Your privacy matters to us - here's the straight talk on how we handle your info
Look, we're a car shop, not a data mining operation. When you bring your BMW or Porsche in for service, we need some info to do our job right - your name, contact details, what's wrong with your ride, that sorta thing. This policy breaks down what we collect, why we collect it, and how we keep it safe.
We're based in North Vancouver, BC, so we follow Canadian privacy laws (PIPEDA), and since we occasionally work with clients who've got vehicles registered in Europe, we've made sure we're GDPR-friendly too. No funny business.
Your name, phone number, email address - pretty standard stuff. We need this so we can call you when your car's ready or shoot you a text if we find something unexpected during diagnostics.
Make, model, year, VIN number, mileage, service history. This isn't about being nosy - when you're working on a 2023 Audi RS5 versus a 2018 BMW M3, the details matter. A lot. We also keep track of what work we've done on your vehicle so we can reference it down the road.
We don't store your full credit card info on our systems - that goes through our payment processor who's way better at security than we'd ever be. We do keep records of transactions for warranty purposes and bookkeeping.
When we plug into your car's computer, we pull fault codes, performance data, ECU readings - all the technical stuff that tells us what's actually going on under the hood. This data stays with your service file.
If you're browsing our site, we collect basic stuff like IP address, browser type, pages you visit. Just helps us understand what folks are looking for and if our site's working properly.
Everything we collect has a purpose. We're not sitting here selling your data to random companies or sending spam. Here's what we actually do with it:
We keep your info pretty close to the chest, but there are a few situations where we need to share it:
When we're ordering parts for your specific vehicle, we sometimes need to share your VIN with suppliers or directly with manufacturers like BMW, Audi, Mercedes, etc. This ensures we get the exact right part for your vehicle configuration.
Your payment info goes through secure third-party processors. We never see or store your full card details.
If you're making a claim, we'll share service records and repair details with your insurance provider - but only with your permission.
If law enforcement shows up with a proper warrant, or if there's a court order, we gotta comply. Also applies to safety recalls or regulatory investigations.
Yeah, we use cookies. Not the chocolate chip kind, unfortunately. Here's the rundown:
| Cookie Type | What It Does | Can You Opt Out? |
|---|---|---|
| Essential Cookies | Make the website actually work - login sessions, shopping cart stuff, basic functionality. | Nope - site won't work without 'em |
| Analytics Cookies | Tell us which pages people visit, how long they stay, where they're clicking. Helps us improve the site. | Yes - toggle below |
| Preference Cookies | Remember your settings like language preferences or if you've seen certain notices. | Yes - toggle below |
We take security seriously. Your data's locked down tighter than a torqued head bolt. Here's how:
All data transmission uses SSL/TLS encryption. Your info's scrambled during transfer so nobody can intercept it.
Our databases are hosted on secure Canadian servers with firewalls, regular backups, and restricted access.
Only authorized staff members can access customer data, and they're trained on privacy protocols.
We regularly review our security practices and update systems to stay ahead of threats.
It's your data, and you've got rights. Here's what you can do:
Wanna see what info we've got on file? Just ask. We'll send you a copy of everything we're holding - service records, contact info, payment history, all of it.
If something's wrong - like we've got the wrong phone number or your email's outdated - let us know and we'll fix it right away.
You can ask us to delete your information. Fair warning though - we need to keep some stuff for legal reasons (like warranty records or tax documents), but we'll wipe what we legally can.
Don't wanna hear from us unless it's about your car? No problem. Click unsubscribe on any email or text, or just tell us you'd prefer not to get marketing messages.
Want your service records in a format you can take to another shop? We'll export your data in a readable format - usually PDF or CSV.
Email us at service@halryndvortex.info or give us a call at (604) 782-4590. We'll need to verify it's actually you making the request (can't just hand out customer data to anyone who asks), but we'll get you sorted out within 30 days.
Even though we're based in Canada, we know some of our clients have ties to Europe. If GDPR applies to you, here's what you should know:
We process your data based on: (1) Contract fulfillment - we need it to service your vehicle, (2) Legitimate interest - maintaining service records and safety, (3) Consent - for marketing communications.
Your data stays in Canada on secure servers. If we ever need to transfer data internationally, we'll use approved mechanisms and let you know.
We don't hoard data forever. Here's how long we typically hold onto different types of information: