Privacy Policy

As of: February 11, 2024

Responsible

Overview of processing

The following overview summarises the types of data processed and the purposes of their processing and refers to the persons concerned.

Types of data processed

Inventory data.
Payment details.
Location data.
Contact details.
Content data.
Contract data.
Usage data.
Meta, communication and procedural data.

Categories of data subjects

Customers.
Interested parties.
communication partner.
users.
Contest and competition participants.
Business and contractual partners.

Purposes of processing

Provision of contractual services and fulfilment of contractual obligations.
Contact requests and communication.
Security measures.
direct marketing.
Reach measurement.
Tracking.
Office and organizational procedures.
Affiliate tracking.
Managing and responding to inquiries.
Conducting prize draws and competitions.
Feedback.
Marketing.
Profiles with user-related information.
Provision of our online offering and user-friendliness.
Information technology infrastructure.

Relevant legal bases

Relevant legal bases under the GDPR: Below you will find an overview of the legal bases of the GDPR on the basis of which we process personal data. Please note that in addition to the provisions of the GDPR, national data protection regulations may apply in your or our country of residence or domicile. If more specific legal bases are relevant in individual cases, we will inform you of these in the data protection declaration.

Consent (Article 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR) – The data subject has given his or her consent to the processing of personal data concerning him or her for a specific purpose or several specific purposes.
Contract performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Article 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR) – The processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is a party or for the implementation of pre-contractual measures taken at the request of the data subject.
Legal obligation (Article 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. c) GDPR) – The processing is necessary to fulfill a legal obligation to which the controller is subject.
Legitimate interests (Article 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR) – Processing is necessary to safeguard the legitimate interests of the controller or a third party, unless the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require protection of personal data prevail.

National data protection regulations in Germany: In addition to the data protection regulations of the GDPR, national regulations on data protection apply in Germany. This includes in particular the law on protection against misuse of personal data in data processing (Federal Data Protection Act – BDSG). The BDSG contains in particular special regulations on the right to information, the right to deletion, the right of objection, the processing of special categories of personal data, processing for other purposes and transmission as well as automated decision-making in individual cases including profiling. In addition, state data protection laws of the individual federal states may apply.

National data protection regulations in Austria: In addition to the data protection regulations of the GDPR, national regulations on data protection apply in Austria. This includes in particular the Federal Act on the Protection of Natural Persons with regard to the Processing of Personal Data (Data Protection Act – DSG). The Data Protection Act contains in particular special regulations on the right to information, the right to rectification or deletion, the processing of special categories of personal data, processing for other purposes and transmission as well as automated decision-making in individual cases.

Relevant legal bases under the Swiss Data Protection Act: If you are located in Switzerland, we process your data on the basis of the Federal Data Protection Act (in short “Swiss DSG”). This also applies if our processing of your data otherwise affects you in Switzerland and you are affected by the processing. The Swiss DSG does not generally stipulate (unlike the GDPR, for example) that a legal basis for the processing of personal data must be stated. We only process personal data if the processing is lawful, carried out in good faith and is proportionate (Art. 6 Para. 1 and 2 of the Swiss DSG). Furthermore, we only obtain personal data for a specific purpose that is recognizable to the person concerned and only process it in a way that is compatible with these purposes (Art. 6 Para. 3 of the Swiss DSG).

Note on the validity of the GDPR and the Swiss DSG: This data protection notice serves to provide information in accordance with both the Swiss Federal Data Protection Act (Swiss DSG) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). For this reason, we ask you to note that the terms of the GDPR are used due to the broader spatial application and comprehensibility. In particular, instead of the terms „processing“ of „personal data“, „overriding interest“ and „personal data requiring particular protection“ used in the Swiss DSG, the terms „processing“ of „personal data“ as well as „legitimate interest“ and „special categories of data“ used in the GDPR are used. However, the legal meaning of the terms will continue to be determined according to the Swiss DSG within the scope of the validity of the Swiss DSG.

Security measures

In accordance with the legal requirements, taking into account the state of the art, the implementation costs and the nature, scope, circumstances and purposes of the processing as well as the different probabilities of occurrence and the extent of the threat to the rights and freedoms of natural persons, we take appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure a level of protection appropriate to the risk.

The measures include in particular ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data by controlling physical and electronic access to the data as well as access to it, input, transfer, ensuring availability and separation. Furthermore, we have set up procedures that ensure the exercise of data subject rights, the deletion of data and reactions to data threats. Furthermore, we take the protection of personal data into account when developing or selecting hardware, software and processes in accordance with the principle of data protection, through technology design and through data protection-friendly default settings.

Transmission of personal data

As part of our processing of personal data, it may happen that the data is transmitted to other bodies, companies, legally independent organizational units or persons or that it is disclosed to them. The recipients of this data may include, for example, service providers commissioned with IT tasks or providers of services and content that are integrated into a website. In such cases, we comply with the legal requirements and, in particular, conclude appropriate contracts or agreements with the recipients of your data that serve to protect your data.

