Privacy

AskHelp handles personal information in a PIPEDA-minded way: we collect what we need to handle your request, we tell you why, and we do not sell your contact list.

What we collect

• Account name, email, phone, and password hash
• Job descriptions, answers, street address, city, postal code, whether you own or rent, who will pay, payment mode, and SMS consent
• Provider licence stubs, verification uploads, and coverage area
• Provider live location while they are online (on duty), used to offer jobs near their current position. Going offline or signing out stops live offers
• SMS contents when you text the public number (simulated in this MVP)
• Payment metadata if a provider buys credits (Stripe or placeholder test checkout)
• If you reach a request page from an ad or a tagged link, the campaign tags in that link (utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_content and utm_term) and the ad click ID (fbclid), saved with your request

Why we use it

To classify a request, introduce you to nearby providers, send status texts, run identity and record-check review, and keep the marketplace honest. Providers who can quote on your request see the job details they need to quote — not your password, and not unrelated jobs. A provider's live location is not shown on their public directory profile and is not a substitute for their home city listing. Signed-in ops maps show Online contractors at live GPS only. After a pro is assigned to your job, you see that pro's live GPS on the job map so you can follow them on the way — not other nearby contractors, and not their home city. We use campaign tags and click IDs to see which ads and links lead to requests. They are not shown to providers.

Sharing

We share job details with providers in that trade who can quote on your request, and with processors that host the app or payments. If you agree on the request form, the independent providers who respond to your request may contact you by text message and phone about that request. We do not sell personal information. Lawful requests from Canadian authorities are handled as required.

Retention and access

We keep account and job records while you use AskHelp and for a reasonable period afterward for disputes and safety. You can email privacy@askhelp.ca (or the operator inbox on file) to ask what we hold or to correct it.

Verification documents

Contractors give us a photo of a government ID (both sides), a business card photo or a note that they have none, and, if they choose, a trade licence, certificate of insurance and business registration documents. We use this to verify identity, prevent fraud and duplicate accounts, and keep homeowners safe. We also record the name and date of birth shown on the ID, its expiry date, the last four characters of the licence number, and a keyed code made from the full number, so we can spot duplicate accounts without storing the number itself. We use the contractor's mobile number to send a one-time verification code. Files are stored encrypted on our own server, are never public, and can be opened only by the contractor and AskHelp staff; every staff view is logged. We keep them while the contractor works with AskHelp and destroy them six months after the contractor closes their account or we remove it, unless a legal hold applies. Copies in our backups are removed within 30 days after. We may share identity information with law enforcement where the law requires it or on a lawful request from authorities, and we record every such disclosure. To ask for a copy of your information or to correct it, contact us through the Help button.

If you upload the back of your driver's licence, your browser reads its barcode to fill in your details for you to confirm, and our server reads it again to check them. This happens on your device and our own server; your ID is never sent to another company. We don't keep the barcode's other contents.

We ask whether the address on your licence is still current and record only your yes or no answer, not the address. If you confirm the business address on your card, we keep it with your other verification details on the same schedule.