Data protection has a particularly high priority for us. The use of our website is possible without any indication of personal data; however, if you want to use special membership services via our website, processing of personal data could become necessary. If the processing of personal data is necessary and there is no statutory basis for such processing, we generally obtain consent from you.
The processing of personal data, such as your name, address, e-mail address, telephone number, or billing information shall always be in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and in accordance with the country-specific data protection regulations applicable to us. By means of this data protection declaration, we would like to inform the general public of the nature, scope, and purpose of the personal data we collect, use, and process. Furthermore, you are informed, by means of this data protection declaration, of the rights to which they are entitled.
We have implemented numerous technical and organizational measures to ensure the most complete protection of personal data processed through this website. However, internet-based data transmissions may in principle have security gaps, so absolute protection may not be guaranteed. For this reason, you are free to transfer personal data to us via alternative means, e.g. by telephone.
1. Definitions
Our data protection declaration is based on the terms used by the European legislator for the adoption of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Our data protection declaration should be legible and understandable for the general public, as well as our customers and business partners. To ensure this, we would like to first explain the terminology used.
In this data protection declaration, we use, inter alia, the following terms:
a) Personal data
Personal data means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. 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 or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural, or social identity of that natural person.
b) Company (“We”)
We are 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; where the purposes and means of such processing are determined by Union or Member State law, us, or the specific criteria for its nomination may be provided for by Union or Member State law.
c) User (“You”)
You are any identified or identifiable natural person, whose personal data is processed by us responsible for the processing.
d) Processing
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, such as collection, recording, organisation, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction.
e) Restriction of processing
Restriction of processing is the marking of stored personal data with the aim of limiting their processing in the future.
f) Profiling
Profiling means any form of automated processing of personal data consisting of the use of personal data to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to a natural person, in particular to analyze or predict aspects concerning that natural person’s performance at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behavior, location or movements.
g) Pseudonymization
Pseudonymization is the processing of personal data in such a manner that the personal data can no longer be attributed to a specific person without the use of additional information, provided that such additional information is kept separately and is subject to technical and organizational measures to ensure that the personal data are not attributed to an identified or identifiable natural person.
h) Processor
Processor is a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which processes personal data on behalf of us.
i) Recipient
Recipient is a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or another body, to which the personal data are disclosed, whether a third party or not. However, public authorities which may receive personal data in the framework of a particular inquiry in accordance with Union or Member State law shall not be regarded as recipients; the processing of those data by those public authorities shall be in compliance with the applicable data protection rules according to the purposes of the processing.
j) Third party
Third party is a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or body other than you, us, processor, and persons who, under the direct authority of us or processor, are authorized to process personal data.
k) Consent
Consent of you is any freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous indication of your wishes by which you, by a statement or by a clear affirmative action, signifies agreement to the processing of personal data relating to you.
2. Cookies
This website use cookies. Cookies are text files that are stored in a computer system via an internet browser.
Many internet sites and servers use cookies. Many cookies contain a so-called cookie ID. A cookie ID is a unique identifier of the cookie. It consists of a character string through which internet pages and servers can be assigned to the specific internet browser in which the cookie was stored. This allows visited internet sites and servers to differentiate your individual browser from other internet browsers that contain other cookies. A specific internet browser can be recognized and identified using the unique cookie ID.
Through the use of cookies, we can provide the users of this website with more user-friendly services that would not be possible without the cookie setting.
By means of a cookie, the information and offers on our website can be optimized with the user in mind. Cookies allow us, as previously mentioned, to recognize our website users. The purpose of this recognition is to make it easier for users to utilize our website. The website user that uses cookies, e.g. does not have to enter access data each time the website is accessed, because this is taken over by the website, and the cookie is thus stored on the user’s computer system. Another example is the cookie of a shopping cart in an online shop. The online store remembers the articles that a customer has placed in the virtual shopping cart via a cookie.
You may, at any time, prevent the setting of cookies through our website by means of a corresponding setting of the internet browser used, and may thus permanently deny the setting of cookies. Furthermore, already set cookies may be deleted at any time via an internet browser or other software programs. This is possible in all popular internet browsers. If you deactivate the setting of cookies in your internet browser, not all functions of our website may be entirely usable.
3. Collection of general data and information
We collect a series of general data and information when you or automated system calls up the website. This general data and information are stored in the server log files. Collected may be (1) the browser types and versions used, (2) the operating system used by the accessing system, (3) the website from which an accessing system reaches our website (so-called referrers), (4) the sub-websites, (5) the date and time of access to the internet site, (6) an internet protocol address (IP address), (7) the internet service provider of the accessing system, and (8) any other similar data and information that may be used in the event of attacks on our information technology systems.