International data transfers

Data processing in third countries: If we process data in a third country (i.e. outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA)) or if the processing takes place in the context of the use of third-party services or the disclosure or transmission of data to other persons, bodies or companies, this will only be done in accordance with the legal requirements. If the level of data protection in the third country has been recognized by means of an adequacy decision (Art. 45 GDPR), this serves as the basis for the data transfer. Otherwise, data transfers only take place if the level of data protection is otherwise ensured, in particular through standard contractual clauses (Art. 46 Para. 2 lit. c) GDPR), express consent or in the case of contractual or legally required transmission (Art. 49 Para. 1 GDPR). Furthermore, we will inform you of the basis for third-country transfers from the individual providers from the third country, with the adequacy decisions taking priority as the basis. Information on third country transfers and existing adequacy decisions can be found in the information provided by the EU Commission: https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection_en?prefLang=de.

EU-US Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework: As part of the so-called „Data Privacy Framework“ (DPF), the EU Commission has also recognized the level of data protection for certain companies from the USA as secure as part of the adequacy decision of July 10, 2023. The list of certified companies and further information on the DPF can be found on the website of the US Department of Commerce at https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/ (in English). As part of the data protection information, we inform you which service providers we use are certified under the Data Privacy Framework.

Disclosure of personal data abroad: In accordance with the Swiss Data Protection Act (DSG), we only disclose personal data abroad if adequate protection of the data subjects is guaranteed (Art. 16 Swiss DSG). If the Federal Council has not determined adequate protection (list: https://www.bj.admin.ch/bj/de/home/staat/datenschutz/internationales/anerkennung-staaten.html ), we take alternative security measures. These may include international treaties, specific guarantees, data protection clauses in contracts, standard data protection clauses approved by the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) or internal company data protection regulations approved in advance by the FDPIC or a competent data protection authority in another country.

According to Article 16 of the Swiss Data Protection Act, exceptions to the disclosure of data abroad may be permitted if certain conditions are met, including the consent of the data subject, contract execution, public interest, protection of life or physical integrity, data made public or data from a legally provided register. These disclosures are always made in accordance with the legal requirements.

Rights of the data subjects

Rights of the data subjects under the GDPR: As a data subject, you are entitled to various rights under the GDPR, which arise in particular from Art. 15 to 21 GDPR:

Right to object: You have the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you which is carried out on the basis of Art. 6 (1) (e) or (f) GDPR, for reasons related to your particular situation; this also applies to profiling based on these provisions. If the personal data concerning you are processed in order to conduct direct advertising, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you for the purposes of such advertising; this also applies to profiling insofar as it is related to such direct advertising.
Right to withdraw consent: You have the right to withdraw consent at any time.
Right to information: You have the right to request confirmation as to whether or not data concerning you is being processed and to request information about this data as well as further information and a copy of the data in accordance with legal requirements.
Right to rectification: You have the right, in accordance with the statutory provisions, to request that the data concerning you be completed or that inaccurate data concerning you be rectified.
Right to erasure and restriction of processing: You have the right, in accordance with the statutory provisions, to demand that data concerning you be erased immediately or, alternatively, to demand that the processing of the data be restricted in accordance with the statutory provisions.
Right to data portability: You have the right to receive the data concerning you that you have made available to us in a structured, common and machine-readable format in accordance with the legal requirements or to request that it be transmitted to another controller.
Complaint to a supervisory authority: Without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work or place of the alleged infringement, if you consider that the processing of personal data concerning you violates the provisions of the GDPR.

Rights of the data subjects under the Swiss DSG:

As a data subject, you have the following rights in accordance with the provisions of the Swiss Data Protection Act:

Right to information: You have the right to request confirmation as to whether personal data concerning you is being processed and to receive the information necessary to enable you to assert your rights under this law and to ensure transparent data processing.
Right to data disclosure or transfer: You have the right to request that we provide you with your personal data that you have provided to us in a common electronic format.
Right to rectification: You have the right to request the rectification of inaccurate personal data concerning you.
Right to object, deletion and destruction: You have the right to object to the processing of your data and to request that the personal data concerning you be deleted or destroyed.

Use of cookies

Cookies are small text files or other storage notes that store information on end devices and read information from the end devices. For example, to store the login status in a user account, the contents of a shopping cart in an e-shop, the content accessed or the functions used in an online service. Cookies can also be used for different purposes, e.g. to ensure the functionality, security and convenience of online services and to create analyses of visitor flows.

Notes on consent: We use cookies in accordance with legal regulations. We therefore obtain prior consent from users, unless this is not required by law. Consent is not necessary in particular if the storage and reading of information, including cookies, is absolutely necessary in order to provide users with a telemedia service expressly requested by them (i.e. our online offering). Strictly necessary cookies generally include cookies with functions that serve to display and operate the online offering, load balancing, security, storing user preferences and choices, or similar purposes related to the provision of the main and secondary functions of the online offering requested by users. Revocable consent is clearly communicated to users and contains information about the respective cookie usage.

