Privacy policy

Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 20, 2026

This privacy policy describes how Aquariums Solution Récif inc. ("we", "our" or "us") collects, uses, shares, retains and protects your personal information when you visit or make a purchase from our online store reefsolution.com (the "Site").

This policy complies with Quebec's Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector (as amended by Law 25) and other applicable Canadian laws.

Privacy Compliance Officer (PCO)

In accordance with Law 25, we have appointed a Privacy Compliance Officer. You may contact our PCO for any question, access request, complaint or exercise of your rights:

Stéphane Dufour, Privacy Compliance Officer
Aquariums Solution Récif inc.
3364 Boulevard Saint-Martin O, Suite 100
Laval, QC H7T 1A1, Canada
Email: sales@reefsolution.com
Phone: 450 669-9256

Collection of Personal Information

Automatic collection (browsing the Site)

When you visit the Site, we automatically collect certain information about your device and browsing, including:

  • browser type and operating system;
  • IP address and time zone;
  • pages viewed, session duration, navigation path;
  • referring website or search term;
  • cookies and technical identifiers.

Collection during purchase or account creation

When you make a purchase or create an account, we collect:

  • your first and last name;
  • billing and shipping addresses;
  • email address and phone number;
  • information necessary for payment processing (handled directly by our payment processor, see below);
  • your order history and preferences.

Purposes of Use

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

  • Order processing: invoicing, shipping, order communications, after-sales service, claims management (including DOA warranty for live organisms);
  • Customer account management: authentication, history, loyalty program;
  • Security and fraud prevention: transaction verification, suspicious activity detection;
  • Legal and tax obligations: accounting records, compliance with applicable laws;
  • Site improvement: navigation analysis, user experience optimization;
  • Marketing communications (with your consent only): newsletters, promotions, new products.

Data Hosting and Transfer Outside Quebec

Our Site is operated on the Shopify Inc. platform, a Canadian company headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario.

Shopify uses Google Cloud Platform (GCP) infrastructure to host data. The current hosting location of our customer data is in the United States (GCP US region, as confirmed in our Shopify dashboard configuration). Shopify may dynamically rebalance storage across multiple GCP regions in Canada and the United States. The content delivery network (CDN) Cloudflare (based in the United States) is also used for Site performance and security.

In accordance with section 17 of the Quebec Act on Privacy (as amended by Law 25), Shopify has assessed the risks related to these transfers and put in place appropriate contractual protections (data processing agreements, standard contractual clauses) to ensure protection equivalent to that provided by Quebec law.

To consult the exact location of your data hosting or the details of its processing by Shopify, you may contact us at sales@reefsolution.com or consult Shopify's Privacy Policy.

Sharing with Third Parties (Subprocessors)

We share certain personal information with third parties who help us operate our business, only to the extent strictly necessary for their service provision. Our main subprocessors include:

  • Shopify Inc. — e-commerce platform and hosting;
  • Payment processors (Shopify Payments, Stripe, PayPal depending on method) — secure transaction processing;
  • Carriers (FedEx, Purolator, UPS, Loomis) — order delivery;
  • Marketing and analytics tools providers — see "Tracking Technologies" section below;
  • Installed Shopify apps — for specific features (reviews, translation, loyalty, backups, etc.).

We may also disclose your information to comply with applicable laws, respond to a subpoena or other valid legal request, or to protect our rights and the safety of our customers.

Tracking Technologies

We use the following tracking technologies on the Site:

  • Essential cookies: necessary for the Site's operation (shopping cart, login session, language preferences). These cookies do not require consent.
  • Analytics cookies: help us understand how visitors use the Site and improve it.
  • Marketing cookies: used to show you relevant advertising on other websites.

Third-party tools used on reefsolution.com

We may use analytics, marketing and advertising measurement tools such as those listed below. The specific list of active tools at any given time may evolve depending on our marketing needs and partners. To know the current configuration or request the up-to-date list of active tools on your session, contact us at sales@reefsolution.com.

  • Shopify Analytics — internal store statistics. Shopify Privacy Policy
  • Google Analytics — site traffic analysis and visitor behavior. You can opt out via the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.
  • Meta Pixel (Facebook/Instagram) — advertising measurement and retargeting. You can manage your preferences in Meta's ad settings.
  • Google Ads — targeted advertising. You can opt out via Google ad settings.
  • Other analytics or marketing tools we may add in the future (TikTok Pixel, Pinterest Tag, email marketing platforms, customer review tools, etc.), each governed by its own privacy policy, with opt-out mechanisms specific to each platform.

