Privacy Statement

Westnet & Privacy

Westnet is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy and takes this obligation very seriously. We want you to feel confident in the knowledge that we only collect relevant personal data about you for the purpose of us providing you with the services you require from us, and treat such personal data with care and in accordance with our obligations under applicable data protection and privacy laws. Personal data is information relating to a person who is, or can be, identified from the information itself (“Personal Data”).

This Privacy Statement together with any other agreement that we might have with you and any documents referenced herein, sets out the basis on which we will use and process any Personal Data you provide to us or we collect from you through your use of the www.westnet.ie site (our “Site”). Please take a moment to read this Privacy Statement carefully to familiarise yourself with our views and practices regarding your Personal Data and how we treat it. By visiting our Site you are accepting and consenting to the practices described in this Privacy Statement.

Your Personal Data is collected and processed by Westnet Broadband Mayo Limited (“Westnet”) of Cedar House, Moneen Road, Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland – info@westnet.ie.

How we collect your Personal Data

At Westnet we collect and process the following Personal Data about you:

• Information you give us.

While using our Site, you can provide us with information about yourself by filling in forms located on our Site, by talking with us by phone or emailing us regarding information you see on our Site. This includes information you provide the Site while searching for information, interacting with maps and any other interactive features, or in using social media functions on our Site. The information you give us include your name, address, eircode, email address and telephone number. When you become a Westnet customer you can choose to provide us with your bank details as part of filling in a Direct Debit mandate for ease of payment. During your time as a Westnet customer you are likely to correspond with us via email, post, or other form of communication. We will keep the correspondence and the information contained in it together with your account information.

• Information we collect about you.

Every time you access our Site it automatically collects certain technical information automatically and stores it in log files. Technical information includes  the Internet Protocol (IP) address you used to connect to the Internet, information about your visit, including the full Uniform Resource Locators (URL); clickstream to, through, and from our Site (including date and time); page response times, download errors, and time spent on specific pages.

• Information we receive from other parties.

Westnet work closely with other companies (including but not limited to business partners, and an external call centre) and may receive information about you from them.  The Personal Data we receive from this source is name, and contact information such as phone number.

• Use of cookies.

Our Site uses cookies to distinguish you, without identifying you, from other users on the Site. This helps us with providing you with a good experience when you browse our Site. Cookies also enable us to identify traffic to our Site including pages visited and traffic paths taken which in turn help us improve our Site.

Cookies are small text files which are downloaded to your computer or mobile device when you visit a website or application. By using our Site, you are consenting to our use of cookies. However, you can manually disable cookies on your computer or mobile device as most Internet browsers provide the ability to accept or decline specific cookies or types of cookies, and to refuse or delete all cookies. The actual process involved will depend on your browser and you need to refer to the instructions of your specific web browser to use this functionality. Please note that the disabling of cookies may affect the functionality on our Site with some sections not functioning properly, or at all. For further information regarding how we use cookies please see our Cookie Policy which can be found on our Site.

How we use your Personal Data

The Personal Data we gather about you from our Site is used as follows:

• Information you give us.

If you register your details with us using one of the forms on our Site we will use that information to contact you either via email, phone or SMS. We will contact you as you have expressed an interest in our offerings, to provide you with further information or to sign you up for one of our services, as requested by you. If you sign up for one of our services, we need your information to set up a customer account so we can start providing you with the service, invoice you and provide general account management for as long you remain a Westnet customer. Any correspondence you have sent us will be used by us to answer your specific query and provide general account management/customer support.  Finally, when new packages or offerings become available in your area we will contact you either electronically or by phone to make you aware of such offerings provided you have opted in for direct marketing. Please refer to the section “ How to opt-in & opt-out” below where we explain how you can update your marketing preferences at any time.

• Information we collect about you through our SIte.

The technical information we gather about you through your use of our Site is used as follows:

(a) to administer our Site and other internal operations; (b) to improve our Site; (c)  to allow you to participate in interactive features on the Site; (d) to find out how many people are visiting our Site; (e) for statistical purposes; and (f) to target you to advertise Westnet on third party networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Rest assured we will make no attempt to identify individual visitors. Also, we do not track you when you cross from our Site to other websites.

• Information we receive about you from other parties.

If you contact us by phone you may initially talk with a call centre operator rather than Westnet directly. The call centre will provide us with Personal Data such as your name, phone number and reason for calling so we can ensure the most appropriate Westnet person calls you back and assists with your specific inquiry.