Notes on data protection legal bases: The data protection legal basis on which we process users‘ personal data with the help of cookies depends on whether we ask users for consent. If users consent, the legal basis for processing their data is their declared consent. Otherwise, the data processed with the help of cookies is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (e.g. in the commercial operation of our online offering and improving its usability) or, if this is done as part of fulfilling our contractual obligations, if the use of cookies is necessary to fulfill our contractual obligations. We will explain the purposes for which we process cookies in the course of this data protection declaration or as part of our consent and processing processes.

Storage period: With regard to the storage period, the following types of cookies are distinguished:

Temporary cookies (also: session cookies): Temporary cookies are deleted at the latest after a user has left an online offering and closed his or her device (e.g. browser or mobile application).
Permanent cookies: Permanent cookies remain stored even after the device is closed. For example, the login status can be saved or preferred content can be displayed directly when the user visits a website again. The user data collected using cookies can also be used to measure reach. Unless we provide users with explicit information about the type and storage period of cookies (e.g. when obtaining consent), users should assume that cookies are permanent and that the storage period can be up to two years.

General information on revocation and objection (so-called „opt-out“): Users can revoke the consent they have given at any time and object to processing in accordance with the legal requirements. To do so, users can, among other things, restrict the use of cookies in the settings of their browser (although this may also limit the functionality of our online offering). An objection to the use of cookies for online marketing purposes can also be declared via the websites https://optout.aboutads.info and https://www.youronlinechoices.com/ .

Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter f) GDPR). Consent (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter a) GDPR).

Further information on processing procedures, methods and services:

Processing of cookie data based on consent: We use a consent management procedure: Procedure for obtaining, logging, managing and revoking consent, in particular for the use of cookies and similar technologies for storing, reading and processing information on users‘ end devices and their processing, within the framework of which the users‘ consent to the use of cookies, or the processing and providers named in the consent management: Procedure for obtaining, logging, managing and revoking consent, in particular for the use of cookies and similar technologies for storing, reading and processing information on users‘ end devices and their processing procedure can be obtained and managed and revoked by the users. The declaration of consent is saved so that it does not have to be requested again and so that consent can be proven in accordance with the legal obligation. The storage can take place on the server side and/or in a cookie (so-called opt-in cookie, or with the help of comparable technologies) in order to be able to assign the consent to a user or their device. Subject to individual information about the providers of cookie management services, the following information applies: The duration of the storage of the consent can be up to two years. A pseudonymous user identifier is created and stored with the time of consent, information on the scope of the consent (e.g. which categories of cookies and/or service providers) as well as the browser, system and device used; Legal basis: consent (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 lit. a) GDPR).

Business Services

We process data of our contractual and business partners, e.g. customers and interested parties (collectively referred to as „contractual partners“) within the framework of contractual and comparable legal relationships and associated measures and within the framework of communication with the contractual partners (or pre-contractually), e.g. to answer inquiries.

We process this data in order to fulfil our contractual obligations. This includes in particular the obligations to provide the agreed services, any updating obligations and remedy in the event of warranty and other service disruptions. In addition, we process the data to protect our rights and for the purposes of the administrative tasks associated with these obligations and the company organization. In addition, we process the data on the basis of our legitimate interests in proper and economical business management and in security measures to protect our contractual partners and our business operations from misuse, endangerment of their data, secrets, information and rights (e.g. the involvement of telecommunications, transport and other auxiliary services as well as subcontractors, banks, tax and legal advisors, payment service providers or tax authorities). Within the framework of applicable law, we only pass on the data of contractual partners to third parties to the extent that this is necessary for the aforementioned purposes or to fulfil legal obligations. The contractual partners are informed about other forms of processing, e.g. for marketing purposes, in the context of this data protection declaration.

We inform our contractual partners which data is required for the aforementioned purposes before or during data collection, e.g. in online forms, by special marking (e.g. colors) or symbols (e.g. asterisks or similar), or in person.

We delete the data after the expiry of statutory warranty and similar obligations, i.e. generally after 4 years, unless the data is stored in a customer account, e.g. as long as it must be kept for legal archiving reasons. The statutory retention period is ten years for documents relevant to tax law as well as for commercial books, inventories, opening balance sheets, annual financial statements, the work instructions required to understand these documents and other organizational documents and accounting documents, and six years for received commercial and business letters and reproductions of the commercial and business letters sent. The period begins at the end of the calendar year in which the last entry was made in the book, the inventory, opening balance sheet, annual financial statements or management report was drawn up, the commercial or business letter was received or sent, or the accounting document was created, the recording was made or the other documents were created.

To the extent that we use third-party providers or platforms to provide our services, the terms and conditions and data protection notices of the respective third-party providers or platforms apply to the relationship between the users and the providers.

Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); payment data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history); contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); contract data (e.g. subject matter of the contract, term, customer category); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, time information, identification numbers, consent status).
Affected persons: customers, interested parties, business and contractual partners.
Purposes of processing: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations; security measures; contact requests and communication; office and organizational procedures. Administration and response to inquiries.
Legal basis: Contractual performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter b) GDPR); Legal obligation (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter c) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter f) GDPR).

