1. INTRODUCTION
This Privacy Notice outlines the manner in which Canadian Residential Inspection Service Ltd. and its affiliated entities (collectively referred to as “CRIS,” “we,” or “us”) gather, utilize, and reveal your personal information through our websites, which you are presently viewing this policy on, our social media profiles on third-party social media platforms, email, text, regular mail, and any in-person business interactions with us (collectively, our “Services”). It also clarifies your privacy options and rights, along with instructions on how to exercise them.
By utilizing or accessing our Services, you express your agreement with this Privacy Notice and provide consent to the collection, utilization, disclosure, and other information procedures detailed in this Privacy Notice (excluding activities for which we require your prior consent through alternative means).
2. INFORMATION WE COLLECT ABOUT YOU
Categories of Personal Information
We gather various categories of data pertaining to you. This encompasses personal information, which comprises details that can directly identify, pertain to, describe, or be linked to you. Additionally, we collect information that pertains to you but does not uniquely identify you as an individual. We also gather data that we combine with information from our other users. This data is obtained through direct collection from you, automated data collection technologies, information from external sources, or personal information derived from the various types of data we collect, as elaborated further below.
Within the context of this Privacy Notice, the following are the specific types of personal information that we gather:
Identity Data comprises information such as your first name, last name, demographic details, a unique personal identifier or similar identification, and your title.
Contact Data encompasses your address, email address, and phone numbers.
Transaction Data includes particulars regarding payments to and from you, along with additional information regarding services you’ve acquired from us.
Technical Data involves data like your internet protocol (IP) address, login information, browser type and version, internet connectivity, time zone settings and location, browser plug-in types and versions, operating system and platform, logs, and other technological details related to the devices you use to access our website.
Profile Data pertains to username and password.
Behavioral and Preference Data encompasses inferences or tendencies derived from your service history, as well as feedback or survey responses.
Usage Data comprises information concerning how you utilize our services, including the date and time of your visits, click actions, browsing history, and website traffic data.
Marketing and Communications Data involves your preferences regarding marketing communications from us and our authorized partners, your participation in contests and other prize competitions, and your communication preferences.
User-generated content (UGC) includes any content that you provide or post on CRIS webpages, social media platforms, promotional emails, advertisements, and any other related initiatives.
Additionally, we gather Social Media User Content Data, and Google My Business which consists of publicly shared social media information, as well as comments or messages you direct to us.
Business Connections, Suppliers, and Service Providers: We gather minimal personal data from our network of business connections, suppliers, and service providers. This includes acquiring essential details like names and business contact information (comprising names, job titles, phone numbers, and email addresses) from each individual in these categories. This information serves the purpose of commencing, conducting, overseeing, and preserving our professional associations.
Protection of Sensitive Personal Data
CRIS does not require you to furnish, and we are not aware of any intentional gathering of, sensitive personal information from you. This encompasses data such as social security numbers, birthdate, details connected to racial or ethnic origins, political affiliations, religious or philosophical convictions, health information, biometric or genetic attributes, criminal history, or membership in trade unions. Unless explicitly requested in the case of considering you for a franchise purchase, we kindly request that you refrain from transmitting or disclosing any sensitive personal information via our services or any other means.
3. MEANS BY WHICH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION IS COLLECTED
Automatically Through Use of Our Website
When you engage with and utilize our Services, certain personal information is automatically gathered, including:
Information about the computer or devices you employ to access our Services (as outlined in the Technical Data section above). This encompasses data that is automatically transmitted to us by your computer, mobile web browser, or your internet service provider. This typically comprises your device’s hardware model, browser type, IP address, operating system version, language preferences, unique device identifiers, advertising identifiers, serial numbers, your device’s interactions with the Services, network details, and mobile network data.
Our website also automatically obtains real-time data about your device’s location. You have the option to permit or deny the collection and use of real-time location information through your device’s privacy settings. If you opt to block the use of location data, certain parts of the website may become inaccessible or may not function correctly.
We and our third-party partners may gather information about your use of our Services and your browsing behavior through cookies, web beacons, pixel tags, and other tracking technologies concerning your online activities and interactions with our emails, online content, and mobile advertisements (as explained in the Usage Data section above). This may include details such as access times, pages or screens viewed (including mouse movements and clicks), time spent on a page or screen, the pathways you take to access our Services, searches conducted on our platform, insights into your on-page or on-screen activities, your utilization of hyperlinks within our Services, and information about your engagement with our emails or social campaigns.
