PrintSphere policies

Privacy Policy

What we collect when you order a 3D print, why we need it, who else sees it, and when we delete it. We follow Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

Last updated

The short version: we ask for your name and phone number so we can text you about your print. We never sell your information or use it for advertising, and we remove your contact details 30 days and your files 30 days after your order is complete.

What we collect

Information you give us

  • Contact details: your name and phone number when you place an order, and anything you choose to add when you send us a question or feedback.
  • Account details: if you create an account, your name, email, phone number and a scrambled (hashed) form of your password, plus a delivery address if you save one. An account is optional; you can always order as a guest.
  • Your files: the 3D model files you upload, and the photos and messages you send in your job chat.
  • Order details: the material, colour, quantity, print settings, notes, promo codes and price of each order, and whether it has been paid.
  • Feedback and reviews: star ratings and comments you leave after an order.

Information collected automatically

  • Visit counts: a random ID kept in your browser, the pages you open and steps you take on the order form. We use this to see where the site is hard to use. It is not linked to your name.
  • Technical data: your IP address, used to stop abuse such as too many uploads in a short time, and standard server logs. Our own visit counts store a scrambled (hashed) form of your IP address, never the address itself.

Information we never see

Card payments go through Square's secure checkout. Your card number goes straight to Square and never reaches our servers.

How we use it

  • To price, print and hand over your order, and to answer your questions about it.
  • To text you when your quote is ready, when your print changes status and when it is ready for pickup or delivery.
  • To take payment, issue invoices and receipts, and keep the tax records the law requires.
  • To prevent fraud and abuse of the site.
  • To improve the site and our service, using visit counts and feedback.
  • To show your review on our home page, but only if we approve it, and only as your first name and last initial.

We only use your information for these purposes. By placing an order you consent to them. If we ever want to use it for something new, we will ask you first.

Text messages

We send texts only about your own orders: your quote, status changes, a single reminder if a quote stays unpaid, pickup and delivery details, and one request for a review after your order is done. We do not send marketing texts. Reply STOP to any message to stop receiving them. Standard message and data rates from your carrier may apply.

Who we share it with

We never sell or rent your personal information. We share only what each of these service providers needs to do its job for us:

  • Square, to process card payments and refunds.
  • Twilio, to send our text messages.
  • Delivery couriers, only when you ask for delivery: your name, phone number and address.
  • Software tools we use to run the business, including an AI assistant that helps us manage orders. They see only the order details needed for that work.

Our website and order records are hosted on our own servers in Ontario, Canada. Some of the providers above store data outside Canada, mainly in the United States, where it can be accessed under the laws of that country. We may also disclose information when the law requires it, such as a valid court order.

How long we keep it

  • Contact details: your name and phone number, any phone numbers or emails typed into your job chat, and the photos you sent in the chat are removed automatically 30 days after your order is marked complete.
  • Files: your model files, the print files we make from them, and every photo in your job chat are deleted automatically 30 days after your order is marked complete. Keep your own copy if you may want to reorder. You can also ask us to delete them sooner.
  • Order record: what was printed, the material, quantity, price and payment are kept with your job for our accounting, without your contact details.
  • Invoices and receipts: kept for 6 years, because Canadian tax law requires it.
  • Orders you cancel before paying: deleted straight away, files included.
  • Accounts: while you have an account, we keep your account details and the contact details on the orders in it, so you can see them all. Delete your account on your account page and it is gone right away; your orders then follow the 30 day rule above.

Cookies and browser storage

We use one session cookie that keeps your order and your access to your job page while you browse, and keeps you signed in if you have an account, plus a security token that protects forms from forgery. If you open our Daniels student page, a preference cookie keeps the student colours on for up to a year, until you visit our main home page. We also keep a random visit ID and a few display preferences in your browser's local storage. We do not use advertising cookies or third-party trackers.

Keeping it safe

The site runs over encrypted HTTPS. Each job page is reachable only from the browser that placed the order, from your account if the order is on it, by verifying the phone number on the order, or through a private link we send you. Only our own staff can see the order dashboard. No system is perfectly secure, but if a breach ever puts your information at real risk, we will tell you and the Privacy Commissioner of Canada as the law requires.

Your choices and rights

You can ask us to show you the personal information we hold about you, correct it, or delete it. You can also withdraw your consent, though we may then be unable to finish an open order. Email hello@printsphere.ca and we will reply within 30 days. We may need to keep some records, such as invoices, where the law requires.

If you have an account, you can change your details, remove your saved address, or delete the account yourself on your account page. If you connect your own AI agent to your account with a key, that agent can read your orders and message us as you; remove the key on your account page to stop it.

PrintSphere is responsible for the personal information we hold. Our privacy contact can be reached at hello@printsphere.ca. If you are not happy with our answer, you can complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

Children

Our service is not aimed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their information. Anyone under 18 should place orders with a parent or guardian's permission.

Changes to this policy

If we change this policy, we will post the new version here and update the date at the top. If a change affects how we use information you have already given us, we will ask for your consent first.

Questions?

Email hello@printsphere.ca, or message us in the chat on your job page. We usually answer within one business day.