Privacy Policy

Alright, let's break down what info we're gathering when you use our services. We're not trying to be nosy – we just need certain details to move your cargo safely and legally across borders.

Personal & Business Information

• Contact details: Your name, company name, email, phone number, and physical address. Pretty standard stuff.
• Business credentials: Tax IDs, business registration numbers, importer/exporter licenses – basically what customs needs to clear your shipment.
• Billing info: Payment details, invoicing addresses, purchase order numbers. We gotta get paid somehow, right?
• Account credentials: Username, password (which we encrypt), and any preferences you set in our tracking portal.

Shipment & Cargo Data

• Cargo details: What you're shipping, how much it weighs, dimensions, declared value, HS codes – all the nitty-gritty stuff.
• Origin and destination: Where it's coming from, where it's going, pickup and delivery addresses.
• Special handling requirements: Temperature controls for reefer cargo, hazmat classifications, fragile handling notes, etc.
• Documentation: Bills of lading, packing lists, commercial invoices, certificates of origin – you know, the paperwork mountain that comes with international shipping.

Technical & Usage Data

• Website usage: IP address, browser type, pages you visit, how long you stick around on our site.
• Device info: What kind of device you're using to access our tracking system or website.
• Tracking interactions: When you check your shipment status, which notifications you've opened, that sort of thing.
• Communication records: Emails, phone call logs (for quality and training purposes), chat transcripts if you hit us up through our website.

Location & Tracking Information

Since we're tracking containers across the ocean, we collect GPS and vessel position data. This helps us give you those real-time updates you're looking for.

So what do we actually do with all this data? Here's the honest rundown:

Service Delivery

• Processing your shipments: This is the big one. We need your info to book space on vessels, arrange pickup and delivery, and coordinate with ports and warehouses.
• Customs clearance: We work with customs brokers to get your cargo through borders. That means sharing documentation with customs authorities – it's not optional, it's the law.
• Real-time tracking: Keeping you updated on where your container is. We've found that clients really appreciate knowing their cargo hasn't fallen off the face of the earth.
• Documentation management: Generating bills of lading, certificates, and all those other forms that international shipping requires.

Communication & Support

• Customer service: Responding to your questions, handling issues, providing updates. Sometimes stuff happens at sea – delays, port congestion, weather – and we'll keep you in the loop.
• Notifications: Sending you alerts about your shipments, schedule changes, delivery confirmations, and important updates.
• Account management: Managing your account details, preferences, and service history.

Business Operations

• Billing & invoicing: Pretty straightforward – processing payments, sending invoices, handling disputes if they come up.
• Route optimization: We analyze shipping patterns to find the most efficient routes and improve our service.
• Warehouse coordination: Managing inventory in our storage facilities, coordinating distribution if you're using our warehousing services.

Legal & Compliance

• Regulatory compliance: Meeting Canadian transport regulations, international maritime law, customs requirements, and all that jazz.
• Record keeping: We're required to keep certain records for a set number of years – it's not us being pack rats, it's the law.
• Dispute resolution: If there's ever a claim or legal issue, we need documentation to sort it out.

Service Improvement

We analyze aggregated data (nothing personally identifiable) to improve our routes, optimize our services, and generally get better at what we do. After all, we're always looking to up our game in the logistics world.

Let's be real – international shipping isn't a one-person show. We have to share your info with various partners to actually get your cargo where it needs to go. Here's who we're working with:

Essential Service Partners

• Shipping lines & vessel operators: The folks who actually own and run the ships. They need cargo and shipper details to load and transport your containers.
• Port authorities & terminal operators: They handle loading, unloading, and storage at ports. Can't avoid them in this business.
• Customs brokers: Licensed professionals who clear your cargo through customs. They need all your documentation to deal with government agencies.
• Trucking & drayage partners: For getting your container to and from the port. Last-mile delivery matters.
• Warehouse operators: If you're using our storage and distribution services, these are the folks managing those facilities.

Government & Regulatory Bodies

• Customs agencies: Canada Border Services Agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and equivalent agencies in other countries. They get full cargo details – it's mandatory.
• Transport regulators: Transport Canada and similar agencies in other countries that oversee maritime shipping.
• Security agencies: For cargo security screening and compliance with international security protocols.

Financial & Payment Processors

Our payment processors handle your billing info securely. We don't actually store your full credit card details on our servers – that's handled by PCI-compliant payment gateways.

Technology Providers

• Cloud hosting services: We use secure cloud infrastructure to run our tracking systems and store data.
• Communication platforms: Email service providers, SMS gateways for notifications, customer support software.
• Analytics tools: To understand how our website and services are being used (all anonymized data).