When using these general data and information, we do not draw any conclusions about you. Rather, this information is needed to (1) deliver the content of our website correctly, (2) optimize the content of our website as well as its advertisement, (3) ensure the long-term viability of our information technology systems and website technology, and (4) provide law enforcement authorities with the information necessary for criminal prosecution in case of a cyber-attack. Therefore, we analyze anonymously collected data and information statistically, with the aim of increasing the data protection and data security of our enterprise, and to ensure an optimal level of protection for the personal data we process. The anonymous data of the server log files are stored separately from all personal data provided by you.
4. Registration on our website
You have the possibility to register on the website with the indication of personal data. Which personal data are transmitted to us is determined by the respective input mask used for the registration. The personal data entered by you are collected and stored exclusively for internal use by us, and for our own purposes. We may request transfer to one or more processors (e.g. a parcel service or payment provider) that also uses personal data for an internal purpose which is attributable to us.
By registering on the website, the IP address assigned by the internet service provider and used by you and the date and time of the registration are also stored. The storage of this data takes place against the background that this is the only way to prevent the misuse of our services, and, if necessary, to make it possible to investigate committed offenses. Insofar, the storage of this data is necessary to secure us. This data is not passed on to third parties unless there is a statutory obligation to pass on the data, or if the transfer serves the aim of criminal prosecution.
Your registration, with the voluntary indication of personal data, is intended to enable us to offer you contents or services that may only be offered to registered users due to the nature of the matter in question. Registered persons are free to change the personal data specified during the registration at any time, or to have them completely deleted from our data stock.
We shall, at any time, provide information upon request to you as to what personal data are stored about you. In addition, we shall correct or erase personal data at your request or indication, insofar as there are no statutory storage obligations. We are available to you in this respect as contact person.
5. Subscription to our newsletters
On this website, users are given the opportunity to subscribe to our membership newsletter. The input mask used for this purpose determines what personal data are transmitted, as well as when the newsletter is ordered from us.
We inform our customers and business partners regularly by means of a newsletter about special offers. The membership newsletter may only be received by you, if (1) you have a valid e-mail address and (2) you register for the newsletter shipping. A confirmation e-mail will be sent to the e-mail address registered by you for the first time for newsletter shipping, for legal reasons, in the double opt-in procedure. This confirmation e-mail is used to prove whether the owner of the e-mail address as you is authorized to receive the newsletter.
During the registration for the newsletter, we also store the IP address of the computer system assigned by the internet service provider and used by you at the time of the registration, as well as the date and time of the registration. The collection of this data is necessary in order to understand the (possible) misuse of your e-mail address at a later date, and it therefore serves the aim of our legal protection.
The personal data collected as part of a registration for the newsletter will only be used to send our newsletter. In addition, subscribers to the newsletter may be informed by e-mail, as long as this is necessary for the operation of the newsletter service or a registration in question, as this could be the case in the event of modifications to the newsletter offer, or in the event of a change in technical circumstances. There will be no transfer of personal data collected by the newsletter service to third parties. The subscription to our newsletter may be terminated by you at any time. The consent to the storage of personal data, which you have given for shipping the newsletter, may be revoked at any time. For the purpose of revocation of consent, a corresponding link is found in each newsletter. It is also possible to unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time directly on the website, or to communicate this to us in a different way.
6. Newsletter tracking
The newsletter contains so-called tracking pixels. A tracking pixel is a miniature graphic embedded in such e-mails, which are sent in HTML format to enable log file recording and analysis. This allows a statistical analysis of the success or failure of online marketing campaigns. Based on the embedded tracking pixel, we may see, if and when an e-mail was opened by you, and which links in the e-mail were called up by you.
Such personal data collected in the tracking pixels contained in the newsletters are stored and analyzed by us in order to optimize the shipping of the newsletter, as well as to adapt the content of future newsletters even better to your interests. These personal data will not be passed on to third parties. You are at any time entitled to revoke the respective separate declaration of consent issued by means of the double-opt-in procedure. After a revocation, these personal data will be deleted by us. We automatically regards a withdrawal from the receipt of the newsletter as a revocation.
7. Contact possibility via the website
This website contains information that enables a quick electronic contact to our customer service, as well as direct communication with us, which also includes a general address of the so-called electronic mail (e-mail address). If you contact us by e-mail or via a contact form, the personal data transmitted by you are automatically stored. Such personal data transmitted on a voluntary basis by you to us are stored for the purpose of processing or contacting you. There is no transfer of this personal data to third parties.