Further information on processing procedures, methods and services:

Online shop, order forms, e-commerce and delivery: We process our customers‘ data to enable them to select, purchase or order the selected products, goods and associated services, as well as to pay for and deliver or execute them. If necessary to execute an order, we use service providers, in particular postal, forwarding and shipping companies, to carry out the delivery or execution to our customers. We use the services of banks and payment service providers to process payment transactions. The required information is marked as such in the context of the order or comparable purchase process and includes the information required for delivery, provision and billing as well as contact information in order to be able to hold any consultations; legal basis: contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter b) GDPR).
Craft services: We process the data of our customers and clients (hereinafter referred to as „customers“) to enable them to select, purchase or commission the selected services or works and associated activities as well as to pay for and deliver or carry out or provide them.
The required information is marked as such in the context of the order, purchase order or comparable contract conclusion and includes the information required for delivery and billing as well as contact information in order to be able to hold any follow-up discussions; legal basis: contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter b) GDPR).

Provision of the online offer and web hosting

We process user data in order to be able to provide them with our online services. For this purpose, we process the user’s IP address, which is necessary to transmit the content and functions of our online services to the user’s browser or end device.

Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, time information, identification numbers, consent status).
Affected persons: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing: Provision of our online offering and user-friendliness; Information technology infrastructure (operation and provision of information systems and technical devices (computers, servers, etc.). Security measures.
Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Article 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing procedures, methods and services:

Collection of access data and log files: Access to our online offering is logged in the form of so-called „server log files“. The server log files can include the address and name of the websites and files accessed, the date and time of access, the amount of data transferred, notification of successful access, browser type and version, the user’s operating system, referrer URL (the previously visited page) and, as a rule, IP addresses and the requesting provider. The server log files can be used for security purposes, e.g. to avoid overloading the servers (particularly in the case of abusive attacks, so-called DDoS attacks) and, on the other hand, to ensure the utilization of the servers and their stability; legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter f) GDPR). Deletion of data: Log file information is stored for a maximum of 30 days and then deleted or anonymized. Data that needs to be retained for evidentiary purposes will not be deleted until the incident in question has been finally resolved.

Blogs and publication media

We use blogs or similar means of online communication and publication (hereinafter „publication medium“). Readers‘ data is only processed for the purposes of the publication medium to the extent that it is necessary for its presentation and communication between authors and readers or for security reasons. For the rest, we refer to the information on the processing of visitors to our publication medium in the context of this data protection notice.

Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); content data (e.g. entries in online forms); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, time information, identification numbers, consent status).
Affected persons: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations; Feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form); Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness; Security measures. Administration and answering of inquiries.
Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Article 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing procedures, methods and services:

Comments and contributions: When users leave comments or other contributions, their IP addresses may be stored based on our legitimate interests. This is done for our security in case someone leaves illegal content in comments and contributions (insults, prohibited political propaganda, etc.). In this case, we ourselves can be held liable for the comment or contribution and are therefore interested in the identity of the author.
Furthermore, we reserve the right to process user information for the purpose of spam detection based on our legitimate interests.

On the same legal basis, we reserve the right, in the case of surveys, to store users’ IP addresses for the duration of the survey and to use cookies to avoid multiple voting.

The personal information, any contact and website information as well as the content information provided in the comments and contributions will be stored by us permanently until the user objects; legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter f) GDPR).

Contact and inquiry management

When you contact us (e.g. by post, contact form, email, telephone or via social media) and within the framework of existing user and business relationships, the information provided by the person making the inquiry will be processed to the extent necessary to answer the contact inquiries and any requested measures.

Types of data processed: contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); content data (e.g. entries in online forms); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, time information, identification numbers, consent status).
Affected persons: communication partners.
Purposes of processing: contact requests and communication; administration and response to requests; feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form). Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter f) GDPR). Contractual performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter b) GDPR).

Further information on processing procedures, methods and services:

Contact form: If users contact us via our contact form, email or other communication channels, we process the data communicated to us in this context to process the communicated request; legal basis: contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter b) GDPR), legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter f) GDPR).

Newsletters and electronic notifications

We only send newsletters, emails and other electronic notifications (hereinafter „newsletters“) with the consent of the recipient or with legal permission. If the contents of the newsletter are specifically described when registering for the newsletter, they are decisive for the user’s consent. Otherwise, our newsletters contain information about our services and us.

To subscribe to our newsletter, it is generally sufficient to provide your email address. However, we may ask you to provide a name for the purpose of addressing you personally in the newsletter or other information if this is necessary for the purposes of the newsletter.

Double opt-in procedure: Registration for our newsletter is always carried out using a so-called double opt-in procedure. This means that after registration you will receive an email asking you to confirm your registration. This confirmation is necessary so that no one can register using someone else’s email address. Registrations for the newsletter are logged in order to be able to prove the registration process in accordance with legal requirements. This includes storing the time of registration and confirmation as well as the IP address. Changes to your data stored by the shipping service provider are also logged.

