Data protection

This privacy policy clarifies the nature, scope and purpose of the processing of personal data (hereinafter referred to as “data”) within our online offer and the associated websites, functions and content as well as external online presences, such as our social media profile. (hereinafter collectively referred to as “online offering”). With regard to the terms used, such as “processing” or “controller”, we refer to the definitions in Art. 4 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

• Inventory data (e.g., names, addresses).
• Contact details (e.g., e-mail, telephone numbers).
• Content data (e.g., text input, photographs, videos).
• Usage data (e.g., websites visited, interest in content, access times).
• Meta/communication data (e.g., device information, IP addresses).

Visitors and users of the online offer (hereinafter we also refer to the data subjects collectively as “users”).

• Provision of the online offer, its functions and content.
• Answering contact enquiries and communicating with users.
• Safety measures.
• Reach measurement/marketing.

Personal data means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter referred to as “data subject”); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier (e.g. cookie) or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.

Processing is any operation or set of operations which is performed on personal data or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means. The term is broad and covers practically every handling of data.

The term “controller” refers to the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.

In accordance with Art. 13 GDPR, we inform you of the legal basis of our data processing. If the legal basis is not stated in the privacy policy, the following applies: The legal basis for obtaining consent is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a and Art. 7 GDPR, the legal basis for processing to fulfil our services and implement contractual measures and respond to enquiries is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR, the legal basis for processing to fulfil our legal obligations is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. c GDPR, and the legal basis for processing to protect our legitimate interests is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. In the event that vital interests of the data subject or another natural person require the processing of personal data, Art. 6 para. 1 lit. d GDPR serves as the legal basis.

If we disclose data to other persons and companies (processors or third parties) as part of our processing, transfer it to them or otherwise grant them access to the data, this will only be done on the basis of legal permission (e.g. if the transfer of data to third parties, such as payment service providers, is required to fulfil a contract in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR), you have consented, a legal obligation provides for this or on the basis of our legitimate interests (e.g. when using agents, web hosts, etc.).

If we commission third parties with the processing of data on the basis of a so-called “order processing contract”, this is done on the basis of Art. 28 GDPR.

If we process data in a third country (i.e. outside the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA)) or if this occurs in the context of the use of third-party services or disclosure or transfer of data to third parties, this will only take place if it is done to fulfil our (pre)contractual obligations, on the basis of your consent, on the basis of a legal obligation or on the basis of our legitimate interests. Subject to legal or contractual authorisations, we only process or have the data processed in a third country if the special requirements of Art. 44 et seq. GDPR are met. This means, for example, that the processing takes place on the basis of special guarantees, such as the officially recognised determination of a level of data protection corresponding to the EU (e.g. for the USA through the “Privacy Shield”) or compliance with officially recognised special contractual obligations (so-called “standard contractual clauses”).

You have the right to request confirmation as to whether the data in question is being processed and to request information about this data as well as further information and a copy of the data in accordance with Art. 15 GDPR.

In accordance with Art. 16 GDPR, you have the right to request the completion of data concerning you or the correction of incorrect data concerning you.

In accordance with Art. 17 GDPR, you have the right to demand that the data in question be deleted immediately or, alternatively, to demand that the processing of the data be restricted in accordance with Art. 18 GDPR.

You have the right to request to receive the data concerning you that you have provided to us in accordance with Art. 20 GDPR and to request its transfer to other controllers.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority in accordance with Art. 77 GDPR.

You have the right to withdraw your consent in accordance with Art. 7 (3) GDPR with effect for the future.

You can object to the future processing of data concerning you at any time in accordance with Art. 21 GDPR. In particular, you may object to processing for direct marketing purposes.

Cookies” are small files that are stored on users’ computers. Different information can be stored within the cookies. A cookie is primarily used to store information about a user (or the device on which the cookie is stored) during or after their visit to an online service. Temporary cookies, or “session cookies” or “transient cookies”, are cookies that are deleted after a user leaves an online service and closes their browser. The content of a shopping basket in an online shop or a login status, for example, can be stored in such a cookie. “Permanent” or “persistent” cookies are cookies that remain stored even after the browser is closed. For example, the login status can be saved if the user visits the website after several days. The interests of users can also be stored in such a cookie and used for reach measurement or marketing purposes. “Third-party cookies” are cookies that are offered by providers other than the controller who operates the online service (otherwise, if they are only their cookies, they are referred to as “first-party cookies”).

We may use temporary and permanent cookies and provide information about this in our privacy policy.

