Privacy Policy

Preamble

With the following privacy policy, we would like to inform you about the types of your personal data (hereinafter also referred to simply as "data") that we process, for what purposes and to what extent. This privacy policy applies to all processing of personal data carried out by us, both in the context of providing our services and, in particular, on our websites, in mobile applications and within external online presences, such as our social media profiles (hereinafter collectively referred to as the "online offering").

The terms used are gender-neutral.

Version: 9 April 2026

Preamble
Controller
Overview of Processing Activities
Applicable Legal Bases
Security Measures
Transfer of Personal Data
International Data Transfers
General Information on Data Storage and Deletion
Rights of Data Subjects
Business Services
Business Processes and Procedures
Use of Online Platforms for Offering and Sales Purposes
Providers and Services Used in the Course of Business Activities
Payment Procedures
Provision of the Online Offering and Web Hosting
Use of Cookies
Contact and Inquiry Management
Communication via Messenger
Newsletters and Electronic Notifications
Promotional Communication via Email, Post, Fax or Telephone
Web Analytics, Monitoring and Optimization
Online Marketing
Customer Reviews and Rating Procedures
Presences on Social Networks (Social Media)
Plug-ins and Embedded Functions and Content
Amendment and Update
Definitions of Terms

Controller

Müller und Sarikaya, FeGo Arts GbR
Buxtehuder Straße 29
21073 Hamburg
Germany

Authorized representatives: Patrick Müller, Taner Sarikaya

Email address: info@paneldesign24.de

Legal notice: https://paneldesign24.de/en/information-on/imprint/

Overview of Processing Activities

The following overview summarizes the categories of data processed and the purposes of their processing and refers to the data subjects concerned.

Categories of Data Subjects

Service recipients and clients.
Interested parties.
Communication partners.
Users.
Business and contractual partners.
Third parties.
Customers.

Purposes of Processing

Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations.
Communication.
Security measures.
Direct marketing.
Reach measurement.
Tracking.
Office and organizational procedures.
Remarketing.
Conversion measurement.
Click tracking.
Audience building.
Organizational and administrative procedures.
Feedback.
Marketing.
Profiles with user-related information.
Cross-device tracking.
Provision of our online offering and user-friendliness.
Information technology infrastructure.
Financial and payment management.
Sales promotion.
Business processes and business management procedures.

Applicable Legal Bases

Applicable legal bases under the GDPR: Below you will find an overview of the legal bases of the GDPR on which we process personal data. Please note that, in addition to the provisions of the GDPR, national data protection rules may apply in your or our country of residence or establishment. If more specific legal bases are relevant in individual cases, we will inform you of them in this privacy policy.

Consent (Art. 6(1) sentence 1 lit. a GDPR) - The data subject has given consent to the processing of personal data concerning them for one or more specific purposes.
Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6(1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR) - Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party or in order to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract.
Legal obligation (Art. 6(1) sentence 1 lit. c GDPR) - Processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject.
Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR) - processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the controller or by a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests, fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require protection of personal data.

National data protection rules in Germany: In addition to the data protection rules of the GDPR, national data protection rules apply in Germany. These include, in particular, the Federal Data Protection Act (Bundesdatenschutzgesetz – BDSG). The BDSG contains specific provisions in particular on the right of access, the right to erasure, the right to object, the processing of special categories of personal data, processing for other purposes, disclosure, and automated decision-making in individual cases including profiling. In addition, the data protection laws of the individual German federal states may apply.

Applicable legal bases under Swiss data protection law: If you are located in Switzerland, we process your data on the basis of the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection ("Swiss FADP"). Unlike, for example, the GDPR, the Swiss FADP generally does not require that a legal basis for the processing of personal data be stated; rather, the processing of personal data must be carried out in good faith, lawfully and proportionately (Art. 6(1) and (2) Swiss FADP). In addition, we collect personal data only for a specific purpose that is recognizable to the data subject and process it only in a manner compatible with that purpose (Art. 6(3) Swiss FADP).

Note on the applicability of the GDPR and the Swiss FADP: These data protection notices serve both to provide information under the Swiss FADP and under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). For this reason, please note that, due to the broader territorial scope and easier understandability, the terms of the GDPR are used. In particular, instead of the terms used in the Swiss FADP such as "processing" of "personal data," "overriding interest" and "particularly sensitive personal data," the GDPR terms "processing" of "personal data" as well as "legitimate interest" and "special categories of data" are used. However, the legal meaning of the terms continues to be determined under the Swiss FADP insofar as the Swiss FADP applies.

