Privacy Policy
Your privacy is very important to us. This Privacy Policy explains how Hellamaid (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, discloses, and protects your personal information when you engage with our services — including through our website, booking forms, phone calls, and marketing communications.
We are committed to handling your personal information in accordance with Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy legislation. By using our services, you agree to this Privacy Policy.
Our Privacy Principles
Before or at the time of collecting personal information, we identify the purposes for which it is being collected. We collect and use personal information solely to fulfill those purposes and other compatible purposes, unless we obtain your consent or are required by law. We retain personal information only as long as necessary, collect it by lawful and fair means, and protect it with reasonable security safeguards. Personal information is kept accurate, complete, and up-to-date to the extent necessary for its intended use, and we make our policies and practices readily available to customers.
1. Information We Collect
We collect personal information when you interact with Hellamaid via booking forms, lead forms, phone calls, email, or other communication channels.
a. Personal Identification Information
- Full name — to identify you and personalize service.
- Email address — for booking confirmations, service updates, and (with consent) marketing communications.
- Phone number — for service communication, scheduling, and (with consent) promotional SMS messages.
b. Service-Related Information
- Type of cleaning service — residential, commercial, or specialty.
- Property details — address, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, access instructions, and other cleaning-related needs.
- Additional instructions or preferences — any information you share to personalize your cleaning experience (pets, parking, valuables, etc.).
c. Payment Information
We may collect payment details to process bookings. Hellamaid does not store full credit card numbers or sensitive financial information directly. We use third-party payment processors (currently Stripe and similar PCI-DSS-compliant providers) that adhere to industry security standards.
d. Automatically Collected Information
When you interact with our website, we may collect information automatically through cookies, web beacons, server logs, and tracking pixels, including:
- IP address
- Browser type and version
- Operating system
- Device information
- Pages viewed and links clicked
- Date and time of visit
- Referring website
This data helps us analyze trends, improve user experience, and measure the performance of our marketing campaigns.
e. Phone Call Recordings
When you call us at 1-888-477-MAID, your call may be recorded by our telephony provider for quality assurance, training, dispute resolution, and compliance purposes. Recordings are stored securely with our provider and accessed only by authorized personnel. If you prefer not to be recorded, please let our representative know at the start of the call, or contact us by email or through our website form instead.
f. Photos and Visual Content
In some cases, our cleaning professionals may take before-and-after photos for quality assurance, training, or to document the condition of the property. These photos are used internally and are not shared publicly without your written consent. You may also voluntarily submit photos to us when reporting damage, requesting service adjustments, or providing testimonials.
g. Information Observed During Service
Because our work takes place inside your home, our cleaning professionals may incidentally observe personal items such as mail, documents, framed photos, or household belongings. Our team is trained to respect your privacy, not handle or read personal documents, and not disclose anything observed during service. We do not record, photograph, or collect this information except where directly relevant to a documented damage claim or safety incident.
2. How We Use Your Information
a. Service Provision
- Managing bookings and delivering cleaning services.
- Sending booking confirmations, reminders, payment receipts, and service updates.
- Responding to inquiries and resolving customer service issues.
- Verifying payment methods through pre-authorization holds and processing final charges.
b. Marketing and Promotions
With your consent, we may use your information for marketing communications, including:
- Promotional emails about new services, discounts, and seasonal offers.
- SMS messages about promotions or referral programs.
- Analyzing your preferences to tailor content and offers.
- Showing you relevant ads on third-party platforms (such as Meta/Facebook, Instagram, and Google) through tracking pixels and audience-matching tools.
You can withdraw consent for promotional communications at any time by clicking “unsubscribe” in any email, replying STOP to any SMS, or contacting us directly. Withdrawal of marketing consent does not affect transactional communications necessary to deliver your booked service.
c. Business Operations and Improvements
- Improving our website, booking flow, and services based on feedback and analytics.
- Measuring marketing campaign performance and conversion.
- Conducting internal audits, quality reviews, and operational planning.
d. Legal Compliance and Protection
- Complying with legal, tax, regulatory, or court obligations.
- Investigating and resolving disputes, damage claims, or suspected fraud.
- Protecting our rights, property, and the safety of our customers and cleaning professionals.
