Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

CollisionMatrix is a multi-tenant software-as-a-service platform for Canadian collision-repair and auto-body shops, operated by LITP ("LITP", "we", "us"), based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. This Privacy Policy explains how personal information is handled across collisionmatrix.ca, the application at app.collisionmatrix.ca, and the public pages a shop's customers use (estimate approval, invoice payment, online booking and the customer portal).

2. Controller vs processor — an important distinction

CollisionMatrix serves two groups of people, and our role differs for each:

• Shop staff and the shop business — when a shop signs up, the shop is our customer. For the shop's own account information, LITP acts as the data controller.
• A shop's end customers (vehicle owners) — when a shop documents a repair, raises an estimate or messages a customer, the personal information involved belongs to that customer and is controlled by the shop. For that data, the shop is the controller and LITP is a data processor acting on the shop's instructions.

This means a vehicle owner with questions about their data should generally contact the repair shop directly. We will always assist the shop in responding.

3. Information we collect

Information shops provide

• Account & staff data — shop name, address, business details, and the name, email and role of each staff user.
• Operational data entered into the platform — customer names and contact details, vehicle records and VINs, insurance claim references, damage photographs and annotations, inspection results, work orders, estimates, invoices, payments, appointments and messages.
• Marketplace data (planned feature) — vendor records, supplier accounts, parts and tow orders, referrals and shop partnerships, once the marketplace is available.

Information collected automatically

• Technical data — IP address, browser and device type, and timestamps, captured in server logs for security and reliability.
• Usage data — which features are used, to operate and improve the service. We do not run third-party advertising or behavioural-tracking pixels.

Information from third parties

• VIN decoding — a VIN is sent to the U.S. NHTSA public vehicle database to return vehicle specifications. No personal information is sent with it.
• Payment confirmations — Stripe returns the status of a payment. Full card numbers are never transmitted to or stored by CollisionMatrix.

4. How we use information

We use personal information to: provide and operate the platform; authenticate users and protect accounts; generate estimates, invoices and reports; send transactional email and SMS (such as "your vehicle is ready"); process payments through Stripe; provide support; monitor security and prevent abuse; and meet legal and tax obligations. We do not sell personal information, and we do not use a shop's customer data to train machine-learning models.

5. Legal basis & consent

For shop account data, we rely on the performance of our contract with the shop and our legitimate interest in operating a secure service. For a shop's customer data, the shop is responsible for having the appropriate basis and consent to collect and process that information, consistent with PIPEDA (see our PIPEDA Compliance page). Where we send SMS, the shop is responsible for obtaining the recipient's consent to be contacted.

6. Sharing & sub-processors

We share personal information only with service providers ("sub-processors") that help us run the platform, each bound by contract to protect it:

• Supabase — managed PostgreSQL database and staff authentication.
• Cloudflare R2 — encrypted object storage for photographs and generated PDF documents.
• Vercel — hosting for the web frontend.
• Railway — hosting for the application backend.
• Stripe — payment processing for invoices and subscriptions.
• Resend — transactional email delivery.
• Twilio — SMS delivery (optional, per shop).

We may also disclose information where required by law, to enforce our agreements, or to protect the rights and safety of users — and, in the event of a merger or acquisition, to the successor entity under the same protections. We do not share data with advertisers.

7. Data storage & location

CollisionMatrix is built for the Canadian market. We configure our infrastructure to store and process data in Canadian or, where necessary, North American regions. Some sub-processors may process limited data (for example, email metadata) outside Canada; in all cases the data remains protected by contractual safeguards. See the PIPEDA Compliance page for details on cross-border handling.

8. Security

We apply layered safeguards, including:

• Tenant isolation — every shop's data is separated at the database level by PostgreSQL Row-Level Security, so one shop can never see another's records.
• Encryption — data is encrypted in transit (HTTPS/TLS) and at rest.
• Private file access — photographs and PDFs are never public; they are reached only through short-lived, signed links (one hour) generated for an authorised user.
• Authentication — staff accounts use industry-standard token-based authentication; customer-portal passwords are stored only as salted PBKDF2 hashes, never in plain text.
• Access control — role-based permissions limit what each staff member can see and do.

No system is perfectly secure, but we work continuously to protect your information and will notify affected parties and regulators of a material breach as required by law.

9. Retention

We keep personal information for as long as a shop maintains its account and as needed to provide the service. After an account is closed, data is retained for a limited wind-down window and then deleted, except where a longer period is required for tax, accounting or legal reasons. A shop or its customers can request earlier deletion — see our page.

10. Your rights

Under PIPEDA and applicable provincial law, individuals have the right to access the personal information held about them, to request correction of inaccurate information, and to withdraw consent. Because a shop controls its customers' data, a vehicle owner should direct such requests to the shop; shop staff can fulfil them directly within CollisionMatrix. Shop account holders may contact us using the details below.