Security Measures

In accordance with the legal requirements and 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 extent of the threat to the rights and freedoms of natural persons, we implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure a level of protection appropriate to the risk.

These measures include, in particular, safeguarding the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data by controlling physical and electronic access to the data, as well as access, input, disclosure, safeguarding of availability and separation of the data. Furthermore, we have established procedures to ensure the exercise of data subject rights, the deletion of data, and responses to data risks. We also take the protection of personal data into account as early as the development or selection of hardware, software and procedures, in accordance with the principle of data protection by design and by default.

Protection of online connections through TLS/SSL encryption technology (HTTPS): In order to protect users’ data transmitted via our online services against unauthorized access, we use TLS/SSL encryption technology. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) are the cornerstones of secure data transmission on the internet. These technologies encrypt the information transmitted between the website or app and the user’s browser (or between two servers), thereby protecting the data against unauthorized access. TLS, as the more advanced and secure version of SSL, ensures that all data transmissions meet the highest security standards. If a website is secured by an SSL/TLS certificate, this is indicated by the display of HTTPS in the URL. This serves as an indicator for users that their data is transmitted securely and in encrypted form.

Transfer of Personal Data

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

Data transfer within the corporate group: We may transfer personal data to other companies within our corporate group or grant them access to such data. This disclosure of data takes place on the basis of our legitimate entrepreneurial and business management interests. These include, for example, improving business processes, ensuring efficient and effective internal communication, optimizing the use of our human and technological resources, and enabling informed business decisions. In certain cases, the disclosure of data may also be necessary in order to fulfill our contractual obligations, or it may be based on the consent of the data subjects or a legal authorization.

International Data Transfers

Data processing in third countries: If we transfer data to a third country (i.e. outside the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA)), or if this occurs in the context of using third-party services or the disclosure or transfer of data to other persons, bodies or companies (which can be recognized from the postal address of the respective provider or if the privacy policy expressly refers to the transfer of data to third countries), this is always done in accordance with the legal requirements.

For data transfers to the United States, we rely primarily on the Data Privacy Framework (DPF), which has been recognized as a secure legal framework by an adequacy decision of the European Commission dated 10 July 2023. In addition, we have concluded standard contractual clauses with the respective providers that comply with the requirements of the European Commission and establish contractual obligations to protect your data.

This dual safeguard ensures comprehensive protection for your data: the DPF forms the primary layer of protection, while the standard contractual clauses serve as an additional safeguard. Should there be any changes within the DPF framework, the standard contractual clauses function as a reliable fallback option. This ensures that your data remains adequately protected at all times, even in the event of political or legal changes.

For each individual service provider, we inform you whether they are certified under the DPF and whether standard contractual clauses are in place. Further information on the DPF and a list of certified companies can be found on the website of the U.S. Department of Commerce at https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/ (in English).

For data transfers to other third countries, corresponding safeguards apply, in particular standard contractual clauses, explicit consent or legally required transfers. Information on third-country transfers and applicable adequacy decisions can be found in the information provided by the European Commission: https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection_en?prefLang=de.

Disclosure of personal data abroad: In accordance with the Swiss FADP, we disclose personal data abroad only if adequate protection of the persons concerned is ensured (Art. 16 Swiss FADP). Unless the Federal Council has determined that adequate protection exists (list: https://www.bj.admin.ch/bj/de/home/staat/datenschutz/internationales/anerkennung-staaten.html), we implement alternative safeguards.

For data transfers to the United States, we rely primarily on the Data Privacy Framework (DPF), which has been recognized as a secure legal framework by an adequacy decision of Switzerland dated 15 September 2024. In addition, we have concluded standard data protection clauses with the respective providers that have been approved by the Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) and establish contractual obligations to protect your data.

This dual safeguard ensures comprehensive protection for your data: the DPF forms the primary layer of protection, while the standard data protection clauses serve as an additional safeguard. Should there be any changes within the DPF framework, the standard data protection clauses function as a reliable fallback option. This ensures that your data remains adequately protected at all times, even in the event of political or legal changes.

For each individual service provider, we inform you whether they are certified under the DPF and whether standard data protection clauses are in place. The list of certified companies and further information on the DPF can be found on the website of the U.S. Department of Commerce at https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/ (in English).