Insurance Providers

If you've got cargo insurance through us or require it, we'll share shipment details with insurers. Sometimes you need that peace of mind when shipping high-value goods.

What We DON'T Do

We don't sell your data to third-party marketers. We're not in that business. We don't share your info with random companies who want to spam you with offers. And we don't share more than what's necessary to get the job done.

All our partners are bound by confidentiality agreements and are required to handle your data responsibly. We choose our partners carefully because your trust matters to us.

Security's a big deal when you're handling sensitive business and cargo information. Here's how we're protecting your data:

Technical Safeguards

• Encryption: Your data is encrypted both when it's sitting on our servers (at rest) and when it's traveling across the internet (in transit). We use industry-standard SSL/TLS protocols.
• Secure access controls: Not everyone in our company can access all data. We use role-based access – folks only see what they need to do their job.
• Password protection: Strong password requirements, and we encourage two-factor authentication for your tracking portal account.
• Regular security audits: We test our systems regularly to find and fix vulnerabilities before they become problems.
• Firewall protection: Multiple layers of network security to keep the bad guys out.

Physical Security

• Our servers are hosted in secure data centers with 24/7 monitoring, restricted access, and backup power systems.
• Paper documents at our Vancouver office are stored in locked facilities with limited access.
• We have secure document disposal procedures for when we no longer need physical records.

Personnel & Training

• All our employees sign confidentiality agreements.
• We provide regular training on data protection and privacy best practices.
• Background checks for employees handling sensitive information.

The Reality Check

Look, we're gonna be straight with you – no security system is 100% bulletproof. We do everything we can to protect your data, but we can't guarantee absolute security. That said, we're constantly updating our security measures and staying on top of emerging threats. If there's ever a data breach, we'll notify you promptly and let you know what happened and what we're doing about it.

Yeah, we use cookies. Not the delicious kind, unfortunately. Here's what's going on when you visit our website:

Essential Cookies

These keep our site working properly. They remember you're logged in, keep your session secure, and help you navigate the tracking portal. You can't really turn these off without breaking the site, sorry.

Analytics Cookies

We use these to see how people use our website – which pages are popular, where folks are getting stuck, how long they're staying. It helps us improve the user experience. The data's all anonymized, so we're not watching YOU specifically, just general trends.

Functional Cookies

These remember your preferences – like language settings, display preferences in the tracking portal, stuff like that. Makes your life easier when you come back.

What About Third-Party Cookies?

We try to minimize these, but some come from necessary services we use (like payment processors or customer support chat). We don't use advertising cookies because we're not in the ad business.

Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers let you block or delete cookies. Just know that blocking certain cookies might make parts of our site not work as smoothly. Your tracking portal login might not stick, for example.

Do Not Track Signals

Honestly, there's no universal standard for how websites should respond to "Do Not Track" browser settings. We respect your privacy either way, but we can't promise our site will respond to DNT signals in the way you might expect.

Under Canadian privacy law (and several international regulations), you've got rights when it comes to your personal data. Here's what you can do:

Access Your Data

You can ask us what personal information we have about you. We'll provide you with a copy, usually within 30 days. There might be some exceptions if disclosing certain info would reveal confidential business information or compromise someone else's privacy.

Correct Your Information

Spotted an error? Let us know and we'll fix it. This is especially important for shipping addresses and contact info – wrong details can really mess up a delivery.

Delete Your Data

You can request that we delete your personal information. Here's the catch though – we might need to keep some data for legal or regulatory reasons. For example, we're required to maintain shipping records for a certain number of years for customs and tax purposes. But we'll delete what we legally can.

Opt Out of Marketing

Don't want promotional emails from us? No problem. Every marketing email has an unsubscribe link. Hit that and you're off the list. Just know you'll still get transactional emails about your actual shipments – those are kinda necessary.

Data Portability

Want to take your data to another logistics provider? We can provide your information in a commonly-used format. We're not gonna hold your data hostage.

Object to Processing

In certain situations, you can object to how we're using your data. We'll review your request and see if we can accommodate it without disrupting service delivery.

File a Complaint

If you think we're not handling your data properly, you can file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. We'd prefer if you talked to us first so we can try to make things right, but you've got the right to go straight to the regulator if you want.

How to Exercise These Rights

Just reach out to us at logistics@thalorienodyssey.info or call (604) 782-4590. We'll verify your identity (gotta make sure we're not giving someone else's data to a random person) and then process your request. Most requests get handled within 30 days, though complex ones might take a bit longer.