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Welcome to www.reliableconnections.com (the "Reliable Connections Web Site"), owned and produced by Reliable Connections Incorporated ("Reliable Connections"). This Privacy Policy discloses Reliable Connections' privacy practices. Any products or services made available to you by Reliable Connection through the Reliable Connections Web Site are subject to this Privacy Policy. By using any such product or service, you agree, without limitation or qualification, to be bound by this Privacy Policy and to regularly review this policy as amended from time to time.

You can view the current version of this Privacy Policy at any time. There is a link to it on the home page of the Reliable Connections Web Site, and there is a clear and conspicuous link near the top of most pages that ask the user to enter information and that are part of the Reliable Connections Web Site.

1. What is personally identifiable information?
Personally identifiable information is information about you that can be linked back to you, such as your name or something about you specifically such as your postal address.

2. What is anonymous information?
Anonymous information refers to information that cannot be tied back to a specific individual. For example, Reliable Connections collects some information each time a visitor comes to a Reliable Connections Web Site so we can improve the overall quality of the visitor’s online experience. Reliable Connections collects the visitor’s IP address, referral data (e.g., the Internet address of the last Web page visited by a user before clicking over to a Reliable Connections Web Site), and browser and platform type (e.g., a Netscape browser on a Macintosh platform). As well, Reliable Connections may aggregate personally identifiable information so that it becomes anonymous information. In those rare instances where a visitor’s IP address can be linked to that visitor because it has been assigned to that individual rather than an Internet service provider or a business, that visitor’s IP address will be treated as personally identifiable information.

3. How does Reliable Connection collect personally identifiable information?
Reliable Connections uses several different means to collect your personal information such as registration, surveys, questions, comments and your e-mails and letters to Reliable Connections. While there are many aspects of the Reliable Connections Web Site that will function properly and are accessible to you even if you do not provide any of your personal information, some products and services may not function properly or may not be accessible unless you do. When you register and at any other time that Reliable Connections is collecting personally identifiable information from you, Reliable Connections will make it clear to you which items of information are necessary for the provision of the desired products or services and the data which you may choose not to provide while still being able to receive the products or services.

4. How does Reliable Connection collect anonymous information?
Reliable Connections collects anonymous information passively using cookies and Web beacons.

A cookie is a small text file containing a unique identification number that is transferred from a web site to the hard drive of your computer. Using that cookie, the web site that placed it can passively track certain activities relating to your Web browser. If you have not intentionally disclosed any personally identifiable information, a cookie will not allow a web site to learn any personally identifiable information.

Web beacons, also known as a clear GIF or single-pixel GIF, is small image file that Reliable Connections may place on Web pages and within Web-based e-mail newsletters that we send. Working in conjunction with cookies, Web beacons allow Reliable Connections to accurately count the number of unique users who have visited a specific page on the Reliable Connections Web Site and the number of times those pages are displayed. Reliable Connections also uses Web beacons to let Reliable Connections know how many people opened a Web-based e-mail newsletter. This information is only collected in aggregate form and will not be linked to your personally identifiable information.

It should also be noted that third party advertisers may use cookies and web beacons in their advertisements. Reliable Connections is not responsible for any such use.

5. Can I use the Reliable Connections Web Site without providing personally identifiable information to Reliable Connections?
Yes, you can use the Reliable Connections Web Site without providing any personally identifiable information to Reliable Connections, but while there are many aspects of the Reliable Connections Web Site that will function properly and are accessible to you even if you do not provide any of your personal information, some products and services may not function properly or may not be accessible unless you do.

6. Can I use the Reliable Connections Web Site without providing anonymous information?
Yes, it is possible to prevent the collection of some anonymous information. It is possible to adjust your Web browser preferences to alert you when a cookie is sent to your hard drive, or to refuse cookies altogether. Because Web beacons work in conjunction with cookies, you can prevent a Reliable Connections Web beacon from collecting anonymous information by setting your Web browser to refuse all cookies or the Reliable Connections Web Site cookie in particular. Still, non-functional Web beacons will continue to appear even if you refuse the Reliable Connections Community cookie since they are built into the Reliable Connections Web Site.

