Privacy Policy

1. Introduction and company information

This Privacy Policy explains how Maple Bloom Garden Studio collects, uses, discloses, stores, and protects personal information in the course of operating its garden-related business in Canada. We are committed to handling personal information in accordance with applicable Canadian privacy laws, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and, where applicable, provincial privacy legislation.

Maple Bloom Garden Studio
2140 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6K 1N6, Canada
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1 (604) 782-9463

This Privacy Policy applies to personal information collected through our website, email communications, phone calls, in-person consultations, service bookings, project inquiries, and any other interactions with Maple Bloom Garden Studio.

2. Data collection and processing

We may collect and process the following categories of personal information, depending on how you interact with us:

• Identification and contact information: name, email address, phone number, mailing address, and other contact details.
• Project and service information: information you provide about your garden, property, design preferences, service requests, budget, timeline, and project goals.
• Communication information: messages, inquiries, feedback, consultation notes, and records of correspondence.
• Transaction information: billing details, payment status, invoices, and records related to purchases or services.
• Website and technical information: IP address, browser type, device identifiers, pages visited, referral data, and usage analytics.
• Photographs and site-related information: images, measurements, and other property-related information provided by you or collected during consultations, site visits, or project planning.

We generally collect personal information directly from you. In some cases, we may collect information from third parties with your consent or as otherwise permitted by law, such as payment processors, analytics providers, or contractors involved in delivering our services.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without appropriate consent where required by law.

3. Purpose of data processing

Maple Bloom Garden Studio uses personal information for the following purposes:

• to respond to inquiries and provide quotes, consultations, and garden design or related services;
• to plan, manage, and deliver projects, including scheduling site visits and coordinating with suppliers or contractors;
• to communicate with you about your account, services, appointments, invoices, and project updates;
• to process payments and maintain business and accounting records;
• to improve our website, services, customer experience, and internal operations;
• to send administrative messages and, where permitted, marketing communications;
• to detect, prevent, and address fraud, security incidents, or misuse of our services;
• to comply with legal, regulatory, tax, and contractual obligations;
• to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

4. Legal basis for processing

Where applicable, Maple Bloom Garden Studio processes personal information on one or more of the following bases:

• Consent: where you have given clear consent for a specific purpose, including certain marketing communications and optional cookies or analytics tools where required.
• Contractual necessity: where processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as providing requested services or handling payments.
• Legitimate business purposes: where processing is necessary for our reasonable business interests and does not override your rights and freedoms, such as service improvement, fraud prevention, and internal administration.
• Legal obligation: where processing is required to comply with applicable laws, regulations, court orders, or lawful requests from authorities.

Under Canadian privacy law, we generally obtain knowledge and consent for the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information, subject to legal exceptions.

5. Data sharing and third parties

We may disclose personal information to third parties only as necessary and only for legitimate business purposes, including:

• Service providers: website hosting, email services, customer relationship management tools, analytics providers, payment processors, and IT support providers;
• Professional advisors: accountants, lawyers, insurers, and other advisors who assist us in operating our business;
• Contractors and collaborators: landscape contractors, suppliers, horticultural specialists, or other project partners involved in delivering services to you;
• Authorities and regulators: where required by law, subpoena, court order, or other lawful request;
• Business transfers: in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, or sale of assets, subject to appropriate confidentiality protections.

We require third parties that process personal information on our behalf to protect it and use it only for the purposes we specify, subject to contractual and legal safeguards.

6. Data transfer to third countries

Some of our service providers may store or process personal information outside Canada, including in the United States or other foreign jurisdictions. As a result, your information may be subject to the laws of those jurisdictions and may be accessible to courts, law enforcement, or regulatory authorities there.

Where personal information is transferred outside Canada, Maple Bloom Garden Studio takes reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate contractual, technical, and organizational safeguards are in place to protect the information in accordance with applicable Canadian privacy requirements.

7. Storage duration

We retain personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, to comply with legal and accounting requirements, to resolve disputes, and to enforce our agreements.

Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the purpose for which it was collected. For example:

• inquiry and consultation records may be retained for a reasonable period after the last contact;
• project and contract records may be retained for the duration of the project and for a subsequent period for warranty, tax, and legal purposes;
• billing and accounting records may be retained for the period required by applicable law.

When personal information is no longer required, we will securely delete, destroy, or anonymize it where appropriate.

8. User rights

Subject to applicable law, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: request access to the personal information we hold about you;
• Rectification: request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;
• Erasure: request deletion of personal information in certain circumstances;
• Restriction: request that we limit the processing of your personal information in certain situations;
• Data portability: request a copy of certain information in a structured, commonly used format where applicable;
• Objection: object to certain processing activities, including some forms of direct marketing where applicable.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in the Contact Information section. We may need to verify your identity before responding. We will respond within the time required by applicable law or, if no specific time is prescribed, within a reasonable period.

9. Withdrawal of consent

Where our processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice. Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal.

If you withdraw consent for certain information, we may no longer be able to provide some services or communications to you. We will explain any consequences where appropriate.

You may opt out of marketing emails by using the unsubscribe link in the message or by contacting us directly.

10. Right to complain

If you have concerns about how Maple Bloom Garden Studio handles your personal information, we encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue.

You may also have the right to file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or, where applicable, the relevant provincial privacy regulator.

Contact details for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada can be found at: https://www.priv.gc.ca/

11. Data security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal information against loss, theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, or modification. These measures may include:

• access controls and authentication measures;
• secure storage and encryption where appropriate;
• staff confidentiality obligations and privacy practices;
• regular review of systems and security procedures;
• limiting access to personal information to those who need it for business purposes.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. While we strive to protect personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

12. Contact information

If you have questions, requests, or complaints regarding this Privacy Policy or our handling of personal information, please contact:

Maple Bloom Garden Studio
2140 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6K 1N6, Canada
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1 (604) 782-9463

13. Changes to privacy policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or business operations. The revised version will be posted on our website with an updated effective date where appropriate.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of our services after any changes are posted indicates your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy, to the extent permitted by law.