1. Who we are
localcrew operates an online marketplace that connects homeowners and consumers with independent service professionals in Ontario. In this policy, "we", "us", and "localcrew" refer to localcrew. References to "you" mean any user of the Service — Customer, Pro, or Admin. localcrew is the data controller (or the equivalent under PIPEDA) of the personal information described below.
2. What we collect
We collect personal information you give us and information generated when you use the Service.
Information you give us:
- Account info — name, email, password (stored as a salted hash, not in plain text), role (Customer, Pro, Admin).
- Pro contact info — phone number, business name, business description.
- Job details — category, postal code/FSA, description, budget, urgency.
- Pro service area — Forward Sortation Area (first three characters of postal code) and service radius.
- Verification documents you provide — government ID, business registration, insurance certificates, trade licences, references.
- Messages you send to other users on the Service.
- Reviews you submit, including any associated text and rating.
Information we generate or collect automatically:
- Device and connection data — IP address, approximate location derived from IP, browser type, operating system, referring page.
- Usage data — pages viewed, features used, click events, timestamps, session identifiers.
- Cookies and similar technologies — session cookies for sign-in, preference cookies, analytics cookies (where used).
3. How we use it
- To create and operate your account.
- To match jobs to nearby Pros within their selected categories and service area.
- To deliver the messaging, lead, and review features of the Service.
- To verify Pros, including identity, business, insurance, licence, and reference checks.
- To send transactional communications (e.g. lead notifications, password resets) and, with your consent, marketing communications you can unsubscribe from at any time.
- To detect, investigate, and prevent fraud, abuse, and security incidents.
- To comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests.
- To improve and develop the Service, including aggregate analytics.
4. Why we are allowed to use it
Under PIPEDA we rely on your consent to collect, use, and disclose your personal information for the purposes above. Your consent may be express (for example, when you create an account or check a box) or implied from the context (for example, by sending a message you consent to delivering it to its recipient). For uses where the law permits collection, use, or disclosure without consent — such as investigating fraud, complying with court orders, or protecting safety — we rely on those legal exceptions.
5. When we share it
- With other users. We share limited information between Customers and Pros that is necessary to operate the marketplace — for example, a Customer's job description and FSA with matched Pros, and a Pro's profile with the Customer who engages them. Phone numbers are shared with the other party only once an engagement is reasonably underway.
- Service providers. We use trusted vendors to host the Service, send email, store files, and process verification documents. They access personal information only to perform services for us, under written agreements that limit how they handle it.
- Legal compliance and safety. We may disclose personal information to comply with applicable law, valid legal process, or government request, and to protect the rights, property, or safety of localcrew, our users, or the public.
- Business transfers. If localcrew is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to confidentiality obligations.
- With your consent. Otherwise, we share personal information only with your direction or consent.
We do not sell your personal information. We do not share your personal information with third parties for their own marketing purposes.
6. Pros: special note about your contact info
A Pro's business name, profile, ratings, and service area are publicly visible to anyone visiting the Pro's public profile page. Phone numbers are not displayed publicly; they are shared with a Customer only when a job has been engaged. By creating a Pro account you consent to this public display of your business information.
7. Cookies and similar technologies
We use cookies to keep you signed in, remember preferences, and measure how the Service is used. You can control cookies through your browser settings; disabling some cookies may make parts of the Service unusable (for example, you may be unable to stay signed in).
8. How long we keep it
We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purposes described in this policy or as required by law. As a general rule: account records are kept for as long as the account is active and for a reasonable period after closure (typically up to 24 months) for fraud prevention, dispute resolution, and legal compliance; messages and job records are kept for the lesser of seven years or until deletion is requested and lawfully permitted; verification documents are kept for the duration of the Pro's engagement plus a reasonable retention window after.
9. How we protect it
We use industry-standard administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction — including encrypted transmission (HTTPS), encrypted storage of credentials (salted password hashes), access controls, and regular review of our systems. No method of transmission or storage over the Internet is completely secure; if you suspect your account has been compromised, contact us immediately.
10. Your rights under PIPEDA
You have the right to:
- Access — request a copy of the personal information we hold about you and information about how it has been used and disclosed.
- Correction — request that we correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete.
- Withdraw consent — withdraw your consent to our collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice. Withdrawing consent may mean we can no longer provide some or all of the Service.
- Delete — request deletion of your account and associated personal information, subject to retention obligations described above.
- Complain — contact us first; if you remain unsatisfied, you may complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at priv.gc.ca.
To exercise these rights, email us at the address in the Contact section. We may need to verify your identity before responding.
11. Children
The Service is not intended for and is not directed to anyone under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe a minor has provided us with personal information, contact us and we will take reasonable steps to delete it.
12. International transfers
Your personal information may be processed and stored in Canada and in other countries where our service providers operate, including the United States. While information is in another country, it may be subject to that country's laws and accessible to its government, courts, and law enforcement under those laws. By using the Service you understand and consent to this transfer and processing.
13. Email and CASL consent
Where required by Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), we will obtain your consent before sending commercial electronic messages, identify ourselves clearly in those messages, and provide a working unsubscribe mechanism. Transactional messages (for example, lead notifications, password resets, security alerts) are necessary to operate the Service and are not subject to the unsubscribe requirement.
14. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. If we make material changes we will give reasonable notice — for example by posting a notice on the Service or sending you an email. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect means you accept the updated policy.
15. Contact
For privacy questions, requests, or complaints, contact our Privacy Officer at [email protected]. We respond to access and correction requests within 30 days where required by law.