Privacy Policy

About this policy

Clearly Rate is a Canadian website that explains business insurance and refers small businesses and entrepreneurs to licensed insurers and brokers. We are not an insurer, and we are not a licensed insurance broker or agent.

This policy explains what personal information we collect through this website, why we collect it, who we share it with and what choices you have. We handle personal information in line with Canada’s federal private-sector privacy law, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), and with the privacy laws of the provinces that apply to us.

By using this website you accept the practices described here. Where we need your permission for something, such as sharing your contact details with an insurer or broker, we ask for it separately and clearly at the time.

What we collect

What you give us. This may include:

• Your name, email address and the message you write, when you use our contact form
• Details about your business that you enter in a quote request, such as the type of business you run
• Your contact details and any other information you choose to give us when you ask to be referred to an insurer or broker

What we collect automatically. When you visit the site, we and our service providers may collect technical information such as your IP address, browser and device type, the pages you view, the site you came from and your approximate location. This is collected through cookies and similar technologies (see “Cookies and analytics” below).

We don’t ask for more than we need. Please don’t send us sensitive information, such as health details, financial account numbers, government ID numbers or passwords, through the contact form or a quote request.

Why we collect it

We use personal information to:

• Answer your questions and messages
• Refer you to licensed insurers or brokers, when you ask us to
• Run, secure and improve this website and the guides on it
• Understand how the site is used, in aggregate
• Meet our legal obligations

We won’t use your information for a new purpose without telling you and, where the law requires it, getting your permission first.

Sharing your contact details with insurers and brokers

This is the main way we share personal information, and it only happens with your consent.

• We ask first. When you request a referral, we tell you at that point what information we would share, why, and what kind of insurer or broker would receive it. We share your contact details only after you clearly agree, for example by ticking a box or pressing a button that says so.
• What we share. Your name, contact details and the business information you gave us in the request, so that the insurer or broker can contact you about your request.
• Who we share it with. Insurers and brokers that hold the licence they need to operate in your province. Before we refer anyone to them, we check that they do.
• What they do with it. The insurer or broker becomes responsible for the information once it has it, and handles it under its own privacy policy. We ask our partners to use it only to contact you about your request and to provide the insurance services you ask about.
• You can say no. You can still read our guides and use the rest of the site without agreeing to a referral. If you decline, we won’t share your details.

Other sharing. We may also share personal information with:

• Service providers who help us run the site, such as hosting, form handling, analytics and email. They may use your information only to provide their service to us.
• Authorities if the law requires it, for example in response to a court order.
• A successor, if our business is sold or reorganized. We would make sure your information stays protected and tell you.

We don’t sell your personal information.

Your consent

We rely on your consent to collect, use and share your personal information, and the form of consent we ask for depends on how sensitive the information is. We ask for express consent before we share your contact details with a partner.

You can withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual limits, by contacting us. Withdrawing consent doesn’t undo a referral we have already made, and an insurer or broker that already has your details will hold them under its own policy, so you would need to contact it directly as well. We’ll tell you how withdrawing affects what we can do for you.

We don’t send marketing emails unless you have agreed to receive them, and every message will include a way to unsubscribe, in line with Canada’s anti-spam law.

Cookies and analytics

Cookies are small files that a website stores on your device. We use:

• Essential cookies and similar technology that the site needs to work
• Analytics tools that tell us which pages are visited and how people find the site, so we can improve it

You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings, although parts of the site may not work as well without them. We may update this section as we add or change the tools we use.

Where your information is stored

Some of our service providers store or process information outside Canada, including in the United States. Information held in another country is subject to that country’s laws and may be accessible to its courts, law enforcement and national security authorities. We choose service providers carefully and use contracts and other safeguards to protect your information.

How long we keep it

We keep personal information only as long as we need it for the purposes described in this policy, or as the law requires. When we no longer need it, we delete it or make it anonymous.

How we protect it

We use reasonable safeguards to protect personal information, including encrypted connections to this site and limiting who can access it. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we can’t guarantee absolute security. If a breach of our safeguards creates a real risk of significant harm to you, we will tell you and report it as the law requires.

Your rights

You can ask us:

• What personal information we hold about you and how we have used and shared it
• To correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete
• To stop using or sharing your information, by withdrawing your consent

To make a request, contact us using the details below. We may need to confirm who you are first, and we’ll respond within 30 days, as the law requires. If we can’t give you access to something, we’ll explain why.

Children

This website is for business owners and isn’t directed at children. We don’t knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of majority in their province or territory.

Questions and complaints

We are accountable for the personal information in our care. If you have a question or a concern about this policy or how we handle your information, please contact us through our contact page and mark your message “Privacy”. We’ll look into it and reply.

If you’re not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. If you live in Alberta, British Columbia or Québec, you may also be able to contact your provincial privacy commissioner.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we’ll change the “Last updated” date at the top, and if the changes are significant we’ll tell you in a clear way, such as a notice on the site. If a change affects how we use or share information you have already given us, we’ll ask for your consent again where the law requires it.