3. Sharing Your Information
We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share data in the following limited cases:
a. Cleaning Professionals
We share necessary booking information (your name, address, access instructions, service details, and special notes) with the cleaning professional assigned to your service so they can deliver the cleaning. Cleaning professionals are subject to confidentiality obligations.
b. Service Providers
We share data with trusted third-party providers who help us operate, including:
- Booking platform (currently Launch27)
- Payment processors (e.g., Stripe)
- Email and SMS platforms (for transactional and marketing communications)
- Customer service and helpdesk software
- Analytics and advertising platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Meta Pixel)
- Telephony and call recording providers
These providers are contractually required to handle your information securely and only for the purposes we specify.
c. Legal Requirements
We may disclose your information when required to comply with applicable laws, court orders, subpoenas, or government requests, or when necessary to protect our legal rights, enforce our Terms of Service, or prevent fraud or harm.
d. Business Transfers
If Hellamaid is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, franchise transfer, or sale of assets, your data may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to confidentiality obligations.
e. Franchisees
Hellamaid operates through both corporate-owned and independently owned franchised locations. The franchisee servicing your area may receive booking information necessary to deliver your service. All franchisees are bound by this Privacy Policy.
4. Data Retention
We retain personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected or as required by law. Specifically:
- Booking and account records: retained for up to 7 years to comply with Canadian tax and accounting requirements.
- Payment transaction records: retained for up to 7 years to comply with financial regulations.
- Marketing communication records (consent and unsubscribes): retained for at least 3 years to comply with CASL record-keeping requirements.
- Phone call recordings: typically retained for up to 12 months by our telephony provider.
- Website analytics data: retained according to the default settings of our analytics providers (typically 14–26 months).
- Damage claim and incident records: retained for the duration of any potential limitation period under applicable provincial law.
When information is no longer needed for these purposes, we securely delete or anonymize it.
5. Your Privacy Rights
Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:
- Access and Rectification — request access to or correction of your personal information.
- Data Portability — receive a copy of your personal information in a structured, commonly-used format.
- Right to Erasure — request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention obligations (e.g., tax records).
- Withdraw Consent — withdraw consent for marketing communications or other non-essential processing at any time.
- Restrict Processing — request that we restrict processing of your personal information in certain cases.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the email address below. We will respond within 30 days as required by PIPEDA.
If you are not satisfied with how we handle your privacy concern, you have the right to file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at www.priv.gc.ca or by phone at 1-800-282-1376.
6. Data Security
We implement reasonable physical, technical, and administrative safeguards to protect your personal information against loss, theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, or modification. These safeguards include encryption in transit (TLS/SSL), secure servers, access controls, and regular security reviews.
However, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
7. International Data Transfers
Your personal information may be stored or processed in Canada, the United States, or other countries where our service providers operate. When personal information is transferred outside of Canada, it may be subject to the laws of those jurisdictions, including lawful access requests by foreign government authorities. We take reasonable steps to ensure that your personal information receives a comparable level of protection wherever it is processed.
8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, analyze traffic, and support marketing activities. These include:
- Strictly necessary cookies — required for the website and booking flow to function.
- Analytics cookies — help us understand how visitors use our website (e.g., Google Analytics).
- Advertising and retargeting cookies/pixels — allow us to show relevant ads on third-party platforms (e.g., Meta Pixel for Facebook and Instagram).
You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.
9. Children’s Privacy
Our services are intended for adults aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 18. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 18, we will take steps to delete it promptly.
10. Marketing Communications and CASL
We comply with Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). We send commercial electronic messages (promotional emails and SMS) only with your express or implied consent. Every marketing email includes an unsubscribe link, and you may opt out of SMS marketing at any time by replying STOP. Transactional messages necessary to deliver your booked service (booking confirmations, reminders, receipts, schedule changes) are not affected by marketing opt-outs.
11. Updates to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. The updated policy will be posted on our website with a revised “Last Updated” date. Material changes will be communicated by email where appropriate. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically.
12. Contact Us and Privacy Officer
For questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, or to exercise your privacy rights, please contact our Privacy Officer:
Hellamaid — Privacy Officer Email: [email protected] Phone: 1-888-477-6243 Address: 120 Ottawa St N, #213, Kitchener, ON, N2H 3K5
For complaints not resolved to your satisfaction, you may also contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at www.priv.gc.ca or 1-800-282-1376.
