Privacy Policy

We're not in the business of selling your data or spamming you with junk. Here's what we actually use your info for:

• Providing Service: The obvious one - we need your contact info to schedule appointments, call you with updates, and let you know when your ride's ready to pick up.
• Vehicle Maintenance: We keep service records so we can track what's been done and what might need attention down the road. It's like a medical history for your car.
• Parts Ordering: Your VIN and vehicle specs help us order the exact right parts. Nothing worse than getting the wrong alternator for a '74 BMW because someone didn't double-check.
• Billing & Payments: Pretty self-explanatory. We process payments and send invoices.
• Appointment Reminders: We might text or email you about upcoming service appointments or recall notices that affect your vehicle.
• Improving Our Service: We look at patterns - like common issues with certain makes - to get better at what we do.

Occasionally we'll send out emails about seasonal maintenance tips or special offers, but you can opt out of those anytime. Just let us know.

Here's something folks don't always think about - when we work on your vehicle, we're creating a pretty detailed history:

• Diagnostic Reports: When we hook up our European diagnostic tools to your vehicle's computer, we're pulling error codes, sensor readings, and system data. We keep this stuff to track issues over time.
• Service Documentation: Photos of worn parts, notes from our techs, torque specs - all the nitty-gritty details of what we did and why.
• Warranty Records: If we install parts with warranties, we gotta keep records to honor those if something goes wrong.
• Restoration Progress: For classic car projects, we document everything - before/after photos, parts sourcing info, modification details. This stuff can actually add value to your vehicle later.

We hang onto these records pretty much indefinitely because they're valuable for future service and can help with insurance claims or resale documentation. If you want copies of your vehicle's records, just ask - they're yours.

Our website uses cookies - not the chocolate chip kind, unfortunately. These are small files that help the site work better:

• Essential Cookies: These keep you logged into our customer portal and remember your booking details as you navigate around. Can't really run the site without 'em.
• Analytics Cookies: We use these to see which pages people visit most, where folks are coming from, and how long they stick around. Helps us figure out if our website's actually useful or just confusing.
• Preference Cookies: Remember if you selected English or French, stuff like that.

We don't use advertising cookies or sell your browsing data to third parties. Your browser settings can block cookies if you want, though some parts of the site might not work as smoothly.

We also track basic stuff like IP addresses and browser types - mainly for security and to make sure the site displays properly on different devices.

We're pretty protective of your info, but there are a few situations where we gotta share it:

• Parts Suppliers: When we order parts for your specific vehicle, suppliers might need your VIN or vehicle details to ensure fitment. They're under contract not to use that info for anything else.
• Payment Processors: Your credit card info goes through secure payment gateways. We see the last four digits, that's it.
• Insurance Companies: If you're getting work done for an insurance claim, we'll share repair estimates and documentation with your insurer. But only with your permission.
• Legal Requirements: If the cops show up with a warrant or there's a court order, we're legally required to hand over records. Same if there's a safety recall - we might need to contact you on behalf of a manufacturer.
• Business Partners: If we subcontract specialized work - like transmission rebuilds or paint jobs - the shop doing that work will need your contact info and vehicle details.

We don't sell customer lists to marketing companies or share your info with random third parties. That's just not how we roll.

It's your data, and Canadian privacy laws give you some solid rights. Here's what you can do:

• Access Your Info: You can ask to see what data we have on you and your vehicle. We'll provide it within 30 days, usually way faster.
• Correct Mistakes: If we've got something wrong - like an old phone number or incorrect mileage - let us know and we'll fix it.
• Request Deletion: You can ask us to delete your personal info. We'll do it unless we're legally required to keep it (like for tax records or warranty documentation).
• Opt Out of Marketing: Don't want our emails about winter tire specials? No problem - there's an unsubscribe link in every email, or just tell us to knock it off.
• Port Your Data: Moving to a different shop? We can provide your service records in a portable format so you can take them with you.
• Withdraw Consent: If you previously agreed to something - like texts for appointment reminders - you can change your mind anytime.

To exercise any of these rights, just shoot us an email at service@emberglynthchronos.info or call (604) 555-2847. We'll verify it's actually you (for security) and take care of it.

Security's a big deal for us. Here's what we do to keep your info safe:

• Encrypted Storage: Customer data on our computers is encrypted. If someone steals a laptop, they can't access the files without the decryption keys.
• Secure Networks: Our shop network has firewalls and security software. We're not using the neighbor's wifi or anything sketchy like that.
• Access Controls: Only staff who need customer info can access it. The guy washing cars doesn't have access to your credit card details.
• Physical Security: Paper records are locked up when we're closed. We've got security cameras and alarm systems.
• Secure Communications: Our website uses SSL encryption - that's the little padlock in your browser. Emails with sensitive info get encrypted too.
• Regular Updates: We keep our software patched and up to date to protect against new vulnerabilities.

No system's perfect - if there's ever a data breach, we'll let you know right away and tell you what happened and what we're doing about it. Legally we have to, but we'd do it anyway because it's the right thing.

We use a few outside services to run our business, and we're careful about who we work with:

• Email Service: Our appointment confirmations and newsletters go through a Canadian email provider. They can't use your email address for their own marketing.
• Booking System: Our online scheduling is hosted by a third party. They handle appointment data but are bound by strict privacy agreements.
• Accounting Software: We use cloud-based accounting that stores invoice and payment records. It's a reputable service with solid security.
• Analytics Tools: We use website analytics to understand visitor behavior, but we've configured it to anonymize IP addresses and respect privacy.

Sometimes we link to manufacturer websites or parts suppliers. Once you click those links, you're on their site and subject to their privacy policies - we don't control what they do. Always worth reading their policies if you're gonna give them your info.

All our third-party providers are vetted and required to protect your data properly. If they screw up, we're still responsible, so we choose carefully.

Got questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your data? Don't hesitate to reach out. We'd rather you ask than worry about it.

You can also file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you think we're not handling your personal info properly. But honestly, we hope you'll talk to us first so we can sort things out directly.

If you're coming in for service, feel free to ask our front desk staff about privacy stuff too. They're trained on this and can answer most questions on the spot.