Privacy Policy

At Gentle Waves Pet Cremation Ltd, your privacy is important to us. We understand that families contact us during a sensitive and emotional time, and we are committed to handling your personal information with care, respect, and in accordance with the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, protect, and share personal information when you use our website, contact us, make a booking, use our services, or interact with us in any other way.


1. Information we collect

We only collect information where it is necessary for our services:

  • Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, and delivery address.
  • Pet Details:  Pet’s name, species, breed, weight, date of passing, and selected service package
  • Vet clinic details: where your pet is coming from a clinic
  • Payment Information: Billing details (processed securely by third-party payment providers).
  • Website Usage Data: Information about how you interact with our website, such as IP addresses, browsing behaviour, to improve user experience.


2. How we collect personal information

We may collect personal information directly from you when you:

  • Contact us by phone, email, text message, social media, or through our website
  • Complete a booking form or contact form
  • Arrange a collection, drop-off, private farewell, or ashes return
  • Purchase an urn, keepsake, or other products
  • Use our My Pet Updates service
  • Provide photos or memorial wording
  • Leave a review, testimonial, or message for us
  • Subscribe to updates or communicate with us online

We may also collect personal information from another person or organisation, such as:

  • A vet clinic
  • An emergency vet
  • A family member, friend, or representative arranging services on your behalf
  • A payment provider or website provider

Where we collect personal information from someone other than you, we will take reasonable steps to make sure you are aware of this collection, unless an exception under the Privacy Act applies.


3. Why we collect your personal information

We collect and use personal information for the following purposes:

  • To respond to your enquiry
  • To provide quotes, pricing, and service information
  • To arrange bookings, collections, drop-offs, private farewells, and ashes returns
  • To provide aquamation, memorial, keepsake, urn, and related aftercare services
  • To identify your pet and ensure our care process is handled correctly
  • To communicate with you about your pet’s care and service progress
  • To provide access to My Pet Updates
  • To process payments, invoices, refunds, and receipts
  • To prepare certificates, memorial items, photo urns, tribute content, or other requested keepsakes
  • To manage our relationship with vet clinics and service partners
  • To improve our website, services, customer experience, and internal processes
  • To comply with legal, tax, accounting, health and safety, or regulatory obligations
  • To protect the rights, safety, property, or security of Gentle Waves, our clients, staff, service providers, and others

We will not use your personal information for unrelated purposes unless you have authorised us to do so, or the law allows or requires us to do so.


4. Memorial photos, reviews, and tribute content

If you provide us with a photo, testimonial, review, pet name, memorial wording, or other tribute content, we will only use it for the purpose you provided it for.

For example, this may include:

  • Preparing a memorial product or keepsake
  • Displaying a memorial video during a private farewell
  • Adding your pet to our remembrance or tribute page
  • Sharing a review or testimonial on our website or social media

We will ask for your permission before using private photos, personal messages, or identifiable tribute content for public marketing purposes.


5. Payment information

We may collect billing details and payment-related information to process your payment.

Payments may be processed through third-party payment providers. We do not store full credit card details on our own systems. Payment providers may collect and process your payment information in accordance with their own privacy and security policies.


6. Website, cookies, and analytics

When you visit our website, we may collect limited technical information about your visit, such as your IP address.

Our website may use cookies to:

  • Help the website function properly
  • Improve website performance and user experience
  • Support booking, quote, contact functions
  • Assist with analytics and website improvement


7. Who we may share your information with

We may share personal information only where reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy.

This may include sharing information with:

  • Vet clinics involved in your pet’s care or collection
  • Payment providers
  • Website, booking, forms and email
  • Delivery courier
  • Government, regulatory, or law enforcement agencies, where required or permitted by law

We will not sell your personal information.


9. How we store and protect your information

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

This may include:

  • Using password-protected systems
  • Limiting access to personal information to those who need it
  • Using secure service providers where appropriate
  • Keeping physical records secure
  • Reviewing our internal processes where needed

We take privacy and security seriously and aim to protect your information with reasonable care.


11. Accessing and correcting your personal information

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you.

You may also ask us to correct your personal information if you believe it is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date.

To request access or correction, please contact us at: info@gentlewaves.co.nz

We may need to verify your identity before providing access or making corrections.


12. Privacy breaches

If we become aware of a privacy breach that has caused, or is likely to cause, serious harm, we will take appropriate steps in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020. This may include notifying affected individuals and the New Zealand Privacy Commissioner where required.


13. Marketing communications

We may contact you with service-related information, follow-ups, or updates relevant to your booking or enquiry.

We will only send marketing communications where you have agreed to receive them, or where the law allows us to do so. You can ask us to stop sending marketing communications at any time.


14. Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to other websites, platforms, or third-party services.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those third-party websites. We recommend reviewing their privacy policies before providing personal information to them.


15. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our services, website, business practices, or legal requirements.


16. Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or if you would like to request correction of your personal information, please contact us:

Gentle Waves Pet Cremation Ltd
65 Barrys Point Road, Takapuna, Auckland
Email: info@gentlewaves.co.nz
Phone: +64 20 4010 7800
Phone: +64 20 4010 5891