1. Introduction

Golden Gains ("we", "us", "our") buys gold and silver from customers across Gauteng, South Africa, from our premises at 47 Main Street, Witfield, Boksburg. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and what rights you have, in line with South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and the Second-Hand Goods Act 6 of 2009.

2. Information We Collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

Identification details — your full name and South African ID number or passport number, collected when you sell an item to us, as required by law.
Contact details — phone number, email address, and/or physical address, whether provided in-store or through our website's contact form.
Transaction details — a description of the item(s) sold, weight, purity, the price paid, and the date and time of the transaction.
Payment details — where payment is made by EFT rather than cash, the bank account details needed to complete that specific payment.
Website enquiries — the name, phone number, and message you submit through our online contact form.

We do not currently use cookies or third-party analytics/tracking software on this website. If that changes in future, this policy will be updated to reflect it.

3. Why We Collect It

We collect and process your personal information because:

We are legally required to under the Second-Hand Goods Act 6 of 2009, which requires second-hand goods dealers to record prescribed details of sellers and items purchased, partly to help prevent the trade in stolen goods.
It's necessary to provide the valuation and purchase service you've asked for.
It's necessary to process payment for an item you've sold to us.
You've contacted us with a question or request via our website, phone, or WhatsApp, and we need your details to respond.

4. How We Use Your Information

We only use your personal information for the purposes described above. We will not use your information for marketing purposes without your separate, explicit consent, and we do not sell or rent your personal information to any third party.

5. Who We Share It With

We may share your information with the South African Police Service (SAPS) or other relevant regulatory bodies, but only where we are legally required to do so under the Second-Hand Goods Act or other applicable law.

Our website's contact form uses a third-party service, FormSubmit, solely to deliver your message to our email inbox. FormSubmit processes the information you submit through that form for this purpose only — see their own privacy policy for details on how they handle that data in transit.

Outside of the above, we do not share your personal information with any other third party.

6. How Long We Keep It

Records relating to items purchased are retained for a minimum of five (5) years, as required by the Second-Hand Goods Act. After this statutory period, records are securely destroyed or permanently deleted.

7. How We Protect It

Physical records are kept in locked, access-controlled storage. Digital records are encrypted and access is restricted to authorised staff only.

8. Your Rights Under POPIA

Subject to our statutory record-keeping obligations described above, you have the right to:

Request access to the personal information we hold about you.
Request correction of any inaccurate or outdated information.
Object to our processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
Withdraw consent at any time where we rely on your consent (for example, for marketing communications).
Lodge a complaint with South Africa's Information Regulator if you believe your information has been mishandled.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details at the bottom of this page.

9. Age Restriction

Our services are intended for adults aged 18 and over, in line with the identification requirements of the Second-Hand Goods Act. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, please contact us:

Email: info@goldengains.co.za
Phone / WhatsApp: 064 697 8412
In person: 47 Main Street, Witfield, Boksburg, 1459