While Reliable Connections does not require you to use cookies, keep in mind that certain services will not function properly if you set your browser to refuse all cookies.

7. Why does Reliable Connections collect anonymous information?
Reliable Connections collects anonymous information for several purposes. In general, Reliable Connections uses anonymous information so that Reliable Connections can manage, administer and improve upon the Reliable Connections Web Site. Anonymous information is also used for targeted advertising. More specifically, Reliable Connections uses cookies to:

• Deliver products and services more efficiently. By storing certain registration and preference information on cookies or associating cookies with registration, preference or profile information stored on our computers, Reliable Connections can deliver products and services that use such information more quickly and efficiently for more users. This information is normally saved in an encrypted form that only Reliable Connections can interpret.
  
• Prevent others from using your account. Cookies help Reliable Connections efficiently determine that only one user is logged on under the same member name at a time.
  
• Analyze. Reliable Connections uses cookies to measure statistics such as audience size and traffic patterns. This information is only collected in aggregate form and will not be linked to your personally identifiable information.
  
• Display advertisements. Cookies let Reliable Connections know whether or not a Web browser has seen a particular advertisement (so Reliable Connections can show you a variety of material) and count the number of advertisements displayed to a particular browser. Reliable Connections also use cookies to customize the advertising that you see based on non-personally identifiable demographic information that you provide when you register.

Without cookies and Web beacons, it would be difficult for Reliable Connections to know which services have a larger audience than others. Tracking audience size helps us to better understand when to launch new services and enhance the current offerings. Keep in mind that any image file on a Web page can act as a Web beacon.

8. Why does Reliable Connections collect personally identifiable information?
Reliable Connections uses the personally identifiable information that you provide to the Reliable Connections Web Site only for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy or disclosed to you prior to the collection or use of the information.

Registration

When you register for either a free or a full membership in the Reliable Connections Community, you are asked to provide Reliable Connections with your name, postal address, postal code, e-mail address, telephone number and other information. When such information is not required, it will be marked as “Optional”, but Reliable Connections will be better able to customize your experience if you volunteer complete and accurate information.

Users who complete the registration process by completing the required portions of the registration form are given a Reliable Connections Community ID and can take advantage of the many offerings across the Reliable Connections Community that are available to non-paying or full members as applicable.

When you register for a full Membership in the Reliable Connections Community, you are also asked to provide your credit card information in connection with your payments for the service.

At the end of the registration process, you are asked whether you are interested in receiving information about certain topics that may be of interest.

At Other Times

In addition to registration, Reliable Connections may ask you for personal information at other times, including when you respond to a survey, or enter a sweepstakes, contest or promotion sponsored by the Reliable Connections Community. The purposes for which any such information will be used will be disclosed at the time of collection.

If you contact Reliable Connections, we may keep a record of that correspondence. We do not collect any e-mail addresses of those who communicate with Reliable Connections via e-mail. We use the information provided so that we may respond to the e-mail.

9. How does the Reliable Connections Web Site use the information it collects?
Reliable Connections requests information from its users so that users can enjoy a customized experience, including personalization services, interactive communications and much more. The following are examples of how the Reliable Connections Web Site may use the information it collects:

• Reliable Connections uses the information collected (both anonymous and personal) to personalize and enhance the content you see on the Reliable Connections Web Site. In some cases, our products and services cannot work unless you have volunteered accurate information (for example, an inspector cannot be sent to your home unless we have your correct street address).
  
• Reliable Connections collects anonymous data and shares it with third-party advertisers in an aggregate form. We will disclose to those advertisers the number of Reliable Connections members who have certain demographic characteristics and the number of those people who have seen and “clicked” on a particular display. We will also disclose to those advertisers the overall demographics available regarding who saw and “clicked” on their advertisement. No personally identifiable information will be disclosed as part of this process.
  
• Reliable Connections also uses the aggregate data to perform statistical analyses of the collective characteristics and behavior of our members and visitors, to measure user demographics and interests regarding specific areas of the Reliable Connections Web Site, and to analyze how and where best to use our resources. Reliable Connections does not track what pages individual users are browsing, but rather how well each page performs overall. Without such data, Reliable Connections would not know which parts of the Reliable Connections Web Site are the most popular, and we would not be able to change and update the content and services appropriately.
  
