Terms of Use

    TERMS OF USE

     

    Company name: Advans Cameroon

    Established (Approval obtained): May 2007

    Legal representative: Mamie KALONDA, Chief Executive Officer

    Headquarters: Salle des fêtes, Akwa, Douala, département du Wouri, région du littoral

    Contact: advans@advanscameroun.com

    1.0 Introduction 

    The protection of the personal data of our customers, employees, partners, and other stakeholders is an essential part of the products and services we offer. This policy explains how we collect, protect, use, and share your personal data when you access any of our platforms (agencies, website, social media, mobile app, hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Platforms”).

    This Policy also covers privacy practices with respect to our customers who solicit or benefit from our products and services, including, but not limited to, deposits, loans, investments, and any other products or services offered by the bank.

     

    2.0 Privacy Statement

    The security of your personal data is a top priority for us. We are committed to protecting and securing your personal information, and to only disclosing it when justified by law. Furthermore, we ensure that we only collect data that is strictly necessary for the purposes pursued. Our data protection practices comply with the provisions of the Law of December 23, 2024 on the protection of personal data in Cameroon.

     

    3.0 Personal data collected

    When you request or use any of the products or services offered by Advans, or when you interact with our employees, authorized representatives, agents, or service providers, we collect your personal data. This data may include, in particular:

    • Personal information such as your first and last name, date and place of birth, contact details (address, telephone number, email address), emergency contact details, financial information, signatures, educational background, etc.
    • Images from the closed-circuit television (CCTV) system installed on our premises to ensure the safety of our customers, employees, and the general public.
    • Voice recordings made during your calls or interactions with our contact centers.
    • Sensitive data such as tax identification numbers, information relating to political affiliation, biometric data, and, where applicable, health data for contractual purposes, in particular for taking out insurance, in compliance with legal obligations.
    • When you visit our websites or digital platforms, we may collect certain non-personal information from your device, such as your IP address, operating system, browser type and version, and geolocation information when you use our geolocation services (e.g., branch locator). We may also use web analytics tools, including those from third parties, that use cookies to anonymously collect statistical data about your browsing and activities when you visit the pages and our network of websites.

     

    3.1 Use of personal data

    Your personal data is processed for the purposes of establishing and managing the contractual relationship with Advans Cameroon. It is used for the following purposes:

    • Processing, managing, validating, or facilitating loan applications and account transactions.
    • Employee identification, payroll processing, and other legitimate personnel interests.
    • Answers to your questions, requests, or complaints, and improvement of our customer service.
    • Sending account statements, invoices, payment notifications, and other documents necessary for the provision of our services.
    • Conducting studies or research to improve our products and services.
    • Profile analysis, analytical data to understand market needs, preferences, and trends, and thus tailor our offerings.
    • Communication of information about our products and services, including promotional offers, discounts, rewards; personalization of your experience through our contact channels (agencies, call center, telemarketing, email, messaging, etc.).
    • Compliance with operational, audit, administrative, risk management, and internal policy requirements, as well as legal or regulatory obligations imposed by administrative, judicial, tax, regulatory, or supervisory authorities, whether domestic or foreign.
    • Compliance with applicable laws in Cameroon, including the Cobac regulation on consumer protection for banking products and services in the CEMAC, the Cobac regulation on the handling of consumer complaints regarding banking products and services in the CEMAC, Law No. 2010 on cybersecurity and cybercrime in Cameroon, Regulation No. 01/CEMAC/UMAC/CM on the prevention and suppression of money laundering and terrorist financing and proliferation in Central Africa and its implementing regulations, as well as foreign laws such as the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA).
    • Disclosure of data to credit reporting agencies, response to court orders or injunctions, or requests/subpoenas from local or foreign authorities (regulators, governments, tax or judicial authorities).
    • Any other use permitted by law or based on your consent.

     

    3.2 Sharing your personal data

    Your personal data may be shared with the Advans Group, its subsidiaries, and third parties in a secure and confidential manner, in particular for:

    • Advans Cameroon’s internal departments, with a view to providing a high-quality service to customers, employees, and stakeholders.
    • Cloud service providers for technical support.
    • Third parties in aggregate or anonymized form, in order to improve our services.
    • Comply with regulatory requirements (court orders, exercising our rights as a creditor, etc.).
    • Manage fraud and security risks, respond to emergencies, or protect the rights, property, and safety of our customers or third parties.
    • Achieve the objectives defined above.

    Advans may transfer, store, and/or process your personal data outside Cameroon, in accordance with the Cobac regulation on internal control in microfinance institutions and the law of December 23, 2024, on the protection of personal data in Cameroon.

     

    4.0 Protection of your data

    To ensure the security of your personal data, Advans Cameroon implements appropriate physical and electronic security measures. Our employees are trained in the management of confidential data, and access to non-public personal information is limited to those who need it in order to provide you with the services you have requested. Physical and logical access controls are implemented, and data transmitted to cloud service providers is encrypted to prevent unauthorized access.

     

    5.0 Requests to access, delete, or modify your data

    In accordance with current legislation, you have the right to access, rectify, delete, and limit the processing of your personal data. You may exercise these rights in writing to our agencies or secure platforms, providing the information necessary for your identification. Any such request will be processed in accordance with the provisions of the law of December 23, 2024, on the protection of personal data and the Cobac regulation on the protection of consumers of banking products and services in the CEMAC (Law 843).

     

    5.1 Data retention period

    Advans will not retain your personal data beyond the period necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected. Any further processing will only take place with your explicit consent. However, data may be retained for as long as necessary for legal, regulatory, or commercial purposes.

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