Privacy Policy

1. Introduction and Scope

BC Industrial Supply (bcindustrialsupply.ca) is an online industrial supplier directory and request-for-quote (RFQ) platform serving British Columbia. It is owned and operated by Boost Commerce Group Inc., a company incorporated in British Columbia, Canada.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect personal information in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) of British Columbia (SBC 2003, c. 63). By using the platform, you consent to the practices described in this policy.

This policy applies to all users of the platform, including buyers submitting RFQs, suppliers listing their businesses, and visitors browsing the directory.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

We collect personal information you voluntarily provide when:

• Submitting a Request for Quote (RFQ): name, company name, email address, phone number, BC region, product or service category, project description, budget range, and urgency level.
• Listing your business as a supplier: business name, contact name, email address, phone number, business address, city, region, service categories, years in operation, and business description.
• Creating an account: name, email address, and authentication credentials managed through our OAuth provider.
• Contacting us: name, email address, and the content of your message.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit the platform, we automatically collect standard web analytics data including IP address (anonymized), browser type, operating system, pages visited, session duration, and referral source. This data is aggregate and is not used to personally identify you.

2.3 Payment Information

Payment processing for supplier subscriptions and lead credits is handled by Stripe, Inc. We do not store full credit card numbers, CVV codes, or card expiration dates on our servers. We retain only the Stripe customer ID and subscription identifiers necessary to manage your account. Stripe's privacy policy is available at stripe.com/en-ca/privacy.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Matching RFQ submissions with relevant BC-based industrial suppliers in our directory.
• Notifying matched suppliers of new RFQ requests relevant to their category and region.
• Maintaining and displaying supplier listings in the public directory.
• Processing subscription payments and managing supplier portal accounts.
• Generating aggregate platform statistics (total suppliers, quote volumes, category trends).
• Improving platform functionality, fixing errors, and developing new features.
• Responding to inquiries submitted through the contact form.
• Complying with applicable legal obligations.

We do not use your personal information for automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects, nor do we use it for direct marketing without explicit consent.

4. Disclosure of Personal Information

4.1 Supplier Matching

When you submit an RFQ, your contact information (name, company, email, phone) and project details are disclosed to BC-based industrial suppliers in our directory who match your category and region. By submitting an RFQ, you expressly consent to this disclosure.

4.2 Public Directory Listings

Supplier listings including business name, city, region, service categories, phone number, website, and business description are publicly visible in the directory. Suppliers who submit a listing consent to this public disclosure.

4.3 Service Providers

We share personal information with third-party service providers who assist in operating the platform, including cloud hosting providers, analytics services, and payment processors. These providers are contractually obligated to protect personal information and may not use it for any purpose other than providing services to us.

4.4 Legal Requirements

We may disclose personal information if required to do so by law, court order, or governmental authority, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of our users or the public.

5. 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:

• RFQ submissions: Retained for 24 months, then deleted or anonymized.
• Supplier listings: Retained for the duration of the listing plus 12 months after removal.
• Account information: Retained for the duration of the account plus 90 days after deletion.
• Payment records: Stripe transaction identifiers retained for 7 years as required by Canadian tax law.
• Contact form submissions: Retained for 12 months, then deleted.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use the following types of cookies:

• Essential cookies: Required for platform functionality, including session management and authentication. These cannot be disabled without impairing platform use.
• Analytics cookies: Used to collect aggregate data about how visitors use the platform. This data does not personally identify you. You may disable analytics cookies in your browser settings.

We do not use advertising cookies, tracking pixels, or cross-site tracking technologies.

7. Your Rights Under PIPA

Under BC's Personal Information Protection Act, you have the right to:

• Access: Request access to the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Withdrawal of consent: Withdraw consent to the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information, subject to legal or contractual restrictions.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to our retention obligations.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 business days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC.

8. Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include encrypted data transmission (TLS/HTTPS), access controls, and secure cloud infrastructure. However, no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Third-Party Links

Supplier listings may include links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites and encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

10. Children's Privacy

This platform is intended for business use and is not directed at individuals under the age of 19. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a minor, please contact us immediately at [email protected].

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. Material changes will be indicated by updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the platform after a policy update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

12. Contact Us

For privacy-related inquiries, access requests, or data removal requests, contact our Privacy Officer:

Frequently Asked Questions