Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

PaciaRefer ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website paciarefer.com and use our English language learning services.

This Privacy Policy complies with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy legislation in Canada.

2. Information We Collect

Personal Information You Provide

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:

• Register for our services or create an account
• Subscribe to our newsletter
• Contact us through forms or customer support
• Participate in surveys or feedback requests
• Make payments for our services

This information may include:

• Name and contact information (email address, phone number, mailing address)
• Demographic information (age, language background, educational level)
• Payment information (processed securely through third-party payment processors)
• Learning preferences and goals
• Communication preferences

Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain information about your device and usage patterns:

• IP address and general location information
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Pages visited and time spent on our website
• Referring website information
• Device identifiers and mobile network information

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience on our website. For detailed information about our cookie usage, please see our Cookie Policy.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

Service Provision

• Providing and managing your English learning courses
• Personalizing your learning experience
• Processing payments and managing billing
• Communicating with you about your courses and progress
• Providing customer support and technical assistance

Communication

• Sending you newsletters and educational content (with your consent)
• Notifying you about course updates and new features
• Responding to your inquiries and requests
• Sending important service-related announcements

Improvement and Analytics

• Analyzing website usage to improve our services
• Conducting research to enhance learning outcomes
• Developing new courses and features
• Monitoring and preventing fraud or security issues

Legal and Compliance

• Complying with applicable laws and regulations
• Protecting our rights and interests
• Responding to legal processes and law enforcement requests

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

Service Providers

We may share your information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our website and providing our services, including:

• Payment processors (for secure payment handling)
• Cloud hosting providers (for data storage and processing)
• Email service providers (for communications)
• Analytics providers (for website performance analysis)
• Customer support platforms

These service providers are bound by contractual obligations to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law or in response to:

• Court orders or legal processes
• Government or regulatory requests
• Law enforcement investigations
• Protection of our rights, property, or safety
• Prevention of fraud or illegal activities

Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or part of our business, your information may be transferred to the new owner, subject to the same privacy protections outlined in this policy.

Consent

We may share your information with your explicit consent for purposes not covered in this policy.

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest
• Secure server infrastructure with regular security updates
• Access controls and authentication procedures
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Employee training on data protection and privacy
• Incident response procedures for security breaches

While we strive to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but continuously work to improve our security measures.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

Specific retention periods include:

• Account information: Retained while your account is active and for 7 years after closure for legal and business purposes
• Payment information: Retained for 7 years for accounting and tax purposes
• Learning progress data: Retained for 3 years after course completion
• Website analytics data: Retained for 2 years
• Communication records: Retained for 3 years

When we no longer need your personal information, we securely delete or anonymize it in accordance with our data disposal procedures.

7. Your Privacy Rights

Under Canadian privacy law, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Access and Correction

• Request access to the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Receive a copy of your personal information in a portable format

Withdrawal of Consent

• Withdraw your consent for marketing communications
• Opt out of non-essential data collection
• Request deletion of your account and associated data (subject to legal retention requirements)

Complaints

• File a complaint about our privacy practices
• Contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you're not satisfied with our response

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in the "Contact Us" section below.

8. International Data Transfers

Your personal information may be processed and stored in countries other than Canada, including the United States, where our cloud service providers operate. These countries may have different privacy laws than Canada.

When we transfer your information internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including:

• Contractual protections with service providers
• Compliance with international data protection frameworks
• Regular review of transfer practices and security measures

9. Children's Privacy

Our services are designed for adult learners aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18 years of age.

If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 18, we will take steps to delete such information promptly. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 18, please contact us immediately.

10. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, social media platforms, or online services that are not operated by us. This Privacy Policy does not apply to these third-party sites.

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, or applicable laws. When we make changes, we will:

• Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy
• Post the revised policy on our website
• Notify you of significant changes via email or prominent notice on our website
• Obtain your consent for material changes that affect how we use your personal information

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

For complaints about our privacy practices, you may also contact:

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Website: www.priv.gc.ca
Phone: 1-800-282-1376