Look, nobody actually enjoys reading privacy policies - we get it. But here at Zephyrax Frontier, we're dealing with your vehicles, your personal info, and sometimes pretty detailed diagnostic data from your car's computer systems. So yeah, we figured you'd wanna know what we do with all that stuff.
We've been in the auto service game long enough to know trust matters. Whether you're bringing in a beater or a modified street machine, we treat your information the same way we treat your vehicle - with respect and care.
Important: By using our services, you're agreeing to this privacy policy. If something bugs you about it, let's chat before we start working on your ride.
What Information We Actually Collect
The basics - your name, phone number, email, and address. We need this to get in touch when your car's ready or if we find something wonky during diagnostics. Pretty standard stuff, really. We're not gonna sell your email to some spam list, that's just not how we roll.
Make, model, year, VIN number, mileage - all that jazz. We keep service records too, 'cause it helps us track what's been done and spot patterns. Like if your brake pads are wearing faster than they should, we'll notice. Your VIN helps us order the right parts and access manufacturer specs for ECU tuning work.
Here's where it gets technical. When we plug into your car's computer, we're pulling error codes, sensor readings, fuel trim data, sometimes even driving patterns if we're tracking down an intermittent issue. For performance tuning, we're reading and modifying ECU maps. This data stays in our system tied to your vehicle's service history. We keep it to compare against future visits and track how modifications are performing.
Credit card numbers, payment details - though most of this goes straight through our payment processor. We keep transaction records and receipts for accounting purposes (and so you can expense stuff if you're using your vehicle for business). We don't actually store full credit card numbers on our systems.
IP addresses, browser type, pages you visit on our site. Standard web analytics stuff. Helps us figure out if our website's actually useful or just confusing people. No judgment if you had to Google "what is ECU remapping" before finding us.
How We Use Your Information
Straight up, here's what we do with your data:
-
Service Your Vehicle: This is the main thing. We need your info to fix your car, tune your engine, and make sure everything's running smooth. Can't really do our job without it.
-
Keep You Updated: Appointment reminders, service updates, letting you know when we find something unexpected. We'll call or text when your ride's ready for pickup.
-
Maintain Service Records: Your vehicle's history lives in our system. Makes it way easier to diagnose recurring issues or recommend preventive maintenance based on what we've done before.
-
Process Payments: Gotta get paid somehow. We keep records for tax purposes and warranty tracking.
-
Improve Our Services: Analyzing patterns helps us stock the right parts, train our techs better, and figure out which services customers actually need.
-
Legal Compliance: Sometimes the law requires us to keep certain records, especially around emissions work and safety-related repairs.
-
Marketing (Optional): We might send occasional emails about specials or new services. You can opt out anytime - won't hurt our feelings.
How We Protect Your Data
We're not a tech company, but we take security seriously. Our customer database is password-protected and encrypted. Only authorized staff can access it. We use secure payment processors that are PCI compliant (that's the credit card security standard).
Physical records are locked up when the shop's closed. Diagnostic equipment isn't connected to the internet unless we need manufacturer access for specific procedures, and then we use secure VPN connections.
Reality check: No system is 100% hack-proof. We do our best, but if there's ever a data breach, we'll notify you right away as required by Canadian privacy laws.
Who We Share Your Info With
We're pretty selective about this. Here's the short list:
Parts Suppliers: Sometimes we need to give them your VIN to order the correct parts. They don't get your contact info unless it's for a warranty claim.
Payment Processors: Credit card companies and payment gateways. They've got their own privacy policies.
Insurance Companies: Only if you authorize us to bill them directly or if they're covering a repair. We're not handing over your service records without your permission.
Legal Authorities: If we get a valid court order or subpoena, we gotta comply. Hasn't happened yet, but legally we'd have to.
Service Partners: Occasionally we outsource specialized work (like transmission rebuilds to a trusted specialist). They'll only get the info needed to do that specific job.
What we DON'T do: We don't sell customer lists. We don't give your email to third-party marketers. We don't share your diagnostic data with manufacturers unless you specifically ask us to (like for a lemon law case).
Special Note About Vehicle Data
This deserves its own section 'cause it's kinda unique to what we do. When we're doing performance tuning or deep diagnostics, we're pulling a lot of data from your car's computer. Some of this stuff is pretty detailed - engine parameters, transmission shift points, even GPS data if your car has navigation.
We keep this data for a few reasons. First, it helps us fine-tune modifications and track performance over time. Second, if something goes wrong, we can check our baseline readings. Third, it's useful for developing better tuning profiles for similar vehicles.
If you're not comfortable with us keeping this data long-term, just say so. We can delete it after your service is complete, though it might limit our ability to help with future issues related to that work.
Cookies & Website Tracking
Yeah, we use cookies on our website. Not the edible kind, unfortunately. These are tiny files that remember your preferences and help us see how people use the site.
We use Google Analytics to track visitor stats - nothing creepy, just stuff like how many people visit the services page or where folks are dropping off when booking appointments. Helps us make the site less annoying to use.
You can disable cookies in your browser settings if you want. The site'll still work, but you might have to re-enter some info each time you visit.
Your Rights & Choices
Under Canadian privacy laws (specifically PIPEDA), you've got rights. Here's what you can do:
Access Your Data: You can ask to see what information we've got on you. We'll provide it within 30 days.
Correct Errors: If something's wrong in our records, let us know and we'll fix it.
Delete Your Data: Want us to wipe your information? We can do that, though we might need to keep some records for legal/accounting reasons (usually 7 years for tax purposes).
Opt Out of Marketing: Don't wanna get our emails? Click unsubscribe or just tell us. We'll stop.
Withdraw Consent: You can change your mind about how we use your data anytime, though it might affect our ability to provide certain services.
How Long We Keep Your Data
We're not data hoarders, but we do keep stuff for reasonable periods:
- Service Records: Usually 7 years (that's the standard for business records in Canada)
- Payment Records: 7 years for tax purposes
- Diagnostic Data: 3-5 years, unless you ask us to delete it sooner
- Marketing Lists: Until you unsubscribe or we do a periodic cleanup
- Website Analytics: Google keeps this for 26 months by default
After these periods, we either delete the data or anonymize it so it can't be tied back to you personally.
Changes to This Policy
Things change - laws get updated, we add new services, technology evolves. If we make significant changes to this privacy policy, we'll post the updated version on our website and send an email to customers on our mailing list.
The "last updated" date at the top shows when we last modified this thing. We try to keep the language straightforward instead of drowning you in legalese.