Last updated: 15 October 2026
First Gear Driving School (“First Gear”, “we”, “us” or “our”) respects your privacy. This policy explains how we handle personal information when you visit firstgeardriving.com.au, contact us, book driving lessons or interact with our services. It also explains the First Gear Website Reviews application used to display Google reviews.
1. Information we collect
Depending on how you use our services, we may collect your name, email address, phone number, suburb, pickup address, booking details and information you include in messages. Where needed to arrange or deliver lessons, we may also collect relevant learner licence details, driving experience, lesson progress and test information. Please provide only information reasonably needed for your enquiry or lesson.
If you choose to tell us about a medical condition, disability or accessibility requirement relevant to safe instruction, we handle that information for arranging suitable lessons and with your consent where required. We do not need your complete medical history.
Our website and service providers may process technical information such as IP address, browser and device details, pages visited, cookies and security logs. Payment information supplied through a booking or payment provider is handled by that provider; information available to us depends on the service used.
2. How we collect information
We collect information directly through enquiries, bookings, telephone calls, emails and lessons. We may also receive information from a parent or guardian, an authorised person arranging a lesson, our booking and payment providers, or Google where an authorised account holder connects the reviews application.
3. Why we use information
We use relevant information to answer enquiries, check service areas, arrange and deliver lessons, manage bookings and payments, communicate changes, keep appropriate business records, support safety, resolve complaints and protect our website. We may send service messages about your bookings. If we send optional promotional messages, you can ask us to stop using the unsubscribe method or by contacting us.
4. Who information may be shared with
We may share information with the instructor delivering your lesson and service providers who help us operate the business, including booking, payment, hosting, email, website support, security and accounting providers. Sharing is limited to what is reasonably needed for the service or purpose. Information may also be disclosed where required or permitted by law, or with your consent.
5. Google Business Profile and Google Reviews
The First Gear Website Reviews application connects to Google Business Profile through Google OAuth authorisation. This connection is for authorised business account holders and website administrators. Website visitors do not need to sign into Google to read the review cards.
With the account holder’s permission, the application accesses business account and location identifiers and names, location metadata such as Google Maps links and place identifiers, and review information including reviewer display names, ratings, review text, review identifiers and publication or update dates. It also retrieves the overall rating and total review count.
This information is used to identify the correct First Gear location and display selected recent five-star reviews, together with the overall rating and review count, on this website. The selection is a sample of reviews and is not a display of every review. Visitors can follow the Google link to read more reviews. The integration reads information; it does not create, edit or delete Google reviews or change the Business Profile.
We store the selected business connection details, cached review information and authorisation tokens on the website server. Client secrets and authorisation tokens are encrypted by the integration and are not displayed to visitors. Public review details shown in the cards are visible to anyone visiting the website. Authorised website support providers may access information where needed to operate, troubleshoot or secure this feature.
Google API data is not sold or used for advertising targeting, data brokering, credit decisions or training general-purpose AI models. The application’s use and transfer of information received from Google APIs will adhere to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including its Limited Use requirements.
The connected account holder can revoke access through Google Account connections. A website administrator can also use Disconnect Google in the First Gear Reviews settings to remove locally stored authorisation tokens, the selected connection and cached Business Profile reviews. Revoking Google access alone does not automatically delete copies already held on the website. Contact us to request removal of retained Google connection data or a displayed review. Revocation prevents future authorised retrieval; copies in backups are handled through the normal backup lifecycle.
6. Student photographs and success stories
Student photographs, names and test results used for promotional success stories should only be published with the student’s permission and, where appropriate, a parent or guardian’s permission. You can decline promotional use without affecting your lessons. Contact us if you want a published photograph or story corrected or removed from channels we control. We cannot control copies that other people have independently saved or shared.
7. Cookies and third-party services
Cookies and similar technologies may support website sessions, bookings, preferences, security and measurement. Embedded booking tools, Google services and social links may process information under their own privacy policies. You can manage cookies in your browser and use any consent controls offered on the website. Blocking some cookies may affect booking or login functions.
For information about Google’s handling of information, see Google’s Privacy Policy. Other providers’ privacy information should be available through their services.
8. Storage, security and overseas processing
We use reasonable safeguards appropriate to the information we handle, including access controls and protections provided by our hosting and service providers. No online system can guarantee absolute security. We retain information for as long as reasonably needed for the purpose collected, business records, safety, dispute resolution or legal obligations, and seek to delete or de-identify it when no longer required.
Some providers, including Google, operate internationally and may process information outside Australia, including in the United States and other countries in which they or their providers operate. The countries involved depend on the service and its infrastructure. Contact us for information about providers relevant to your enquiry. Where Australian privacy law applies, we take steps required by that law for overseas disclosures.
9. Access, correction and deletion requests
You can contact us to request access to or correction of personal information we hold about you, or to request deletion where appropriate. We may need to verify your identity. Some records may need to be retained for legal, accounting, safety or dispute purposes. We will explain any applicable limitations when responding.
10. Privacy questions and complaints
Please contact us with details of your concern so we can investigate and respond within a reasonable time. If your complaint falls within the jurisdiction of the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, you can seek guidance or make a complaint through the OAIC.
Email admin@firstgeardriving.com.au, call 0416 421 433, or use our contact form. First Gear Driving School is based in Ormeau, Queensland, Australia.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy to reflect changes to our services or information handling. The current version and update date will appear on this page. Where a change to Google API data use requires renewed consent, we will seek that consent before using the data for the new purpose.
See also our Terms and Conditions.