Protecting Your Privacy

Personal Information Policy

Our privacy promise describes in clear language how Business Development Centre ensures the protection of the personal information you entrust to us

Please read this document carefully, not because anything in it is difficult to understand, but because we want you to know that Business Development Centre protects your personal information. As you read, you will come across certain specialized words – industry terms. We have underlined these words and provided definitions to make sure everything is perfectly clear. Simply scroll down to the bottom of the page and read: Industry Terms, and What They Mean.

We view our privacy promise as more than just a legal obligation

When you became a Business Development Centre client, you shared important personal information with us. You did this so we could serve you better and with the knowledge that we would honor and respect your privacy. Your trust was not misplaced. At Business Development Centre, we are committed to offering you superior products and services, so it should come as no surprise that we are also committed to meeting the privacy standards applicable to you.

Let’s be perfectly clear – what is “personal information?”

“Personal information” is information about an identifiable individual, but does not include the name, title, business address or telephone number of an employee of an organization.

What information are we responsible for protecting?

Business Development Centre is responsible for protecting your personal information in our possession or custody. This includes personal information that has been transferred to, or received from a third party in the course of commercial activities for processing, or for other purposes for which you have consented.

Collecting, using and disclosing your personal information – why do we do it?

We collect, use and disclose personal information for one reason: to serve you better. Knowing you better helps us understand your business and financial needs, communicate effectively with you, and provide you with the services and products you want.

Let’s be specific – we collect, use and disclose your personal information in order to:

• Verify your identity
• Determine your eligibility for the products and services offered by Business Development Centre that may be of interest to you
• Determine your eligibility for the products and services offered by our allied organizations that may be of interest to you.
• Detect and prevent fraud
• Compile statistics, conduct market research and report to regulatory and industry agencies
• Comply with the law
• Comply with tax requirements

Personal information may be collected, used or disclosed for any of these identified purposes set out above. If your personal information is not needed for one of the identified purposes, we will not use or disclose it without obtaining additional consent from you.

How do we gather your personal information?

The collection, use and disclosure of your personal information depends on how you do business with us. We may gather information from the following sources:

• From you – from your application for our products and services or from other forms filled out over the phone, through e-mail or from face-to-face interviews (e.g., your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, occupation, financial and tax information)
• From your interactions with us
• From the government and other entities that have information related to your account with us
• From consumer reporting agencies (e.g., your credit history

What you are committing to when you share personal information with us

If you provide personal information to us or through any of the previously-mentioned sources, you do so with the understanding that Business Development Centre may:

• Use your personal information for the identified purposes
• Verify such information or obtain additional personal information about you by checking with government agencies, credit bureaus, motor vehicle agencies and other fact-collected-and-verifying entities to assist us for the identified purposes

Your consent

Your knowledge and consent are required before we may collect, use or disclose your personal information, except in special circumstances such as during a fraud investigation, an investigation by the police, or in situations otherwise permitted by the law.

How o you provide us with your consent?

We accept any of the following as your consent for Business Development Centre to use, collect, and disclose your personal information for the aforementioned identified purposes:

• Your receipt of this Personal Information Policy, unless you advise Business Development Centre in writing that you do not agree with the terms stated in this policy and that you wish to opt out of all or portions of it
• Your unrestricted provision of information to Business Development Centre either directly, or through agents or financial services representatives
• Your express written or oral consent as obtained through completion of an application form for any of our products and services
• Your consent as provided by your authorized representative, such as a legal guardian or power of attorney

In some circumstances, your consent may be implied. For instance:

If you order products and/or services for your family or for anyone else, you represent that you have obtained their consent to allow Business Development Centre to collect and disclose their personal information for the identified purposes.

You have the power to say "no" – How you can withdraw your consent

You may withdraw your consent at any time upon reasonable notice, subject to legal or contractual restrictions. Please note, however, that withdrawing your consent may affect our ability to continue to provide you with the products and services that you have, or would like to receive.

To withdraw your consent, you should contact our privacy officer at the address or telephone number listed. Unless we hear otherwise from you, you are giving to us your consent for the collection, use and disclosure of personal information as provided in this policy for the identified purposes.

How long do we keep your personal information?

Your personal information is retained only as long as we need it to effectively provide products and services to you, and for a reasonable length of time thereafter in case we need to meet any potential obligations,legal or government requirements. Business Development Centre shall use care when storing or destroying your personal information in order to prevent unauthorized access.

How do we protect your personal information?

Whether in an electronic or paper-based format, Business Development Centre maintains strict security systems to safeguard your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure or misuse. Furthermore, when we no longer need your personal information, we take as much care in destroying your information as we do when storing it.

In the event that we transfer your personal information to a third party for processing (e.g., when printing cheques, managing claims and client statements, or for data processing), we contractually require any person or organization providing products or services on our behalf to protect our customers’ confidentiality in a manner consistent with our own internal measures, or as required by law.

Your right to access your personal information

You have a right to access your personal information that we have in our possession or control. You also have a right to know which third parties have received your information from Business Development Centre.

How do you access your personal information?

Please make your request in writing to the Business Development Centre privacy officer, stating as specifically as possible which personal information you are requesting.

We will try to respond to such requests as soon as possible, and will advise you if we are unable to respond right away. Business Development Centre may charge you a reasonable fee for providing access to your personal information, but only after advising you of the approximate cost.

We will try to be as precise as possible when providing you with the list of organizations that we have entrusted with your information. When it's not possible to provide an exact list of such organizations, Business Development Centre shall provide you with an approximate list of organizations to whom we may have disclosed your information.

Business Development Centre has the right to refuse your request for access to personal information if:

• The information is protected by solicitor-client privilege
• Granting access would reveal confidential commercial information
• Doing so would reasonably be expected to threaten the life or security of another individual
• The information was collected for purposes related to the detection and prevention of fraud
• The information was generated in the course of a formal dispute resolution process
• The information would likely reveal personal information about another individual

Keeping your information accurate

Business Development Centre strives to ensure that the personal information we have on file about you is as accurate and up-to-date as necessary for the identified purposes for which it is to be used. If any information needs to be updated or amended to reflect a change in your situation, we make every effort to update our records. Business Development Centre shall amend personal information that is materially inaccurate or incomplete and, where appropriate, shall endeavor to advise other parties having access to the information in question.

How to contact us

Direct any queries about this policy to Business Development Centre privacy officer at the telephone, e-mail address, or mailing address listed below.

For more information, to file a complaint, to make enquiries, or to opt out of all or parts of this Policy, please contact Business Development Centre Privacy Officer:

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTRE
PRIVACY OFFICER

1120 Finch Ave. W. Suite 701.
Toronto, ON. M3J 3H7
PHONE: 416-649-872
FAX: 416-226-0013
E-MAIL: info@bdc-canada.com

If you have a complaint, we want to know about it

If you have a complaint related to this Personal Information Policy or any of our procedures, contact our privacy officer. If your complaint is justified, we will take the steps necessary to resolve the issue, including amending our policy and practices, if necessary.

Industry terms, and what they mean

Power of attorney: The authority given to one person or corporation to act on behalf of another person or corporation in legal and financial matters.

Third party: Person other than you who is involved in a transaction.

About this document

This Personal Information Policy spells out the responsibility of the Business Development Centre ("we,""our,""us"), and your rights as our applicant, customer, former customer or claimant ("you" or "your"), regarding the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information.

This Personal Information Policy is subject to any amendments which will be posted on the Business Development Centre website, and will also be available from the Business Development Centre privacy officer by calling 416-226-2921.