Last updated: August 6, 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how GEAR2PEER EQUIPMENT RENTALS LTD. (BC1543036) ("Gear2Peer", "we", "us") collects, uses, discloses, and protects personal information when you use the Gear2Peer website, applications, and services (the "Platform"). We handle personal information in accordance with British Columbia's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) and, where applicable, Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). By using the Platform you consent to the practices described here.
1. What we collect
- Account information: name, email address, phone number, password (stored hashed), city/area, and profile details you add.
- Listing and booking information: gear listings and photos, booking dates, prices, deposits, order history, cancellation and claims records.
- Handoff records: pickup/return confirmation codes and time stamps, and condition photos taken at pickup and return. These exist to document the rental and are used in dispute resolution.
- Signature: the electronic signature image you draw when signing a Rental Agreement, kept with the booking record as evidence of the agreement.
- Messages: the contents of Platform Messages between Renters and Lenders (this is where exact pickup addresses and phone numbers are meant to be shared; we intentionally do not publish them on listings). We may access message threads to resolve disputes, investigate fraud or safety issues, or as required by law.
- Payment-related information: we receive booking amounts, payment status, and limited card metadata (such as brand and last four digits) from our payment processor. We never see or store full card numbers. Lender identity verification for payouts (government ID, and in some cases a SIN as a verification fallback) is collected and held directly by Stripe; it does not enter Gear2Peer's systems.
- Technical information: IP address, device and browser details, pages visited, and similar usage data, collected via cookies and similar technologies.
2. How we use it
- Operating the marketplace: accounts, listings, bookings, payments, deposits, handoffs, claims, and support.
- Trust and safety: verifying users, preventing fraud and abuse, enforcing our Terms of Service, and resolving disputes (including reviewing handoff photos and relevant Messages).
- Communications: transactional messages about your account and bookings (confirmations, handoff codes, receipts, claims updates) are sent as part of the service. Marketing messages are sent only with your consent and always include an unsubscribe option, in line with Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL).
- Improving the Platform: aggregate analytics and performance measurement.
- Legal compliance: tax collection and remittance, lawful requests, and the reporting duty described in section 4.
3. Who we share it with
- Other users, as needed for a rental: when a booking is made, the Renter and Lender see each other's name, profile, and the booking details. Exact pickup addresses and phone numbers are exchanged by the parties in Messages; we do not publish them on listings or order pages.
- Stripe, our payment processor, for payments, deposits, payouts, and Lender identity verification. Stripe processes data in Canada and the United States; information handled by Stripe may be stored and processed outside Canada and be subject to the laws of those jurisdictions. Stripe's own privacy policy applies to the data it collects.
- Service providers that host our infrastructure, deliver email, or provide analytics, bound to use the data only to provide their service to us. Some may process data outside Canada.
- Legal and safety: when required by law, court order, or government demand; to enforce our Terms; or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Gear2Peer, our users, or the public.
- Business transfers: in a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets, personal information may be transferred as part of the transaction, under confidentiality protections.
- We do not sell personal information.
4. Tax reporting to the CRA
Canadian law (the Reporting Rules for Digital Platform Operators, Part XX of the Income Tax Act) requires online platforms to report certain sellers to the Canada Revenue Agency annually; for platforms like ours that includes people who earn money renting a "means of transport" (for example bicycles and e-bikes). Where this applies to you as a Lender, we (with Stripe) are required to collect and report your legal name, address, date of birth, tax identification number (SIN), and your rental earnings for the calendar year. Where possible, this information is collected and held by Stripe rather than on Gear2Peer's systems. We will tell you before this collection applies to your account.
5. Cookies
We use cookies and similar technologies for sign-in sessions, remembering preferences, measuring performance, and understanding how the Platform is used. You can limit or delete cookies in your browser settings; core features such as staying signed in may not work without them.
6. Retention
We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purposes above and to meet legal obligations. As a guide: account data is kept while your account is active and for a reasonable period after closure; booking, payment, claims, and handoff records (including photos and signatures) are kept for up to 7 years to satisfy tax, accounting, and legal-claim requirements; Messages are kept while the related accounts are active. We then delete or anonymize.
7. Safeguards
We protect personal information with administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to its sensitivity, including encryption in transit, access controls, and payment handling designed so card and identity data stay with our payment processor. No system is perfectly secure; if a breach creates a real risk of significant harm to you, we will notify you and the appropriate authorities as required by law.
8. Your rights
- Access and correction: you may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you and ask us to correct it.
- Withdrawal of consent: you may withdraw consent to non-essential uses (like marketing) at any time; withdrawing consent essential to providing the service may mean closing your account.
- Deletion: you may ask us to delete your account and personal information, subject to the retention requirements in section 6.
- To exercise any of these, contact our Privacy Officer (section 10). We respond within the time PIPA allows (normally 30 days). You may also contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia if you are not satisfied with our response.
9. Age
The Platform is for adults aged 19 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors; if you believe a minor has provided us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.
10. Privacy Officer and contact
Questions, requests, and complaints about privacy go to our Privacy Officer:
GEAR2PEER EQUIPMENT RENTALS LTD., Privacy Officer
308 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 2N4, Canada
Phone: +1 (778) 929-5359
tache@gear2peer.ca
11. Changes
We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes are posted here with a new "Last updated" date, and significant changes are announced by email or in-app notice. Continued use after the effective date means you accept the updated policy.
