Privacy Policy

JunkScout (“JunkScout”, “we”, “us”) runs an online marketplace that gives customers junk removal estimates and connects them with independent junk removal businesses (“haulers”) across Canada. This policy explains how we handle personal information in line with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy laws, including Quebec's Law 25.

1. Accountability

We are responsible for the personal information we control. Our Privacy Officer oversees compliance with this policy. You can reach them at saintjohnjunk@gmail.com or by mail at [mailing address].

2. What we collect

Customers

• Name, email address and phone number.
• Job address, city, province, postal code and approximate map location.
• Photos you upload of items, rooms or property, plus notes, preferred dates and access details.
• Estimates we generate, your messages with haulers, and any reviews you post.

Haulers

• Business and owner contact details, service area, equipment and availability.
• Verification documents such as insurance certificates, business licences and WSIB/WorkSafe coverage.
• Subscription and billing records. Card details are handled by our payment processor, Stripe, and are never stored by us.

Everyone

• Account credentials (passwords are stored hashed by our authentication provider).
• Technical data such as IP address, device and browser type, and pages visited, used for security and to improve the service.

3. Why we collect it

• To produce estimates from your photos and description.
• To match your request with suitable haulers and share it with them so they can contact you and quote the job.
• To verify haulers and rank them fairly using reviews, reliability and document status.
• To run accounts, process subscriptions, prevent fraud and keep the platform secure.
• To send service messages about your request or account. We send marketing only with your consent, and every marketing message has an unsubscribe link, as required by Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL).

We collect only what we need for these purposes and do not use your information for unrelated purposes without your consent.

4. Consent

By submitting a request or creating an account, you consent to the collection, use and disclosure described here. You may withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual limits. Withdrawing consent may mean we can no longer provide some services, such as matching you with haulers.

5. Automated estimates

Estimates are generated automatically by artificial intelligence models that analyse your photos. They are non-binding ranges. You can ask us how an estimate was produced and request a human review.

Phone verification, reviews and safety

• Phone verification: before your job is sent to any hauler, we text a one-time 6-digit code to your phone through Twilio Verify. We keep the date your number was verified, not the code.
• Job confirmation and reviews: after your job date we email and text you to ask whether the job happened, then send a one-time review link. Your review is published with your display name (first name, last initial and city by default), your ratings, your written review and any photos you add. The final price you paid is private: it is never shown publicly and is used only, in aggregate, to improve our estimates.
• Fraud checks: to keep reviews genuine we record the IP address and a random device identifier with each review, and compare them, along with your email and phone, against other reviews and against the hauler's own details.
• Automated moderation: each review is screened by an AI model (Anthropic, through Netlify) for profanity, threats, personal information, spam and off-topic content. Flagged reviews are checked by a person, who makes the final decision.
• Waitlists: if we don't serve your area yet (including Quebec at launch), we keep your email, city and province to tell you when we do. You can ask to be removed at any time.
• Reports: if you report a problem, we keep your report, our notes and the outcome, and share what's needed with the hauler concerned to resolve it.

6. Who we share it with

• Matched haulers: the haulers your request is sent to receive your contact details, job details and photos.
• Service providers who process data on our behalf under contract, including website hosting, database and file storage (Netlify), payments (Stripe), email delivery (Resend), text messages and phone verification (Twilio, including Twilio Verify), spam and bot protection (Cloudflare Turnstile), address and business listing lookup (Google Maps Platform), map display (OpenStreetMap) and AI model providers (Anthropic, through Netlify) used to analyse photos and documents, verify hauler applications and screen reviews.
• Legal requirements: where required by law, or to protect the rights and safety of users or the public.

We do not sell personal information.

7. Storage outside Canada

Some of our service providers store or process information outside Canada, mainly in the United States. Information held outside Canada is subject to the laws of that country and may be accessible to its authorities. We use contractual and technical safeguards to protect it.

8. Retention

We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purposes above or as required by law. Job photos are kept for [24 months] after a request closes, and hauler verification documents for [the life of the listing plus 2 years], unless you ask us to delete them sooner.

9. Safeguards

We protect information with encryption in transit, role-based access controls (customers, haulers and our administrator see only what their role allows), audit logging and restricted administrative access. If a breach creates a real risk of significant harm, we will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada as required.

10. Your rights

You can ask to access, correct or delete your personal information, or withdraw consent, by emailing saintjohnjunk@gmail.com. We respond within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

11. Cookies

We use essential cookies to keep you signed in, remember your language and secure your session. With your consent only, we also use analytics cookies (Google Analytics 4) to understand how the site is used, and marketing cookies (Meta Pixel) to measure our advertising. These are off until you accept them in the cookie banner, and you can change your choice at any time with the “Cookie settings” link at the bottom of every page.

12. Children

JunkScout is not intended for anyone under the age of majority in their province or territory.

13. Changes

We will post updates to this policy here and let account holders know about material changes by email.