Privacy
Privacy Policy
BrewMasters Inc. ("BrewMasters", "we", "us") operates brewmasters.pro and provides specialty coffee taste-profile matching services from our Halifax, Nova Scotia studio. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect personal information in accordance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable Nova Scotia privacy principles.
1. Accountability
BrewMasters Inc. is responsible for personal information under our control. Our Privacy Officer can be reached at [email protected] or by mail at 1675 Lower Water Street, Suite 412, Halifax, NS B3J 1S9, Canada. We maintain internal policies governing data access, retention, and breach response procedures reviewed annually.
2. Identifying purposes
We collect personal information only for purposes that a reasonable person would consider appropriate in the circumstances. Primary purposes include:
- Operating the flavour profile quiz and generating personalized bean recommendations
- Responding to contact form enquiries and studio appointment requests
- Managing roaster partner shelf referrals and subscription taste map deliveries
- Processing payments for paid matcher tiers through third-party payment processors
- Maintaining website security, fraud prevention, and service improvement analytics (with consent)
- Complying with legal obligations under Canadian federal and Nova Scotia provincial law
We will identify the purpose of collection at or before the time personal information is collected. If we intend to use information for a new purpose, we will obtain consent unless permitted by law.
3. Consent
Knowledge and consent are required for the collection, use, or disclosure of personal information, except where inappropriate or permitted by law. Consent may be express — such as checking the PIPEDA consent box on our contact form — or implied for clearly stated optional services where you voluntarily provide data.
You may withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice. Withdrawal may limit our ability to provide matcher services. To withdraw consent, contact [email protected] with your account email and request details.
Consent for non-essential cookies is managed through our cookie banner. Essential cookies required for site operation do not require separate consent. Analytics cookies are disabled unless you select Accept all or enable them in Customise preferences.
4. Limiting collection
We limit collection to information necessary for identified purposes. Typical data categories include:
- Identity and contact: name, email address, phone number (optional), mailing address for subscription shipments
- Matcher profile: quiz responses covering brew method preferences, flavour ratings, brightness and body preferences, and equipment notes
- Transaction data: purchase history for paid programs, processed by payment partners — we do not store full credit card numbers
- Technical data: IP address, browser user agent, session identifiers, cookie consent records
- Communications: message content from contact forms and email correspondence
We do not collect sensitive health information, financial account credentials, or government identification numbers unless specifically required for a disclosed purpose with explicit consent.
5. Limiting use, disclosure, and retention
Personal information is used only for the purposes for which it was collected, except with consent or as required by law. We do not sell personal information to third parties.
Disclosure may occur to:
- Partner micro-roasteries when you request bean purchases or consultations — limited to fulfilment-necessary details
- Service providers hosting our Canadian infrastructure, email delivery, and payment processing under contractual confidentiality obligations
- Legal authorities when compelled by valid court order or to protect rights and safety
Retention periods: active matcher profiles are retained while your account remains open plus twelve months after last activity. Contact form records are retained twenty-four months. Payment records follow CRA-recommended seven-year financial record retention. Cookie consent logs are retained six months aligned with banner storage duration. Data no longer needed is securely deleted or anonymized.
6. Accuracy
We endeavour to keep personal information accurate, complete, and up-to-date. You may update quiz profile responses through your account dashboard or request corrections by emailing [email protected]. We will respond to correction requests within thirty days unless an extension is warranted.
7. Safeguards
Personal information is protected by security safeguards appropriate to its sensitivity. Measures include TLS encryption in transit, access controls limiting staff access to need-to-know basis, hashed password storage where applicable, regular security reviews of hosting infrastructure, and staff training on PIPEDA obligations.
No method of electronic transmission is completely secure. While we implement industry-standard protections, we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for maintaining confidentiality of any account credentials.
8. Openness
We make this Privacy Policy readily available on brewmasters.pro. Upon request, we will provide specific information about our policies and practices. Contact our Privacy Officer for questions not answered here.
9. Individual access
Upon written request with sufficient identification, we will inform you of the existence, use, and disclosure of your personal information and provide access within thirty days, subject to limited exceptions under PIPEDA (e.g., legal privilege, third-party privacy, commercial confidentiality).
Access requests should include your full name, email associated with your account, and description of information sought. Send requests to [email protected] or our Halifax mailing address. We may charge a reasonable fee for transcription costs if voluminous records are requested, with advance notice.
10. Challenging compliance
If you believe BrewMasters has not complied with this Privacy Policy or PIPEDA, contact our Privacy Officer first. We will investigate complaints and respond within a reasonable timeframe. If unsatisfied, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at www.priv.gc.ca.
11. Children's privacy
Our services are directed at adults interested in specialty coffee. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under sixteen without verifiable parental consent. If you believe a minor has provided data, contact us for deletion.
12. International transfers
Primary data storage occurs on Canadian servers. Some service providers may process data in other jurisdictions with comparable protection standards under contractual clauses. We assess transfer risks before engaging cross-border processors.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect operational, legal, or regulatory changes. Material updates will be posted on this page with a revised "Last updated" date. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy for non-material amendments; material changes affecting consent requirements will prompt renewed consent where legally necessary.
14. Automated decision-making
Our flavour profile quiz uses algorithmic matching to suggest beans based on your responses. This constitutes automated processing but not solely automated decision-making with legal or similarly significant effects under PIPEDA. Recommendations are advisory — you choose whether to purchase partner products. You may request human review of matcher logic affecting your account by contacting the Privacy Officer. We will explain the general factors considered without disclosing proprietary matcher weightings that could enable system gaming.
15. Data breach notification
In the event of a breach involving personal information posing a real risk of significant harm, BrewMasters will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada as required under PIPEDA breach notification provisions. Notifications will describe the circumstances, information involved, steps we have taken, and recommended protective measures you may take. We maintain an internal breach register documenting all privacy incidents regardless of notification threshold.
16. Marketing communications
We send promotional emails about seasonal origin picks, new partner shelf listings, and matcher feature updates only with your express consent or where implied consent applies under CASL for existing customers with whom we have a business relationship. Every marketing email includes an unsubscribe link processed within ten business days. Transactional messages — quiz results, appointment confirmations, receipt emails — are not marketing and may be sent without separate marketing consent.
17. De-identified and aggregated data
We may create aggregated, de-identified datasets from quiz response trends — for example, regional preference for bright versus bold roast profiles — that cannot reasonably identify individuals. Such data may be used for internal research, partner reporting, and public educational content about specialty coffee trends. De-identified data is no longer subject to PIPEDA personal information protections.
18. Contact
BrewMasters Inc., Privacy Officer
1675 Lower Water Street, Suite 412, Halifax, NS B3J 1S9, Canada
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1 (902) 555-2746