Deletion and restriction of processing: We can store the unsubscribed email addresses for up to three years on the basis of our legitimate interests before we delete them in order to be able to prove that consent was previously given. The processing of this data is limited to the purpose of a possible defense against claims. An individual request for deletion is possible at any time, provided that the previous existence of consent is confirmed at the same time. In the case of obligations to permanently observe objections, we reserve the right to store the email address in a block list (so-called „block list“) for this purpose alone.

The registration process is logged on the basis of our legitimate interests for the purpose of proving that it was carried out correctly. If we commission a service provider to send emails, this is done on the basis of our legitimate interests in an efficient and secure delivery system.

Contents:

Information about us, our services, promotions and offers.

Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, time information, identification numbers, consent status); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times).
Affected persons: communication partners.
Purposes of processing: direct marketing (e.g. by e-mail or post).
Legal basis: Consent (Article 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR).
Opt-out option: You can cancel your subscription to our newsletter at any time, i.e. revoke your consent or object to further receipt. You will find a link to cancel the newsletter either at the end of each newsletter or you can use one of the contact options listed above, preferably email.

Further information on processing procedures, methods and services:

Measuring opening and click rates: The newsletters contain a so-called „web beacon“, i.e. a pixel-sized file that is retrieved from our server when the newsletter is opened or, if we use a shipping service provider, from their server. As part of this retrieval, technical information, such as information about the browser and your system, as well as your IP address and the time of retrieval, are initially collected.
This information is used to technically improve our newsletter based on the technical data or the target groups and their reading behavior based on their access locations (which can be determined using the IP address) or the access times. This analysis also includes determining whether the newsletters are opened, when they are opened and which links are clicked. This information is assigned to the individual newsletter recipients and stored in their profiles until they are deleted. The evaluations help us to recognize the reading habits of our users and adapt our content to them or to send different content according to the interests of our users.

The measurement of the opening rates and the click rates as well as storage of the measurement results in the user profiles – This text area must be activated with a premium license. – premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext premiumtext ; Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. a) GDPR).

Advertising communication via email, post, fax or telephone

We process personal data for the purposes of advertising communication, which can take place via various channels, such as e-mail, telephone, post or fax, in accordance with legal requirements.

The recipients have the right to revoke their consent at any time or to object to promotional communications at any time.

After revocation or objection, we store the data required to prove previous authorization for contacting or sending for up to three years after the end of the year of revocation or objection on the basis of our legitimate interests. The processing of this data is limited to the purpose of a possible defense against claims. On the basis of the legitimate interest in permanently respecting the user’s revocation or objection, we also store the data required to avoid further contact (e.g., depending on the communication channel, the email address, telephone number, name).

Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers).
Affected persons: communication partners.
Purposes of processing: direct marketing (e.g. by e-mail or post).
Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter a) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter f) GDPR).

Prize draws and competitions

We only process personal data of participants in prize draws and competitions in compliance with the relevant data protection regulations, insofar as the processing is contractually necessary for the provision, implementation and processing of the prize draw, the participants have consented to the processing or the processing serves our legitimate interests (e.g. the security of the prize draw or the protection of our interests against misuse through possible collection of IP addresses when submitting prize draw entries).

If entries from participants are published as part of the competitions (e.g. as part of a vote or presentation of the competition entries or winners or reporting on the competition), we would like to point out that the names of the participants may also be published in this context. Participants can object to this at any time.

If the competition takes place within an online platform or a social network (e.g. Facebook or Instagram, hereinafter referred to as the „online platform“), the terms of use and data protection provisions of the respective platforms also apply. In these cases, we would like to point out that we are responsible for the information provided by participants as part of the competition and that inquiries regarding the competition should be directed to us.

Participants‘ data will be deleted as soon as the prize draw or competition has ended and the data is no longer required to inform the winners or because no further queries about the prize draw are expected. Participants‘ data will generally be deleted no later than 6 months after the end of the prize draw. Winners‘ data may be retained for longer, for example to answer queries about the prizes or to fulfill the prize-winning services; in this case, the retention period depends on the type of prize and is up to three years for items or services, for example in order to be able to process warranty cases. Participants‘ data may also be stored for longer, for example in the form of reports on the prize draw in online and offline media.

If data was collected for other purposes as part of the competition, its processing and the retention period are governed by the data protection information for this use (e.g. in the case of registration for the newsletter as part of a competition).

Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); content data (e.g. entries in online forms); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, time information, identification numbers, consent status).
Persons affected: participants in prize draws and competitions.
Purpose of processing: Conducting prize draws and competitions.
Legal basis: Contractual performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter b) GDPR).

Web analysis, monitoring and optimization

Web analysis (also known as „reach measurement“) is used to evaluate the flow of visitors to our online offering and can include behavior, interests or demographic information about visitors, such as age or gender, as pseudonymous values. With the help of reach analysis, we can, for example, identify at what time our online offering or its functions or content are most frequently used or invite reuse. We can also understand which areas require optimization.

In addition to web analysis, we can also use testing procedures to, for example, test and optimize different versions of our online offering or its components.