11. Cookies

CollisionMatrix uses only essential cookies and similar local storage — to keep you signed in and to remember preferences such as light or dark theme. We do not use advertising or cross-site tracking cookies. Because these cookies are strictly necessary for the service to function, the platform does not display a tracking-consent banner.

12. Children

CollisionMatrix is a business tool and is not directed to children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of majority in their province of residence.

13. Changes & contact

We may update this Privacy Policy as the platform evolves. Material changes will be communicated to shop account holders, and the "Last updated" date above will change. Continued use of the service after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

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Terms of Service

1. Agreement

These Terms of Service ("Terms") form a binding agreement between the business that registers for CollisionMatrix ("you", "the shop") and LITP ("LITP", "we", "us"), the operator of the CollisionMatrix platform. By creating an account, accessing or using the service, you confirm you have authority to bind the shop and that you accept these Terms and the Privacy Policy.

2. The service

CollisionMatrix is a multi-tenant SaaS platform for collision-repair and auto-body shops, providing vehicle intake, damage documentation, digital inspections, work orders, estimates, invoicing, payments, scheduling, a customer portal, and reporting. A marketplace network connecting shops with suppliers and partners is planned for a future release. We may add, change or remove features over time to improve the platform.

3. Accounts & eligibility

You must provide accurate registration information and keep it current. You are responsible for all activity under your account and for safeguarding login credentials. You must notify us promptly of any unauthorised use. Each staff member should have their own user account; credentials must not be shared. The shop is responsible for the conduct of its staff users within the platform.

4. Subscriptions & billing

CollisionMatrix is offered on a subscription basis. By subscribing you authorise us, through our payment processor Stripe, to charge the applicable recurring fee (monthly or annual) to your payment method. Fees are stated in Canadian dollars and exclusive of applicable taxes unless noted. Subscriptions renew automatically until cancelled. Unless required by law, fees already paid are non-refundable. We may change pricing on reasonable notice; changes take effect at your next renewal. If a payment fails, we may suspend access until the balance is settled.

5. Free trial

We may offer a free trial period. At the end of the trial, unless you cancel, your subscription begins and the applicable fee is charged. We may modify or withdraw trial offers at any time.

6. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

• use the service for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable law or regulation;
• upload content you do not have the right to use, or that infringes the rights of others;
• attempt to gain unauthorised access to the platform, other tenants' data, or our infrastructure;
• probe, scan, or test the vulnerability of the service without our written permission;
• interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of the service;
• resell, sublicense, or provide the service to third parties except your own staff and customers as intended;
• use the service to send unsolicited messages in violation of anti-spam law (including Canada's CASL).

7. Your data & content

You retain all ownership of the data and content you and your customers put into CollisionMatrix ("Shop Data"). You grant LITP a limited licence to host, process, transmit and display Shop Data solely to provide and support the service. You are responsible for the accuracy and lawfulness of Shop Data and for having the right and any necessary consent to upload it — including customer information, photographs and insurance references. You can export your data and request its deletion as described in our page.

8. Customer payments

CollisionMatrix lets your customers pay estimates and invoices online through Stripe. We facilitate these payments but are not a party to the transaction between you and your customer, and we are not a bank or money-services business. Payouts, fees, refunds and chargebacks are governed by your agreement with Stripe. You are responsible for your own tax collection and remittance.

9. Third-party services

The platform integrates with third-party services — including NHTSA VIN decoding, Stripe, Resend, Twilio, and optional marketplace connectors such as the Nexpart parts catalog. Your use of those services may be subject to their own terms. We are not responsible for third-party services, and their availability is outside our control. Optional integrations function only when you supply valid credentials; without them, the related feature is simply unavailable.

10. Intellectual property

The CollisionMatrix platform, including its software, design, branding and documentation, is owned by LITP and protected by intellectual-property law. These Terms grant you a non-exclusive, non-transferable right to use the service during your subscription. They do not transfer any ownership in the platform to you. The "CollisionMatrix" name and logo are marks of LITP.

11. Availability & support

We aim to keep CollisionMatrix available and reliable, but we do not guarantee uninterrupted access. The service may be temporarily unavailable for maintenance, updates, or reasons beyond our control. We provide support to active subscribers by email; response times are on a commercially reasonable-effort basis.

12. Warranties & disclaimers

The service is provided "as is" and "as available". To the fullest extent permitted by law, LITP disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the service will be error-free, that defects will be corrected, or that the service will meet every requirement of your shop. CollisionMatrix is a record-keeping and workflow tool; it does not provide legal, insurance, accounting or appraisal advice.

13. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, LITP will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, or for lost profits, lost revenue, or lost or corrupted data. Our total aggregate liability arising out of or relating to the service will not exceed the amount you paid to LITP for the service in the twelve months preceding the event giving rise to the claim. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so parts of this section may not apply to you.

14. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless LITP and its personnel from claims, losses and expenses arising out of your Shop Data, your use of the service in violation of these Terms or applicable law, or your infringement of a third party's rights.

15. Suspension & termination

You may cancel your subscription at any time; access continues until the end of the paid period. We may suspend or terminate access if you breach these Terms, fail to pay, or use the service in a way that risks harm to the platform or other users. On termination, your right to use the service ends. We will make Shop Data available for export for a limited period after termination, after which it is deleted as described in the page.

16. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable there, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. The courts of Ontario have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute, subject to any non-waivable rights you may have under consumer-protection law.

17. Changes & contact

We may update these Terms as the platform evolves. We will notify shop account holders of material changes and update the "Last updated" date. Continued use after an update constitutes acceptance. If you do not agree to a change, you may cancel your subscription.

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PIPEDA Compliance

What PIPEDA is

The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) is Canada's federal private-sector privacy law. It governs how organizations collect, use and disclose personal information in the course of commercial activity, and is structured around ten Fair Information Principles. Some provinces (British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec) have substantially similar legislation that may apply instead; CollisionMatrix is designed to meet the standard set by all of them.

Because a repair shop controls its customers' personal information and LITP processes it on the shop's behalf, compliance is a shared responsibility: LITP builds and operates the platform to a PIPEDA standard, and each shop is responsible for its own collection practices, consent, and customer-facing privacy notices.

Principle 1 — Accountability

LITP has designated a Privacy Officer accountable for personal information under our control and for compliance with these principles. Our sub-processors are bound by contract to equivalent protections. Within each shop, the shop owner is accountable for the personal information the shop collects from its customers. The Privacy Officer can be reached at privacy@collisionmatrix.ca.

Principle 2 — Identifying purposes

Personal information in CollisionMatrix is collected for clearly identified purposes: documenting vehicle damage, producing estimates and invoices, managing repairs, communicating with customers, and processing payments. (A marketplace network is planned for the future; where it operates, its purposes will be described here.) These purposes are described in our Privacy Policy. Shops must identify their own purposes to their customers at or before the point of collection.

Principle 3 — Consent

The knowledge and consent of the individual are required for the collection, use and disclosure of personal information, except where the law permits otherwise. In the CollisionMatrix model, the shop obtains consent from its customers — for example, to document a repair, to email an estimate, or to send SMS status updates (which also engage Canada's anti-spam law, CASL). The platform supports this by recording when customers sign or approve documents, and by making SMS an opt-in channel. Individuals may withdraw consent, subject to legal or contractual limits, by contacting the shop.

Principle 4 — Limiting collection

CollisionMatrix collects only the personal information needed for the identified purposes, by fair and lawful means. The data model captures what a collision repair genuinely requires — contact details, vehicle and claim information, damage records — and no more. VIN decoding sends only the VIN to NHTSA, with no personal information attached.

Principle 5 — Limiting use, disclosure & retention

Personal information is used and disclosed only for the purposes for which it was collected, except with consent or as required by law. We do not sell personal information and do not use a shop's customer data for advertising or to train AI models. Information is retained only as long as necessary to fulfil those purposes or to meet legal and tax obligations, after which it is securely deleted. See the page for retention periods and deletion requests.

Principle 6 — Accuracy

Personal information is kept as accurate, complete and up-to-date as is necessary for its purposes. Shop staff can edit customer, vehicle and claim records directly in the platform, and customers can review key documents through the customer portal and flag corrections to the shop.

Principle 7 — Safeguards

CollisionMatrix protects personal information with safeguards appropriate to its sensitivity:

• Tenant isolation — PostgreSQL Row-Level Security enforces that each shop sees only its own data.
• Encryption — TLS in transit; encryption at rest for the database and file storage.
• Private documents — photographs and PDFs are accessible only via short-lived signed links, never public URLs.
• Authentication — token-based staff sign-in; customer-portal passwords stored only as salted PBKDF2 hashes.
• Role-based access — staff permissions limit access to what each role needs.
• Audit logging — significant administrative actions are recorded.

Principle 8 — Openness

Our privacy practices are public and written in plain language. This PIPEDA Compliance page, the Privacy Policy and the page together describe what we collect, why, who processes it, and how individuals can exercise their rights.

Principle 9 — Individual access

On request, an individual will be informed of the existence, use and disclosure of their personal information and given access to it. Because shops control their customers' data, a vehicle owner should make an access request to the shop, which can fulfil it directly within CollisionMatrix; LITP will assist as processor. Shop account holders may make access requests to LITP at privacy@collisionmatrix.ca. We respond within the timeframe required by law (generally 30 days) and will explain any exception that prevents disclosure.

