Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

X Tutoring ("we," "us," "our," or "Company") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website (xtutoring.ca) and services.

We are based in Ontario, Canada, and comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable Ontario privacy laws.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information you provide directly

Parent/student inquiries — When you request a parent consultation, we collect your name, email address, phone number, location (within Southern Ontario), and details about tutoring needs (subject, grade, learning goals, schedule preferences).

Tutor applications & onboarding — When you apply to join our tutor roster, we collect your name, email, phone, teaching credentials (if applicable), subject expertise, availability, rates, and banking information (for e-transfer). If we conduct an intake interview or request a teaching sample, we collect and store records of those interactions.

Testimonials & case studies — If you provide a testimonial or consent to be featured as a student, parent, or tutor case study, we collect the information you share (name, testimonial text, subject, and outcome).

Booking & communication — When you schedule an appointment through Cal.com, we collect your booking data, including name, email, phone, meeting time, and any notes you provide.

2.2 Information collected automatically

Website analytics — We may use analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) to understand how visitors interact with our website. This may include IP addresses, browser type, device type, pages visited, and referral source. You can opt out of analytics tracking in your browser settings or through Google Analytics' opt-out extensions.

Cookies — Our website may use cookies or similar tracking technologies. Most browsers allow you to control cookies; you can set your browser to refuse them or alert you when they are being sent.

2.3 Payment information

E-transfer & Stripe — Payment information (e.g., your name, email, and amount) is collected to process lesson fees and e-transfer transactions. Credit card information collected through Stripe is never stored on our servers; Stripe handles PCI compliance and encryption. We retain records of transactions for accounting, tax, and dispute resolution purposes (see Data Retention).

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Matching & service delivery — connecting parents with qualified tutors, scheduling lessons, and coordinating lesson details.
• Payment processing — processing e-transfer and credit card payments for lesson fees and any platform services.
• Communication — sending confirmations, updates, reminders, and responding to inquiries.
• Quality & improvement — evaluating tutor qualifications, reviewing feedback, and improving our services and website.
• Legal & compliance — complying with tax, employment, and privacy laws; addressing disputes; and protecting against fraud.
• Testimonials & marketing (with consent) — using your feedback and case studies to showcase our services on the website, in marketing materials, or on social media.

We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties. We do not use your information for automated decision-making or profiling.

4. How We Share Your Information

4.1 Service providers

We share information with third-party services that help us operate:

• Cal.com — When you schedule a parent consultation or tutor interview, your name, email, phone (if provided), and appointment details are processed through Cal.com. Review Cal.com's privacy policy.
• Stripe — When you pay by credit card, your payment information is processed by Stripe. Review Stripe's privacy policy.
• Netlify — Our website is hosted on Netlify. Review Netlify's privacy policy.

4.2 Information shared between tutors & parents

When a tutoring match is made: parents receive the tutor's name, email, phone, qualifications, hourly rate, and availability; tutors receive the student's name, grade, subjects, goals, and parent contact information.

This information is necessary for the tutoring relationship to function. Once a match is made, tutors and parents may communicate directly (via e-transfer, text, email, or phone) without further involvement of the platform.

4.3 Legal obligations

We may disclose your information if required by law, legal process, or legitimate government request; to protect our rights, privacy, safety, or property; or to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

4.4 No sale of information

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to advertisers, data brokers, or other third parties for marketing purposes.

5. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to provide services and comply with legal obligations:

• Parent/student records — retained for the duration of the tutoring relationship and for 3 years thereafter (for accounting and dispute resolution).
• Tutor records — retained as long as the tutor is active on our roster, plus 3 years after departure (for references and tax compliance).
• Payment records — retained for a minimum of 7 years (Canada Revenue Agency requirement for business records).
• Website analytics — typically retained for 26 months (Google Analytics default).
• Testimonials — retained as long as you consent to their use; you may request removal at any time.

If you request deletion of your information, we will remove it within 30 days, except where legal obligations require us to retain it.

6. Your Privacy Rights

Under PIPEDA and Ontario privacy law, you have the following rights:

6.1 Access

You may request access to the personal information we hold about you. We will provide it within 30 days (or as required by law) in a clear, understandable format.

6.2 Correction

If you believe your information is inaccurate or incomplete, you may request that we correct it.

6.3 Deletion

You may request deletion of your information, subject to legal retention requirements. For example, payment records required by the Canada Revenue Agency cannot be deleted until the retention period expires.

6.4 Opt-out of communications

You may opt out of non-essential communications (e.g., marketing emails or newsletters) by clicking "unsubscribe" in any email or emailing us at hello@xtutoring.ca.

6.5 Withdraw consent

If we collected information based on your consent (e.g., for testimonials or analytics), you may withdraw that consent at any time.

6.6 Right to complain

If you believe we have violated your privacy rights, you may file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at priv.gc.ca.

7. Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction:

• Payment information is processed through encrypted, PCI-compliant channels (Stripe).
• Access to tutor and parent records is restricted to authorized personnel.
• We use HTTPS encryption on our website.
• Cal.com and Stripe also maintain their own security standards (see their privacy policies).

No security system is impenetrable. We cannot guarantee absolute security, and you use our services at your own risk. Please notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorized access to your information.

8. Children's Privacy

Our services are designed for students aged 14 and older (Grades 9–12 and post-secondary). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 14 without verifiable parental consent.

If a parent provides information about a younger child, we collect it only to facilitate tutoring services. Parents and legal guardians are responsible for supervising their child's use of our services and communications with tutors.

If we discover we have collected information from a child under 14 without proper consent, we will delete that information promptly.

9. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites (e.g., payment processors, educational resources, social media). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. Please review their privacy policies before providing any information.

10. International Data Transfers

X Tutoring is based in Canada. Information you provide is stored on Canadian and North American servers (Netlify, Google, Stripe). If you are located outside Canada, by using our services you consent to the transfer of your information to Canada for processing.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on our website and updating the "Last updated" date. Your continued use of our services after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

Appendix: Summary of Data Flows