8. Routine erasure and blocking of personal data
We shall process and store your personal data only for the period necessary to achieve the purpose of storage, or as far as this is granted by the European legislator or other legislators in laws or regulations to which we are subject to.
If the storage purpose is not applicable, or if a storage period prescribed by the European legislator or another competent legislator expires, the personal data are routinely blocked or erased in accordance with legal requirements.
9. Your rights
a) Right of confirmation
You shall have the right granted by the European legislator to obtain from us the confirmation as to whether or not personal data concerning you are being processed. If you wish to avail yourself of this right of confirmation, you may, at any time, contact us.
b) Right of access
You shall have the right granted by the European legislator to obtain from us free information about your personal data stored at any time and a copy of this information. Furthermore, the European directives and regulations grant you access to the following information:
– the purposes of the processing;
– the categories of personal data concerned;
– the recipients or categories of recipients to whom the personal data have been or will be disclosed, in particular recipients in third countries or international organizations;
– where possible, the envisaged period for which the personal data will be stored, or, if not possible, the criteria used to determine that period;
– the existence of the right to request from us rectification or erasure of personal data, or restriction of processing of personal data concerning you, or to object to such processing;
– the existence of the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority;
– where the personal data are not collected from you, any available information as to their source;
– the existence of automated decision-making, including profiling, referred to in Article 22(1) and (4) of the GDPR and, at least in those cases, meaningful information about the logic involved, as well as the significance and envisaged consequences of such processing for you.
Furthermore, you shall have a right to obtain information as to whether personal data are transferred to a third country or to an international organisation. Where this is the case, you shall have the right to be informed of the appropriate safeguards relating to the transfer.
If you wish to avail yourself of this right of access, you may, at any time, contact us.
c) Right to rectification
You shall have the right granted by the European legislator to obtain from us without undue delay the rectification of inaccurate personal data concerning you. Taking into account the purposes of the processing, you shall have the right to have incomplete personal data completed, including by means of providing a supplementary statement.
If you wish to avail yourself of this right of access, you may, at any time, contact us.
d) Right to erasure (right to be forgotten)
You shall have the right granted by the European legislator to obtain from us the erasure of personal data concerning you without undue delay, and we shall have the obligation to erase personal data without undue delay where one of the following grounds applies, as long as the processing is not necessary:
– The personal data are no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which they were collected or otherwise processed.
– You withdraw consent to which the processing is based according to point (a) of Article 6(1) of the GDPR, or point (a) of Article 9(2) of the GDPR, and where there is no other legal ground for the processing.
– You object to the processing pursuant to Article 21(1) of the GDPR and there are no overriding legitimate grounds for the processing, or you object to the processing pursuant to Article 21(2) of the GDPR.
– The personal data have been unlawfully processed.
– The personal data must be erased for compliance with a legal obligation in Union or Member State law to which we are subject.
– The personal data have been collected in relation to the offer of information society services referred to in Article 8(1) of the GDPR.
If one of the aforementioned reasons applies, and you wish to request the erasure of personal data stored by us, you may, at any time, contact us. We shall promptly ensure that the erasure request is complied with immediately.
Where we have made personal data public and is obliged pursuant to Article 17(1) to erase the personal data, we taking account of available technology and the cost of implementation, shall take reasonable steps, including technical measures, to inform other responsible parties processing the personal data that you have requested erasure by such responsible parties of any links to, or copy or replication of, those personal data, as far as processing is not required. We will arrange the necessary measures in individual cases.
e) Right of restriction of processing
You shall have the right granted by the European legislator to obtain from us restriction of processing where one of the following applies:
– The accuracy of the personal data is contested by you, for a period enabling us to verify the accuracy of the personal data.
– The processing is unlawful and you oppose the erasure of the personal data and requests instead the restriction of their use instead.
– We no longer need the personal data for the purposes of the processing, but they are required by you for the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims.
– You have objected to processing pursuant to Article 21(1) of the GDPR pending the verification whether the legitimate grounds of us override those of you.
If one of the aforementioned conditions is met, and you wish to request the restriction of the processing of personal data stored by us, you may at any time contact us. We will arrange the restriction of the processing.
f) Right to data portability
You shall have the right granted by the European legislator, to receive the personal data concerning you, which was provided to us, in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format. You shall have the right to transmit those data to another company without hindrance from us to which the personal data have been provided, as long as the processing is based on consent pursuant to point (a) of Article 6(1) of the GDPR or point (a) of Article 9(2) of the GDPR, or on a contract pursuant to point (b) of Article 6(1) of the GDPR, and the processing is carried out by automated means, as long as the processing is not necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in us.
