Privacy Policy
An overview of data protection
General
The following provides a simple overview of the personal information we collect, why we collect it, and how we handle your data when you visit or use our website. Personal information is any data that could be used to identify you personally. Detailed information on the subject of data protection can be found in our privacy policy, which is available below.
Data collection on our website
Who is responsible for the data collection on this website?
The website operator processes the data collected on this website. The operator's contact details can be found on the website's required legal notice.
How do we collect your data?
Some data is collected when you provide it to us. This could, for example, be data you enter in a contact form.
Other data is collected automatically by our IT systems when you visit and use our website. These data are primarily technical, such as the browser and operating system you are using, or the date and time you accessed the website. These data are collected automatically as soon as you enter our website.
What do we use your data for?
Part of the data is collected to ensure the proper functioning of the website. Other data can be used to analyze how visitors use the site.
What rights do you have regarding your data?
You always have the right to request information about your stored data, its origin, its recipients, and the purpose of its collection at no charge. You also have the right to request that your data be corrected, blocked, or deleted. You can contact us at any time using the address provided in the legal notice if you have further questions regarding privacy and data protection. You may also, of course, file a complaint with the competent regulatory authorities.
Analytics and third-party tools
When visiting our website, statistical analyses may be performed on your browsing behavior. This occurs primarily through the use of cookies and analytics. The analysis of your surfing behavior is typically anonymous, encrypted, and pseudonymized, meaning that we cannot identify you through this data. You can object to this analysis or prevent it by not using specific tools. Detailed information can be found in the following privacy policy.
General information and mandatory information
Data protection
The operators of this website take the protection of your personal data very seriously. We treat your personal data as confidential and in accordance with the statutory data protection regulations and this privacy policy.
If you use this website, various kinds of personal data will be collected. Personal information is any data that could be used to identify you personally. This privacy policy explains what information we collect and how we use it. It also explains how and for what purpose this happens.
Please note that data transmitted via the internet (e.g., via email communication) may be subject to security breaches. Complete protection of your data from third-party access is not possible.
Notice concerning the party responsible for this website
The party responsible for processing data on this website is:
The responsible party is the natural or legal person who, alone or jointly with others, decides on the purposes and means of processing personal data (such as names, email addresses, etc.).
Revocation of your consent to the processing of your data
Many data processing operations are only possible with your express consent. You may revoke your consent at any time with future effect. An informal email making this request is sufficient. Please note that data processed before we receive your request may still be subject to legal processing.
Right to file complaints with regulatory authorities
If there has been a breach of data protection legislation, the affected person may file a complaint with the competent regulatory authorities.
Right to data portability
You have the right to have data which we process based on your consent or in fulfillment of a contract automatically delivered to yourself or to a third party in a standard, machine-readable format. If you require the direct transfer of data to another responsible party, this will only be done to the extent technically feasible.
Encrypted payments on this website
If you enter into a contract that requires you to provide us with your payment information (e.g., account number for direct debits), we will need this data to process your payment.
Payment transactions using common means of payment (Visa/MasterCard, direct debit) are only made via encrypted SSL or TLS connections. You can recognize an encrypted connection in your browser's address bar when it changes from "http://" to "https://" and the lock icon in your browser's address bar is visible.
In the case of encrypted communication, any payment details you submit to us cannot be read by third parties.
Information, blocking, deletion
As permitted by law, you have the right to be provided at any time with information free of charge about any of your personal data that is stored, as well as its origin, the recipient, and the purpose for which it has been processed. You also have the right to request that your data be corrected, blocked, or deleted. You can contact us at any time using the address provided in our legal notice if you have further questions regarding personal data.
Opposition to promotional emails
We hereby expressly prohibit the use of contact data published in the context of website legal notice requirements for sending promotional and informational materials not expressly requested. The website operator reserves the right to take specific legal action if unsolicited advertising material, such as email spam, is received.
Data collection on our website
Cookies
Some of our web pages use cookies. Cookies do not harm your computer and do not contain any viruses. Cookies help make our website more user-friendly, efficient, and secure. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer and saved by your browser.
Most of the cookies we use are referred to as "session cookies." They are automatically deleted after your visit. Other cookies remain in your device's memory until you delete them. These cookies enable us to recognize your browser when you next visit the site.
