Privacy policy

What this policy covers

Pocket Tutor Pty Ltd (ABN 51 660 329 895) operates pockettutor.com.au. This policy explains how we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information when educators, families, adult students, schools and music organisations use Pocket Tutor. We handle personal information in accordance with applicable Australian privacy law, including the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles where they apply.

Information we collect

Account and contact information — names, email addresses, account roles, authentication records, preferences, support messages and other information you give us when creating or managing an account. Passwords are handled by our authentication provider and are not available to Pocket Tutor in plain text.

Educator and verification information — profile details such as instruments, rates, locations, schools and organisations, qualifications, experience, biography and photos. To review child-safety clearances we also collect an educator's legal name, date of birth, clearance type or state, number, expiry and review status. The underlying clearance details are not published.

Family, student and lesson information — parent, guardian, administrator, educator and student names and contact details; invitations and referrals; lesson requests, schedules, attendance, practice and listening activity, notes, terms, group enrolments and communications sent through the platform.

Organisation, location and availability information — organisation claims, memberships, affiliations, roster details, enquiries, teaching locations and search criteria. If an organisation administrator connects a private MyMusicStaff calendar feed, we store the feed URL and availability settings, process busy times to calculate availability, and store only the resulting available time slots rather than raw calendar event details.

Payment information — Stripe processes card and payout onboarding details. Pocket Tutor does not store full card numbers or bank account details, but we keep Stripe identifiers and records of invoices, lesson charges, service fees, refunds, disputes and payouts.

Technical and usage information — IP address, browser and device information, timestamps, requested pages, security events and diagnostic logs generated when the service is used. We also use essential cookies and browser storage for authentication, security, preferences and in-progress setup.

How we collect information

We collect information directly from you when you use Pocket Tutor, contact us or connect a service. We may also receive it from another authorised user—for example, a parent, educator or organisation administrator who creates a student record, sends an invitation, manages a roster or connects an organisation calendar—from child-safety and other public registers we use for verification, and from service providers such as Stripe.

How we use information

We use personal information to provide and secure accounts; operate the educator and organisation directories; review profiles, affiliations and child-safety clearances; support enquiries, lesson requests, schedules, notes, availability and group lessons; process and reconcile payments; deliver service and support communications; prevent abuse; administer the business; improve the service; and comply with legal, tax, accounting and dispute-resolution obligations.

We do not sell personal information. We do not currently use third-party advertising or behavioural advertising trackers.

Children's information

Pocket Tutor accounts are intended for adults. Information about a child may be provided by their parent or guardian, an educator, or an authorised school or organisation administrator so lessons can be arranged and administered. A person who provides a child's information must be authorised to do so and should provide only what is reasonably needed. We use children's information for lesson administration and related safety, support and legal purposes, and do not publish a child's private lesson or contact details.

Public profiles and sharing between users

Approved educator profiles and approved organisation pages are public. They may include the profile photo, biography, qualifications, instruments, rates, service areas, schools and organisations, lesson terms, availability indicators and verification badges that the educator or organisation chooses to provide. We do not publish an educator's date of birth, clearance number or payment details.

We share relevant information between users when needed for a feature—for example, between an educator and a family arranging lessons, with authorised organisation administrators managing a roster or enquiry, or with a tutor reviewing an adult contact suggested for a group. Access depends on the user's role and relationship to the record.

Service providers and overseas handling

We disclose or make information available only as reasonably needed to operate Pocket Tutor, to professional advisers, in connection with a business transaction, with your direction or consent, or where required or authorised by law. Current technology providers include Supabase for authentication, database and file storage; Vercel for web hosting; Stripe for payments and payouts; Amazon Web Services for email delivery; HubSpot for account and support contact management; Google for place search; and a connected calendar provider when that feature is used.

Pocket Tutor's primary Supabase database and file storage are hosted in Sydney, Australia. Some providers are global and may process, support or allow authorised access to information from the United States and other countries in which they operate. Overseas privacy laws may differ from Australian law. Where Australian Privacy Principle 8 applies, we take reasonable steps required by that principle before disclosing personal information overseas.

Cookies and browser storage

Pocket Tutor uses cookies, local storage and session storage that are necessary to keep you signed in, protect the service, remember preferences and preserve setup progress. Blocking these technologies may prevent parts of the service from working. If we introduce non-essential analytics or advertising cookies, we will update this policy and provide any notice or choice required by law.

Security and data breaches

We use reasonable technical and organisational safeguards designed to protect personal information, including encrypted connections, role-based access controls and restricted handling of verification and calendar credentials. No internet service can guarantee absolute security. If a data breach occurs, we will assess and respond to it and, where the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme applies, notify affected people and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner as required.

Retention

We keep personal information while it is needed to provide the service and for legitimate legal, safety, tax, accounting, fraud-prevention and dispute-resolution purposes. Retention periods vary by record type. Account holders who are eligible for self-service deletion can schedule it in Settings, with a seven-day restoration period. You may also contact us to request deletion. We may retain limited records where required or permitted by law, and deletion from backups may take additional time.

Access, correction and deletion

You can view and update much of your information in your account. To ask for access to, correction of or deletion of other personal information, email us using the address below. We may need to verify your identity. We will respond within a reasonable period, normally within 30 days. If applicable law permits us to refuse all or part of a request, we will explain why and how you can complain.

Complaints

Email support@pockettutor.com.au with the subject 'Privacy complaint', describe what happened and the outcome you are seeking. We will acknowledge and investigate the complaint, may ask for further information, and aim to respond within 30 days. If we need more time, we will tell you why. If you are not satisfied with our response, or we do not respond within 30 days, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au.

Changes to this policy

If we change this policy, we will post the updated version on this page with a new effective date.

Contact us

For privacy questions, access or correction requests, or complaints, email support@pockettutor.com.au.