Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 1 July 2022
Last Updated: 4 February 2026

1. Introduction

Specialised Steering (Pty) Ltd ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website specialisedsteering.com.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:

• Submit contact forms or repair requests
• Submit component sourcing enquiries
• Communicate with us via email or phone

This information may include:

• Name and contact information (email, phone number)
• Company or organization name
• Details about your repair or component requirements
• Any other information you choose to provide

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain information, including:

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Pages visited and time spent on pages
• Referring website addresses
• Device information

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Respond to your enquiries and provide customer service
• Process and fulfill your repair or component requests
• Send you information about our services (with your consent)
• Improve our website and services
• Comply with legal obligations
• Protect against fraudulent or illegal activity

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

• Service Providers: We may share information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf (e.g., email services, hosting providers)
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law or in response to valid legal requests
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred

5. Data Storage and Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Your information is stored securely and retained only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies. For detailed information about our use of cookies, please see our Cookie Policy.

7. Third-Party Services

Our website may use third-party services, including:

• Google Analytics: To analyze website usage and improve our services
• Google reCAPTCHA: To protect against spam and abuse
• Cloudinary: For image hosting and optimization
• Airtable: For storing form submissions and business data

These services have their own privacy policies governing the use of your information.

7.1 Google Photos Picker API

Our website uses the Google Photos Picker API to allow administrators to select photos from their Google Photos library for display in our public business gallery. This section explains how we use this API and handle Google user data.

What Google Data We Access

• API Scope: We use the readonly Google Photos Picker scope (https://www.googleapis.com/auth/photospicker.mediaitems.readonly)
• Data Accessed: Only photos that are explicitly selected by our administrators through the Google Photos Picker interface
• Access Level: Read-only access to selected photos only
• No Broad Access: We cannot access your entire Google Photos library, only the specific photos you select
• No Modification: We cannot modify, delete, or organize photos in your Google Photos library
• No Additional Data: We do not access photo albums, favorites, location data, or other library features

How We Use Google Photos Data

We use the Google Photos Picker API exclusively for the following purpose:

1. An administrator logs into our secure admin panel
2. The administrator clicks "Update Gallery from Google Photos"
3. The Google Photos Picker opens, showing the administrator's Google Photos
4. The administrator selects specific photos showcasing completed hydraulic steering repairs
5. Selected photos are downloaded once from Google Photos
6. Photos are uploaded to Cloudinary (our image hosting service) for optimization and delivery
7. Photos are displayed publicly in our gallery at specialisedsteering.com/gallery
8. The gallery showcases our completed repair work to potential customers

Purpose: This integration allows us to efficiently manage our business photo gallery by selecting photos from Google Photos, which are then used solely to showcase our hydraulic steering repair services to potential customers.

Who We Share Google Photos Data With

• Public Display: Selected photos are made publicly available in our website gallery at /gallery
• Image Hosting: Photos are hosted by Cloudinary (our CDN and image hosting service) for optimized delivery
• No Third-Party Sales: We do NOT sell your Google user data to any third parties
• No Advertising: We do NOT use your data for advertising or marketing purposes beyond displaying selected photos in our business gallery
• No Other Sharing: We do NOT share your Google data with any other third parties except as necessary to display photos (Cloudinary hosting)

Data Protection and Security

• OAuth access tokens are stored securely on our server with encrypted access
• Admin gallery management requires authentication and authorization
• We use the most restrictive API scope available (readonly, selected photos only)
• OAuth tokens are automatically refreshed and managed securely
• Only authorized administrators can access the photo selection interface
• All data transmission uses HTTPS encryption

Data Retention and Deletion

• Selected photos remain in our public gallery until manually removed by an administrator
• Photos are not automatically deleted or expired
• OAuth access tokens are managed automatically and refreshed as needed
• You can revoke our access to Google Photos at any time through your Google Account settings at myaccount.google.com/permissions
• To request removal of specific photos from our gallery, contact us using the information in Section 10

Your Control Over Google Photos Data

You maintain full control over your Google Photos:

• You control which photos are selected through the Google Photos Picker interface
• We only have readonly access - we cannot modify or delete photos in your Google Photos library
• You can revoke our access at any time through your Google Account settings
• Revoking access will not affect photos already in our gallery, but will prevent future photo selections

Google API Services User Data Policy

Our use of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. We use Google user data only for the purposes described in this privacy policy and do not transfer Google user data to third parties except as necessary to provide or improve user-facing features of our gallery service.

Questions About Google Photos API Usage

If you have questions about our use of the Google Photos Picker API or how we handle Google user data, please contact us using the information provided in Section 10.

8. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your personal information
• Object to processing of your personal information
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided in Section 10.

9. Children's Privacy

Our website is not intended for children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us:

Specialised Steering (Pty) Ltd
Email: tracy@ssteering.co.za
Phone: +27 67 009 6822
Address: Germiston, Gauteng, South Africa

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

Note: For the complete and most current version of our Privacy Policy, please refer to this page. A downloadable PDF version may also be available upon request.