Unless otherwise stated below, profiles, i.e. data summarized for a usage process, can be created for these purposes and information can be stored in a browser or in a device and read from it. The information collected includes in particular websites visited and elements used there as well as technical information such as the browser used, the computer system used and information on usage times. If users have consented to us or the providers of the services we use collecting their location data, location data can also be processed.

The IP addresses of the users are also stored. However, we use an IP masking process (i.e. pseudonymization by shortening the IP address) to protect users. In general, no clear user data (such as email addresses or names) is stored as part of web analysis, A/B testing and optimization, but rather pseudonyms. This means that neither we nor the providers of the software used know the actual identity of the users, only the information stored in their profiles for the purposes of the respective processes.

Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, time information, identification numbers, consent status).
Affected persons: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing: reach measurement (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors). Profiles with user-related information (creation of user profiles).
Security measures: IP masking (pseudonymization of the IP address).

Online marketing

We process personal data for the purposes of online marketing, which may include in particular the marketing of advertising space or the presentation of advertising and other content (collectively referred to as “content”) based on the potential interests of users and the measurement of their effectiveness.

For these purposes, so-called user profiles are created and stored in a file (so-called „cookie“) or similar procedures are used to store the information about the user relevant to the presentation of the aforementioned content. This information may include, for example, content viewed, websites visited, online networks used, but also communication partners and technical information such as the browser used, the computer system used as well as information on usage times and functions used. If users have consented to the collection of their location data, this can also be processed.

The IP addresses of the users are also stored. However, we use available IP masking procedures (i.e. pseudonymization by shortening the IP address) to protect users. In general, no clear user data (such as email addresses or names) is stored as part of the online marketing process, but rather pseudonyms. This means that neither we nor the providers of the online marketing process know the actual identity of the users, only the information stored in their profiles.

The information in the profiles is usually stored in cookies or using similar processes. These cookies can generally also be read later on other websites that use the same online marketing process and analyzed for the purposes of displaying content, as well as supplemented with further data and stored on the server of the online marketing process provider.

In exceptional cases, clear data can be assigned to profiles. This is the case if, for example, the users are members of a social network whose online marketing processes we use and the network links the users‘ profiles with the aforementioned information. Please note that users can make additional agreements with the providers, e.g. by giving their consent during registration.

In principle, we only receive access to summarized information about the success of our advertisements. However, as part of so-called conversion measurements, we can check which of our online marketing processes have led to a so-called conversion, i.e. to the conclusion of a contract with us. The conversion measurement is used solely to analyze the success of our marketing measures.

Unless otherwise stated, please assume that cookies used will be stored for a period of two years.

Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, time information, identification numbers, consent status).
Affected persons: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing: reach measurement (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); tracking (e.g. interest/behavior-based profiling, use of cookies); marketing. Profiles with user-related information (creation of user profiles).
Security measures: IP masking (pseudonymization of the IP address).
Opt-out option: We refer to the data protection information of the respective providers and the opt-out options specified for the providers (so-called „opt-out“). If no explicit opt-out option has been specified, you have the option of deactivating cookies in your browser settings. However, this may restrict the functions of our online offering. We therefore also recommend the following opt-out options, which are offered in summary for the respective areas:
a) Europe: https://www.youronlinechoices.eu .
b) Canada: https://www.youradchoices.ca/choices .
c) USA: https://www.aboutads.info/choices .
d) Cross-territory: https://optout.aboutads.info .

Affiliate programs and affiliate links

In our online offering, we include so-called affiliate links or other references (which may include search masks, widgets or discount codes, for example) to the offers and services of third-party providers (collectively referred to as „affiliate links“). If users follow the affiliate links or subsequently take advantage of the offers, we may receive a commission or other benefits from these third-party providers (collectively referred to as „commission“).

In order to be able to track whether users have taken advantage of the offers of an affiliate link used by us, it is necessary for the respective third-party providers to know that users have followed an affiliate link used within our online offering. The assignment of the affiliate links to the respective business transactions or other actions (e.g. purchases) serves solely the purpose of commission accounting and is canceled as soon as it is no longer required for this purpose.

For the purposes of the aforementioned assignment of affiliate links, the affiliate links can be supplemented with certain values that are part of the link or can be stored elsewhere, e.g. in a cookie. The values can include in particular the source website (referrer), the time, an online identifier of the operator of the website on which the affiliate link was located, an online identifier of the respective offer, the type of link used, the type of offer and an online identifier of the user.

Notes on legal bases: If we ask users for their consent to use third-party providers, the legal basis for processing data is consent. Otherwise, users‘ data is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in efficient, economical and recipient-friendly services). In this context, we would also like to draw your attention to the information on the use of cookies in this data protection declaration.

Types of data processed: Contract data (e.g. subject matter of the contract, term, customer category); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, time information, identification numbers, consent status).
Affected persons: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing: Affiliate tracking.
Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter a) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter f) GDPR).

Customer reviews and rating processes

We participate in review and rating processes to evaluate, optimize and promote our services. If users rate us via the participating rating platforms or processes or otherwise provide feedback, the general terms and conditions or terms of use and the data protection notices of the providers also apply. As a rule, the rating also requires registration with the respective providers.

