Gecko Home Services is a locally owned home services business serving Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, Ontario. This policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, who we share it with, and how you can see, correct or delete it. We handle personal information in line with Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
The short version
- We collect the details you give us so we can quote, schedule and do your job.
- We don't sell your information or share it for anyone else's marketing.
- This website doesn't use cookies, analytics or advertising trackers.
- Email michael@geckohome.ca any time to see, correct or delete what we have.
Who is responsible
Gecko Home Services is owned and operated by Michael, who is responsible for how the business handles personal information. Privacy questions and requests go to him directly. Contact details are at the bottom of this page.
What we collect
When you ask for a quote
Our quote form asks for your name, phone number and home address, and optionally your email address, the service you're interested in and any notes about your home. The form also records which page of our site you sent it from and, if you arrived through one of our door hangers or ads, the campaign tag on that link (for example, that you scanned a door hanger). It doesn't collect anything else about you.
When you call, text or email us
Your phone number or email address, and whatever you tell us in the conversation.
When we do the work
Details of the services we quote and perform, notes about your property that we need to do the job safely (such as access instructions or where your outdoor outlets are), quotes, invoices and payment records. Card payments are handled by our payment processor, and we don't store your full card number.
How we use it
- To respond to your request, prepare a quote and schedule a visit.
- To do the work, send appointment confirmations and reminders, and follow up afterward.
- To send invoices, take payment and keep the business records the law requires.
- To see which of our marketing, like door hangers, is bringing in requests.
- If you've been a customer, to occasionally let you know when seasonal bookings open, such as Christmas light installation. Every message tells you how to opt out, and you can ask us to stop at any time.
We don't sell, rent or trade personal information, and we don't use it for purposes beyond the ones listed here.
Who we share it with
We use a small number of service providers to run the business. Each one only receives the information it needs to do its part:
- our website host
- the form service that delivers quote requests to our inbox
- our scheduling, quoting and invoicing software
- our payment processor
- our business phone and text messaging service
- our email provider
We may also share information with our accountant or insurer when it's needed to run the business, or with others when the law requires it.
Information stored outside Canada
Some of these providers are located in, or store data in, the United States. While your information is there, it's subject to US law, and courts, law enforcement and national security authorities in the US may be able to access it.
This website and your browser
No tracking. This site doesn't use cookies, analytics tools or advertising pixels.
Campaign tags. If you arrive from a link with a campaign tag, such as the QR code on our door hangers, your browser keeps that tag in temporary session storage so the quote form can include it. It's deleted when you close the tab and isn't used to follow you anywhere else.
Server logs. Like any website, our host keeps standard server logs, including IP address, browser type and the pages requested, to deliver pages and protect the site from abuse.
Fonts. Our pages load the Nunito typeface from Google Fonts, so your browser connects to Google's servers and Google receives your IP address. See Google's privacy policy for how it handles that.
How long we keep it
- Quote requests that don't become a job: up to two years, then we delete them.
- Customer records: while you're a customer.
- Invoices and payment records: six years from the end of the tax year they relate to, as the Canada Revenue Agency requires.
After that, we delete or securely destroy the information.
How we protect it
We keep your information in password-protected business accounts and only share it with people who need it to do your job. If a privacy breach ever creates a real risk of significant harm to you, we'll notify you and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, as the law requires.
Your rights
You can ask us to:
- tell you what personal information we have about you and how we've used it
- correct anything that's wrong
- stop sending you seasonal reminders or other messages
- delete your information, except records we're legally required to keep
Send your request to michael@geckohome.ca and we'll reply within 30 days. If you withdraw consent for something we need in order to do the job, like your address, we'll explain what that means before we act on it.
If you're not satisfied with how we've handled a privacy concern, please tell us first. You can also contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
Changes to this policy
If we change how we handle personal information, we'll update this page and the date at the top.
Contact
Gecko Home Services
Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge, Ontario
Email: michael@geckohome.ca
Phone or text: 226-807-6004