• Reliable Connections sometimes uses an individual registered user’s data to “pre-populate” online forms that are displayed for the purpose of collecting additional individual data by Reliable Connections, selected third-party sites, and/or sponsors and advertisers.
  
• Reliable Connections may, from time to time, use your information to contact you about changes or enhancements to products and services on the Reliable Connections Web Site, issues regarding your account, or violations of the terms and conditions that apply to your use of the Reliable Connections Web Site or any other agreement between you and Reliable Connections.
  
• If you enter a sweepstakes or a contest on the Reliable Connections Web Site, we will use the information you provided to contact you in the event you win.
  
• If when you registered you told Reliable Connections that you were interested in receiving offers or information from sponsors and advertisers selected by Reliable Connections, Reliable Connections will send you mail or e-mail about products and services that we feel may be of interest to you. For those who elect to receive such materials directly from such sponsors or advertisers, Reliable Connections will release personally identifiable information to the applicable sponsor or advertiser. Information released includes name, e-mail address, postal address and other information supplied in the Reliable Connections Community registration process. If you no longer wish to receive such information or offers, visit the Reliable Connections Web Site and follow the instructions shown there to indicate that you do not wish to receive offers or information from sponsors or advertisers.
  
• Reliable Connections may also combine information we have about you with information Reliable Connections obtains about you from third parties for the purpose of providing you with more appropriate products, services, and offerings. If you do not wish to have Reliable Connections combine information supplied in the Reliable Connections registration process with information obtained from third parties for the purposes of providing offers and information from sponsors and advertisers selected by Reliable Connections that are more tailored to your interests, you should follow the instructions shown set out in the Reliable Connections Web Site to indicate that you do not wish to receive offers or information from sponsors and advertisers.
  
• Member Trade Contractors: Reliable Connections creates your public profile by using your answers to our questionnaire along with any photos or images you post.
  
• Full Members: Your credit card information is used to collect your recurrent membership fees.

10. Does Reliable Connections share your personally identifiable information with anyone?
In most instances, when you provide your personally identifiable information to the Reliable Connections Web Site, you are providing that information to Reliable Connections, but this is not always the case. For example, promotions may be sponsored or co-sponsored by third-party companies. When data is collected for a co-sponsored or sponsored promotion, you should consider that data as being collected by both Reliable Connections and the sponsoring or co-sponsoring organization. As such, you should make every effort to read the privacy policies of the co-sponsoring or sponsoring organization and make an informed decision on your own whether or not to provide your personal information, based upon that organization’s privacy practices and your own discretion. A link will be provided to the privacy policy of the co-sponsoring or sponsoring organization.

The personally identifying information you provide to Reliable Connections may be disclosed to certain third parties that assist Reliable Connections in the ordinary course of business, subject to confidentiality agreements. These vendors may include (but are not limited to) our common carriers, mail list and market analysis bureaus, and credit card companies. These third parties will not necessarily be disclosed to you when your personally identifiable information is collected, but if you contact the Reliable Connections Privacy Coordinator at the address listed below, Reliable Connections will provide to you information about any third party to whom your personally identifiable information has been disclosed.

Reliable Connections may disclose information about individual users to third parties who agree to provide services to Reliable Connections and who agree to maintain the confidentiality of such information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. These third parties may provide a variety of services to Reliable Connections, including, without limitation, processing and storing user information, helping to create new content and promotions for the Reliable Connections Community, and sending or coordinating the sending of marketing communications that users have consented to receive. Also, Reliable Connections will disclose information about individual users to governmental or judicial authorities or law enforcement agencies, or to other individuals or entities in response to subpoena, court order, or other legal process. In matters involving a danger to personal or public safety, Reliable Connections may voluntarily provide information to appropriate governmental authorities.