Furthermore, in exercising your right to data portability pursuant to Article 20(1) of the GDPR, you shall have the right to have personal data transmitted directly from us to another company, where technically feasible and when doing so does not adversely affect the rights and freedoms of others.
In order to assert the right to data portability, you may at any time contact us.
g) Right to object
You shall have the right granted by the European legislator to object, on grounds relating to his or her particular situation, at any time, to processing of personal data concerning you, which is based on point (e) or (f) of Article 6(1) of the GDPR. This also applies to profiling based on these provisions.
We shall no longer process the personal data in the event of the objection, unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override the interests, rights and freedoms of you, or for the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims.
If we process personal data for direct marketing purposes, you shall have the right to object at any time to processing of personal data concerning you for such marketing. This applies to profiling to the extent that it is related to such direct marketing. If you object to us to the processing for direct marketing purposes, we will no longer process the personal data for these purposes.
In addition, you have the right, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to object to processing of personal data concerning you by us for scientific or historical research purposes, or for statistical purposes pursuant to Article 89(1) of the GDPR, unless the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out for reasons of public interest.
In order to exercise the right to object, you may contact us. In addition, you are free in the context of the use of information society services, and notwithstanding Directive 2002/58/EC, to use you right to object by automated means using technical specifications.
h) Automated individual decision-making, including profiling
You shall have the right granted by the European legislator not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces legal effects concerning you, or similarly significantly affects you, as long as the decision (1) is not is necessary for entering into, or the performance of, a contract between you and us, or (2) is not authorized by Union or Member State law to which we are subject and which also lays down suitable measures to safeguard your rights and freedoms and legitimate interests, or (3) is not based on your explicit consent.
If the decision (1) is necessary for entering into, or the performance of, a contract between you and us, or (2) it is based on your explicit consent, we shall implement suitable measures to safeguard your rights and freedoms and legitimate interests, at least the right to obtain human intervention on the part of us, to express your point of view and contest the decision.
If you wish to exercise the rights concerning automated individual decision-making, you may, at any time, contact us.
i) Right to withdraw data protection consent
You shall have the right granted by the European legislator to withdraw your consent to processing of your personal data at any time.
If you wish to exercise the right to withdraw the consent, you may, at any time, contact us.
10. Data protection provisions about the application and use of Google Analytics (with anonymization function)
On this website, we have integrated the component of Google Analytics (with anonymization function). Google Analytics is a web analytics service. Web analytics is the collection, gathering, and analysis of data about the behavior of visitors to websites. A web analysis service collects, inter alia, data about the website from which a person has come (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages were visited, or how often and for what duration a sub-page was viewed. Web analytics are mainly used for the optimization of a website and in order to carry out a cost-benefit analysis of internet advertising.
The operator of the Google Analytics component is Google, Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View, CA 94043-1351, United States of America.
For the web analytics through Google Analytics we use the application “_gat. _anonymizeIp”. By means of this application the IP address of your internet connection is abridged by Google and anonymized when accessing our websites from a Member State of the European Union or another Contracting State to the Agreement on the European Economic Area.
The purpose of the Google Analytics component is to analyze the traffic on our website. Google uses the collected data and information, inter alia, to evaluate the use of our website and to provide online reports, which show the activities on our websites, and to provide other services concerning the use of our internet site for us.
Google Analytics places a cookie on your information technology system. The definition of cookies is explained above. With the setting of the cookie, Google is enabled to analyze the use of our website. With each call-up to one of the individual pages of this internet site, which is operated by us and into which a Google Analytics component was integrated, the internet browser on your information technology system will automatically submit data through the Google Analytics component for the purpose of online advertising and the settlement of commissions to Google. During the course of this technical procedure, Google gains knowledge of personal information, such as your IP address, which serves Google, inter alia, to understand the origin of visitors and clicks, and subsequently create commission settlements.
The cookie is used to store personal information, such as the access time, the location from which the access was made, and the frequency of visits of our website by you. With each visit to our internet site, such personal data, including the IP address of the internet access used by you, will be transmitted to Google in the United States of America. These personal data are stored by Google in the United States of America. Google may pass these personal data collected through the technical procedure to third parties.
You 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 an adjustment to the internet browser used would also prevent Google Analytics from setting a cookie on your information technology system. In addition, cookies already in use by Google Analytics may be deleted at any time via a web browser or other software programs.
