Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

1.1 Chery South Africa Proprietary Limited ("we", "us", "our") is an automotive manufacturer and wholesaler who imports and retails automotive vehicles and components for onward sale to Dealerships and/or customers.

1.2 We value our members, clients, and business partners. We understand the sensitive nature of the personal information which we hold. It is for this reason that the protection of your personal information is one of our top priorities. We endeavour to maintain the confidentiality of your personal information and process your personal information in adherence to the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA").

1.3 This privacy policy explains:

How we collect, use, transfer, and protect your personal information.
The rights you have in relation to your personal information in terms of POPIA.

1.4 This notice may be revised from time to time as and when necessitated by the changes in our growing business. Updated versions of this notice will be posted on our website and made available via email upon request. If you wish to receive this privacy policy by email, you may do so by request to our information officer at info@chery.co.za.

2. What is personal information

2.1 In terms of POPIA, personal information is information that may be used to identify an individual or a company.

2.2 Examples of personal information include, but are not limited to:

Name
Identification number
Contact information
Financial information
Information relating to race, gender, or sexual orientation
Age
Physical or mental health
Disability
Language

3. Personal Information that we collect

3.1 We collect and use personal information from you directly or indirectly, by completing an application for our products and services or requesting further information about our products and services, whether in writing, through our website, over the telephone, through an authorised Dealer/Franchisee, or any other means where there is a legitimate and mutual interest.

3.2 We may collect personal information which includes, but is not limited to:

Identification and contact information: name, physical and postal address, email address, telephone or other contact details, date of birth, identification number.
Vehicle information: registration number, VIN, service reminders, mileage, warranty, service and maintenance repair information.
Usage data: the date and time you used our services, pages visited on our website, IP address, GPS location (where permitted), Internet browser and device information, cookie, pixel, or beacon information.
Transaction details: details of any transactions between you and us or any authorised Dealer/Franchisee.
Communication records: voice recordings of calls to our customer service centre, social media records, any information within correspondence you send to us.

4. How we collect personal information

We collect your personal information in one of the following ways:

Directly from you.
From our Group Affiliates and/or Dealerships/Franchisees.
From customers that refer you to us.
Automatically when you use our website (e.g., data gathered by cookies).
When you use our website for online queries or chat box functionality.
When your personal information is publicly available.
If you have given consent to the collection of your information from another source.

5. Use of personal information

Personal information collected by us may be used, stored, disclosed, or shared for the following purposes:

To communicate with you regarding our products, services, and support information.
To send you important information regarding changes to our policies and other terms and conditions.
For testimonials.
To manage any membership disputes.
To process your instalments and other payments.
To analyse and manage other commercial risks.
To conduct market research.
To provide marketing information to you, enhancing our holistic service by ensuring you have necessary care.
To comply with our internal policies and procedures.
To respond to queries or resolve complaints.
To handle requests for the correction, updating, access, or deletion of your personal information.
To comply with applicable laws and regulatory obligations.
To assess suitability for a product.

6. Sharing of personal information

6.1 Access to your personal information within Chery South Africa and the Group Affiliates is restricted to those individuals who require access for business purposes.

6.2 In order to provide products and services to you, we share your information with Credit Providers, Banks, Group Affiliates, and other commercial partners. We may also share your information with third parties, subject to your consent or in pursuance of our legitimate interests.

6.3 We may disclose your personal information if required by law or to protect our rights.

7. Securing your personal information

7.1 We will take reasonable and appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure your personal information is secure.

7.2 While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee or accept liability for unauthorised disclosures by third parties who are not under our control.

7.3 If you disclose your personal information to a third party, such as an entity operating a website linked to ours, we are not liable for any loss or damage resulting from the disclosure of such information.

8. How you can review and correct your personal information

8.1 We undertake to provide you with access to your personal information and mechanisms to correct or amend any inaccurate or incomplete information.

8.2 Requests for the amendment, correction, or removal of personal information may be declined if unreasonably repetitive, require disproportionate technical effort, or jeopardise the privacy of others.

8.3 The services of access and correction of personal information are done free of charge, except to the extent that it would require disproportionate effort by us.

8.4 It is important that any information you provide directly to us is accurate and correct. Please let us know as soon as possible if any information we hold about you is no longer correct.

9. Data retention

9.1 We will retain your personal information only to the extent and duration that we have a legitimate interest in processing it.

9.2 Upon your request, we will promptly return or destroy any personal information in our possession or control, save for that which we are legally obliged to retain.

10. Cross border personal information transfers

To the extent that we transfer your personal information outside the borders of South Africa, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, ensuring an adequate level of protection similar to POPIA.

11. Your rights as a data subject

11.1 As a data subject, you have a number of data privacy rights, including:

A right of access to personal information held about you.
A right to request correction or deletion of inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, outdated, incomplete, misleading, or unlawfully obtained personal information.
A right to withdraw consent to processing and to object to processing.
A right not to be subject to direct marketing by means of unsolicited electronic communications.
A right not to be subject to automated decision making that results in legal consequences.

11.2 If you are unsatisfied with how we address any complaint, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa. Contact details:

Website: justice.gov.za/inforeg
Tel: 012 406 4818
Fax: 086 500 3351
Email: inforeg@justice.gov.za

12. Contact us

If you have any questions about this notice or our treatment of your personal information or wish to exercise any of your rights, please address an email to informationofficer@chery.co.za.

13. Version control

Last updated: June 2024.