Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how equote360.com ("eQuote360", "we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, discloses, and protects personal information through the eQuote360 website and platform (the "Service"). We are committed to complying with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable Ontario privacy law. By using the Service, you acknowledge that this Policy applies to you.

1. Accountability & Our Privacy Officer

We are accountable for personal information under our control. We have designated a Privacy Officer responsible for our compliance with this Policy and PIPEDA. You can reach our Privacy Officer at info@equote360.com — mark your message "Attn: Privacy Officer."

2. What Information We Collect

We collect only what is reasonably necessary to operate the Service:

• Homeowners / guests requesting a quote: name, email address, phone number, property municipality, and the project details you provide in the quote request form (trade, timeline, budget-related answers, optional project photos).
• Registered accounts (homeowners and suppliers): the above, plus login credentials (handled by our authentication provider — we never see or store your password in plain text), and account activity.
• Suppliers: business name, licensing/insurance representations you provide, service area, trades offered, and any documents, quotes, or messages you submit through the Service.
• Automatically collected technical data: IP address, browser/device type, pages visited, and similar diagnostic information, collected via cookies and standard server logs.

We do not knowingly collect sensitive categories of personal information (e.g., health, financial account, or government ID numbers) through the Service, and you should not submit such information in free-text fields.

3. Purposes for Collection

We collect and use personal information only for the purposes identified at or before the time of collection, namely to:

• match homeowner project requests with suppliers who service the relevant trade;
• enable direct communication between a homeowner and a supplier they choose to engage;
• create and administer user accounts;
• send transactional notifications (e.g., a new lead, a new message, a status change);
• vet and approve supplier applications;
• maintain the security, integrity, and proper functioning of the Service;
• comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service; and
• with your separate consent only, send marketing communications (you can withdraw this consent at any time).

4. Consent

By submitting a quote request, creating an account, or applying as a supplier, you provide consent for us to collect, use, and disclose your personal information for the purposes described in this Policy. You may withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice, by contacting us — though withdrawing consent for core purposes (e.g., contact information needed to complete a request you initiated) may mean we can no longer provide that specific part of the Service to you.

5. Who We Share Information With, and Why

We do not sell personal information. We disclose it only as follows:

• Matched suppliers: project details (trade, general answers, municipality) are shared with suppliers matched to a request. Your direct contact information (name, email, phone) is shared only once you or the supplier take an action that unlocks contact — e.g., the supplier responds to your request, or you approve their quote.
• Service providers (processors): we use third-party infrastructure and service providers to operate the platform, including a database/authentication provider and a transactional email provider. These providers process personal information on our behalf, under contractual obligations to protect it and use it only as we instruct.
• Legal requirements: where required by law, regulation, court order, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of eQuote360, our users, or the public.
• Business transfer: if eQuote360 is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to equivalent protections.

6. Cross-Border Data Storage

Our core database and authentication infrastructure is hosted in Canada. Some of our service providers store or process personal information outside Canada: our transactional email provider processes data in the European Union, and — only for suppliers who choose to enable optional AI features on their account — the AI provider used (Anthropic, OpenAI, or Google, depending on configuration) processes the relevant request in the United States. Where this occurs, information may become subject to the laws of that jurisdiction, including lawful access requests by that jurisdiction's authorities.

7. Retention

We retain personal information only as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Policy, or as required by law (for example, to resolve disputes or enforce our agreements). As a general schedule: active account data is retained for as long as the account remains active; guest lead records that never convert to an account, and closed or deleted accounts, are retained for up to 24 months for legitimate business, dispute-resolution, and legal purposes, then deleted or anonymized.

8. Accuracy

We rely on you to provide accurate, current information. Registered users can update their account information at any time; guests can contact us to correct information tied to a submitted request.

9. Safeguards

We use safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information, including encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS) for data in transit, access controls limiting internal access to personal information on a need-to-know basis, and row-level database security restricting each user to only the data relevant to their own account or role. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Openness

This Policy is publicly available at all times, and we will provide additional information about our privacy practices on request to our Privacy Officer.

11. Your Rights & How to Exercise Them

Subject to limited exceptions permitted by law, you have the right to:

• access the personal information we hold about you;
• request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;
• withdraw consent to further collection, use, or disclosure (see Section 4);
• request deletion of your personal information, where retention is not otherwise required; and
• ask questions about, or file a complaint about, our handling of your personal information.

To exercise any of these rights, contact our Privacy Officer at info@equote360.com. We will respond within a reasonable time and in accordance with PIPEDA. If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

12. Cookies & Similar Technologies

We use strictly necessary cookies to operate core site functionality (e.g., keeping you signed in) and analytics-style cookies to understand aggregate site usage. You can block or delete cookies through your browser settings; doing so may limit some functionality of the Service.

13. Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed to, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from, individuals under 18 years of age. If you believe a minor has provided us personal information, contact us and we will take steps to delete it.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will post the revised Policy with an updated "Last updated" date, and for material changes we will provide reasonably prominent notice before the change takes effect.

15. Contact Us

Questions, requests, or complaints about this Policy or our handling of your personal information can be directed to our Privacy Officer at info@equote360.com.