Last updated June 2026
Who we are
This Privacy Policy explains how Frontier Equipment Pty Ltd (ABN 67 154 117 503), trading as Ruffwear Australia ("Ruffwear Australia", "we", "us", "our"), collects, holds, uses, discloses and protects your personal information.
We are the authorised Australian and New Zealand distributor for Ruffwear gear and operate the website at https://ruffwear.com.au/ (the "Website"). We are an "APP entity" under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the "Privacy Act") and are bound by the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).
This Policy applies to the Website and to your dealings with us through any channel (phone, email, online chat, social media, events, and post). It does not apply to Ruffwear Inc. (United States), to ruffwear.com, or to other Ruffwear regional sites and distributors, each of which has its own privacy notice.
By using the Website or purchasing our products, you agree to the handling of your personal information as described in this Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Website.
What personal information do we collect
Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:
- Identity and contact details — name, email address, postal/delivery address, phone number.
- Account details — username, password/PIN, and order history.
- Transaction information — products purchased and the payment method used. (We do not store full card numbers — see "Payments" below.)
- Communications — the content of your enquiries, support requests, reviews, and correspondence with us.
- Stories and images — photos and adventure stories you choose to share with us (which may include images of you and your dog, and information such as location).
- Technical and usage information — IP address, device type and identifiers, browser type, operating system, approximate location, pages viewed, links clicked, and browsing/purchase behaviour on the Website, collected via cookies and similar technologies.
- Social media information — information you share when you interact with us on social platforms or tag us.
We generally do not collect sensitive information (as defined in the Privacy Act). Please do not send us sensitive information unless we specifically request it.
How we collect personal information
We collect personal information:
- directly from you — when you create an account, place an order, contact us, subscribe to marketing, enter a competition or survey, or share a story;
- automatically — through cookies and similar technologies as you use the Website; and
- from third parties — such as payment processors, analytics and marketing providers, and social media platforms.
Where it is reasonable and practicable, we collect personal information directly from you. If we collect your information from a third party, we take reasonable steps to ensure you are made aware of the matters in this Policy.
Cookies and tracking technologies
We use cookies, tags, pixels and similar technologies to operate the Website, remember your preferences, analyse traffic, and (where you have opted in) personalise marketing such as abandoned-cart reminders. You can control cookies through your browser settings; disabling some cookies may affect how the Website works.
Our Website does not currently respond to browser "Do Not Track" signals.
Why we use your personal information
We use personal information to:
- create and manage your account;
- process, fulfil and deliver your orders, and handle returns and warranty claims;
- provide customer support and respond to your enquiries;
- contact you about your account, orders, or a product recall;
- send you marketing communications where you have consented or where otherwise permitted by law (you can opt out at any time);
- operate, secure, analyse and improve the Website and our products;
- run surveys, competitions and community/story features (with your permission before publishing your content);
- comply with our legal obligations and enforce our terms; and
- protect our rights, your safety, and the rights and safety of others.
We may de-identify and aggregate information for analytics and product improvement. Where information is de-identified, it is no longer used to identify you.
Direct marketing
Where permitted, we may send you marketing about products, offers and stories. Every marketing email and SMS includes an unsubscribe option, and you can also opt out by emailing info@ruffwear.com.au. You may still receive non-marketing transactional messages (order confirmations, recalls, password resets, etc.). Our electronic marketing complies with the Spam Act 2003 (Cth).
When we disclose your personal information
We may disclose your personal information to:
- Service providers who help us run our business — for example website hosting, order fulfilment and logistics, payment processing, analytics, email/SMS marketing, customer support, and IT services — who are only permitted to use it to provide services to us;
- Ruffwear Inc. (United States) and the wider Ruffwear group, as the brand owner, for purposes such as product, warranty and brand support;
- Payment processors (see below);
- Government authorities, regulators, courts or other parties where required or authorised by law, or to protect against fraud or harm; and
- A purchaser or successor in the event of a sale, merger, restructure or insolvency affecting our business.
We do not sell your personal information.
Payments
We offer third-party payment methods such as Shop Pay, PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay. These providers handle your card and account details under their own terms and privacy policies; we do not store full payment card numbers on our systems.
Overseas disclosure (APP 8)
Some of the parties we disclose personal information to are located outside Australia, or store data outside Australia. In particular, we are likely to disclose personal information to recipients in the United States (Ruffwear Inc. and certain technology and service providers).
Before disclosing personal information overseas, we take reasonable steps to ensure recipients handle it consistently with the APPs, except where an exception under the Privacy Act applies.
How we keep your personal information secure
We take reasonable administrative, physical and technical steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.
We are subject to the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme under the Privacy Act. If a data breach is likely to result in serious harm, we will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) as required by law.
We take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify personal information when it is no longer needed and we are not required to retain it.
Accessing and correcting your information (APP 12 & 13)
You can view and update your account details by logging into the Website. You may also ask us to give you access to, or correct, the personal information we hold about you by contacting us using the details below. We will respond within a reasonable time. We may need to verify your identity first, and in limited circumstances permitted by law we may decline a request — if we do, we will explain why.
To deactivate your account, email info@ruffwear.com.au with "Deactivate Account" in the subject line. We will deactivate it and delete personal information where permitted or required by law.
Children
The Website is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18 without appropriate consent. If we become aware we have collected such information without the necessary consent, we will delete it.
How to make a privacy complaint
If you believe we have breached the APPs or mishandled your personal information, please contact us first using the details below. We will acknowledge your complaint and aim to resolve it within a reasonable time.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):
- Website: www.oaic.gov.au
- Phone: 1300 363 992
- Post: GPO Box 5288, Sydney NSW 2001
Changes to this Policy
We may update this Policy from time to time. The current version will always be posted here with the "Last updated" date above. Please check back periodically.
Contact us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our information handling practices, please contact us:
Ruffwear Australia1-2, 28 Albany Street
Crows Nest, Sydney NSW 2065
info@ruffwear.com.au
1300 552 000