You can also manage most cookies directly in your browser settings (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge). Note that blocking all cookies may affect the Site's functionality (in particular the shopping cart).

To refuse analytics and marketing tools specifically, use the individual opt-out links provided in the previous section for each tool (Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, Google Ads). You can also contact us at sales@reefsolution.com and we will apply your request in our settings.

Your Rights Under Law 25

As a Quebec (or Canadian) resident, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

  • Right of access: obtain a copy of the personal information we hold about you;
  • Right of rectification: have inaccurate, incomplete or equivocal information corrected;
  • Right of deletion: request deletion of your personal information, subject to our legal obligations (notably tax obligations);
  • Right to data portability: receive your computerized personal information in a structured and commonly used technological format, or request its transmission to a third party;
  • Right to de-indexing ("right to be forgotten"): request the cessation of the dissemination of personal information about you, or the de-indexing of a hyperlink providing access to such information, where its dissemination causes you serious harm or contravenes the law;
  • Right to withdraw consent: withdraw your consent to marketing communications at any time (via the unsubscribe link in our emails or by contacting us directly);
  • Right to be informed of automated decisions: if a decision concerning you is made exclusively by automated processing, you may be informed and submit observations.

To exercise any of these rights, contact our PCO at sales@reefsolution.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days of receipt, in accordance with Law 25.

If you are dissatisfied with our response, you may file a complaint with the Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec (CAI): www.cai.gouv.qc.ca.

Consent to Marketing Communications

We clearly distinguish two types of communications:

  • Transactional communications (order confirmation, shipment, tracking, after-sales): necessary to execute your order; you cannot unsubscribe from these while an order is in progress.
  • Marketing communications (newsletters, promotions, new products): sent only with your explicit consent, and you can withdraw it at any time via the "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of each email, or by writing to sales@reefsolution.com.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary for the identified purposes:

  • Order information and invoices: minimum 7 years, in accordance with Canadian tax and accounting obligations (Income Tax Act, GST/QST);
  • Customer account: retained as long as your account is active. An account inactive for more than 5 years may be deleted upon your request or at our discretion;
  • Aggregated analytics data (Google Analytics, Shopify): maximum 26 months for identifiable data, then anonymization;
  • Marketing communications: retained as long as you remain subscribed, deleted upon unsubscribe;
  • Cookies and technical identifiers: variable duration depending on the cookie (from session to maximum 24 months).

At the end of these periods, your personal information is deleted or irreversibly anonymized.

Security Measures

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against loss, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration or destruction, including:

  • secure HTTPS connection (SSL/TLS encryption) on the entire Site;
  • hosting on secure infrastructure (Shopify, PCI DSS Level 1 certified);
  • data access limited to authorized persons;
  • enhanced authentication for administrator accounts;
  • regular backups.

Confidentiality Incident Notification

In accordance with Law 25, in the event of a confidentiality incident presenting a risk of serious harm (loss, unauthorized access, unauthorized disclosure, etc.), we commit to:

  • notify the Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec (CAI) as soon as possible;
  • notify affected individuals if the incident presents a risk to their personal information;
  • maintain an incident registry in accordance with regulations.

Minors

The Site is not intended for children under 14. In accordance with Law 25, consent to the collection of personal information of a minor under 14 must be given by the holder of parental authority or the guardian, unless the collection is manifestly for the benefit of the minor.

If you believe that a minor under 14 has provided us with personal information without the required consent, contact us at sales@reefsolution.com and we will proceed with its deletion.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technological developments, or for operational, legal or regulatory reasons. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates the latest revision.

In case of significant changes, we will inform you through a notice on the Site or by email where appropriate. Your continued use of the Site after publication of an update constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

Contact Us

For any question, access request, complaint, or to exercise your rights:

Aquariums Solution Récif inc.
Attention: Privacy Compliance Officer
3364 Boulevard Saint-Martin O, Suite 100
Laval, QC H7T 1A1, Canada
Email: sales@reefsolution.com
Phone: 450 669-9256

If our response does not satisfy you, you may contact the Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec (CAI): www.cai.gouv.qc.ca.