1. Who we are
Canadian Auto Loan ("CAL", "we", "us", "our") is an Ontario-based auto dealership at 1485 Laperriere Ave, Ottawa, ON K1Z 7S8. We sell vehicles and arrange financing for our customers with a network of Canadian lenders. We are not a lender.
2. What information we collect
When you submit a financing application, we collect:
- Identification: first and last name, date of birth, postal code.
- Contact: phone number, email address.
- Employment: employment status, length of employment, monthly income, employer name (optional), occupation.
- Financial: self-reported credit band, bankruptcy or consumer-proposal history, co-signer availability, trade-in availability.
- Application details: vehicle price range, vehicle type, intended timeline to purchase.
- Consent record: the consent text shown to you, whether you accepted, and the date and time you submitted.
- In-progress applications: as you fill out the application, the information you've entered so far (and the step you reached) is saved securely on our systems, even if you don't finish — so our team can help you pick up where you left off. Unsubmitted applications are kept for at most 13 months and deleted sooner on request.
- Address & technical details: street address, city and province from your application, plus browser and device information captured at submission (browser type, screen size, time zone, referring page, session identifier) and your IP address.
When you visit our website, our hosting provider may automatically log technical information including your IP address, browser type, pages viewed, and the date and time of your visit. This information is used to maintain and secure the website and is retained for a short period.
Site analytics (first-party). We measure how our website is used — pages viewed, clicks on buttons and links, and progress through the application form — using our own analytics, which run entirely on our infrastructure. This information is collected under a random session identifier and is never shared with anyone. If you submit an application, your session is linked to it so our team can understand how applicants experience the form and provide better follow-up. Analytics data is kept for up to 13 months. If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control signal, we do not collect analytics at all.
Advertising measurement (with your consent). If you allow it via the optional checkbox in the application form, we use a Meta (Facebook) Pixel and Meta's Conversions API to measure which of our advertisements lead to applications. When you allow it, Meta receives the fact that an application was submitted, standard visit data (pages viewed, IP address, browser information), and a hashed (unreadable) version of your email address, phone number, name and postal code so the conversion can be matched to the ad that brought you here. We never share the contents of your application — no income, employment or credit information. You can withdraw this consent at any time by emailing info@canadianautoloan.net. If you don't check the box, no advertising data is shared and your application is processed exactly the same.
3. Why we collect it
We collect this information for the following limited purposes:
- To prepare your financing application and present it to lenders in our network.
- To verify your identity and the information you have provided.
- To communicate with you about your application and, once you have approved proceeding, to perform a credit check.
- To complete the sale of a vehicle to you if a lender approves your financing.
- To meet our legal, regulatory, and record-keeping obligations as an Ontario-registered motor vehicle dealer.
We do not use your information for any purpose other than those listed above without first asking for your separate, informed consent.
4. Credit checks
A credit check is performed only after a member of our team has spoken with you and you have given verbal approval to proceed. We do not run a credit check simply because you submitted an application. The standalone Credit check consent disclosure explains this in full detail.
5. Who we share your information with
We share your application information with the following parties, only to the extent necessary for the purposes in section 3:
- Lenders in our network who review your application to decide whether to finance your purchase. A current list of lenders we work with appears on our How it works page.
- Credit reporting agencies: Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada, once you have given verbal approval to proceed with a credit check.
- Service providers who help us operate our business, including our hosting provider, email provider, and the document-management tools we use to prepare paperwork. These providers are bound by contract to use your information only as we instruct.
- Government and regulators when we are required to disclose information by law or by a binding order.
We do not sell your personal information. We do not share it with marketing partners, data brokers, or unaffiliated third parties.
6. Information stored outside Canada
Some of our service providers (including providers used by Equifax, TransUnion, and certain lenders) may store or process information in countries other than Canada, including the United States. When that happens, your information is subject to the laws of those countries and may be accessible to law enforcement and regulators there. By submitting an application, you consent to this transfer.
7. How we protect your information
We protect your information using administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to its sensitivity, including encryption of data in transit, access controls limiting who within CAL can see application data, and contracts with our service providers requiring equivalent safeguards. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, but we take this seriously.
8. How long we keep your information
We retain your application and the supporting documents for the minimum period required by Canadian motor vehicle dealer record-keeping rules and applicable financial-services regulations, and then we securely dispose of it. If a sale is completed, certain records (the bill of sale, financing paperwork, regulatory filings) are kept for longer periods as required by law.
9. Your rights
Under Canadian privacy law you have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you.
- Correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete.
- Withdraw consent to our continued use of your information, subject to legal and contractual restrictions and reasonable notice. Withdrawing consent during an active application will end the application.
- Make a complaint if you believe we have not handled your information appropriately.
To exercise any of these rights, contact our privacy officer using the details in section 12.
10. Automated decisions
CAL does not make automated decisions about whether to approve your financing. Approval decisions are made by the lender(s) reviewing your application. Some of those lenders may use automated systems as part of their decision; you can ask the relevant lender directly about the systems they use.
11. Children
Our services are intended for people who are at least 18 years old (the minimum age to enter into a vehicle financing contract in Ontario and Quebec). We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If we learn that we have collected information from a person under 18, we will delete it.
12. Contact our privacy officer
Questions, access requests, corrections, withdrawal of consent, or complaints should be directed to:
Privacy Officer, Canadian Auto Loan
1485 Laperriere Ave, Ottawa, ON K1Z 7S8
Email: info@canadianautoloan.net
Phone: (613) 700-8641
We will respond to your request within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may also contact:
- The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada — priv.gc.ca, 1-800-282-1376
- (Quebec residents) the Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec — cai.gouv.qc.ca, 1-888-528-7741
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "last updated" date below. Material changes will be highlighted on this page for at least 30 days after they take effect.