Privacy Policy

Introduction

Cape Breton Oil Heat ("we," "our," or "us") operates the website capebretonoilheat.ca (the "Service") to connect homeowners in Cape Breton Regional Municipality with qualified oil heating contractors.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website or use our services.

Information We Collect

Personal Information You Provide

When you request service through our website, we may collect:

• Contact Information: Name, phone number, email address
• Service Details: Address, type of service needed, urgency level, description of heating issues
• Communication Preferences: How you prefer to be contacted

Call Recordings and Phone Communications

When you contact us or our contractor network by phone, we may collect:

• Call Recordings: Phone calls may be recorded for quality assurance, training, verification, and dispute resolution purposes
• Call Data: Date, time, duration, and phone number of calls
• Call Content: Information discussed during phone conversations including service needs and contact details

Important Notice: By calling our service or contractor phone numbers, you consent to the recording of your call. You may hear a verbal notification at the beginning of the call.

Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect:

• Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on site, referring websites
• Location Data: General location based on IP address (city/region level)

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Remember your preferences
• Analyze website traffic and usage patterns
• Improve user experience
• Enable essential website functionality
• Track phone call conversions and sources

How We Use Your Information

We use collected information to:

• Connect you with contractors: Match your service request with qualified heating professionals
• Facilitate communication: Enable contractors to contact you about your service needs
• Quality assurance: Monitor and improve service quality through call recordings and feedback
• Training purposes: Use recordings to train contractors, staff, and improve our matching process
• Verification: Confirm service requests and protect against fraud or misuse
• Dispute resolution: Resolve any issues between homeowners and contractors
• Improve our service: Analyze usage patterns to enhance website functionality
• Customer support: Respond to inquiries and provide assistance
• Legal compliance: Meet regulatory requirements and protect our legal interests

Information Sharing and Disclosure

With Service Providers

We share your service request information with:

• Licensed heating contractors in our network who can fulfill your service needs, including call recordings relevant to your service request
• Technology providers who help operate our website, phone systems, and communication services
• Call tracking and recording services that process and store phone communications

Legal Requirements

We may disclose information when required by law or to:

• Comply with legal processes or government requests
• Protect the rights, property, or safety of Cape Breton Oil Heat, users, or others
• Prevent fraud or illegal activities

Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, user information may be transferred as part of the transaction.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary to:

• Fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy
• Meet legal and regulatory requirements
• Resolve disputes and enforce agreements

Generally, service request data is retained for 2 years unless you request earlier deletion. Call recordings are typically retained for 90 days unless needed for dispute resolution or legal purposes.

Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

• Access your personal information, including any call recordings
• Correct inaccurate information
• Delete your personal information
• Restrict processing of your information
• Data portability - receive your information in a portable format
• Withdraw consent for optional data processing
• Opt-out of call recording by requesting alternative communication methods

To exercise these rights, contact us at service@capebretonoilheat.ca.

Data Security

We implement reasonable security measures to protect your information, including:

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest
• Secure storage of call recordings with restricted access
• Regular security assessments
• Limited access to personal information
• Secure data storage practices

However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure.

Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.

Children's Privacy

Our services are not intended for individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify you of significant changes by:

• Posting the updated policy on our website
• Updating the "Last Updated" date
• Sending email notification for material changes (if you've provided an email address)

Contact Information

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, contact us:

Nova Scotia Privacy Legislation

This policy complies with applicable Nova Scotia and Canadian privacy laws, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) where applicable. Call recording practices comply with Canadian one-party consent requirements.

Consent

By using our website and services, including by submitting service requests through our forms or calling our phone numbers or the phone numbers of contractors in our network, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your information as described in this Privacy Policy, including the recording of phone calls for the purposes stated herein. If you do not consent to call recording, please contact us via email to arrange alternative communication methods.