, fulfil booking and payment obligations, and meet our regulatory and legal requirements. Where interaction with general content on our website does not require account creation, you may browse without providing personal information.

The Platform is intended only for individuals aged 18 years or older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from persons under 18. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a person under 18, we will take reasonable steps to delete it

1. Definitions

“Booking” means a confirmed contract between Traveller and Provider facilitated through the VLC Platform

“Community Noticeboard” means the centralized hub for local events, meetups, assistance requests, and community announcements

“Convoy” means a group of travelers who choose to coordinate their journeys through the Travel Mates feature

“Personal Information” has the meaning given under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth)

“Provider” means a user who lists and supplies services through the VLC Platform

“Smart Arrival” means our intelligent location technology that automatically surfaces relevant services, community updates, and Travel Mates information when you check into new locations

“Traveller” means a user who books services through the VLC Platform

“Travel Mates” means the optional social-connection feature that allows Users to discover and connect with other nearby travellers, build convoys, coordinate trips, and communicate through in-app messaging and location-based functionality

“VLC Platform” means our mobile applications, websites, APIs and related services

2. Personal Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of personal information:

Account Information:

  • Full name, email address, mobile phone number
  • Date of birth (for age verification and eligibility – minimum 18 years)
  • Postal address and location data (when location services are enabled)
  • Travel Mates profile information including visibility preferences, interests, convoy participation settings, and status indicators
  • Profile photographs and user-generated biographical content

Financial Information:

  • Payment details processed through secure third-party payment processors (Stripe)
  • Bank account details for Provider payouts (Stripe)
  • Transaction history and booking records
  • Refund and dispute information
  • Tax-related information including ABN for Providers

Platform Content:

  • User-generated content including service listings, photographs, reviews and ratings
  • Communications between users through in-app messaging
  • Travel Mates interactions, connection requests, convoy participation data, and communications between Users within Travel Mates
  • Community Noticeboard posts, comments, and interactions
  • Support communications and enquiries

Technical Information:

  • Device information, IP address, browser type and version
  • Usage data and analytics (including cookies and similar technologies). Cookies and similar technologies are used on our website to support functionality, analytics and security. You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.
  • Login timestamps and session information
  • Push notification tokens and preferences (only where you have granted notification permission through your device settings
  • Location information, including approximate location, check-in points and proximity indicators, is collected only when you enable location services for the VanLife Connect app and grant permission through your device settings. We do not access, collect or track location data unless you have provided permission at the device level. You may withdraw location access at any time through your device settings.
  • App performance data and error logs
  • VanLife Connect does not track users across third-party applications or websites. We do not use the Apple Advertising Identifier (IDFA), Google (GAID), or any similar cross-app advertising identifier. Any analytics data collected is used solely to operate and improve our Services and is not shared for advertising or cross-platform tracking purposes.

Verification Information:

Some of the information below may constitute sensitive information under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), including identity documents. We will seek your explicit consent before collecting sensitive information. You may decline to provide this information; however, doing so may limit your ability to access certain platform features, including the ability to list services as a Provider or participate in identity-verified features such as Travel Mates.

We collect sensitive information only where reasonably necessary for identity verification, fraud prevention, safety, regulatory compliance or platform integrity purposes, and only to the extent required for those purposes.

  • Identity verification documents (driver’s licence, passport)
  • Australian Business Number (ABN) for Providers (where applicable)
  • Vehicle registration details (where applicable)
  • Insurance documentation (where applicable)
  • Verification status (where applicable)

3. How We Collect Personal Information

We collect personal information through:

Direct Collection:

  • Registration forms, booking processes, user profiles, and communications
  • When you create or update your Travel Mates profile or interact with other Users within the Travel Mates feature
  • Community Noticeboard posts and interactions
  • Service listings and marketplace activities
  • Customer support interactions

Automatic Collection:

  • Cookies, device sensors, usage analytics, and app functionality
  • When you enable Travel Mates or Smart Arrival, we collect location signals necessary to determine approximate proximity to other Users
  • Smart Arrival location detection and check-in processes
  • App usage patterns and performance metrics

Third-Party Sources:

Payment processors, identity verification services, social media platforms (with your consent), background check providers and government databases for tax and regulatory compliance purposes.

Stripe processes payment and identity verification information in accordance with its own privacy policy. Where identity verification is conducted through Stripe Connect or Stripe Identity, Stripe acts as an independent service provider and may retain and process verification information in accordance with its legal and regulatory obligations.