The information collected automatically may encompass personal data, or we may retain it and link it to personal information obtained through other means or received from third parties. This aids us in enhancing our website and providing a more tailored and improved service by enabling us to estimate our audience size and usage patterns, store information regarding your preferences, customize our website according to your individual interests, and recognize you upon your return to our website. If you wish to delve deeper into the technologies we employ for this automatic data collection and understand how advertisers use these types of cookies, or if you wish to opt out of receiving such data, please consult Section 13, “Learn More About Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies” below.
From Other Sources
We may receive personal information about you from other sources, for example:
Our other customers, including when a Realtor provides your contact information while scheduling a home inspection;
Service providers that provide us with information, so we can better understand you and provide you with information and offers that may be of interest to you subject to your explicit consent, when and to the extent it is required; and Fraud prevention providers.
In circumstances where we receive your personal information from third parties, we take reasonable steps to ensure that such third parties have represented to us that they have the right to disclose your personal information to us.
4. HOW WE USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
We, along with our third-party associates, employ the personal information we gather from you or that you furnish to us for the following objectives:
Provision of our Website to you.
Provision of our services, encompassing home inspection scheduling notifications.
Delivery of direct marketing communications, such as emails and text messages, subject to your consent. If you opt to receive marketing communications and materials from us, you will have the opportunity to opt out (unsubscribe) from the utilization of your personal information for marketing purposes. For further information, refer to Section 8, “YOUR CHOICES AND RIGHTS.”
Facilitation of contests, campaigns, or promotions, each of which may have additional rules specifying how your personal information will be employed and disclosed. Please review these additional rules before participating.
Promotion and marketing of our business by enhancing our understanding of your interests and preferences.
Display or utilization of user-generated content (UGC) you provide or post on CRIS webpages, social media platforms, promotional emails, advertisements, and other initiatives.
Development and management of our business and operations, including data analysis, audits, research and development of new services, analysis and prediction of user preferences, and the preparation of aggregated trend reports on the usage of our digital content, as well as the enhancement of our services.
Adherence to legal obligations, regulatory requirements, or government requests.
Engagement in fraud prevention, security measures, asset protection, quality assurance, and safety measures.
Establishment of business relationships, whether as a company or an individual, such as real estate office.
Furthermore, in the event of financing, reorganization, merger, sale, joint venture, assignment, transfer, or other transactions affecting all or a portion of our business, assets, or stock (including bankruptcy or similar proceedings), we may disclose or transfer your personal information to a third party, aligning with our legitimate interest in business growth and improvement. We also aggregate and anonymize personal information to render it non-identifiable, enabling us to generate other data for various purposes, as it no longer qualifies as personal information.
5. TO WHOM WE DISCLOSE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
We share your personal information with third parties in the following ways:
Our Affiliates: Your personal information is disclosed to our franchisees only in relation to a service requested, cancelled or provided. This sharing serves the purposes outlined in this Notice, excluding any marketing activities, which require explicit separate consent.
Contractors: We utilize contractors for services like website administration, project support, and customer service.
IT Service Providers: Trusted partners provide us with IT services, system administration, and website hosting.
Professional Advisors and Third-Party Auditors: These third parties offer consultancy, auditing, banking, legal, insurance, and accounting services to CRIS Ltd. They also act as Independent Data Controllers, handling shared information according to their own privacy notices.
Other Business Support Third Parties: These include data analysis and reporting partners who process personal information as per documented instructions. Like our affiliates, these service providers are global, and cross-border transfers of your data may occur as detailed in Section 7.
Social Media Partners and Online Search Platforms: Partners such as Facebook and Instagram assist us in expanding our brand, enabling interaction with CRIS on various platforms and facilitating tailored marketing of our products. These partners act as Joint Controllers for your personal data along with CRIS, and they manage shared information in accordance with their own privacy notices. While this Privacy Notice provides information, it’s essential to also review the privacy notices of our partners. If you wish to exercise your privacy rights related to shared data, please contact us using the provided contact details in Section 16, “HOW TO CONTACT US.”
Necessary or Appropriate Sharing: We may also share your personal information under the following circumstances:
To comply with applicable laws and regulations.
To cooperate with public and government authorities.
To assist law enforcement in response to their requests or important information sharing.
For other legal reasons, such as enforcing our terms and conditions and protecting our rights, privacy, safety, property, or those of our franchisees, you, or others.
In Connection with a Sale or Business Transaction: In our pursuit of growing and improving our business, we may disclose or transfer your personal information to a third party in the event of financing, reorganization, merger, sale, joint venture, assignment, transfer, or other disposition of all or any portion of our business, assets, or stock. This includes situations involving bankruptcy or similar proceedings.
Aggregated Information: We are permitted to share aggregated information about our users, provided it does not relate to any identified or identifiable individuals. There are no restrictions on the sharing of such aggregated information.
6. HOW WE KEEP YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION SAFE
We strive to employ practical organizational, technical, and administrative safeguards, which encompass well-defined governance policies and practices, to safeguard personal information within our organization. However, it’s important to note that no data transmission or storage system can offer an absolute guarantee of 100% security. If you ever suspect that the security of your interaction with us has been compromised, we kindly request that you promptly inform us using the contact information provided in the “HOW TO CONTACT US” section below.
7. TRANSFERS OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
Personal information may be collected, utilized, stored, disclosed, and processed outside of your residential jurisdiction or province. When your personal information is transferred beyond your local province, we take appropriate measures to ensure its protection.
By utilizing our services, you acknowledge and consent to the transfer of your personal information to provinces outside of your own residence, which may have data protection regulations distinct from those of your home province. You also recognize and consent to the possibility that, under specific circumstances, courts, law enforcement agencies, regulatory bodies, or security authorities in those other provinces may have the right to access your personal information.
8. YOUR CHOICES AND RIGHTS
We will seek your consent before sending any marketing-related communications, be it via email, text messages, or postal mail, unless an exception allowing prior opt-in consent applies under applicable law. You have the freedom to opt-out or unsubscribe from receiving marketing-related communications from us at any time. Here’s how:
Opt-Out of Email Communications: To discontinue receiving marketing-related emails from us, simply click the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of any CRIS marketing email. We will make our best effort to fulfill your request promptly, complying with the timeframes mandated by applicable law. Please note that while opting out of marketing emails, you may still receive important administrative messages that you cannot opt out of. For instance, when you order a transaction, you will receive emails directly related to that service, confirming the details for your records.
Opt-Out of Text Communications: To stop receiving further text messages via the Messaging Service, respond to any of our text messages with the word: STOP
Managing Tracking Technologies: You can also manage your cookie preferences on our website by selecting “Cookie Settings” in the cookie banner. Keep in mind that these settings are specific to your device and browser and may reset if you clear your cache or switch to a different device or browser. In such cases, you will need to reconfigure your cookie settings to align with your previous preferences. Please be aware that disabling or refusing cookies may result in certain parts of the website becoming inaccessible or functioning improperly.
Your Privacy Rights and How to Exercise Them: In accordance with applicable law, you or your representative have the option to exercise the following choices:
1. Access: You may have the right to be informed about the existence of your personal information and request access to it, including details about its use and any disclosure to other organizations.
2. Correct or Update: You may have the right to correct or amend any inaccuracies or omissions in your personal information.
3. Deletion: In certain jurisdictions, you may be entitled to request the deletion of personal information that CRIS collected or obtained about you, subject to specific exceptions. For instance, you can request the removal of inaccurate personal information.
4. Data Portability: You may have the right to receive a copy of your personal information provided in a structured and commonly used technological format.
5. Restrict Processing: Under certain circumstances, you may have the right to limit our processing of your personal information. For instance, you can request the cessation of disseminating your personal information or de-indexing hyperlinks to your information. Please note that you can request the reindexing of personal information under certain conditions at a later date.
6. Withdraw Consent: If our processing of your personal information relies on your consent, you can withdraw that consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice. Withdrawing your consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before withdrawal or processing based on any other lawful basis.
Please note that your rights are not absolute. There may be circumstances where applicable law or regulatory requirements permit or require us to decline access to some or all of your personal information. Additionally, your personal information may have been destroyed, erased, or anonymized in line with our record retention obligations and practices. If we cannot fully address your request, we will explain the reasons, subject to any legal or regulatory limitations.
Automated Decision-Making and Profiling: We do not employ exclusively automated profiling or processing of your personal information for decisions that have significant legal consequences under applicable privacy law. However, we do collect and use personal information to evaluate specific characteristics, particularly for the purpose of analyzing individual preferences, interests, or behavior, as described in sections 2, 3, and 4. This is not done if it has legal effects on you or results in similarly significant consequences, as mentioned earlier.
9. RETENTION OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
We don’t retain your personal information indefinitely. We will hold your personal information for a duration that is reasonably necessary to achieve the purpose(s) for which it was initially collected, to offer our Services, address disputes, establish legal defenses, enforce our agreements, or as mandated by relevant laws.