Principle 10 — Challenging compliance

An individual may challenge our compliance with these principles by contacting the LITP Privacy Officer. We will investigate every complaint, and where a complaint is justified, take appropriate corrective action. If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at priv.gc.ca.

Cross-border data handling

CollisionMatrix is designed to keep data within Canadian or North American infrastructure regions. Where a sub-processor handles limited data outside Canada, that data remains protected by contractual safeguards equivalent to PIPEDA's standard. Consistent with PIPEDA guidance, we are transparent about this: a transfer for processing is a "use", not a new disclosure, and personal information is given comparable protection wherever it is processed. Shops should reference this practice in their own customer privacy notices.

Breach response

In the event of a breach of security safeguards involving personal information that creates a real risk of significant harm, LITP will, consistent with PIPEDA's mandatory breach-reporting obligations: notify affected shops without unreasonable delay; support shops in notifying affected individuals; report to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada where required; and maintain records of breaches as the law requires.

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Data Deletion & Retention

1. Who can request deletion

CollisionMatrix handles two kinds of deletion request:

• A shop's customer (vehicle owner) wanting their personal information removed should contact the repair shop directly. The shop controls that data and can act on the request within the platform. LITP, as processor, supports the shop in doing so.
• A shop account holder (owner or administrator) may request deletion of specific records or of the entire shop account by contacting LITP, as described below.

2. Retention periods

We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purpose it was collected, plus any period required by law:

• Active accounts — Shop Data is retained for as long as the shop's subscription is active.
• After account closure — Shop Data is retained for a 30-day wind-down window, during which the shop can still export it, and is then permanently deleted.
• Financial records — invoices, payments and related tax records may be retained for up to 7 years to meet Canadian tax and accounting obligations, even after other data is deleted.
• Server & security logs — technical logs are retained for a short rolling period (typically up to 90 days) and then overwritten.
• Backups — encrypted backups are retained on a rolling cycle and expire automatically (see §9).

3. Deleting one customer's data

A shop can remove an individual customer's personal information directly in CollisionMatrix — deleting the customer record and associated vehicles, photographs, inspections and messages. Where a customer is tied to financial records that must be retained for tax purposes, those records are retained but minimised: personal identifiers are removed or redacted where possible while the legally required financial figures are kept. Photographs and PDFs in storage are removed and their signed-link access permanently revoked.

4. Deleting an entire shop account

When a shop account is deleted, the following are permanently removed after the 30-day wind-down window: staff user accounts; all customer and vehicle records; damage photographs, inspections and annotations; work orders, estimates and reports; appointments and messages; any marketplace records owned by the shop (where that feature is available); and all associated files in object storage. Financial records subject to the 7-year rule are isolated and retained only for that legal purpose, then deleted.

5. How to submit a deletion request

To request deletion, email privacy@collisionmatrix.ca from the email address associated with your shop account, and include:

• the shop name and account email;
• whether you are requesting full account deletion or deletion of specific records (and which);
• for an individual customer request relayed by the shop, the customer's name and the relevant vehicle or work-order reference;
• confirmation that you are authorised to make the request.

We may take reasonable steps to verify identity and authority before acting, to protect against fraudulent or mistaken deletion.

6. What happens after you submit

Once a verified request is received:

• Within 5 business days — we acknowledge the request and confirm its scope.
• Within 30 days — for record-level deletions, the data is removed from the live platform. For full account deletion, the 30-day wind-down window begins (so you can still export), after which deletion is carried out.
• After deletion — we confirm completion in writing. Deleted data is removed from active databases and object storage, and signed-link access is revoked immediately.
• Backup expiry — any copies in encrypted backups age out automatically on the normal backup cycle (see §9).

7. Exceptions — what we may keep

We may retain limited information despite a deletion request where the law allows or requires it, including: financial and tax records for the statutory period; information needed to resolve a dispute or enforce our agreements; records required to comply with a legal obligation or lawful request; and minimal security-log entries needed to protect the platform. Any retained information remains protected under our Privacy Policy and is deleted once the basis for keeping it ends.

8. Export your data before deleting

Before requesting account deletion, you can export your data. CollisionMatrix provides CSV and XLSX export of analytics and operational records, and PDF copies of estimates, invoices and reports, from within the application. If you need a broader export, contact support and we will assist during your active subscription or the wind-down window. Deletion is irreversible — export anything you wish to keep first.

9. Backups

For reliability and disaster recovery, CollisionMatrix maintains encrypted backups. When data is deleted from the live platform it is removed from active systems immediately, but residual copies may persist in backups until those backups expire on their normal rotation cycle. Backups are encrypted, access-controlled, and are never used to restore individually deleted records into the live system.

10. Contact

For any question about data retention, deletion, or exporting your information, contact our Privacy Officer.

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