4. Purpose of Collection and Use

Core Platform Operations:

  • Operating and providing the VLC Platform services
  • Facilitating service listings, bookings, and secure payments
  • Enabling communication between Travellers and Providers
  • Processing transactions and managing refunds
  • Maintaining user accounts and profiles

Safety and Security:

  • Verifying user identity and eligibility to use the Platform
  • Assist to prevent fraud, unauthorized access, and misuse of the Platform
  • Investigating disputes and policy violations
  • Maintaining Platform security and integrity

Legal and Regulatory Compliance:

  • Complying with Australian tax reporting obligations
  • Meeting anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing requirements
  • Responding to lawful requests from government authorities
  • Enforcing our Terms & Conditions

Service Improvement:

  • Personalizing user experience and recommendations
  • Analyzing usage patterns to improve Platform functionality
  • Conducting research and development
  • Providing customer support

Marketing and Communications:

  • Sending service-related notifications and updates (these are operational and cannot be opted out of while your account is active)
  • Providing marketing communications including promotional offers and platform news, only where you have provided consent
  • Conducting user surveys and feedback collection

You may withdraw consent for marketing communications at any time by clicking the ‘unsubscribe’ link included in any marketing email. Withdrawal of marketing consent will not affect the delivery of transactional or service-related communications necessary to operate your account.

Travel Mates Functionality:

We use personal information to operate and improve Travel Mates, including:

  • Displaying approximate location to other Users who have opted into Travel Mates
  • Showing nearby travellers, convoys, and check-ins
  • Supporting messaging and connection requests
  • Enabling Smart Arrival to surface Travel Mates information at new locations
  • Ensuring safety and trust through identity requirements
  • Coordinating convoy activities and group travel

5. Legal Basis for Processing

We collect, use and disclose personal information only where reasonably necessary to provide our Services, comply with legal obligations, protect the integrity and safety of the Platform, or where you have provided consent.

This includes:

  • Providing and administering your account and bookings
  • Processing payments and complying with tax and regulatory requirements
  • Preventing fraud, misuse and security incidents
  • Improving the functionality and reliability of the Platform
  • Sending marketing communications or enabling optional features where you have chosen to participate

6. Disclosure of Personal Information

We may disclose your personal information to the following categories of recipients:

Platform Users:

  • Other users as necessary for booking fulfillment and communication
  • Public display of usernames, ratings, and review content (as per Platform settings)
  • Community Noticeboard interactions and posts

Travel Mates Visibility:

If you choose to use Travel Mates:

  • Your profile, approximate location, check-ins and availability status may be visible to other Users who have enabled Travel Mates
  • Convoy members may see additional coordination details you choose to share
  • You may turn Travel Mates on or off at any time

Service Providers:

  • Payment processors (including Stripe and other financial institutions)
  • Cloud hosting and IT infrastructure providers (AWS Sydney region)
  • Identity verification and background check services
  • Customer support and communication platforms

Government and Legal:

  • Law enforcement agencies and government authorities (when legally required)
  • Courts and tribunals (in response to lawful orders)
  • Regulatory bodies including the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC)
  • Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for tax reporting compliance

We do not sell personal information.
We do not share personal information for behavioural or targeted advertising.
We do not use precise location data for advertising purposes.
We do not use cross-app or cross-website tracking technologies (including IDFA or GAID) for any purpose
Personal information collected through the Platform is used only for core functionality, safety, compliance, service improvement and permitted communications as described in this Policy.

7. Sharing-Economy Tax Reporting

Payments are processed through Stripe Connect. VLC acts solely as limited payment agent for collecting, holding and releasing funds.

In accordance with Australian tax law and our Master Terms & Conditions:

VLC may collect and disclose Provider information including ABN, gross payouts, payment dates, and other required information to the Australian Taxation Office and other relevant authorities as required by the Sharing-Economy Reporting Regime or other applicable laws.

VLC is not obliged to provide additional notice before making compulsory disclosures required by law.

What This Means for You: If you earn income through the Platform, we will report your earnings to the ATO as required. This helps ensure compliance with Australian tax obligations.

8. Data Retention Schedule

We keep personal information only for as long as needed to operate VanLife Connect, meet legal obligations and maintain accurate business records. When information is no longer required, we delete it or permanently anonymise it unless the law requires us to keep it longer.

Account and Profile Information
We retain account details while your account is active. After closure, we keep limited information for up to 7 years to meet legal and audit requirements. Inactive accounts may be deleted or anonymised after a period of non-use.

Bookings and Payments
Records relating to bookings, payments, refunds and disputes are kept for up to 7 years to comply with tax, audit and regulatory obligations.