In order to ensure that the people providing the reviews have actually used our services, we transmit the necessary data regarding the customer and the service used to the respective review platform (including name, email address and order number or item number) with the customer’s consent. This data is used solely to verify the authenticity of the user.

Types of data processed: Contract data (e.g. subject matter of the contract, term, customer category); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, time information, identification numbers, consent status).
Affected persons: customers; users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing: Feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form). Marketing.
Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Article 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Presences in social networks (social media)

We maintain online presences within social networks and process user data in this context in order to communicate with the users active there or to offer information about us.

We would like to point out that user data may be processed outside the European Union. This may result in risks for users because it could, for example, make it more difficult to enforce users‘ rights.

Furthermore, the data of users within social networks is usually processed for market research and advertising purposes. For example, user profiles can be created based on the user’s usage behavior and the resulting interests. The user profiles can in turn be used, for example, to place advertisements within and outside the networks that presumably correspond to the user’s interests. For these purposes, cookies are usually stored on the user’s computers in which the user’s usage behavior and interests are stored. Furthermore, data can also be stored in the user profiles regardless of the devices used by the user (especially if the users are members of the respective platforms and are logged in to them).

For a detailed description of the respective processing methods and the options for objection (opt-out), please refer to the data protection declarations and information provided by the operators of the respective networks.

In the case of requests for information and the assertion of data subject rights, we would like to point out that these can be asserted most effectively with the providers. Only the providers have access to the user data and can take appropriate measures and provide information directly. If you still need help, you can contact us.

Types of data processed: contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); content data (e.g. entries in online forms); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, time information, identification numbers, consent status).
Affected persons: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing: contact requests and communication; feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form). Marketing.
Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Article 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing procedures, methods and services:

Instagram: social network; service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, Merrion Road, Dublin 4, D04 X2K5, Ireland; legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter f) GDPR); website: https://www.instagram.com ; privacy policy: https://instagram.com/about/legal/privacy . Basis for transfer to third countries: EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF) .
Facebook pages: Profiles within the social network Facebook; Service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, Merrion Road, Dublin 4, D04 X2K5, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.facebook.com ; Privacy policy: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy ; Basis for transfer to third countries: EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF), standard contractual clauses ( https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum ); Further information: We are jointly responsible with Meta Platforms Ireland Limited for the collection (but not the further processing) of data from visitors to our Facebook page (so-called “fan page”). This data includes information about the types of content users view or interact with or the actions they take (see “Things you and others do and provide” in the Facebook Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/policy ), and information about the devices users use (e.g. IP addresses, operating system, browser type, language preferences, cookie data; see “Device Information” in the Facebook Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/policy ). As explained in the Facebook Data Policy under “How do we use this information?”, Facebook also collects and uses information to provide analytics services called “Page Insights” to page operators to help them understand how people interact with their Pages and the content associated with them. We have concluded a special agreement with Facebook (“Information on Page Insights”, https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/page_controller_addendum ), which in particular regulates which security measures Facebook must observe and in which Facebook has agreed to fulfill the rights of those affected (i.e. users can, for example, send information or deletion requests directly to Facebook). The rights of users (in particular to information, deletion, objection and complaint to the responsible supervisory authority) are not restricted by the agreements with Facebook. Further information can be found in the “Information on Page Insights” ( https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/information_about_page_insights_data). The joint controllership is limited to the collection and transmission of data to Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, a company based in the EU. The further processing of the data is the sole responsibility of Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, in particular the transmission of the data to the parent company Meta Platforms, Inc. in the USA.
LinkedIn: Social network; Service provider: LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.linkedin.com ; Privacy policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy ; Basis for transfer to third countries: EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF), standard contractual clauses ( https://legal.linkedin.com/dpa ); Possibility of objection (opt-out): https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out ; Further information: Together with LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, we are responsible for collecting (but not further processing) visitor data for the purposes of creating the “Page Insights” (statistics) of our LinkedIn profiles.
This data includes information about the types of content users view or interact with, or the actions they take, as well as information about the devices users use (e.g. IP addresses, operating system, browser type, language settings, cookie data) and information from users‘ profiles such as job function, country, industry, hierarchy level, company size and employment status. Data protection information on the processing of user data by LinkedIn can be found in LinkedIn’s privacy policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy
We have concluded a special agreement with LinkedIn Ireland („Page Insights Joint Controller Addendum (the ‚Addendum‘)“, https://legal.linkedin.com/pages-joint-controller-addendum ), which regulates in particular which security measures LinkedIn must observe and in which LinkedIn has agreed to fulfill the rights of those affected (i.e. users can, for example, send information or deletion requests directly to LinkedIn). The rights of users (in particular the right to information, deletion, objection and complaint to the responsible supervisory authority) are not restricted by the agreements with LinkedIn. The joint responsibility is limited to the collection of data by and transmission to Ireland Unlimited Company, a company based in the EU. Further processing of the data is the sole responsibility of Ireland Unlimited Company, in particular the transmission of data to the parent company LinkedIn Corporation in the USA.
Pinterest: social network; service provider: Pinterest Europe Limited, 2nd Floor, Palmerston House, Fenian Street, Dublin 2, Ireland; legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter f) GDPR); website: https://www.pinterest.com . Privacy policy: https://policy.pinterest.com/de/privacy-policy .
Snapchat: social network; service provider: Snap Inc., 3000 31st Street, Santa Monica, California 90405 USA; legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter f) GDPR); website: https://www.snapchat.com/ ; privacy policy: https://www.snap.com/de-DE/privacy/privacy-policy . Basis for transfer to third countries: standard contractual clauses ( https://www.snap.com/en-US/terms/standard-contractual-clauses ).
X: Social network; service provider: Twitter International Company, One Cumberland Place, Fenian Street, Dublin 2 D02 AX07, Ireland; legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter f) GDPR). Privacy policy: https://twitter.com/privacy , (Settings: https://twitter.com/personalization ).
Xing: social network; service provider: New Work SE, Am Strandkai 1, 20457 Hamburg, Germany; legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter f) GDPR); website: https://www.xing.com/ . Data protection declaration: https://privacy.xing.com/de/datenschutzerklaerung .

