Privacy Policy

Last Changed or Updated: 2023-04-26

Hey there, I'm Erik MacKinnon! I've put together this Privacy Policy based on some examples I found online to ensure our relationship is clear and your privacy is protected.

Whenever I use "We", "Us", or "Our", I'm talking about either myself, Erik MacKinnon, or my company, Gravytrain Marketing Ltd., “Gravytrain”, which is based in British Columbia, Canada.

This Privacy Policy is part of our Terms and Conditions. Some words with capital letters that aren't defined here might be explained in the Terms and Conditions.

Just a heads up, the practices in this Privacy Policy only apply to information collected online through this website and other sites owned by me and/or Gravytrain where this policy is posted. It applies when I'm in charge of handling your personal data, which means I decide how and why we process it.

Take your time to read through this policy, as it affects your legal rights. By using the Website, you confirm that you've read and agreed to this Privacy Policy. If you don't agree, please don't use, access, or interact with the Website. I might update this Privacy Policy as the Website evolves, so be sure to check back now and then. I'll post the date at the top when any changes are made.

I have the right to change this Privacy Policy without giving you notice. If you keep using the Website after I've made changes, that means you accept those changes. If I plan to apply any changes to how we handle personal data we already have, I'll let you know about the updates.

1 Your Data

I strive to provide you with the best possible service. In order to provide this service I may need to collect information from you from time to time. At all times I try to only collect the information needed for the particular function or activity we're engaged in together, and will use it in accordance with this privacy policy.

I collect two basic types of information from You from Your use of the Website: Personal Data and Non-Personal Data.

Please don't share anyone else's Personal Information with us unless we specifically ask you to.

2 Your Personal Information

"Personal Information" is any data about a person that can help identify them, either directly or indirectly. This can include things like their name, ID number, location, online identifiers, or even factors related to their physical, mental, economic, or social characteristics.

Generally, you can browse the Website without giving us your Personal Information. But in some cases, you might need to provide us with your details.

2.1 Personal Information We Collect

We collect the following Personal Information from you:

Full Name;
Email address;
Other details you choose to share with us when we work together, like your address, phone numbers, etc.

2.2 How We Collect This Information

Here are the most common ways you might share your Personal Information with us:

Joining communities, chat rooms, comment sections, or other interactive services on the Website;
Sharing User Content on parts of the Website that allow it;
Anywhere else on the Website where you intentionally share Personal Information.
Registering for an Account on the Website;
Subscribing to our services;
Signing up to receive our email newsletters or alerts;
Signing up to get email offers from us or our partners;
Participating in special events and promotions on the Website;

When you interact with the Website or your Account through social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc., we might collect the Personal Information you make available to us on those platforms, such as your account ID or handle. We'll follow the privacy policies of the social media platforms and only collect and store the Personal Information they allow us to.

4 How We Use Personal Information

We don't sell or license your Personal Information to any third party.

We may use your Personal Information mentioned in this Privacy Policy for legal reasons, like protecting and asserting our legal rights, your legal rights, and the legal rights of others.

Besides the specific reasons mentioned above, we might also use your Personal Information to comply with legal obligations or to protect your or another person's vital interests.

Specifically, we use your Personal Information to:

Answer your questions and requests;
Look into complaints;
Enforce our Terms and Conditions;
Follow the law or comply with government agencies;
Provide products and services to you;
Improve and develop our Website;
Carry out your requests or instructions;
Offer rewards, competitions, marketing, or other promotional materials;
Recognize you when you return to our website;
Process your feedback on products and services.

We may share your Personal Information with the following:

Payment Service Providers. Financial transactions on our Website and Services may be managed by our payment service providers, like Stripe. We'll share Transaction Data with them only when needed for processing payments, refunds, and handling complaints or queries related to these transactions. You can find Stripe's privacy policy at https://stripe.com/en-ca/privacy.