10. THIRD-PARTY SERVICES
This Privacy Notice does not extend to data gathered by third-party websites that you can access via our Services. It also does not pertain to, and we bear no responsibility for, the privacy, information handling, or other practices of third parties, including those operating websites or services linked to through our Services. The presence of a link on our Services does not imply our endorsement or that of our affiliates for the linked website or service.
11. USE OF SERVICES BY MINORS
Our Services are not intended for use by minors, and we do not intentionally gather personal information from minors. If you suspect that we have acquired the personal information of a minor, please inform us.
12. THIRD-PARTY PAYMENT SERVICE
For processing payments conducted through the Services, we rely on a third-party payment service. If you opt to make a payment through the Services, please be aware that your personal information will be gathered by this third party and not by us. Consequently, it will be governed by the privacy notice of the third party, rather than this Privacy Notice. We lack authority over, and are not liable for, the third party’s practices related to collecting, using, and sharing your personal information.
13. COOKIES AND OTHER TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES
Cookies are small text files that get placed on your computer, mobile devices (such as smartphones and tablets), or handheld gadgets when you visit specific web pages or use particular mobile applications. They serve the purpose of remembering when your device interacts with a website. These cookies are stored within your web browser. When you return to the site, the cookie aids in recognizing your device. Most cookies do not gather personally identifiable information like your name or email address; instead, they are employed to collect general data, such as how visitors reach and use the website. However, cookies might also be used to build a profile of a visitor’s online activities, potentially containing unique identifiers or personal information.
Clear GIFs are small graphics with distinct identifiers, functioning in a manner similar to cookies. Unlike cookies, which are stored on your device, clear GIFs are invisibly embedded within web pages. We might use clear GIFs (also known as web beacons, web bugs, or pixel tags) in conjunction with cookies on our site to track visitor activities, assist with content management, gather statistics about site usage (including clicks and cursor movements), and engage in targeted advertising. Clear GIFs are also employed in HTML emails to monitor email response rates, identify when emails are viewed, determine if emails are forwarded, and customize email or site content.
Cookie Categories:
Strictly Necessary: These cookies, which may be set by us or third-party providers, are essential for the website’s core functionality and cannot be disabled. They are typically activated in response to actions you take, like adjusting your privacy settings, logging in, filling out forms, or simply loading a page. While you can configure your browser to block or notify you about these cookies, certain parts of the site may become inoperative if you do so.
Performance Cookies: These cookies, set by us or third-party providers, help us count visits and track traffic sources, enabling us to assess and enhance the site’s performance. They allow us to determine which pages are more or less popular and observe how visitors navigate the site. Blocking these cookies prevents us from recognizing your visits and impairs our ability to monitor site performance.
Functional Cookies: These cookies primarily enhance the website’s functionality and personalization. They may be set by us or third-party providers whose services we have integrated into our pages. Blocking these cookies may cause some or all of these services to function improperly.
Targeting and Social Media Cookies: These cookies, either set through our site or in partnership with third-party marketing partners (such as advertisers, ad networks, content providers, application providers, and social media platforms), may gather data associated with your personal information. They may collect information about your online activities across various websites and online services, potentially including personal data. These cookies are mainly used to create a profile of your interests and display relevant ads on other sites. Disabling these cookies results in reduced interest-based (behavioral) advertising and other targeted content.
14. UPDATES TO THIS NOTICE
The “LAST UPDATED” label located in the lower right corner of this Privacy Notice displays the date of the most recent revision of this notice. Any modifications will take effect upon our publication of the updated Privacy Notice on our Services. In the event of substantial changes to this notice, we may inform you by prominently displaying a notice on our website.
15. COMPLAINTS
If you wish to file a complaint regarding the processing of your personal information, seek to dispute our adherence to fair information principles or provincial privacy regulations, or require additional information, kindly get in touch with CRIS using the contact details outlined in Section 16 below.
16. HOW TO CONTACT US
Should you possess any inquiries, apprehensions, grievances, or recommendations regarding this Privacy Notice, or if you wish to make requests pertaining to your personal information in accordance with relevant laws, please reach out to us via:
Canadian Residential Inspection Services Ltd.
P.O. Box 38104 Burnside
Dartmouth, NS B3B 1X2
You may reach out to us at privacy@canadianresidential.com with any complaints or inquiries.
Because email communications are not always secure, please do not include credit card or other sensitive information in your emails to us.
Last Updated: March 7, 2024