Plugins and embedded functions and content

We incorporate functional and content elements into our online offering that are obtained from the servers of their respective providers (hereinafter referred to as „third-party providers“). These may include, for example, graphics, videos or city maps (hereinafter referred to uniformly as „content“).

The integration always requires that the third-party providers of this content process the IP address of the user, since without the IP address they would not be able to send the content to their browser. The IP address is therefore required to display this content or functions. We endeavor to only use content whose respective providers only use the IP address to deliver the content. Third-party providers can also use so-called pixel tags (invisible graphics, also known as „web beacons“) for statistical or marketing purposes. The „pixel tags“ can be used to evaluate information such as visitor traffic on the pages of this website. The pseudonymous information can also be stored in cookies on the user’s device and can contain, among other things, technical information about the browser and operating system, referring websites, the time of visit and other information about the use of our online offer, as well as be linked to such information from other sources.

Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, time information, identification numbers, consent status); inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); content data (e.g. entries in online forms). Location data (information on the geographical position of a device or person).
Affected persons: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purpose of processing: Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter a) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter f) GDPR).

Further information on processing procedures, methods and services:

Google Fonts (obtained from Google server): Obtaining fonts (and symbols) for the purpose of technically secure, maintenance-free and efficient use of fonts and symbols with regard to timeliness and loading times, their uniform presentation and consideration of possible licensing restrictions. The provider of the fonts is informed of the user’s IP address so that the fonts can be made available in the user’s browser. In addition, technical data (language settings, screen resolution, operating system, hardware used) is transmitted that is necessary for the provision of the fonts depending on the devices used and the technical environment. This data can be processed on a server of the provider of the fonts in the USA – When visiting our online offer, the user’s browser sends their browser HTTP requests to the Google Fonts Web API (i.e. a software interface for retrieving the fonts). The Google Fonts Web API provides users with the Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) from Google Fonts and then the fonts specified in the CCS. These HTTP requests include (1) the IP address used by the user to access the Internet, (2) the requested URL on the Google server, and (3) the HTTP headers, including the user agent describing the browser and operating system versions of website visitors, and the referring URL (i.e., the web page where the Google font should be displayed). IP addresses are neither logged nor stored on Google servers, and they are not analyzed. The Google Fonts Web API logs details of HTTP requests (requested URL, user agent, and referring URL). Access to this data is restricted and strictly controlled. The requested URL identifies the font families for which the user wants to load fonts. This data is logged so that Google can determine how often a particular font family is requested. The Google Fonts Web API requires the user agent to customize the font that is generated for the respective browser type. The user agent is logged primarily for debugging purposes and is used to generate aggregated usage statistics that measure the popularity of font families. These aggregated usage statistics are published on the Google Fonts Analytics page. Finally, the referring URL is logged so that the data can be used for production maintenance and to generate an aggregated report on top integrations based on the number of font requests. Google says it does not use any of the information collected by Google Fonts to build profiles of end users or to target ads; Service providers:Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter f) GDPR); Website: https://fonts.google.com/ ; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy ; Basis for third country transfer: EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF) . Further information: https://developers.google.com/fonts/faq/privacy?hl=de .
Google Maps: We integrate the maps of the “Google Maps” service provided by Google. The data processed may include, in particular, IP addresses and location data of users; Service provider: Google Cloud EMEA Limited, 70 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 Letter a) GDPR); Website: https://mapsplatform.google.com/ ; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy . Basis for transfer to third countries: EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF) .
YouTube videos: video content; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; legal basis: consent (Art. 6 Para. 1 Clause 1 lit. a) GDPR); website: https://www.youtube.com ; privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy ; basis for transfer to third countries: EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF) . Possibility of objection (opt-out): opt-out plug-in: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de , settings for the display of advertisements: https://myadcenter.google.com/personalizationoff .