Privacy Policy
Fourground AI Inc. ("Fourground", "we", "us") provides booked-estimate and customer communication services to residential HVAC contractors. This policy explains how we handle personal information that we collect for our own purposes — principally information about contractors, prospective clients, and visitors to this website.
Where we handle personal information on behalf of a contractor client — for example homeowners who respond to that contractor's advertising — we act as a service provider under that contractor's instructions. The contractor remains accountable for that information, and their own privacy policy governs it. Our obligations to them are set out in our agreement with them.
1. Accountability
We have designated a privacy officer who is accountable for our compliance with this policy and with Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
Privacy OfficerFourground AI Inc.
Unit 62, 650 Hamilton Crescent, Cornwall, Ontario K6H 7L4, Canada
privacy@fourgroundai.com
We remain responsible for personal information in our possession, including information transferred to a third party for processing.
2. Why we collect personal information
We collect personal information only for purposes a reasonable person would consider appropriate, and we identify those purposes at or before collection.
| Purpose | What we collect |
|---|---|
| Responding to an enquiry | Name, business name, email, phone, what you asked about |
| Providing our services | Contact and business details of client contractors and their staff |
| Billing and tax records | Business details, invoice and payment records |
| Delivering and demonstrating the service | Written transcripts of calls handled by our voice agent |
| Improving the service | Aggregated, de-identified usage information |
| Legal and regulatory compliance | Consent records, unsubscribe records, complaint records |
We do not sell personal information. We do not use it for any purpose beyond those listed without identifying that purpose and obtaining consent first.
3. Consent
We obtain consent before collecting, using or disclosing personal information, except where the law permits otherwise. You may withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice — though doing so may mean we can no longer provide a service to you.
Commercial electronic messages. We send commercial email and text messages only with consent as required by Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation. Every message identifies us and carries a working unsubscribe link. If you unsubscribe we will stop sending within 10 business days, and we will keep a record that you did.
Calls. Calls handled by our automated voice agent are converted to a written transcript. We do not retain audio recordings of those calls. You will be told at the start of the call that a transcript is being made, and you may end the call. Transcripts are used to deliver and improve the service, to confirm what was agreed, and to resolve disputes.
If we begin retaining audio recordings in future, we will update this policy and tell callers at the start of the call before doing so.
Automated calling. Our voice agent places calls only where the person has expressly asked to be contacted — for example by submitting a form requesting a quote.
4. Limiting collection
We collect only what is necessary for the purposes identified above, by fair and lawful means. We do not collect more than we need simply because a system makes it available.
5. Use, disclosure and retention
We use and disclose personal information only for the purposes for which it was collected, except with consent or as required by law.
We may disclose personal information to: service providers who process it on our behalf under contract; professional advisers such as our accountant or lawyer; and authorities where the law requires it.
Storage and processing outside Canada. Our service providers — including our customer-relationship and messaging platform — store and process personal information in the United States. While it is there it is subject to United States law, and may be accessible to United States courts, law enforcement and national security authorities under that country's legal processes. We require our service providers by contract to protect personal information to a standard comparable to this policy, but no contract can override a foreign government's lawful access. If you would prefer your information not be stored outside Canada, contact our privacy officer before providing it.
Retention. We keep personal information only as long as necessary. Our standard periods:
| Record | Kept for |
|---|---|
| Enquiries that do not become clients | 24 months |
| Client records and agreements | 7 years after the relationship ends, for tax and limitation purposes |
| Invoices and financial records | 6 years, as required by the Canada Revenue Agency |
| Consent and unsubscribe records | 3 years minimum |
| Call transcripts | 12 months |
| Records of privacy breaches | 24 months from determination, as PIPEDA requires |
When information is no longer needed we destroy, erase or de-identify it.
6. Accuracy
We keep personal information as accurate, complete and up to date as is necessary for the purposes for which it is used. You may ask us to correct information you believe is inaccurate.
7. Safeguards
We protect personal information with safeguards appropriate to its sensitivity, including access controls and restricting access to those who need it to do their work. No system is perfectly secure, and we do not claim otherwise.
If a breach occurs that creates a real risk of significant harm, we will report it to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and notify affected individuals as soon as feasible. We keep a record of every breach, whether or not it is reportable, for 24 months.
8. Openness
This policy is available on our website. We will answer questions about our practices through the privacy officer named above.
9. Your right of access
You may ask what personal information we hold about you, how it is used, and to whom it has been disclosed. Write to our privacy officer. We will respond within 30 days, or tell you if we need an extension and why.
We may need to verify your identity first. In limited cases the law requires or allows us to withhold information — for example where it would reveal another person's information — and we will tell you why. There is no charge for a reasonable access request.
10. Challenging our compliance
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal information, tell our privacy officer. We will acknowledge your complaint, investigate it, and tell you what we found and what we have done.
If you are not satisfied, you may complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, 30 Victoria Street, Gatineau, Quebec K1A 1H3 · 1-800-282-1376 · priv.gc.ca
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy. The effective date above shows when it last changed. Material changes will be brought to the attention of current clients.