Privacy Policy — GeothermalFinder.com
Effective Date: February 25, 2026 Last Updated: March 3, 2026
1. Who We Are
Geothermal Finder ("we," "us," or "our") is a free, independent directory of certified geothermal heat pump installers and ground source heat pump (GSHP) contractors across the United States. The site is operated by an individual operator based in Barrie, Ontario, Canada.
Contact: [email protected]
2. What Information We Collect
2.1 Business Listing Data (Operators)
Our directory contains listings for geothermal drilling service companies. This information is sourced from publicly available records including business websites, government licensing databases, and public business registries. It includes:
- Business name, address, phone number, and website
- Service categories and descriptions derived from public sources
- Licensing and compliance information from government databases
- Operational details such as service area and years in business
This data relates to businesses operating in public commerce, not to private individuals. Under the Feist Publications v. Rural Telephone (1991) precedent, factual business data is not subject to copyright protection. Canadian PIPEDA Section 4(3)(h) explicitly excludes business contact information collected for business communication purposes.
Business owners: If you wish to update, correct, or remove your business listing, contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within 5 business days.
2.2 Account Registration Data (Claimed Listings)
When a business operator claims or creates a listing, we collect:
- Name and email address
- Business name and contact details
- Password (stored as a hashed value — we never store plaintext passwords)
- Billing information (processed by Stripe — we do not store card numbers)
- Any additional information voluntarily added to your listing profile
2.3 Website Usage Data
When you visit geothermalfinder.com, we automatically collect:
- IP address and general geographic location (city/region level)
- Browser type and operating system
- Pages visited and time spent on site
- Referring URL
- Search queries entered on the site
This data is collected via server logs and analytics tools (see Section 5).
2.4 Communications
If you contact us by email or through our contact form, we retain the content of your message and your email address for the purpose of responding to you and maintaining records of our correspondence.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use collected information to:
- Operate and maintain the directory and its listings
- Process listing claims and account registrations
- Process payments for premium listing plans via Stripe
- Send transactional emails related to your account (claim confirmations, invoices, plan renewals) via Brevo
- Respond to inquiries and support requests
- Improve the accuracy and completeness of directory listings
- Monitor and improve site performance and user experience
- Comply with legal obligations
We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not use your data for automated profiling or decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects.
4. Legal Basis for Processing (Canadian and US Users)
Canada (PIPEDA): We collect and process personal information with your implied or express consent, or where we have a legitimate business purpose. Business contact information collected from public sources is processed under PIPEDA Section 4(3)(h). For account holders, processing is based on the contractual relationship established when you claim your listing.
United States: We process information as necessary to provide our services, fulfill our contractual obligations to registered users, pursue our legitimate business interests in operating a public directory, and comply with applicable law.
5. Third-Party Services
We use the following third-party services that may receive your data:
| Service | Purpose | Data Shared | Privacy Policy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare | CDN, DDoS protection, DNS | IP address, request data | cloudflare.com/privacypolicy |
| Stripe | Payment processing | Name, email, billing address, payment card data | stripe.com/privacy |
| Brevo (Sendinblue) | Transactional email delivery | Name, email address | brevo.com/legal/privacypolicy |
| Hetzner Online | Server hosting (Germany, EU) | All site data stored on server | hetzner.com/legal/privacy-policy |
| Google Analytics 4 | Site usage analytics | IP address (anonymized), browser data, pages visited, session data | policies.google.com/privacy |
| Google Search Console | Search performance monitoring | Aggregated search query data (no personal identifiers) | policies.google.com/privacy |
We do not use Facebook Pixel or other advertising-network trackers. We do not use analytics data for advertising targeting.
6. Cookies
We use a minimal set of cookies necessary to operate the site:
| Cookie | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Session cookie | Maintains your login session | Session (deleted when browser closes) |
| CSRF token | Security — prevents cross-site request forgery | Session |
Cloudflare cookies (__cf_bm, cf_clearance) | Bot detection and security | Up to 1 year |
_ga, _ga_* | Google Analytics 4 — distinguishes unique visitors | 2 years |
_gid | Google Analytics 4 — distinguishes unique visitors | 24 hours |
We do not use advertising cookies, third-party tracking cookies, or retargeting pixels.
You can disable cookies in your browser settings. Disabling session cookies will prevent you from logging into your account.
7. Data Retention
| Data Type | Retention Period |
|---|---|
| Business listing data (public sources) | Retained while directory is active; removed on request |
| Registered account data | Retained while account is active + 2 years after deletion |
| Payment records | 7 years (tax and accounting obligations) |
| Server logs | 30 days rolling |
| Email correspondence | 2 years |
8. Your Rights
All Users
You have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you
- Correct inaccurate information
- Delete your information (subject to legal retention obligations)
- Opt out of marketing communications at any time
Canadian Users (PIPEDA)
You have the right to access and correct personal information we hold about you by submitting a written request to [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.
Business Listing Removal
Any business listed in our directory may request removal by emailing [email protected] with the subject line "Listing Removal Request." We will remove or suppress the listing within 5 business days, no questions asked.
9. Data Security
We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information, including:
- SSL/TLS encryption for all data in transit (enforced via Cloudflare)
- Hashed password storage (bcrypt)
- Server hardened with fail2ban, disabled password authentication, and SSH key-only access
- Daily encrypted database backups
- Restricted database access (no public-facing database ports)
No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.
10. Children's Privacy
Our site is an independent directory serving homeowners and commercial property owners seeking geothermal heat pump installation services. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18 years of age. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, contact us and we will delete it promptly.
11. Links to Third-Party Sites
Our directory listings include links to operator websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any site you visit.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. Material changes will be communicated via a notice on the site or by email to registered account holders.
Continued use of the site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
13. Disclaimer of Warranties and Limitation of Liability
Information for General Reference Only. The directory listings, business information, descriptions, service details, pricing data, licensing status, compliance information, and any other content published on geothermalfinder.com are provided for general informational and reference purposes only. Nothing on this site constitutes professional advice of any kind — legal, regulatory, environmental, or otherwise.
No Guarantee of Accuracy. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, reliability, suitability, or availability of any information on this site. Business information changes frequently. Listings may be out of date, incomplete, or contain errors. Licensing and compliance status displayed on this site may not reflect current conditions.
Verify Everything Independently. You are solely responsible for independently verifying all information before relying on it for any purpose, including but not limited to: hiring a service provider, evaluating regulatory compliance, making business decisions, or entering into any contract. Do not rely on this directory as your sole source of information about any business or service provider.
No Endorsement. Inclusion of a business in this directory does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or certification of that business, its services, its qualifications, its licensing status, or its fitness for any particular purpose. We do not vet, audit, or independently verify the businesses listed unless explicitly stated through our verified badge program.
No Liability. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Geothermal Finder, its operator, and its affiliates shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages arising out of or in connection with your use of this site or reliance on any information contained herein — including but not limited to damages arising from hiring a listed service provider, errors or omissions in listing data, or inability to access the site. Your use of this site and reliance on any information is entirely at your own risk.
AS-IS Basis. This site and all content are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.
14. Contact
For any privacy-related questions, requests, or complaints:
Email: [email protected] Mail: Geothermal Finder, Barrie, Ontario, Canada
For Canadian users: If you are unsatisfied with our response to a privacy complaint, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at priv.gc.ca.
For US users: You may contact the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov.
This privacy policy was last reviewed and updated on March 3, 2026.