Communications and Content
Messages, support interactions and community posts are kept only for the period needed to operate the platform, manage safety, or meet legal requirements. Some content may be anonymised rather than deleted.

Verification and Compliance Documents
Identity documents uploaded for storage or compliance purposes are retained only for safety, verification and regulatory requirements. Where identity verification is performed through Stripe Connect or Stripe Identity, Stripe processes verification information as an independent service provider under its own privacy policy and may retain records in accordance with its legal and regulatory obligations.

VLC does not independently verify government-issued identity documents. Uploaded documents are stored securely and deleted or permanently anonymised when no longer required under our retention schedule or applicable law.

Technical and Location Data
Device, usage and analytics data is kept for short operational periods. Certain logs, including security records, may be retained for longer where needed for safety or compliance. Location signals used for features such as Smart Arrival are kept for a limited period and Travel Mates location data is removed as soon as the feature is turned off.

Legal Requirements
Where information relates to legal matters, regulatory reporting or tax obligations, it may be kept for the period required by law.

After retention periods expire, we securely delete or anonymise the information.

9. Peer-to-Peer Marketplace Privacy

VanLife Connect operates as a peer-to-peer platform, which means certain information must be shared between Travellers and Providers to enable bookings, payments and safe interactions.

Provider Verification
We collect identity documents, ABN details and, where relevant, insurance information or background checks to confirm a Provider’s eligibility to offer services. This information is kept only for compliance and audit requirements.

Payments and Escrow
All payments are processed through Stripe. Funds are held securely until the service is completed. Transaction and payment information may be kept for dispute handling, refunds and tax reporting.

Reviews and Ratings
Travellers and Providers can review each other after a booking. Reviews are public and may be moderated to remove personal information or inappropriate content. Review history helps maintain trust on the platform.

Booking Communications
Messages between users are routed through the platform. Contact details or precise service locations are only shared when needed to complete a booking. Communication logs may be kept for dispute resolution and safety purposes.

Trust and Safety
Users can report concerns at any time. We may suspend accounts where safety or rule breaches occur. Relevant information may be preserved for investigations or provided to law enforcement where required by law.

10. Smart Arrival Technology

Smart Arrival is a location-based feature designed to surface relevant information when you arrive at a new destination.

How Smart Arrival Works

Smart Arrival uses location signals from your device to detect when you enter a new campsite area. This may occur through:

  • GPS-based location detection
  • Manual check-in initiated by you
  • Detection that you have entered a new location

Smart Arrival only processes limited location signals needed to detect when you arrive in a new area. Detailed travel history or continuous movement records are not stored.

Information Surfaced

When Smart Arrival detects that you have reached a new campsite, it may display:

  • Available local services from Providers
  • Nearby Travel Mates users who have opted into that feature
  • Community Noticeboard posts relevant to that area
  • General regional or safety-related information
Privacy Protections
  • Permission-Based Operation: Smart Arrival operates only when location services are enabled on your device and permission has been granted to the App. Smart Arrival does not access location data in the background unless the relevant device-level permission has been granted. We do not override your device settings, and you may disable location access at any time through your device settings. Downgrading from ‘Always On’ to ‘While Using’ will not affect your access to any other app features.
  • No Public Location Sharing: Your arrival detection is not publicly shared with other users.
  • Data Minimisation: Only limited location signals necessary to determine arrival in a new area are processed. Detailed GPS tracks are not stored.
User Controls

You may:

  • Continue using other features of the Platform without Smart Arrival
  • Disable location permissions entirely through your device settings
  • Manually check in to a location instead of relying on automatic detection

11. Travel Mates Location Handling

Travel Mates Privacy

Travel Mates helps you connect with nearby travellers while maintaining strong privacy and safety controls.

Travel Mates location sharing is strictly opt-in. The feature is disabled by default and only operates when you actively enable it within the app and grant location permission through your device settings. You may disable Travel Mates or withdraw location access at any time.

Location Sharing
Travel Mates displays only approximate proximity indicators to other users who have also enabled the feature. Exact GPS coordinates are never publicly displayed on the platform. Any additional location details are shared only if you choose to disclose them directly to another user.

Convoy Features
Users travelling together can optionally share plans, routes and live updates. This information is visible only to convoy members and is not shared elsewhere on the platform.

Profile Visibility and Controls
You can choose who can view your Travel Mates profile, set your availability, and block or report other users at any time. Disabling Travel Mates immediately stops location-based visibility to other users.

Data Handling and Storage
Travel Mates uses additional controls for proximity signals, with appropriate security measures. Temporary location data is removed when you turn Travel Mates off.

