What we collect when you buy an engine, who we have to pass it to, how long we keep it, and how to get it back or deleted.
We do not sell dataYour information is never sold, rented or traded. Ever.
Order data onlyWe collect what is needed to quote, ship and warrant your order.
No card details storedPayments are handled by our processor – we never see your card number.
Ask us anytimeRequest a copy of your data, or its deletion, by email.
Who we are
This site is operated by Cowichan Small Engines, company number FM0135282, of 7188 Progress Way, Delta, BC V4G 1C5, Canada. For any question about your personal information, email info@cowichansmallengines.ca or call 672 763 0632.
We handle personal information in accordance with Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and British Columbia's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).
What we collect and why
Order information – your name, billing and delivery address, email address and phone number. We need this to raise a bill of lading, book the carrier, and contact you about the shipment. Delivery addresses are passed to the carrier because a pallet cannot be delivered without one.
Vehicle details – the year, model, trim and engine code you tell us, so we can confirm fitment and honour a later warranty claim against the right unit.
Enquiry form and email – whatever you choose to send us. Kept so we have a record of what was quoted or promised.
Account details – if you create an account, your username, email and order history, so you can track orders without contacting us.
Payment information – processed by our payment provider over an encrypted connection. We receive confirmation that payment succeeded and the last four digits for reconciliation. We never receive or store your full card number.
Technical data – IP address, browser type and pages visited, collected by the site and our host for security, fraud prevention and to see which listings people actually look at.
Cookies
This site uses cookies for things that cannot work without them: keeping items in your cart between pages, remembering you are logged in, and holding your filter selections while you browse the catalogue. It also uses cookies for basic traffic measurement so we know which engines are being searched for.
You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. If you block them, the cart and account areas of this site will not function – that is a limitation of how carts work, not a choice on our part.
Who we share it with
We share the minimum necessary, with parties who need it to complete your order. We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information, and we do not pass your details to marketing lists.
Freight carriers and couriers – name, delivery address and phone number, so they can deliver and call you on arrival.
Our payment processor – to take payment and to handle refunds and chargebacks.
Our web host and email provider – who store the site and its data on our behalf under contract.
Our accountant and, where required, tax authorities – invoice records, as any business must keep.
Law enforcement or a court – only where we are legally obliged, or to investigate fraud against us.
Data stored outside Canada
Some of our service providers – hosting, email, payment processing – store or process data on servers outside Canada, including in the United States. Where that happens the information may be subject to the laws of that country. We use established providers with contractual safeguards, but you should know this before you order.
How long we keep it
Order and invoice records – seven years, as Canadian tax and business record rules require.
Warranty records – for the life of the coverage plus two years, so a claim can be verified.
Enquiries that did not become orders – up to two years, then deleted.
Account data – until you ask us to close the account.
Your rights
You can ask us to:
Send you a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
Correct anything inaccurate.
Delete your account and associated data, subject to records we are legally required to retain.
Stop sending you marketing email – every newsletter has an unsubscribe link, and it works immediately.
Email info@cowichansmallengines.ca with your request and your order number. We respond within 30 days. We may ask you to verify your identity first, so nobody else can request your data.
Marketing email
We only email you about new stock if you asked us to, through the newsletter signup or by telling us on the phone. Placing an order does not sign you up. Every message carries an unsubscribe link, as Canada's anti-spam legislation (CASL) requires.
How we protect it
The site runs over an encrypted HTTPS connection. Administrative access is limited to the people who need it, and payment data never touches our servers. No system is perfectly secure, but if a breach ever affected your personal information we would tell you and the relevant privacy commissioner, as the law requires.
Children
This site sells commercial automotive parts and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 16.
Complaints
If you think we have handled your information badly, tell us first – call 672 763 0632 and we will look into it. If we cannot resolve it, you can complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, or to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia.
Changes to this policy
We may update this page as our practices or providers change. The version published here is the current one, and it applies from the date you read it.