You can configure your browser to inform you about the use of cookies so that you can decide on a case-by-case basis whether to accept or reject a cookie. Alternatively, your browser can be configured to automatically accept cookies under certain conditions, reject them, or delete cookies when closing your browser. Disabling cookies may limit the functionality of this website.
Cookies which are necessary to allow electronic communications or to provide certain functions you wish to use (such as the shopping cart) are stored pursuant to Art. 6 paragraph 1, letter f of the EU DSGVO/GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in storing cookies to ensure an optimized service is provided free of technical errors. If other cookies (such as those used to analyze your surfing behavior) are also stored, they will be treated separately in this privacy policy.
Server log files
The website provider automatically collects and stores information that your browser transmits to us in "server log files" without your intervention. These are:
- Browser type and browser version
- Operating system used
- Referrer URL
- Hostname of the accessing computer
- Time of server request
- IP address
These data will not be combined with data from other sources.
The basis for data processing is Art. 6 (1) (f) of the EU DSGVOGDPR, which allows the processing of data to fulfill a contract or for measures preliminary to a contract.
Contact form
Should you send us questions via the contact form on our website, we will collect the data entered in the form, including the contact details you provide, to answer your question and any follow-up questions. We do not share this information without your permission.
We will, therefore, process any data you enter in the contact form only with your consent per Art. 6 (1) (a) of the EU DSGVOGDPR. You may revoke your consent at any time. An informal email making this request is sufficient. Data processed before we receive your request may still be used for legal purposes.
We will retain the data you provide in the contact form until you request its deletion, revoke your consent for its storage, or the purpose for which it is stored no longer applies (e.g., after fulfilling your request). Any mandatory statutory provisions, especially those regarding mandatory data retention periods, remain unaffected by this provision.
Processing of data (customer and contract data)
We collect, process, and use personal data only to the extent necessary to establish, maintain, or modify legal relationships with us (master data). This is done based on Art. 6 (1) (b) of the EU DSGVOGDPR, which allows the processing of data to fulfill a contract or for measures preliminary to a contract. We collect, process, and use your personal data when accessing our website (usage data) only to the extent necessary to enable you to access our service or to bill you for it.
Collected customer data will be deleted upon completion of the order or termination of the business relationship. Legal retention periods remain unaffected.
Data is transmitted when entering into a contract with online shops, retailers, and mail-order companies.
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We transmit personally identifiable data to third parties only to the extent required to fulfill the terms of your contract, for example, to companies entrusted to deliver goods to your location or banks entrusted to process your payments. Your data will not be transmitted for any other purpose unless you have given your express permission to do so. Your data will not be disclosed to third parties for advertising purposes without your express consent.
The basis for data processing is Art. 6 (1) (b) of the EU DSGVOGDPR, which allows the processing of data to fulfill a contract or for measures preliminary to a contract.
Data is transferred when signing up for services and digital content
We transmit personally identifiable data to third parties only to the extent necessary to fulfill the terms of your contract with us, for example, to banks entrusted with processing your payments.
Your data will not be transmitted for any other purpose unless you have given your express permission to do so. Your data will not be disclosed to third parties for advertising purposes without your express consent.
The basis for data processing is Art. 6 (1) (b) of the EU DSGVOGDPR, which allows the processing of data to fulfill a contract or for measures preliminary to a contract.
5. Social media
Twitter plugin
Functions of the Twitter service have been integrated into our website and app. These features are offered by Twitter Inc., 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA. When you use Twitter and the “Retweet” function, the websites you visit are connected to your Twitter account and made known to other users. In doing so, data will also be transferred to Twitter. We would like to point out that, as the provider of these pages, we do not have access to the content of the data transmitted or how Twitter will utilize it. For more information on Twitter's privacy policy, please go to https://twitter.com/privacy.
You can modify your privacy preferences with Twitter in your account settings at https://twitter.com/account/settings.
LinkedIn plugin
Our site uses functions from the LinkedIn network. The service is provided by LinkedIn Corporation, 2029 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.
Each time one of our pages containing LinkedIn features is accessed, your browser establishes a direct connection to the LinkedIn servers. LinkedIn is informed that you have visited our web pages from your IP address. If you use the LinkedIn “Recommend” button and are logged into your LinkedIn account, LinkedIn can associate your visit to our website with your user account. We want to point out that, as the provider of these pages, we do not have access to the content of the data transmitted or how LinkedIn will utilize it.
For more information, please refer to LinkedIn's privacy policy at https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.