For data transfers to other third countries, corresponding safeguards apply, including international treaties, specific guarantees, standard data protection clauses approved by the FDPIC, or internal data protection rules recognized in advance by the FDPIC or a competent data protection authority of another country.

General Information on Data Storage and Deletion

We delete personal data that we process in accordance with the legal provisions as soon as the underlying consents are withdrawn or there is no other legal basis for the processing. This applies to cases in which the original purpose of processing no longer applies or the data is no longer required. Exceptions to this rule exist if legal obligations or special interests require longer retention or archiving of the data.

In particular, data that must be retained for reasons of commercial or tax law, or whose storage is necessary for legal prosecution or to protect the rights of other natural or legal persons, must be archived accordingly.

Our privacy notices contain additional information on the retention and deletion of data that applies specifically to certain processing operations.

If several retention periods or deletion deadlines are stated for a particular item of data, the longest period always applies. Data that is no longer required for the originally intended purpose but is retained due to legal requirements or other reasons will only be processed for the reasons that justify its retention.

Retention and deletion of data: The following general periods apply to retention and archiving under German law:

10 years - retention period for books and records, annual financial statements, inventories, management reports, opening balance sheets, as well as the work instructions and other organizational documents required to understand them (§ 147 para. 1 no. 1 in conjunction with para. 3 AO, § 14b para. 1 UStG, § 257 para. 1 no. 1 in conjunction with para. 4 HGB).
8 years - accounting documents, such as invoices and expense receipts (§ 147 para. 1 no. 4 and 4a in conjunction with para. 3 sentence 1 AO and § 257 para. 1 no. 4 in conjunction with para. 4 HGB).
6 years - other business documents: received commercial or business letters, reproductions of sent commercial or business letters, and other documents insofar as they are relevant for taxation, e.g. wage slips, cost accounting sheets, calculation documents, price labels, but also payroll documents insofar as they are not already accounting documents, and cash register receipts (§ 147 para. 1 no. 2, 3, 5 in conjunction with para. 3 AO, § 257 para. 1 no. 2 and 3 in conjunction with para. 4 HGB).
3 years - data required to take into account potential warranty and damages claims or similar contractual claims and rights and to process related inquiries are stored for the duration of the regular statutory limitation period of three years, based on previous business experience and customary industry practice (§§ 195, 199 BGB).

Retention and deletion of data: The following general periods apply to retention and archiving under Swiss law:

10 years - retention period for books and records, annual financial statements, inventories, management reports, opening balance sheets, accounting documents and invoices, as well as all necessary work instructions and other organizational documents (Art. 958f of the Swiss Code of Obligations (CO)).
10 years - data required to take into account potential damages claims or similar contractual claims and rights, as well as to process related inquiries, based on previous business experience and customary industry practice, are stored for the duration of the statutory limitation period of ten years, unless a shorter period of five years applies in specific cases (Art. 127, 130 CO). After five years, claims for rent, lease and capital interest as well as other recurring services, for the supply of food, for board and lodging and tavern debts, as well as from craft work, small-scale sale of goods, medical treatment, professional work of lawyers, legal agents, proctors and notaries, and from employment relationships of employees become time-barred (Art. 128 CO).

Period begins at the end of the year: If a period does not expressly begin on a specific date and lasts at least one year, it automatically begins at the end of the calendar year in which the event triggering the period occurred. In the case of ongoing contractual relationships in which data is stored, the event triggering the period is the time when the termination or other ending of the legal relationship becomes effective.

Rights of Data Subjects

Rights of data subjects under the GDPR: As a data subject, you have various rights under the GDPR, which arise in particular from Articles 15 to 21 GDPR:

Right to object: You have the right, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you which is based on Art. 6(1) lit. e or f GDPR; this also applies to profiling based on those provisions. Where personal data concerning you is processed for direct marketing purposes, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you for such marketing, which includes profiling to the extent that it is related to such direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent: You have the right to withdraw consent granted at any time.
Right of access: You have the right to request confirmation as to whether relevant data is being processed and to obtain access to this data as well as further information and a copy of the data in accordance with the statutory requirements.
Right to rectification: In accordance with the statutory requirements, you have the right to request completion of the data concerning you or correction of inaccurate data concerning you.
Right to erasure and restriction of processing: In accordance with the statutory requirements, you have the right to request that data concerning you be erased without undue delay or, alternatively, to request restriction of processing of the data in accordance with the statutory requirements.
Right to data portability: You have the right to receive the data concerning you that you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format in accordance with the statutory requirements, or to request its transmission to another controller.
Complaint to a supervisory authority: In accordance with the statutory requirements and without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, your place of work or the place of the alleged infringement, if you consider that the processing of personal data concerning you infringes the GDPR.

