Privacy Policy
How we protect your data
Introduction
At Vehicle Fair Trade, we are committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of our users. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, disclose and protect personal information when you use our vehicle evaluation and wholesale bidding platform.
This policy applies to all users of our service, including automotive dealers, their team members, and wholesalers who participate in our vehicle evaluation and bidding system.
Effective date: 2025-07-12 | Last updated: 2026-03-21
Information we collect
Personal information
- Contact details: Names, phone numbers and email addresses
- Vehicle information: Identification numbers (VIN), make, model, year, trim and other specifications
- Communication data: SMS messages sent and received through our platform
- Account information: User account details, authentication data and security credentials
- Vehicle images: Photos uploaded as part of vehicle evaluations
- Billing information: Subscription details processed through our payment provider (we do not store credit card numbers)
Authentication data
We support multi-factor authentication (MFA) including TOTP authenticator apps, WebAuthn security keys and recovery codes. When you register a security key, we store the public key credential needed to verify your identity. We never have access to your private keys.
How we collect information
Direct collection
Account registration and profile creation
SMS Communications
Through vehicle evaluations via Twilio
Authentication cookies
For secure login (no tracking)
How we use your information
Service delivery
Facilitating communication between dealers and wholesalers for vehicle evaluations, pricing and bidding
Platform operations
User account management, multi-factor authentication, subscription billing and system functionality
VIN decoding
Looking up vehicle details and market pricing using VIN numbers you provide
Legal compliance
Meeting our obligations under applicable privacy and business laws
SMS Communications and Consent
Consent process
- When a user creates a wholesaler profile, we send an initial SMS asking if the wholesaler wishes to interact with the dealer
- Wholesalers must agree to participate before receiving further communications
- Users must manually confirm wholesaler consent in our system
- Users may withdraw consent at any time by contacting admin@vehiclefairtrade.ca
Types of SMS messages
Vehicle evaluations
VIN, make, model, year, trim details
Pricing information
Bid requests and responses
Platform notifications
System-related updates
Third-Party Services and Data Sharing
Twilio (SMS delivery)
We use Twilio to send and receive SMS messages between dealers and wholesalers. Phone numbers and message content are transmitted through Twilio's infrastructure.
Stripe (Payment processing)
Subscription billing is processed by Stripe. Your payment details are handled directly by Stripe — we never store your credit card numbers on our servers. Stripe's use of your data is governed by their own privacy policy.
Canadian Black Book (Vehicle data)
We use the Canadian Black Book API to decode VIN numbers and retrieve vehicle specifications and market pricing. VIN numbers you enter are sent to their service for lookup.
Amazon Web Services (Image storage)
Vehicle evaluation images are stored securely on Amazon S3 servers. Images are associated with specific evaluations and are only accessible to authorized users within the same dealership.
Sentry (Error monitoring)
We use Sentry to track application errors and performance. Minimal user data (email, user ID) may be associated with error reports to help us diagnose and fix issues.
Limited sharing
- Between platform users: Vehicle evaluations are shared between participating dealers and their approved wholesalers
- No cross-communication: Wholesalers associated with the same dealer cannot communicate directly with each other
- Multi-tenant isolation: Each dealership's data is isolated — other dealers cannot see your evaluations, conversations or wholesaler contacts
Data storage and security
Storage location
All user data is stored on secure servers located in Quebec, Canada
Security measures
- SSL/TLS encryption in transit
- Multi-factor authentication
- WebAuthn security key support
- Access controls and monitoring
Data retention
Account data is retained while your account is active. SMS history is retained for platform functionality. You may request deletion of your account and associated data at any time.
Your privacy rights
Under Canadian privacy legislation (PIPEDA), you have the right to:
- Access: Request access to your personal information
- Correction: Request correction of inaccurate information
- Withdrawal of consent: Withdraw consent for SMS communications
- Account deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated data
Exercising your rights
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at admin@vehiclefairtrade.ca. We will respond to your request within 30 days.
Cookies and tracking
We use cookies solely for authentication purposes to maintain secure user sessions. We do not use cookies for cross-site tracking, advertising or analytics.
International transfers
We primarily serve Canadian users. Some data may transit through US-based infrastructure (AWS, Twilio, Stripe) as part of normal service delivery. These providers maintain appropriate data protection standards.
Children's privacy
Our service is designed for business use and is not intended for persons under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
Change history
We maintain a record of all changes to user data through our audit system. This allows us to track modifications and ensure accountability.
Contact information
Contact us
If you have questions, concerns or requests regarding this privacy policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:
File a complaint
If you believe we have not adequately addressed your privacy concerns, you may file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: