Privacy Policy

Welcome to Ontario Vendors Inc. ("Ontario Vendors," "OV," "we," "us," or "our").

Ontario Vendors is a business discovery and promotional platform dedicated to connecting communities with local businesses, helping vendors increase their visibility, and making it easier for customers to find products and services.

We value your privacy and are committed to protecting the personal information you share with us.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, store, and protect information when you visit our website, register your business, or interact with our services.

By using our website or submitting information, you acknowledge this Privacy Policy. Where required by law, we will obtain your consent for specific collection, use, or disclosure of personal information.

We may collect the following categories of information:

A. Vendor Owner Information

When registering a business on Ontario Vendors, we collect:

• Vendor or business owner's name
• Owner's email address
• Owner's phone number

This information is collected for administrative, communication, verification, and accountability purposes.

Owner details provided in this section are not displayed in the public business directory. They are used internally to manage registrations, contact responsible business representatives, and address listing-related matters.

B. Business Information

When registering a business, we may collect:

• Business name
• Business email address and phone number
• Business location and delivery or service areas
• Business type, category, and subcategories
• Business website address
• Social media handles and links, including Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn
• WhatsApp contact information
• Business descriptions and other information voluntarily submitted

Business information submitted for publication may be displayed in our public directory to help visitors discover and connect with vendors.

If you provide personal contact information as your business contact details, that information may also be publicly visible.

C. Website Usage Information

When you use our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, including:

• Browser and device information
• Pages visited and general usage patterns
• Referring websites
• Approximate geographic location
• Technical information necessary for website operation, performance, and security

We may use analytics and similar technologies to understand website usage, maintain functionality, and improve our services.

We use the information we collect to:

• Receive, review, and manage vendor registrations
• Create, publish, and maintain business directory listings
• Help visitors discover and contact businesses
• Communicate with vendors about registrations, listings, and platform-related matters
• Respond to questions, complaints, and support requests
• Review the accuracy and suitability of submitted business information
• Maintain and improve website functionality, security, and performance
• Prevent misuse, fraud, or unauthorized activities
• Comply with applicable legal and regulatory requirements

We will not use personal information for purposes materially different from those described in this Policy without providing appropriate notice and obtaining additional consent where required.

Ontario Vendors operates a publicly accessible business directory.

By submitting business information for inclusion in the directory, you authorize Ontario Vendors to publish the business information intended for your listing, including relevant contact details, location, business description, and external links.

Information collected separately under Owner Details is intended for internal administrative purposes and will not be published as part of your business listing without appropriate authorization or another lawful basis.

Business representatives are responsible for ensuring that the information submitted is accurate and that they are authorized to provide it.

You may request corrections, updates, or removal of your listing by contacting us.

We may contact registered vendors regarding their applications, business listings, important platform updates, or inquiries.

Ontario Vendors may introduce optional newsletters, event announcements, business opportunities, and other promotional communications in the future.

Where required by applicable law, we will obtain appropriate consent before sending commercial electronic messages.

Subscription to promotional communications will be optional, and recipients will be able to withdraw their consent or unsubscribe using the instructions provided in the communication or by contacting us.

We do not require consent to optional promotional communications as a condition of registering a business in our directory.

We do not sell personal information.

We may disclose information in the following circumstances:

• Public directory: Business information authorized for publication may be displayed to website visitors.
• Service providers: We may engage third-party providers to support website hosting, data storage, analytics, security, and other operational functions.
• Authorized personnel: Information may be accessed by individuals responsible for administering and maintaining Ontario Vendors, where necessary for their duties.
• Legal obligations: We may disclose information when required or permitted by applicable law, regulation, or lawful legal process.
• Security and platform integrity: Information may be used or disclosed where legally permitted and reasonably necessary to investigate fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We take reasonable steps to ensure that third-party service providers handling personal information on our behalf apply appropriate safeguards.

We use administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information we collect to protect against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, misuse, or loss.

Our website and business directory rely on third-party technology and service providers for hosting, storage, security, and related operations.

Personal information may be processed or stored outside Canada and may be subject to the laws of the jurisdictions where it is processed.

Although we take reasonable measures to protect information, no system or method of electronic transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, operate our services, resolve inquiries, maintain appropriate business records, or meet applicable legal obligations.

When information is no longer required, we take reasonable steps to securely delete, destroy, or anonymize it.

Removal of a public business listing does not necessarily require immediate deletion of all related administrative records where retention remains necessary or legally permitted.

Our directory may contain links to independent vendor websites, social media accounts, messaging platforms, and other third-party services.

When you access an external link, you leave the Ontario Vendors website and may become subject to the privacy practices and terms of the destination service.

Ontario Vendors does not control the privacy or security practices of independent third-party websites.

We encourage visitors to review the relevant privacy policies before sharing personal or sensitive information with external businesses or services.

Subject to applicable law, you may contact us to:

• Request access to personal information we hold about you
• Request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete personal information
• Request an update to or removal of your business listing
• Withdraw consent to certain uses of your information, where applicable
• Ask questions about how your information is collected, used, or disclosed
• Raise a complaint or concern about our privacy practices

We may need to verify your identity or authority before processing certain requests.

We will review and respond to privacy requests within the timeframes required by applicable law.

Certain requests may be subject to legal exceptions, including situations where information must be retained for legitimate or legally required purposes.

Ontario Vendors is intended primarily for businesses and individuals seeking to discover or connect with vendors.

Our business registration services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly seek to collect personal information directly from children through vendor enrollment.

If we become aware that personal information has been collected from a child without the consent required by applicable law, we will take appropriate steps to address the matter.

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our services, business practices, or applicable legal requirements.

Updated versions will be published on this page with a revised effective date.

Where material changes require additional notice or consent under applicable law, we will take appropriate steps to provide such notice or obtain consent.

If you have questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal information, please contact:

Ontario Vendors Inc.

Privacy Contact: privacy@mail.ontariovendors.ca

Website: https://ontariovendors.ca

We will review privacy-related inquiries and respond in accordance with applicable privacy laws.