Third-Party Suppliers. We may share your Enquiry Data with selected third-party suppliers of products and services listed on our Website. This allows them to contact you and offer, market, and sell relevant products and/or services. Each third party will act as a data controller for the Enquiry Data we provide, and they will give you a copy of their privacy policy governing their use of your Personal Information.

The suppliers and providers we might share your information with include:
Analytics services (we use privacy-preserving https://plausible.io/ for anonymous website analytics)
IT service providers and web hosting companies
Newsletter distributors
Legal, auditing, and other professional advisors or consultants
Billing or data storage services

Other Purposes. We may also disclose your Personal Information when necessary for legal compliance, protecting vital interests, or establishing, exercising, or defending legal claims.

6 Data Security

We follow industry standards to protect your information during transmission and once received. We maintain proper safeguards, like firewalls, password protection, and access/authentication controls, to protect Personal Information from unauthorized access, misuse, and other unlawful processing.

We use HTTPS to secure the communication between your computer and erikmackinnon.com.

However, no online transmission or storage method is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee the security of your information and you share it at your own risk. If you believe your Personal Information has been compromised, please contact us at help@erikmackinnon.com.

In case of a security breach, we will notify you electronically so you can take protective measures.

7 Non-Personal Information

Non-Personal Information is data that doesn't personally identify you but may include tracking and usage information about your location, demographics, and use of the Website and the internet.

When you interact with the Website, we may collect Non-Personal Information, and our servers may automatically log your activity on the Website.

Generally, we collect and store the following Non-Personal Information:

Device information about the device you use to access the Website, such as IP address, geolocation information, unique device identifiers, browser type, and language;
Usage information about your use of the Website, including the pages you view;
Additional "traffic information" like access times, software crash reports, application errors, session identification number, and referring site addresses;
Your search terms and search results;
Other information related to your use of the Website.

8 Using Non-Personal Information

We may disclose or share Non-Personal Information (or other information that isn't Personal Information) as we see fit or necessary.

We use Non-Personal Information to help us understand how users interact with parts of the Website and to identify our users so we can improve the Website.

We may also share Non-Personal Information with our partners and other third parties to provide insights into how our users collectively use the Website.

9 Account Data

We may process your Account Data ("Account Data"), which may include your name and email address. You provide the Account Data, and we may process it for operating our Website, providing our Services, ensuring the security of our Website and Services, maintaining database backups, and communicating with you. The legal basis for this processing is consent.

10 User-Generated Content and Data

We may process information you post for publication on our Website or through our Services ("User-Generated Content and Data"). We process User-Generated Content and Data to enable its publication and administer our Website and Services. The legal basis for this processing is consent.

11 Message or Inquiry Data

We may process information in any inquiry you submit to us about our Goods and/or Services ("Inquiry Data"). We process Inquiry Data for offering, marketing, and selling relevant Goods and/or Services to you. The legal basis for this processing is consent.

12 Customer Relationship Data

We may process information related to our customer relationships, including customer contact information ("Customer Relationship Data"). This data may include your name, contact details, and information in communications between you and us. You are the source of the Customer Relationship Data. We process this data for managing our relationships with customers, communicating with customers, keeping records of communications, and promoting our Goods and Services. The legal basis for this processing is our legitimate interests, specifically the proper management of our customer relationships.

13 Transaction Data

We may process information about transactions, including purchases of Goods and Services, made through our Website (“Transaction Data”). This data may include your contact details, card details, transaction details, and/or Stripe authentication details. We process Transaction Data for supplying purchased Goods and Services and keeping proper transaction records. The legal basis for this processing is our legitimate interests, specifically the proper administration of our Website and business, and the contract between you and us, or taking steps at your request to enter into a contract.

14 Notification Data

We may process information you provide for subscribing to our email notifications and/or newsletters ("Notification Data"). We process Notification Data to send you relevant notifications and/or newsletters. The legal basis for this processing is consent.

15 Correspondence Data

We may process information in or related to any communication you send to us ("Correspondence Data"). Correspondence Data may include the content and metadata of the communication. Our Website generates metadata associated with communications made using the Website contact forms. We process Correspondence Data for communication purposes and record-keeping. The legal basis for this processing is our legitimate interests, specifically the proper administration of our Website and business and communications with users.

