Cookie Policy
Last Updated: 2024
1. Introduction and Jurisdiction
Household Leaf ("we", "us", or "our") is committed to transparency regarding the data we collect. This Cookie Policy explains how we use cookies and similar tracking technologies when you visit our website, which focuses on the hidden traps of 0% interest financing in the Canadian retail market.
As our operations are based in Vancouver, British Columbia, this policy is governed by the laws of Canada and British Columbia. Specifically, we comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) at the federal level and the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) of British Columbia. We also align our practices with international standards, including the GDPR for users visiting from the European Economic Area, ensuring a high baseline for data protection.
2. What are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device (computer, tablet, or smartphone) by your browser when you visit a website. They allow the website to recognize your device and store information about your preferences or past actions. In the context of our analysis of Canadian consumer credit, cookies help us understand how users interact with our financial calculators and research articles.
3. How We Use Cookies
We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site traffic, and understand which retailer agreement audits are most relevant to our audience. Under Canadian law (PIPEDA/PIPA), your consent is required for the collection of personal information via cookies, except where those cookies are strictly necessary for the functioning of the site.
| Category | Purpose | Retention |
|---|---|---|
| Strictly Necessary | Essential for the website to function. These allow you to navigate the site and use features like secure areas for retailer contract audits. | Session / 1 Year |
| Performance & Analytics | Used to collect information about how visitors use our site (e.g., which pages are visited most often). This helps us improve our Consumer Credit Analytics. | Up to 2 Years |
| Functional Cookies | Remember choices you make (such as your region—Vancouver vs. Toronto) to provide a more personalized experience. | 6 Months |
| Marketing & Targeting | Used to deliver content relevant to your interests in Canadian consumer protection and financing traps. | 1 Year |
4. Detailed Cookie Categories
4.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are vital for the basic operation of Household Leaf. They enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.
- Session ID: Maintains user state across page requests.
- Security: Prevents cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks.
- Consent Status: Remembers your choice regarding our cookie banner.
4.2 Analytical Cookies
We utilize analytical tools to monitor the performance of our "Canadian Consumer Protection Acts" database. These cookies help us count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous.
4.3 Third-Party Cookies
In some cases, we use cookies provided by trusted third parties. For example, our site may feature embedded content from financial news providers or social media platforms to illustrate "Hidden Traps" in retail financing. These third parties may set their own cookies on your web browser. We do not control these cookies and recommend checking the third-party websites for more information about their cookie policies.
5. Legal Basis for Processing
Under the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) guidelines, we rely on "implied consent" for strictly necessary cookies and "express consent" for analytical and marketing cookies. By clicking "Accept" on our cookie banner, you provide express consent for us to place non-essential cookies on your device. You have the right to withdraw this consent at any time.
6. Managing Your Cookie Preferences
You can control and manage cookies in various ways. Please keep in mind that removing or blocking cookies can impact your user experience and parts of our website may no longer be fully accessible.
Instant Configuration
Use our built-in preference manager to toggle specific categories of tracking on or off.
6.1 Browser Settings
Most browsers allow you to refuse to accept cookies and to delete cookies. The methods for doing so vary from browser to browser, and from version to version. You can however obtain up-to-date information about blocking and deleting cookies via these links:
7. Data Retention
The lifespan of our cookies varies. "Session" cookies expire when you close your browser. "Persistent" cookies remain on your device for a set period (as outlined in the table above) or until you manually delete them. We ensure that no cookie used for tracking purposes in the Vancouver/BC jurisdiction exceeds a period of 24 months without a renewal of consent.
8. Contact Information
If you have questions about our use of cookies or how we handle your data in relation to Canadian privacy laws, please contact our Data Protection Officer at:
Company: Household Leaf
Address: 1055 West Georgia Street, Vancouver
Email:
Phone: +1 (428) 798-7436