Safety Measures
Identity verification may be required for Travel Mates users in order to support safety and platform integrity. Contact details are shared gradually as connections form. Optional safety prompts and the ability to disable the feature instantly support safer in-person interactions.

12. Data Breach Notification

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. These measures include access controls, secure cloud infrastructure and limiting access to personal information to those who require it to operate the Platform.

We take the security of personal information seriously. If we become aware of a data breach involving personal information, we will take reasonable steps to contain the incident, assess its nature and extent, and determine whether it is likely to result in serious harm.

Where required under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), we will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner as soon as practicable.

Any notification will include a description of the breach, the types of information involved, the steps we are taking in response, and recommended actions you may take to protect yourself.

We may also publish a notice through the Platform or by other appropriate means where direct notification is not practicable.

If you believe your personal information has been compromised or you have concerns about a potential data incident, you may contact us at privacy@vanlifeconnect.com.au

13. Your Rights and Choices

You have rights under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) to access, correct and request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain legal exceptions.

Access and Correction

You may request access to the personal information we hold about you or request correction if you believe it is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date.

Many details can be updated directly within your account settings. For other requests, you may contact us at privacy@vanlifeconnect.com.au.

We may require reasonable verification of your identity before processing certain requests.

Deletion

You may close your account and request deletion of your personal information at any time using one of the following methods:

  • In-app: Navigate to Settings > Account > Delete Account within the VanLife Connect app
  • By email: Submit a deletion request to privacy@vanlifeconnect.com.au
  • Online: Submit a request via https://vanlifeconnect.com.au/contact

We will acknowledge deletion requests within 5 business days and complete the deletion or de-identification of your personal information within 30 days of receipt, unless we are required to retain specific information for legal, regulatory, safety, fraud prevention or audit purposes. Where we retain information beyond your deletion request due to a legal obligation, we will advise you of the information retained and the reason for retention.

Note: Deletion of your account will result in loss of access to your booking history, reviews, and all account content. This action cannot be reversed.

Privacy Controls

You can manage the following privacy controls through your account settings or device controls at any time:

  • Location permissions: Enable or disable location access (including background location) through your device settings
  • Travel Mates visibility: Turn Travel Mates on or off, set your visibility level, and control who can view your profile
  • Push notifications: Enable or disable push notifications at any time through your device settings
  • Marketing communications: Opt out of marketing emails via the unsubscribe link in any marketing email
  • Data access and deletion: Submit access, correction or deletion requests as described in this Section

Complaints

If you believe we have breached your privacy rights or mishandled your personal information, you may lodge a complaint by contacting privacy@vanlifeconnect.com.au.

We will acknowledge your complaint and take reasonable steps to investigate the matter. We aim to respond within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may escalate your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au

14. Third-Party Service Providers

We use trusted service providers to help operate VanLife Connect. These partners only receive the information needed for their services and under contractual confidentiality and security obligations.

Examples include:
• cloud hosting providers
• payment processors such as Stripe
• identity verification services
• analytics and performance tools
• email, SMS and customer support systems

These companies may process information on our behalf but cannot use it for their own purposes.

Some of our third-party service providers, including payment processors and identity verification services, may process or store personal information outside Australia. Where personal information is disclosed overseas, we take reasonable steps to ensure that it is handled in accordance with Australian privacy law and the Australian Privacy Principles.

15. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal obligations or operational requirements.

When changes are material and affect how we handle personal information, we will take reasonable steps to inform users, which may include email notification or an in-app notice prior to the changes taking effect.

Minor updates, including clarifications, formatting adjustments or administrative changes, will take effect when the revised Policy is published.

The most current version of this Privacy Policy will always be available within the App and on our website. Your continued use of the Services after an updated Policy is published indicates your acceptance of the revised terms.

If you do not agree with the updated Policy, you may discontinue use of the Services and request account closure in accordance with this Policy.

16. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to make a privacy request, you can contact us at:

Email: privacy@vanlifeconnect.com.au

Website: https://vanlifeconnect.com.au/contact

17. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of Western Australia and the Commonwealth of Australia. VanLife Connect is designed and operated for users within Australia. If you access our Services from outside Australia, please be aware that your personal information will be transferred to and processed in Australia (and potentially in the other countries described in Section 14). By using our Services from outside Australia, you consent to this transfer and processing. We acknowledge that users in certain jurisdictions may have additional rights under their local privacy laws. To the extent practicable and required by applicable law, we will endeavour to honour those rights.

If any part of this Policy is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining sections will continue to apply.

Policy Version History

VersionDateSummary of Changes
1.0March 2026Initial policy published
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