If users do not want cookies to be stored on their computer, they are asked to deactivate the corresponding option in the system settings of their browser. Saved cookies can be deleted in the system settings of the browser. The exclusion of cookies can lead to functional restrictions of this online offer.

A general objection to the use of cookies used for online marketing purposes can be declared for a large number of services, especially in the case of tracking, via the US site http://www.aboutads.info/choices/ or the EU site http://www.youronlinechoices.com/. Furthermore, the storage of cookies can be achieved by switching them off in the browser settings. Please note that you may then not be able to use all the functions of this website.

The data processed by us will be deleted or its processing restricted in accordance with Art. 17 and 18 GDPR. Unless expressly stated in this privacy policy, the data stored by us will be deleted as soon as it is no longer required for its intended purpose and the deletion does not conflict with any statutory retention obligations. If the data is not deleted because it is required for other and legally permissible purposes, its processing will be restricted. This means that the data is blocked and not processed for other purposes. This applies, for example, to data that must be retained for commercial or tax law reasons.

According to legal requirements in Germany, data is stored for 6 years in accordance with Section 257 (1) HGB (commercial books, inventories, opening balance sheets, annual financial statements, commercial letters, accounting vouchers, etc.) and for 10 years in accordance with Section 147 (1) AO (books, records, management reports, accounting vouchers, commercial and business letters, documents relevant for taxation, etc.).

According to legal requirements in Austria, the retention period is 7 years in accordance with § 132 para. 1 BAO (accounting documents, receipts/invoices, accounts, receipts, business papers, statement of income and expenses, etc.), 22 years in connection with real estate and 10 years for documents in connection with electronically provided services, telecommunications, radio and television services that are provided to non-entrepreneurs in EU member states and for which the Mini-One-Stop-Shop (MOSS) is used.

We also process

• Contract data (e.g., subject matter of the contract, term, customer category)
• Payment data (e.g., bank details, payment history)

from our customers, interested parties and business partners for the purpose of providing contractual services, service and customer care, marketing, advertising and market research.

The hosting services we use serve to provide the following services: Infrastructure and platform services, computing capacity, storage space and database services, security services and technical maintenance services that we use for the purpose of operating this online offering.

In doing so, we, or our hosting provider, process inventory data, contact data, content data, contract data, usage data, meta and communication data of customers, interested parties and visitors to this online offer on the basis of our legitimate interests in an efficient and secure provision of this online offer in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR in conjunction with. Art. 28 GDPR (conclusion of order processing contract).

We, or our hosting provider, collect data on the basis of our legitimate interests within the meaning of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f. GDPR. GDPR, we collect data about every access to the server on which this service is located (so-called server log files). The access data includes the name of the website accessed, file, date and time of access, amount of data transferred, notification of successful access, browser type and version, the user’s operating system, referrer URL (the previously visited page), IP address and the requesting provider.

Log file information is stored for security reasons (e.g. to investigate misuse or fraud) for a maximum of 7 days and then deleted. Data whose further storage is required for evidence purposes is excluded from deletion until the respective incident has been finally clarified.

We process inventory data (e.g., names and addresses as well as contact data of users), contract data (e.g., services used, names of contact persons, payment information) for the purpose of fulfilling our contractual obligations and services in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b. GDPR. GDPR. The entries marked as mandatory in online forms are required for the conclusion of the contract.

As part of the use of our online services, we store the IP address and the time of the respective user action. This data is stored on the basis of our legitimate interests and those of the user in protection against misuse and other unauthorised use. This data is not passed on to third parties unless it is necessary to pursue our claims or there is a legal obligation to do so in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. c GDPR.

We process usage data (e.g. the websites visited on our online offering, interest in our products) and content data (e.g. entries in the contact form or user profile) for advertising purposes in a user profile, e.g. to display product information to users based on the services they have used to date.

The deletion of the data takes place after the expiry of statutory warranty and comparable obligations, the necessity of storing the data is reviewed every three years; in the case of statutory archiving obligations, the deletion takes place after their expiry. Information in any customer account remains until it is deleted.

When contacting us (e.g. by contact form, e-mail, telephone or via social media), the user’s details are processed to process the contact enquiry and its handling in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b) GDPR. The user’s details may be stored in a customer relationship management system (“CRM system”) or comparable enquiry organisation.

We delete the enquiries if they are no longer required. We review the necessity every two years; the statutory archiving obligations also apply.

