Privacy Policy

Last Updated: January 12, 2025

At GM Comfort, we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website or use our services.

This policy complies with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and other applicable Canadian privacy laws.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Personal Information You Provide

When you contact us through our website or request our services, we may collect:

• Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, mailing address
• Service Information: Type of service requested, property details, system information
• Communication Records: Messages you send us, service appointment details, customer service interactions
• Payment Information: Billing address and payment details (processed securely through third-party payment processors)

1.2 Information Automatically Collected

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect:

• Technical Information: IP address, browser type, device information, operating system
• Usage Information: Pages visited, time spent on pages, navigation patterns
• Preferences: Seasonal theme selection (stored locally in your browser)

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

2.1 Service Delivery

• Respond to your inquiries and provide customer support
• Schedule and perform HVAC services at your property
• Process payments and maintain billing records
• Send service appointment reminders and follow-ups
• Provide warranty and maintenance support

2.2 Business Operations

• Improve our website and services
• Analyze usage patterns to enhance user experience
• Maintain records for business and legal purposes
• Comply with applicable laws and regulations

2.3 Marketing (With Your Consent)

• Send promotional offers, seasonal maintenance reminders, and company updates
• Provide information about new products and services

You can opt out of marketing communications at any time by contacting us or using the unsubscribe link in our emails.

3. Third-Party Service Providers

We use the following third-party service providers who may have access to your personal information:

3.1 Formspree (Contact Form Processing)

• Purpose: Processes contact form submissions from our website
• Data Shared: Name, email address, phone number, service inquiries
• Location: United States
• Privacy Policy: https://formspree.io/legal/privacy-policy/

3.2 Google Fonts & Font Awesome

• Purpose: Website font and icon display
• Data Shared: IP address, browser information (standard web request data)
• Note: These services may log technical information for their own purposes

International Data Transfers: Some of our service providers are located in the United States. When we transfer your personal information outside of Canada, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with PIPEDA requirements.

4. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected:

• Service Inquiries: Up to 2 years from last contact
• Customer Records: 7 years (for warranty, tax, and legal purposes)
• Marketing Contacts: Until you opt out or 3 years of inactivity
• Website Preferences: Stored locally in your browser until you clear browser data

After the retention period expires, we securely delete or anonymize your personal information.

5. How We Protect Your Information

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information:

• Secure HTTPS encryption for data transmission
• Secure form submission through trusted third-party processors
• Limited access to personal information (only authorized personnel)
• Regular security assessments and updates
• Secure storage of physical and electronic records

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

6.1 What We Use

Our website uses minimal tracking:

• Local Storage: Stores your seasonal theme preference (cold/hot season)
• Technical Cookies: May be set by Google Fonts and Font Awesome CDN for font delivery

6.2 What We Don't Use

• We do NOT use Google Analytics or similar analytics services
• We do NOT use marketing or advertising cookies
• We do NOT track you across other websites

6.3 Your Control

You can clear your theme preference by clearing your browser's local storage or cache. Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies entirely, but this may limit website functionality.

7. Your Privacy Rights

Under Canadian privacy law (PIPEDA), you have the following rights:

7.1 Right to Access

You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.

7.2 Right to Correction

You can request corrections to any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.

7.3 Right to Withdraw Consent

You can withdraw your consent for us to use your personal information for marketing purposes at any time.

7.4 Right to Deletion

You can request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal and contractual obligations.

7.5 Right to Lodge a Complaint

If you believe we have not complied with your privacy rights, you can file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

7.6 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in Section 10. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

Note: We do not charge a fee for access requests or other privacy-related requests.

8. Children's Privacy

Our website and services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us immediately so we can delete it.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make changes:

• We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• For material changes, we may notify you by email or through a prominent notice on our website
• Your continued use of our website or services after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

10. Contact Us

11. Complaints to the Privacy Commissioner

If you are not satisfied with how we have handled your privacy concern, you have the right to file a complaint with:

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
30 Victoria Street
Gatineau, QC K1A 1H3

Phone: 1-800-282-1376
Website: www.priv.gc.ca

12. Consent

By using our website, submitting a contact form, or engaging our services, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy.

For contact form submissions, we require explicit consent through a checkbox acknowledgment before collecting your information.

You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us, subject to legal or contractual restrictions.

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This Privacy Policy was last reviewed and updated on January 12, 2025 to ensure ongoing compliance with Canadian privacy laws and best practices.