LEGAL

Privacy Policy

Think Insurance (“we”, “us”, or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of our clients, website visitors, and all individuals with whom we interact. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard personal information in compliance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), British Columbia’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), and all other applicable Canadian privacy legislation.

This policy applies to Think Insurance, located at Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, and governs all personal information collected through our services, website, and business operations.

1. Accountability

Think Insurance is responsible for the personal information under our control. We have designated a Privacy Officer who is accountable for our compliance with this Privacy Policy and applicable privacy legislation. If you have questions or concerns about how we handle your personal information, you may contact our Privacy Officer at the contact details provided at the end of this policy.

2. What Is Personal Information?

“Personal information” means any information about an identifiable individual. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Full name, date of birth, and government-issued identification numbers
  • Contact information such as home address, telephone number, and email address
  • Financial information including banking details, credit history, and income
  • Insurance history, claims history, and policy details
  • Vehicle information including make, model, year, and VIN
  • Property details for home or commercial insurance purposes
  • Health and medical information when required for life or disability insurance
  • Driver’s licence information and driving history
  • Business information when providing commercial insurance services

3. Identifying Purposes for Collection

We identify the purposes for which personal information is collected at or before the time of collection. We collect personal information for the following purposes:

3.1. Insurance Services

  • To assess eligibility for insurance products and provide accurate quotes
  • To bind, issue, renew, or amend insurance policies on your behalf
  • To process and administer insurance claims
  • To communicate with insurance carriers, underwriters, and reinsurers
  • To verify your identity and prevent fraud

3.2. Business Operations

  • To maintain and manage client accounts and records
  • To comply with legal and regulatory obligations under applicable insurance legislation
  • To respond to inquiries and provide customer support
  • To send policy renewal notices and relevant communications
  • To improve our services and develop new insurance products

3.3. Website and Digital Services

  • To process online quote requests and contact form submissions
  • To analyze website usage and improve user experience
  • To send marketing communications where consent has been obtained

4. Obtaining Consent

We obtain your consent before or at the time we collect your personal information. Consent may be express (written or verbal) or implied, depending on the sensitivity of the information and the circumstances of collection.

Express consent is required for:

You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions. Withdrawing consent may affect our ability to provide you with insurance services. To withdraw consent, please contact our Privacy Officer.

  • Collection of sensitive personal information such as health, financial, or government ID data
  • Use of personal information for marketing or promotional purposes
  • Disclosure to third parties beyond those necessary to fulfill the primary purpose

5. Limiting Collection

We collect only the personal information necessary for the identified purposes. We collect information by fair and lawful means. We do not collect personal information indiscriminately or beyond what is required to serve your insurance needs and comply with our legal obligations.

6. Limiting Use, Disclosure, and Retention

We use and disclose personal information only for the purposes for which it was collected, except with your consent or as required by law. Personal information is retained only as long as necessary to fulfill those purposes or as required by applicable law and regulatory requirements.

6.1. Authorized Disclosures

We may disclose your personal information to the following parties:

  • Insurance companies, underwriters, and reinsurers to bind and service your policy
  • Insurance industry bureaus and associations such as the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) for claims verification
  • Credit bureaus and financial institutions for underwriting and payment processing purposes
  • Law enforcement agencies, regulatory bodies, or courts when required by law
  • Third-party service providers who assist in delivering our services (subject to confidentiality obligations)
  • Successor entities in the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of business assets

6.2. Retention

We retain personal information for a minimum of seven (7) years as required under BC insurance brokerage regulations and PIPA. Once no longer needed, personal information is securely destroyed or anonymized.

7. Accuracy

We take reasonable steps to ensure personal information is accurate, complete, and up to date as required for the purposes for which it is used. We rely on you to provide accurate information and to inform us of any changes. You may request correction of inaccurate personal information by contacting our Privacy Officer.

8. Safeguarding Personal Information

We protect personal information using security measures appropriate to the sensitivity of the information. These safeguards include:

Despite our best efforts, no method of data transmission or storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your information.

  • Physical security measures including locked file storage and restricted access to premises
  • Electronic security including encryption, secure servers, firewalls, and password-protected systems
  • Organizational measures including privacy training for staff and access controls on a need-to-know basis
  • Contractual obligations on third-party service providers to protect personal information

9. Openness

We make information about our privacy policies and practices readily available. This Privacy Policy is posted on our website and is available upon request. We will inform you of the name and contact information of our Privacy Officer upon request.

10. Individual Access

Upon written request, we will inform you of the existence, use, and disclosure of your personal information and provide you access to that information within 30 days of receiving the request, subject to applicable exceptions under PIPEDA and PIPA.

You have the right to:

We may charge a reasonable fee for providing access to personal information. We will advise you of any fee in advance.

  • Request access to your personal information held by Think Insurance
  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information
  • Withdraw consent to the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information
  • File a complaint with our Privacy Officer or with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
  • File a complaint with the BC Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC BC) under PIPA

11. Challenging Compliance

You may direct any questions, concerns, or complaints about our compliance with this Privacy Policy or applicable privacy laws to our Privacy Officer. We will investigate all complaints and respond within a reasonable time. If a complaint is found to be justified, we will take appropriate corrective measures.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact:

  • Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: www.priv.gc.ca | 1-800-282-1376
  • Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC (OIPC BC): www.oipc.bc.ca | 250-387-5629

12. Transfers Outside Canada

In some cases, personal information may be processed or stored by third-party service providers outside Canada (for example, cloud-based software providers). When this occurs, we take contractual and other steps to ensure your information receives comparable privacy protection. By providing your personal information to us, you acknowledge that it may be transferred to, stored, or processed in other jurisdictions.

13. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to improve functionality and analyze traffic. Cookies are small data files stored on your device. You may configure your browser to refuse cookies; however, some website features may not function properly as a result.

We may use analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) that collect non-identifiable data about website usage, including pages visited, time on site, and referring sources. This data is used in aggregate form to improve our website.

14. Anti-Spam Compliance (CASL)

Where we send commercial electronic messages (CEMs), we comply with Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). We will only send marketing emails or text messages where we have obtained your express or implied consent, and we include an unsubscribe mechanism in every commercial message. You may unsubscribe at any time by following the instructions in the message or contacting us directly.

15. Children’s Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors without parental or guardian consent. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a minor, please contact our Privacy Officer and we will promptly delete it.

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. Any changes will be posted on our website with the updated effective date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of our services following the posting of changes constitutes your acceptance of those changes.

17. Contact Us

Still have a question? Ask us.

Call or send a message and a licensed advisor will get back to you, usually the same day.