16 Your Data Privacy Rights

If you're from the EU, we've outlined your rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) below. Keep in mind that this is just a summary, and you should consult the relevant laws and regulatory authorities for a complete understanding.

Access: You have the right to know if we process your personal data, and if we do, you can access it along with some extra information. We'll provide a free copy of your personal data as long as it doesn't affect the rights and freedoms of others.
Rectification: You can ask us to correct any inaccurate personal data about you or complete any incomplete data, considering the purposes of processing.
Erasure: Under certain circumstances, you can request the deletion of your personal data. However, some exceptions apply, such as when processing is needed for legal reasons or defending legal claims.
Restrict Processing: In some cases, you can ask us to limit the processing of your personal data, like when you contest its accuracy or if we no longer need it but you still need it for legal reasons. We'll continue storing your data, but we'll only process it for specific reasons with your consent.
Object to Processing: You can object to us processing your personal data for certain reasons, like public interest or legitimate interests. If you object, we'll stop processing your data unless we have strong reasons that outweigh your interests, rights, and freedoms, or if it's for legal claims.
Object to Direct Marketing: You can ask us not to process your personal data for direct marketing purposes (including profiling). If you do, we'll stop using it for that purpose.
Object to Research/Statistics: You can object to us processing your personal data for research or statistics on the grounds of your particular situation, unless it's for public interest reasons.
Data Portability: If we process your personal data based on consent or contract and it's done automatically, you can request a machine-readable copy of your data. This doesn't apply if it negatively affects others' rights and freedoms.
Complain to a Supervisory Authority: If you believe our processing of your personal data violates data protection laws, you can file a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority in your country.
Withdraw Consent: If we process your personal data based on consent, you can withdraw that consent at any time. This won't affect the processing that happened before the withdrawal.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us through the details provided at the end of this policy.

17 Data Protection

If you are located in the European Economic Area, your Personal Data will be processed by Gravytrain Marketing Ltd. As part of providing the Website, this Personal Data may be transferred to other regions, including Canada and the United States, in compliance with relevant Data Protection Legislation.

When Gravytrain Marketing Ltd. processes Personal Data in the course of providing the Website, it will:

process the Personal Data as a Data Processor, only for the purpose of providing the Website in accordance with documented instructions from you;
notify you if, in Gravytrain Marketing Ltd.'s opinion, your instruction for the processing of Personal Data infringes applicable Data Protection Legislation;
notify you promptly, to the extent permitted by law, upon receiving an inquiry or complaint from you or a Supervisory Authority relating to Gravytrain Marketing Ltd.'s Processing of the Personal Data;
implement and maintain appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect the Personal Data against unauthorized or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction, damage, theft, alteration or disclosure;
provide you, upon request, with up-to-date attestations, reports or extracts thereof where available, or suitable certifications, to enable you to assess compliance with the terms of this Privacy Policy;
notify you promptly upon becoming aware of and confirming any accidental, unauthorized, or unlawful processing of, disclosure of, or access to the Personal Data;
ensure that its personnel who access the Personal Data are subject to confidentiality obligations that restrict their ability to disclose the Personal Data; and
upon termination of the Terms, Gravytrain Marketing Ltd. will promptly initiate its purge process to delete or anonymize the Personal Data. If you request a copy of such Personal Data within 60 days of termination, Gravytrain Marketing Ltd. will provide you with a copy of such Personal Data.

18 EU Citizens and International Transfer of Personal Data

In this Section, we provide information about the circumstances in which Personal Data of EU citizens may be transferred to countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Our Website's hosting facilities are situated in the United States of America. The European Commission has made an "adequacy decision" with respect to the data protection laws of the USA. Transfers will be protected by appropriate safeguards, namely the use of standard data protection clauses adopted or approved by the European Commission. You can obtain a copy of these clauses through: ec.europa.eu

You acknowledge that Personal Data you submit for publication through our Website or Services may be available via the internet worldwide. We cannot prevent the use (or misuse) of such Personal Data by others.

