Privacy policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Dolphin Kayak collects, uses, discloses, and protects your personal information when you visit dolphinkayak.ca (the "Site") or purchase Goods from us. We comply with the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), the British Columbia Personal Information Protection Act (BC PIPA), and, where applicable, Quebec's Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector (commonly known as Law 25).

In this policy, "we", "us", and "our" refer to Dolphin Kayak. "You" refers to the individual whose personal information is collected.

By using the Site or placing an Order, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in this policy.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information you provide directly

When you place an Order, contact us, sign up for our newsletter, or submit a form, we may collect:

Identity and contact information: name, email address, phone number, shipping and billing addresses
Order information: products ordered, order history, preferences
Payment information: credit/debit card details (processed by our payment processors — see Section 3.1; we do not store full card numbers on our servers)
Account information: login credentials if you create an account
Communications: emails, messages, and any information you provide in customer service interactions
Marketing preferences: subscription status for email or SMS marketing

1.2 Information collected automatically

When you visit the Site, we automatically collect:

Device and connection information: IP address, device type, browser type, operating system, language preferences
Usage information: pages visited, time spent, links clicked, referring URL, search queries on the Site
Cookies and similar technologies: see Section 5

1.3 Information from third parties

We may receive information about you from:

Payment processors (e.g., Shopify Payments, Stripe, PayPal): payment confirmation and limited card details (last 4 digits, card brand)
Couriers (e.g., UPS, FedEx, Purolator, Canada Post): delivery confirmation and tracking events
Marketing platforms (e.g., Klaviyo, Meta, Google) if you've interacted with our marketing on those platforms

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

Purpose	Examples
Order fulfillment	Process payments, ship Goods, communicate order status, handle returns and warranty claims
Customer service	Respond to inquiries, troubleshoot issues, process complaints
Account management	Maintain your account, authenticate logins, save preferences
Marketing (with consent)	Send newsletters, promotions, product updates by email or SMS
Site improvement	Analyze traffic and behaviour to improve content, products, and user experience
Fraud prevention and security	Detect and prevent fraudulent transactions, abuse, and security incidents
Legal compliance	Comply with tax law, consumer protection law, court orders, and regulatory requests

We will not use your personal information for purposes materially different from those described in this policy without first obtaining your consent or providing notice.

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only as described below.

3.1 Service providers

We share personal information with trusted service providers who help us operate the business. These providers are contractually required to protect your information and may only use it for the purposes for which we engage them. Categories include:

E-commerce platform: Shopify Inc.
Payment processors: Shopify Payments, Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay (depending on the method you choose)
Couriers: UPS, FedEx, Purolator, Canada Post
Email and SMS marketing: where used
Customer reviews: where used
Analytics: Shopify analytics, Google Analytics, Meta Pixel (where deployed)
Customer service tools: where used

3.2 Legal and regulatory disclosure

We may disclose your personal information where required to:

Comply with applicable law, court order, subpoena, or other legal process
Respond to a lawful request from a government, regulatory, or law enforcement authority
Enforce our Terms of Service or protect our rights, property, or safety, or that of our customers or others
Investigate or prevent fraud, abuse, or security incidents

3.3 Business transfers

If Dolphin Kayak is involved in a merger, acquisition, asset sale, financing, or insolvency proceeding, your personal information may be transferred to the successor entity as part of that transaction. We will provide notice and, where required by law, obtain consent before such a transfer.

We may share your personal information for any other purpose with your consent.

4. International Data Transfers

Some of our service providers, including Shopify and certain analytics and marketing platforms, are located in the United States or other jurisdictions outside Canada. When your personal information is processed in another country, it may be subject to that country's laws, which may differ from Canadian privacy law.

By using the Site or placing an Order, you acknowledge and consent to the transfer of your personal information outside Canada for the purposes described in this policy. We require service providers handling personal information outside Canada to maintain protections substantially equivalent to those required under Canadian law.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

The Site uses cookies and similar technologies (web beacons, pixels, local storage) to:

Maintain your session and shopping cart (essential — required for the Site to function)
Remember your preferences (functional)
Measure traffic, performance, and how the Site is used (analytics)
Deliver and measure marketing (advertising)

You can manage cookies through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies will prevent the Site from functioning properly (for example, your cart will not persist).

Where required by law, we will request your consent before placing non-essential cookies. You can change your cookie preferences at any time via the cookie banner or by emailing hello@dolphinkayak.ca.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, plus any additional period required to:

Meet legal, tax, or accounting obligations (typically 6–7 years for transaction records under Canadian tax law)
Resolve disputes, enforce agreements, or defend against claims
Maintain accurate business records

When personal information is no longer required, we securely delete or anonymize it.

You may request deletion of your personal information at any time (see Section 8). Note that we cannot delete records we are legally required to retain.

7. Security

We use reasonable technical, administrative, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These include:

Encrypted connections (HTTPS) for all data transmitted between your browser and our Site
Access controls limiting employee access to personal information on a need-to-know basis
Use of reputable, security-audited service providers (Shopify, payment processors)
Regular review of our security practices

No method of internet transmission or electronic storage is completely secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you become aware of any compromise of your personal information, please contact us immediately at hello@dolphinkayak.ca.

In the event of a privacy breach involving a real risk of significant harm, we will notify affected individuals and the relevant privacy commissioner as required by law.

8. Your Privacy Rights

Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:

Access the personal information we hold about you
Correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete
Withdraw consent to our use of your information (note: withdrawing consent may affect our ability to provide products or services to you)
Opt out of marketing communications at any time using the unsubscribe link in our emails, replying STOP to SMS messages, or emailing us
Request deletion of your personal information, subject to our legal retention obligations
Lodge a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or your provincial privacy commissioner

To exercise any of these rights, email hello@dolphinkayak.ca with the subject line "Privacy Request". We will respond within 30 days, as required by BC PIPA.

We may need to verify your identity before responding to a privacy request. We may also charge a reasonable fee for access requests where permitted by law and where the request is excessive or repetitive.

9. Quebec Residents (Law 25)

If you reside in Quebec, you have additional rights under the Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector (Law 25), including:

The right to receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used, technological format (data portability), where technically feasible
The right to be informed of any automated decision-making affecting you that uses your personal information
The right to designate a person to receive your personal information after your death

To exercise these rights, email hello@dolphinkayak.ca with the subject line "Quebec Privacy Request".

10. Children's Privacy

The Site is not directed to individuals under the age of majority. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of majority in their province of residence. If we become aware that we have collected such information without verifiable parental consent, we will take reasonable steps to delete it.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact hello@dolphinkayak.ca.

11. Third-Party Sites and Services

The Site may contain links to or be embedded in third-party websites and services (e.g., social media, courier tracking, review platforms). This Privacy Policy applies only to the Site. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties — please review their policies before sharing personal information with them.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The revised version takes effect when posted on the Site. Material changes will be highlighted at the top of this page for a reasonable period and, where required by law, communicated to you directly by email or by a notice on the Site.

The "last updated" date below indicates when the most recent version was published.

13. Privacy Officer and Contact

We have designated a privacy contact responsible for compliance with PIPEDA and BC PIPA. To make a privacy request, ask a question, or lodge a complaint, contact:

Email: hello@dolphinkayak.ca (subject line: "Privacy")
Mailing address available on request to the email above

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact:

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: priv.gc.ca
Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia: oipc.bc.ca
Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec (Quebec residents): cai.gouv.qc.ca

This Privacy Policy was last updated on the date shown in our Shopify admin.