The legal basis for us collecting and processing your Personal Data is for performance of a contract i.e us providing you with our broadband services at your address and performing our obligations under that contract. With respect to direct marketing we rely on your consent

How we can disclose your Personal Data

Westnet collects Personal Data about you so we can provide you with our broadband services and manage your account. Where necessary,  we will disclose, in compliance with applicable law and subject to prior notice or consent where relevant, Personal Data to third parties as follow:

1. Commercial Partners. As we constantly look for ways to improve our services and provide our customers with new improved offerings we may from time to time partner with third parties in the provision of such service offering. If you choose to sign up for an offering provided by a third party such as SIRO or open eir, their agents provide installation services on our behalf. In those circumstances we will disclose your information to such third party in order to allow them to contract you directly via telephone with a view to arrange and perform installation services at your premises. We will always tell you in advance who we would like to pass your details on to, and make sure you are happy for us to do so.
2. Data Processor. Westnet uses an external call centre to help answering our phones. They need access to your basic Personal Data in order to provide you with basic customer service and/or to pass on you inquiry to the relevant Westnet person.
3. Purchaser of our business. If another company acquires Westnet, that company will possess the Personal Data collected by Westnet and it will assume the rights and obligations regarding your Personal Data as set out in this statement.
4. Other third parties. Where allowed by applicable law we may share Personal Data with a debt collection agency. Finally, there are instances where we are required by law to disclose Personal Data to authorities such as An Garda Siochana.

We will not transfer your data to a location outside the EU. Please note that our Site uses interfaces with social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. If you choose to “like” or share information from our Site through these services, you should review the privacy policy of that service. If you have an account on a social media site, the interfaces may allow the social media site to connect your site visit to your personal data.

How we store your Personal Data

Westnet stores your Personal Data on our servers located in Ireland. We take all reasonably necessary steps to ensure your Personal Data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Statement and in accordance with the applicable laws.

Note that the transmission of data via the Internet is not completely secure so we cannot guarantee the security of data transmitted to our Site; any such transmission is at your own risk. Once we receive your Personal Data, we will employ appropriate physical and technical measures to secure your data, including staff training and awareness. These measures will be reviewed regularly and changed/updated as needed.

How long we keep your Personal Data

We do not hold your Personal Data for longer than is necessary for us to fulfill the purposes for which the Personal Data was collected in the first instance unless; (a) we are specifically required to keep your Personal Data longer by applicable law, or (b) you have given us permission to keep it on file so we can contact you in the future if/when we introduce new service offerings that may be of interest to you. Personal Data belonging to Westnet customers will be kept for a period of 13 months from cancellation of contract. Personal Data belonging to prospective customers will be kept for a period of 12 months from the data you consented to us holding the data for marketing purposes unless you have chosen to withdraw your consent earlier.

What are your Rights

The General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) became effective across all of the EU on May 25, 2018. The GDPR and other data protection legislation give you, as a data subject, extensive rights when it comes to your Personal Data. Detailed information about your rights is available on the Data Protection Commissioners website (https://www.dataprotection.ie/docs/A-guide-to-your-rights-Plain-English-Version/r/858.htm)

It is your right to know which Personal Data we hold on you and what we do with it. You can make a written request to gain access to your Personal Data. and we will provide this information to you within 30 days. When making a access request please be specific with respect to what data you are looking for as that will speed up the process. Alternatively you can ask for a Subject Access Request form which you can fill out and return to us. The 30 day response time starts when we receive your written request.

You have the right to correct the record of Personal Data held by us If you believe any part of the Personal Data is incomplete, incorrect or outdated.  Simply ask us to update, verify, delete or correct it. In order to avoid any misunderstandings we ask you to send us an email or letter with the new/corrected  details.

Also, following your written request we will cease processing or erase your Personal Data when we no longer need it in order to provide you with our services and where such deletion is not in conflict with our other legal obligations.

You can also request that Westnet ceases using your Personal Data for direct marketing purposes – see the section below for further details.

How to opt-in & opt-out of Direct Marketing

Westnet will use electronic marketing when undertaking any marketing campaigns. This means that we will contact you either via phone, text message or email. The rules vary depending on whether you are a prospective customer or an existing Westnet customer.

• Prospects

Unfortunately, we cannot provide broadband services to every single address in our geographical area. If you contact us and we have to disappoint you at this specific point in time you may ask us to keep your contact details on file in the event the situation changes in the future. We are happy to oblige and will send you a link to an opt-in page on our Site. We ask you to click the link and then click another box to confirm your consent in respect of us contacting you if, and when Westnet broadband services become available in your area. We will only contact you via text message or email. Whenever we contact you we will include a link to a page on our Site where you can easily and quickly withdraw your consent for future messages should you so choose.

• Customers

Westnet will from time to time bring new services to the market and if we believe they would be of interest to you based on your current service offering, we would like to contact you electronically either via text message, email or by phone to let you know of such new offerings. We will only contact you in respect of new offerings you have previously expressed an interest in or that we think will be a step up from your current service. Everytime we contact you for direct marketing purposes via electronic means we will provide you with a link to our Site where you can opt-out of future marketing campaigns in general or via a specific electronic means such as phone.. It will only take a few clicks on our Site and is completely free of charge. If we call you with information about new offerings in your area we will ask you whether you are still happy to receive this type of call from us or if you want to opt-out.

Changes and updates to the Privacy Statement

Like everything in life we expect this Privacy Statement to change with time. We reserve the right to amend it at any time, for any reason, without notice, other than the posting of the amended Privacy Statement at our Site. We encourage you to check our Site frequently to see the Privacy Statement that is in effect. The version on our Site which will be dated will supersede all previous, older versions.

How to contact us

This Privacy Statement is intended to provide you with information about what Personal Data Westnet collects about you and how we use it. You are always welcome to contact us at info@westnet.ie if you have any questions.