The newsletter is sent using the shipping service provider “MailChimp”, a newsletter distribution platform of the US provider Rocket Science Group, LLC, 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE #5000, Atlanta, GA 30308, USA. You can view the data protection regulations of the shipping service provider here: https://mailchimp.com/legal/privacy/. The Rocket Science Group LLC d/b/a MailChimp is certified under the Privacy Shield Agreement and thus offers a guarantee of compliance with European data protection standards (https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt0000000TO6hAAG&status=Active). The shipping service provider is used on the basis of our legitimate interests in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR and a data processing agreement in accordance with Art. 28 (3) sentence 1 GDPR.

The shipping service provider can use the recipients’ data in pseudonymous form, i.e. without assignment to a user, to optimize or improve its own services, e.g. for the technical optimization of the sending and presentation of the newsletter or for statistical purposes. However, the shipping service provider does not use the data of our newsletter recipients to write to them themselves or to pass the data on to third parties.

Based on our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in the analysis, optimization and economic operation of our online offering within the meaning of Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f. GDPR), we use Google Analytics, a web analysis service of Google LLC (“Google”). Google uses cookies. The information generated by the cookie about the use of the online offering by users is usually transferred to a Google server in the USA and stored there.

Google is certified under the Privacy Shield Agreement and thus offers a guarantee to comply with European data protection law (https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt000000001L5AAI&status=Active).

Google will use this information on our behalf to evaluate the use of our website by users, to compile reports on the activities within this website and to provide us with other services related to the use of this website and the Internet. Pseudonymous user profiles can be created from the processed data.

We only use Google Analytics with activated IP anonymization. This means that the user’s IP address is shortened by Google within member states of the European Union or in other contracting states to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be transmitted to a Google server in the USA and shortened there.

The IP address transmitted by the user’s browser will not be merged with other data from Google. Users can prevent the storage of cookies by setting their browser software accordingly; users can also prevent Google from collecting the data generated by the cookie and relating to their use of the website and from processing this data by downloading and installing the browser plug-in available under the following link: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de.

Further information on data usage by Google, settings and objection options can be found on the Google websites: https://www.google.com/intl/de/policies/privacy/partners (“Data usage by Google when you use our partners’ websites or apps”), http://www.google.com/policies/technologies/ads (“Data usage for advertising purposes”), http://www.google.de/settings/ads (“Manage information that Google uses to show you advertising”).

The data controller has integrated Google Ads on this website. Google Ads is an internet advertising service that allows advertisers to place adverts in Google’s search engine results as well as in the Google advertising network. Google Ads allows an advertiser to pre-define certain keywords that are used to display an advert in Google’s search engine results only when the user uses the search engine to retrieve a keyword-relevant search result. In the Google advertising network, the adverts are distributed to relevant websites using an automatic algorithm and taking into account the previously defined keywords.

The operating company of the Google Ads services is Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin, D04 E5W5, Ireland.

The purpose of Google Ads is to advertise our website by displaying interest-relevant advertising on the websites of third-party companies and in the search engine results of the Google search engine and by displaying third-party advertising on our website.

If a data subject reaches our website via a Google advert, a so-called conversion cookie is stored on the data subject’s IT system by Google. What cookies are has already been explained above. A conversion cookie loses its validity after thirty days and is not used to identify the data subject. If the cookie has not yet expired, the conversion cookie is used to track whether certain sub-pages, such as the shopping basket from an online shop system, have been accessed on our website. The conversion cookie enables both us and Google to track whether a data subject who has reached our website via an Ads ad has generated sales, i.e. completed or cancelled a purchase.

The data and information collected through the use of the conversion cookie is used by Google to compile visit statistics for our website. These visit statistics are in turn used by us to determine the total number of users who were referred to us via Ads ads, i.e. to determine the success or failure of the respective Ads ad and to optimise our Ads ads for the future. Neither our company nor other Google Ads advertisers receive information from Google that could be used to identify the data subject.

The conversion cookie is used to store personal information, such as the websites visited by the data subject. Each time our website is visited, personal data, including the IP address of the Internet connection used by the data subject, is transmitted to Google in the United States of America. This personal data is stored by Google in the United States of America. Google may pass on this personal data collected via the technical process to third parties.

The data subject may, as stated above, prevent the setting of cookies through our website at any time by means of a corresponding adjustment of the web browser used and thus permanently deny the setting of cookies. Such a setting of the Internet browser used would also prevent Google from placing a conversion cookie on the data subject’s IT system. In addition, a cookie already set by Google Ads can be deleted at any time via the internet browser or other software programmes.

Furthermore, the data subject has the option of objecting to interest-based advertising by Google. To do so, the data subject must call up the link www.google.de/settings/ads from each of the Internet browsers they use and make the desired settings there.

Further information and Google’s applicable data protection provisions can be found at www.google.de/intl/de/policies/privacy/.