Be aware that most advertisements (including but not limited to banner and pop-up advertisements) that appear to you while you visit the Reliable Connections Web Site are not initiated by Reliable Connections, so unless an advertisement clearly identifies itself as being initiated by Reliable Connections, you should treat it as if Reliable Connections is not initiating that advertisement. Consequently, before providing your personally identifiable information in response to such advertisement, you should review the privacy policy of the third party responsible for such advertisement in order to make an informed decision about whether or not to provide your personally identifiable information to that third party.

When you click on a link, be aware of the fact that you may be linking to a Web Site that is not a part of the Reliable Connections Web Site. When you move from the Reliable Connections Web Site by way of a link, you should check to see whether or not the Web Site that you arrive at is operated by Reliable Connections. If it is not part of the Reliable Connections Community, then you should check that Web Site’s privacy policy before providing your personally identifiable information to that Web Site.

11. How can you access or edit your information?
The Reliable Connections Web Site provides its members with the opportunity to access and edit (including updating and correcting) the personal information in their user profiles. You can access and edit your member profile by following the steps set out on the Reliable Connections Web Site.

Alternatively, if you are concerned about the personally identifiable information that has been collected about you, you can access that information by submitting a written request for it, by mail, to the attention of the Reliable Connections Privacy Coordinator, at the physical address listed below. Your request must include proof of your identity. Unless a specific format other than in print is requested because of a sensory disability, Reliable Connections will respond in writing. When it can be demonstrated to Reliable Connections that it is reasonable and necessary because of sensory disability that affects you to provide the requested information in another format, Reliable Connections will do so. In most instances, we will respond within thirty (30) days of receiving a complete request.

Any new information received from you as a part of a request for access to personal information will only be used to investigate and respond to your request.

Reliable Connections, Inc. 1370 Don Mills Road
Suite 300
Toronto, On M3B 3N7

12. Does Reliable Connections have an opt-out policy, and if so, what is it?
Reliable Connections offers you the ability to opt-out of receiving Reliable Connections Web Site updates and information about new services, as well as direct mail offers from selected Reliable Connections service providers and sponsors. This is done at the point of initial collection of information and during the editing or updating process. The instructions to opt out of most Reliable Connections Web Site e-mail newsletters and direct mail communications are the same as the instructions for editing user information profiles.

In addition, all Reliable Connections Community newsletters and direct e-mail communications have easy-to-follow unsubscribe instructions at the bottom of each e-mail.

13. What kinds of security procedures are in place to protect against the loss, misuse or alteration of your information?
Reliable Connections has security measures in place to attempt to protect against the loss, misuse and alteration of your information under our control. Reliable Connections uses physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect any personally identifiable data stored on its computers and in its possession.

While we cannot guarantee that loss, misuse or alteration to data will not occur, we take many precautions to prevent such unfortunate occurrences.

You are ultimately responsible for the security of your Reliable Connections Community ID and password. Please take care when using and storing them. Reliable Connections recommends that you do not divulge your password to anyone. You should log out of your browser at the end of each computer session to ensure that others cannot access your personal information and correspondence, especially if several people have access to your personal computer or you are using a computer in a public place like a library or Internet cafe.

14. What you can do to better protect yourself on the Internet?
By educating yourself with respect to the risks to privacy that use of the Internet can present, you can learn how to minimize or eliminate those risks. Listed below are a number of privacy resources in Canada and the United States that can be found by clicking on any of the following links:

15. Should I review this Privacy Policy regularly?
Yes, you should review this Privacy Policy regularly. Reliable Connections will update this policy from time to time. When such changes occur, you will see the word “Updated” next to the Privacy Policy link on the front page of the Reliable Connections Web Site for a period of at least three (3) weeks from when the updated Privacy Policy is posted. If at any point we decide to use personally identifiable information in a manner different from that stated at the time it was collected, we will prominently post such changes prior to implementing them.

Should you continue to use the Reliable Connections Community after the changes come into effect, you will be deemed to have agreed to abide by the updated Privacy Policy.

16. Contact Us
Questions regarding this statement should be directed to:

Reliable Connections Inc.
1110 Finch Avenue West
Suite 40-1018
Toronto, On M3J 3M2

Telephone number: 416-259-1400
Fax number: 905-889-5808
E-mail address: info@reliableconnections.com

Attention: Privacy Coordinator