6. Analytics and advertising
Google Analytics
This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service. It is operated by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.
Google Analytics uses so-called "cookies". These are text files stored on your computer that enable the analysis of your website usage. The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website is usually transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there.
Google Analytics cookies are stored based on Art. 6 (1) (f) of the EU DSGVOGDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in analyzing user behavior to optimize both its website and its advertising.
Click here to disable Google Analytics for this website
IP anonymization
We have activated the IP anonymization feature on this website. Google will shorten your IP address within the European Union or other parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area before transmission to the United States. Only in exceptional cases is the full IP address sent to a Google server in the US and shortened there. Google will use this information on behalf of the website operator to evaluate your use of the website, compile reports on website activity, and provide other services related to website activity and Internet usage for the website operator. The IP address transmitted by your browser as part of Google Analytics will not be merged with any other data held by Google.
Browser plugin
You can prevent these cookies from being stored by selecting the appropriate settings in your browser. However, we wish to point out that doing so may mean you will not be able to enjoy the website's functionality fully. You can also prevent the data generated by cookies about your use of the website (including your IP address) from being passed to Google and processed by Google by downloading and installing the browser plugin available at the following link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en.
Objecting to the collection of data
You can prevent Google Analytics from collecting your data by clicking on the following link. An opt-out cookie will be set to prevent your data from being collected on future visits to this site. To opt out of Google Analytics, please click here: Disable Google Analytics.
For more information about how Google Analytics handles user data, see Google's privacy policy: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=en.
Outsourced data processing
We have entered into an agreement with Google for the outsourcing of our data processing and fully implement the strict requirements of the German data protection authorities when using Google Analytics.
Demographic data collection by Google Analytics
This website uses Google Analytics' demographic features. This enables reports to be generated that contain statements about the age, gender, and interests of site visitors. This data is derived from interest-based advertising by Google and third-party visitor data. This collected data cannot be attributed to any specific person. You can disable this feature at any time by adjusting the ad settings in your Google account, or you can opt out of data collection by Google Analytics, as described in the section "Refusal of data collection."
Matomo (formerly Piwik)
This website utilizes the open-source web analytics service Matomo. Matomo uses so-called "cookies". These are text files stored on your computer that enable the analysis of your website usage. For this purpose, the information generated by the cookie about the use of this website is stored on our server. The IP address is anonymized before it is stored.
Matomo cookies remain on your device until you delete them.
The storage of Matomo cookies is based on Art. 6 (1) (f) of the EU DSGVOGDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in analyzing user behavior to optimize both its website and its advertising.
The information generated by the cookies about your use of this website will not be disclosed to third parties. You can prevent these cookies from being stored by selecting the appropriate settings in your browser. However, we wish to point out that doing so may mean you will not be able to enjoy the website's functionality fully.
If you disagree with the storage and use of your data, you can disable this feature here. In this case, an opt-out cookie will be stored in your browser to prevent Matomo from storing your usage data. If you delete your cookies, the opt-out cookie will be deleted as well. You will then need to reactivate it when you return to our site to prevent your activity from being tracked.
Newsletter
If you would like to receive our newsletter, we require a valid email address as well as information that allows us to verify that you are the owner of the specified email address and that you agree to receive this newsletter. No additional data is collected, or it is collected only voluntarily. We use this data solely to send the requested information and do not share it with third parties.
We will, therefore, process any data you enter in the contact form only with your consent per Art. 6 (1) (a) of the EU DSGVOGDPR. You can revoke your consent to the storage of your data and email address, as well as their use for sending the newsletter, at any time, for example, through the "unsubscribe" link in the newsletter. The data processed before we receive your request may still be subject to legal processing.
The data provided when registering for the newsletter will be used to distribute the newsletter until you cancel your subscription, at which point the data will be deleted. Data we have stored for other purposes (e.g., email addresses for the members' area) remain unaffected.
Plugins and tools
Google Maps
This site uses the Google Maps map service via an API. It is operated by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.
To use Google Maps, it is necessary to save your IP address. This information is generally transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there. The provider of this site does not influence this data transfer.
The use of Google Maps is in the interest of making our website more appealing and facilitating the location of places specified on the website. This constitutes a justified interest pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (f) of the EU DSGVOGDPR.
Further information about handling user data can be found in Google's data protection declaration at https://www.google.de/intl/de/policies/privacy/.