In addition, you have the possibility of objecting to a collection of data that are generated by Google Analytics, which is related to the use of this website, as well as the processing of this data by Google and the chance to preclude any such. For this purpose, you must download a browser add-on under the link https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout and install it. This browser add-on tells Google Analytics through a JavaScript, that any data and information about the visits of internet pages may not be transmitted to Google Analytics. The installation of the browser add-ons is considered an objection by Google. If your information technology system is later deleted, formatted, or newly installed, then you must reinstall the browser add-ons to disable Google Analytics. If the browser add-on was uninstalled by you or any other person who is attributable to their sphere of competence, or is disabled, it is possible to execute the reinstallation or reactivation of the browser add-ons.
Further information and the applicable data protection provisions of Google may be retrieved under https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/ and under http://www.google.com/analytics/terms/us.html. Google Analytics is further explained under the following Link https://www.google.com/analytics/.
11. Third-party data processing
When using any of the payment methods (except Wire Transfer and Bitcoin), your payment data will be sent in encrypted form to the selected payment service provider. The external payment service provider will handle the payments for us. For security reasons, credit card information is not stored on our servers. If you will choose a payment via credit or debit card during the ordering process, we automatically transmit your contact details, such as name, billing address, telephone number, e-mail address, or your financial and transaction data, such as credit or debit card number, and bank account information to the payment service provider. By selecting this payment option, you agree to the transfer of personal data required for payment processing.
The transmission of the data is aimed at payment processing and fraud prevention. We will transfer personal data to our used payment service providers, in particular, if a legitimate interest in the transmission is given. The personal data exchanged between the payment service providers and us for the processing of the data will be transmitted by our payment service providers to economic credit agencies. This transmission is intended for identity and creditworthiness checks.
The payment service providers will, if necessary, pass on personal data to affiliates, service providers, or subcontractors to the extent that this is necessary to fulfill contractual obligations or for data to be processed in the order.
All used payment service providers are European operating companies with own data protection provisions.
12. Legal basis for the processing
Art. 6(1) lit. a GDPR serves as the legal basis for processing operations for which we obtain consent for a specific processing purpose. If the processing of personal data is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are party, as is the case, for example, when processing operations are necessary for the supply of goods or to provide any other service, the processing is based on Article 6(1) lit. b GDPR. The same applies to such processing operations which are necessary for carrying out pre-contractual measures, for example in the case of inquiries concerning our products or services. Are we subject to a legal obligation by which processing of personal data is required, such as for the fulfillment of tax obligations, the processing is based on Art. 6(1) lit. c GDPR. In rare cases, the processing of personal data may be necessary to protect the vital interests of you or of another natural person. This would be the case, for example, if a visitor were injured in our company and his name, age, health insurance data, or other vital information would have to be passed on to a doctor, hospital or other third party. Then the processing would be based on Art. 6(1) lit. d GDPR. Finally, processing operations could be based on Article 6(1) lit. f GDPR. This legal basis is used for processing operations which are not covered by any of the above mentioned legal grounds, if processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by us or by a third party, except where such interests are overridden by your interests or fundamental rights and freedoms which require protection of personal data. Such processing operations are particularly permissible because they have been specifically mentioned by the European legislator. He considered that a legitimate interest could be assumed, if you are a client of us (Recital 47 Sentence 2 GDPR).
13. The legitimate interests pursued by us or by a third party
Where the processing of personal data is based on Article 6(1) lit. f GDPR our legitimate interest is to carry out our business in favor of the well-being of all our employees and the shareholders.
14. Period for which the personal data will be stored
The criteria used to determine the period of storage of personal data is the respective statutory retention period. After expiration of that period, the corresponding data is routinely deleted, as long as it is no longer necessary for the fulfillment of the contract or the initiation of a contract.
15. Provision of personal data as statutory or contractual requirement; Requirement necessary to enter into a contract; Your obligation to provide the personal data; Possible consequences of failure to provide such data
We clarify that the provision of personal data is partly required by law (e.g. tax regulations) or can also result from contractual provisions (e.g. information on the contractual partner). Sometimes it may be necessary to conclude a contract that you provide us with personal data, which must subsequently be processed by us. You are, for example, obliged to provide us with personal data when we sign a contract with you. The non-provision of the personal data would have the consequence that the contract with you could not be concluded. Before personal data is provided by the you, you must contact us. We clarify to you whether the provision of the personal data is required by law or contract or is necessary for the conclusion of the contract, whether there is an obligation to provide the personal data and the consequences of non-provision of the personal data.
16. Existence of automated decision-making
As a responsible company, we do not use automatic decision-making or profiling.
17. Changes to this privacy policy
We reserve the right to change this privacy policy as we may deem necessary from time to time or as may be required by law. Any changes will be immediately posted on the website and you are deemed to have accepted the terms of the privacy policy on your first use of the website following the alterations.
You may contact us by e-mail at [email protected].
Last Updated: May 1, 2018