Privacy Policy

Privacy is a Top Priority

At Hoffmann Kool Insurance the privacy of your information is taken very seriously.  Our commitment to you is to protect your personal information and respect your right to confidentiality.  Your information is collected and used for specific business purposes, and is only retained as long as it is necessary to continue providing you the insurance products and services to meet your needs.

Hoffmann Kool operates in compliance with The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

It is your right, at any time, to access the personal information we keep on file for you.

The Purpose of Collecting Your Personal Information:

Establishing and maintaining a business relationship with our clients involves gathering certain necessary pieces of your information.  This allows Hoffmann Kool to provide you with the best insurance products and services to suit your specific needs.  Since we serve a diverse range of clients, there are several business purposes for which your information may be used:

• To represent you as our client

• • Acquire, renew, or amend an insurance policy
  • Apply for different discounts on your insurance
  • Obtain quotes from different insurance companies to find you the best insurance coverage at the best price

• To provide insurance products and services

• • Understand and assess your insurance needs
  • Information regarding your policy’s coverage, other products that may suit your needs, and the claims process
  • SGI Motor Licence Issuing Products (Driver’s Licences & Vehicle Registrations)
  • Establish and maintain the insurance to keep you properly covered

• To maintain accurate and up-to-date information
• To meet legal and regulatory requirements
• To protect against error or fraud
• To protect against identity theft

If at any time new purposes arise for which your personal information is used, Hoffmann Kool will make this information known and available.

What Types of Personal Information do We Collect?

“Personal Information” is considered to be anything that can identify you, and that relates to you specifically as an individual.  Our goal is to keep accurate and up-to-date information.

The business purposes outlined above may require us to collect any or all of the following pieces of your personal information:

• Name, address, telephone & fax numbers, email address
• Date of birth
• Family and marital status

• Prior insurance experience and your driving record including claims history
• Driver’s licence number, serial numbers of vehicles, and your driving record
• Banking and credit card information
• Medical and health information
• Information about your investments and net worth, employment & income information, credit rating and payment records.

How do we protect your personal information?

Since the protection of your privacy is a high priority at Hoffmann Kool Insurance, we take several measures to ensure that we follow through with this commitment to our clients.  The safeguards in place are appropriate to the sensitivity of the information, as we assume that all client personal information is sensitive.

• Training

• • Each staff member is obligated to read and sign a confidentiality agreement.  These are kept on file at our office.
  • All staff receive training on our privacy procedures and practices, and are made aware of the importance of maintaining the confidentiality of personal information.
  • Each staff member is given a copy of our privacy policy.

• Shredding

• • All paper that displays your personal information is shredded at our office before it is sent to be recycled.

• Computer security

• • Programs on our computers have passwords and lock functions in order to prevent any unauthorized users from accessing any information we have on file.

• Office security

• • All desks and cabinets have locks to protect files
  • We are a paperless office and we do not keep information in hard copy files – information is kept electronically by a verified secure server system.

• Limiting collection and retention of records

• • Collection of pieces of personal information is limited to only what is necessary to provide the products and services needed
  • Information is only retained as long as it is required to be kept for business purposes.
  • Information that is no longer needed is destroyed or erased.

• Re-evaluation

• • Our privacy policy and procedures are reviewed regularly.  This ensures that all employees are aware of our practices, and that our practices are working with the proper result.

Disclosure:

Your personal information is only used and disclosed when a business purpose requires us to do so.

In order to offer our clients the top services and products, it may be necessary to disclose their personal information to a third party.  These third parties may be insurance companies or reinsurance companies who follow a secure protocol. Hoffmann Kool is responsible for any personal information that has been transferred to other companies or individuals.  We will ensure that these parties comply with the Act, and use our clients’ information only for reasonable business purposes.

Consent:

Hoffmann Kool will only use your personal information when you have given us consent to do so.  This consent can be given explicitly (orally or in writing) or implicitly (your actions have implied that we are given the right to use your personal information).

However, there are certain circumstances when it may be necessary to collect, use or disclose your personal information without your consent:

• When it is in the best interest of the individual, and consent cannot be obtained in a timely way;
• When the information is used or disclosed in respect of an emergency that threatens the life health or security of an individual;
• If the information is publicly available;
• When it is believed that the information could be useful in the investigation of a breaking of the law;
• Disclosed to a barrister or solicitor who is representing Hoffmann Kool Insurance
• For collecting a debt owed by the individual to Hoffman Kool Insurance

Access to Your Information

It is your right to have access to the personal information we have on file.  If you have any questions about how your information is handled, or any other privacy questions or concerns, please contact our privacy officer:

Bill Schwandt

Privacy Compliance Officer

Hoffmann Kool Insurance

#5-75 Lenore Dr.

Saskatoon, SK  S7K 7Y1

Ph:  306.934.1999

Fax:  306.242.0806

Email:  bill@hoffmannkool.com

If you are not satisfied with the resolution of your inquiry or complaint, please contact:

The Privacy Commissioner of Canada

112 Kent Street
Place de Ville
Tower B, 3rd Floor
Ottawa, Ontario   K1A 1H3

Toll Free:  1.800.282.1376

Ph: 613.995.8210
Fax: 613.947.6850