Privacy

Who is responsible

DebtHelpers.ca is operated by Intelligent Digital Marketing, registered in Ontario, and is responsible for personal information under its control.

Designated privacy official: Privacy Officer. Privacy questions, requests and complaints can be sent to info@intelligentdigitalmarketing.ca or mailed to 100 King St West, Suite 5700, Toronto, ON.

What we collect

You can browse our guides, use the calculator and use the option finder without providing contact details. The option finder keeps your answers in the page while you use it. Unless you choose to submit a contact request, those answers are not stored as a lead or sent to a provider.

If a contact-request form is available and you choose to submit it, we collect the information shown in the form. This can include:

• your name, email address, phone number and Canadian postal code;
• your province or territory and confirmation that you are an adult there;
• the type of help you selected and choice-based answers about your situation, such as debt or requested-amount ranges, payment status, approximate income, self-described credit range, tax or student-debt issue, or business circumstances;
• the page where you began, a request identifier, timestamps, the permission wording shown to you and your choices; and
• messages you send us and our replies.

Our hosting and security providers also process technical request information needed to deliver and protect the site, such as an IP address, browser or device information, requested URL, date and time, and security events.

The form does not access your credit report. Do not send a social insurance number, banking password, payment-card or account number, government identification, or financial documents through the form or ordinary email.

How we use information

We use personal information only for the purposes described when it is collected, including to:

• operate, secure and troubleshoot the website and its tools;
• display a result based on the answers you choose;
• receive, review and follow up on a contact request;
• categorize a request by service and province and determine whether a suitable provider may be available;
• prevent duplicate, fraudulent or abusive submissions;
• maintain permission, withdrawal, security and compliance records; and
• measure site use when you have chosen to allow optional analytics.

The option finder applies rules to your answers to suggest a possible next step. It does not make a credit decision, approve a product, provide professional advice or decide whether a provider will accept you.

When we share information

Service providers may process information for us when they host, secure, maintain or measure the website. They are permitted to handle it only for the services they provide to us and subject to appropriate contractual or legal restrictions.

Submitting a request to DebtHelpers.ca does not itself authorize disclosure to a debt-relief company, lender or other provider. Before sending personal information to a provider, we must identify the intended recipient, explain the purpose and contact method, identify the information to be sent, and ask for separate affirmative permission. The recipient’s own privacy policy will then apply to information it receives.

DebtHelpers.ca may be paid for a referral that you authorize. You are not charged to use our form. Any provider’s fees, products and terms are separate from DebtHelpers.ca.

We may also disclose information where a law, court order or regulator authorizes or requires it, or when reasonably necessary to investigate fraud, protect the website or establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

Analytics and cookies

Optional Google Analytics 4 loads only if analytics is enabled on the site and you choose Allow analytics. We send only allowlisted site events, such as a page identifier, button destination or form stage. We do not send your name, email, phone number, postal code or form answers to analytics.

Google receives technical information directly from your browser and may process it outside Canada. Advertising storage, advertising personalization and Google Signals are disabled in our configuration. You can decline analytics or change your choice using the analytics control on the site.

Necessary cookies or similar technologies may be used for security and the private administrator sign-in. If optional analytics is allowed, Google may also use cookies or similar technology under its own terms and privacy practices.

Where information is processed

We use service providers, including Amazon Web Services for hosting, content delivery, security and protected infrastructure, and Google if you allow analytics. Our services include infrastructure in Canada and global content-delivery and security systems. Personal or technical information may therefore be processed or accessed in Canada and other jurisdictions, where it can be subject to local law.

How we protect information

We use safeguards appropriate to the nature of the information. Depending on the system, these include HTTPS encryption in transit, encryption at rest, restricted administrator access, multi-factor authentication, limited service permissions, request validation, rate limiting and minimized operational logs. No online service or storage system can guarantee absolute security.

How long we keep information

We keep a submitted contact request, its answers and the permission record for up to 90 days after submission so we can review and follow up on it. We keep duplicate-prevention hashes for 30 days. Website and application security logs are retained for 30 days, and encrypted database backups expire after 7 days. A legal hold, active complaint or legal requirement may require a record to be kept longer.

Unsubmitted option-finder answers stay in the page and are cleared when you reload the page or start over. Expired contact requests are deleted by a scheduled retention process. If a backup is restored, the same expiry rules are applied before the restored system is returned to service.

Your choices and privacy rights

Depending on the law that applies, you may ask to access or correct your personal information, withdraw consent, request deletion or de-identification, obtain a portable copy of certain information, or complain about our handling of it. Email info@intelligentdigitalmarketing.ca and describe your request.

We may need to verify your identity using proportionate information before acting. We will respond within the time required by applicable law and explain any lawful limit. Withdrawing consent does not reverse a disclosure you previously authorized; if a provider already received information, you may also need to contact that provider.

Optional marketing permission, if offered, is separate, unchecked and not required to submit a request. You may withdraw it without withdrawing a request for help.

Children

Contact requests are intended for people who are adults in their province or territory. If you are not an adult or are unsure, do not submit contact details; you may still use the general information on the site.

Changes and complaints

We will date material changes to this policy and provide additional notice or seek new consent where required. A new policy does not retroactively authorize a new use or recipient.

Send a privacy complaint to info@intelligentdigitalmarketing.ca. We will review it and explain our response. If it is not resolved, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or the privacy regulator in your province.