19 Your Choices

In general, if you register on the Website, you may update the information you have provided to us. When you register on the Website, you may be able to indicate your preferences regarding marketing communications and change those preferences later. You will not be able to opt-out of receiving certain service-related or transactional communications relating to the Website unless you cancel your registration or subscription. Even after your account is cancelled, we may retain your information for the purposes set forth in this Privacy Policy.

20 Accessing Your Data

We'll give you reasonable access to the personal data you provide through the website.

You can object to the processing of your personal data at any time, unless the law says otherwise. If you choose not to share some personal data, you might not be able to use all the features of the Website.

22 Updating, Correcting, or Deleting Your Data

You can update, correct, or delete your account data and preferences on the website's account settings page. If you want to access or change any other personal data we hold or ask us to delete any data we obtained from an integrated service, contact us. Note that changes will be reflected in active user databases within a reasonable timeframe, but we may retain your data for backups, archiving, fraud prevention, legal obligations, or when we have a legitimate reason to do so. We'll still keep your data needed for administrative and transactional communications.

23 Privacy Rights for California Citizens

If you live in California (congratulations! it's so beautiful), you have the right to ask us once a year, for free, if we shared your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes. We don't do that, but you can still check our Privacy Policy for more details.

California residents under 18 can ask us to remove any public content they've posted. But sometimes, the law doesn't allow us to remove that info.

California Do Not Track Disclosure: We don't track your personal information across different websites for advertising. We do listen to Do Not Track (DNT) signals, but some third-party websites might track you. You can change your browser settings to avoid this.

24 No Children's Personal Data

We don't collect personal data from children under 13 in the USA or under 16 in the European Union. If you're younger than that, please don't give us any personal information. Seriously, just don't.

If we find out that a child under the required age gave us personal information without parental consent, we'll delete it right away.

25 A Collection of Policies about Cookies

Cookies are small files that help us remember things about you. They can be temporary ("session" cookies) or last longer ("persistent" cookies). We use both types, but they don't contain anything that directly identifies you.

We use cookies for different reasons:

Authentication: To recognize you when you visit our website
Status: To check if you're logged in
Personalization: To remember your preferences and make the website better for you
Security: To protect your account and our website
Analysis: To understand how you use our website and services
Cookie Consent: To remember your choices about cookies

26 Inbound and Outbound Website Links

Our website might have links to other websites. We're not responsible for their privacy practices, so please be careful when you visit them.

27 Your Responsibility in Public Areas of the Website

Be careful about sharing personal information in public areas, like message boards or feedback sections. Anyone can see and use that info, so don't share anything you want to keep private.

28 Interest-Based Advertising

I'm a marketer, and that means that I use advertising to reach and grow my audience.

I also work with third parties to show you ads that might interest you. They use information about your online activities to do this, but they don't use anything that directly identifies you.

Opt Out: You can choose not to receive interest-based advertising. Check support.apple.com for iOS devices or support.google.com for Android devices, or whatever social media apps and platforms you use.

Opting out doesn't mean you won't see ads. It just means they won't be based on your interests.

29 Changes And Updates

We might update our Privacy Policy from time to time. Check this page to stay updated. If we make significant changes, we'll let you know (e.g., by email or with a pop-up on the website).

If you don't object to the changes before they take effect, we'll assume you agree to the updated Privacy Policy. Keep using our website to show you accept the changes.

30 Assignment of Information and Data

We might change the way our business is organized or even sell parts of it. If that happens, we might transfer your information to the new company. We'll try to make sure they follow our Privacy Policy, but we can't promise anything.

31 Contact Details

If you have any concerns, please contact by email at help@erikmackinnon.com or by snail mail at Gravytrain Marketing Ltd., Attn: Privacy, PO Box 24072 RPO Broadmead, Victoria, British Columbia, V8Z5M4 Canada

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