Rights of data subjects under the Swiss FADP:

As a data subject, you have the following rights under the Swiss FADP, subject to the statutory provisions:

Right of access: You have the right to request confirmation as to whether personal data concerning you is being processed and to receive the information required to enable you to exercise your rights under this law and to ensure transparent data processing.
Right to data release or transfer: You have the right to request the release of the personal data that you have disclosed to us in a commonly used electronic format.
Right to rectification: You have the right to request the correction 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.

Business Services

We process the personal data of our contractual and business partners, such as customers, clients, interested parties, suppliers and other cooperation partners (collectively “contractual partners”), for the initiation, performance and handling of contractual relationships and comparable legal relationships. This also includes pre-contractual measures carried out upon request, as well as communication in connection with the respective contractual relationship.

The processing serves in particular to fulfill our contractual main and secondary obligations. This includes providing the agreed services, any update and information obligations, handling warranty claims and other performance disruptions, processing revocations, terminations of continuing obligations, reversals, refunds, and handling other contract-related declarations and inquiries. This includes both one-off contracts and ongoing contractual relationships.

In particular, we process master data such as name, address and, where applicable, company name, contact data such as email address and telephone number, contract and service data such as the subject matter of the contract, contract term, order or transaction number, usage and service data, payment and billing data, as well as communication content and histories. Where necessary, we also process data that are disclosed or transmitted to us in the context of carrying out an order.

In addition, we process data in order to protect our rights and to fulfill legal obligations. This includes, in particular, retention obligations under commercial and tax law, documentation obligations and, where applicable, obligations to provide proof and accountability. Processing also takes place on the basis of our legitimate interests in proper corporate governance, internal administration, risk management and IT security, as well as in protecting our business operations and our contractual partners against misuse, threats to data, secrets and other legal interests. This may also include the involvement of external service providers such as IT and telecommunications providers, transport and logistics companies, payment service providers, banks, tax and legal advisers or other agents, insofar as this is necessary for the performance of the contract or to fulfill legal obligations.

Personal data are disclosed to third parties only insofar as this is necessary for the performance of the contract, the implementation of pre-contractual measures, the safeguarding of legitimate interests, or the fulfillment of legal obligations. We provide separate information on any processing beyond this, in particular for marketing purposes, within the framework of this privacy policy.

We inform contractual partners, within the scope of data collection, which data are required in each individual case, for example in online forms by means of corresponding marking or during personal contact.

Data are deleted as soon as they are no longer required for the above-mentioned purposes and no statutory retention obligations prevent deletion. Statutory retention periods, in particular under commercial and tax law, may require longer storage. Data transmitted in connection with a specific order are deleted after completion of the order and expiry of any retention periods, unless further statutory or contractual storage obligations exist.

The legal basis for processing is Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR for carrying out pre-contractual measures and for the performance of the respective contractual relationship, as well as Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. c GDPR for complying with legal obligations. Where processing is based on legitimate interests, it takes place on the basis of Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR. Insofar as processing is based on Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR, it is carried out to safeguard our legitimate interests in proper and efficient business organization, internal administration and documentation of business transactions, the assertion and defense of legal claims, ensuring IT and data security, preventing misuse and fraud, and the economic management and further development of our business operations. These interests consist in particular in ensuring secure and legally compliant business operations and safeguarding our entrepreneurial freedom to act.

Categories of processed data: Inventory data (e.g. full name, residential address, contact information, customer number, etc.); payment data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history); contact data (e.g. postal and email addresses or telephone numbers); contract data (e.g. subject matter of the contract, term, customer category); usage data (e.g. page views and dwell time, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, persons involved).
Data subjects: Service recipients and clients; interested parties; business and contractual partners.
Purposes of processing and legitimate interests: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations; security measures; communication; office and organizational procedures; organizational and administrative procedures; business processes and commercial procedures.
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section “General Information on Data Storage and Deletion”.
Legal bases: Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR); legal obligation (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. c GDPR); legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

Online shop, order forms, e-commerce and performance of services: We process our customers’ data in order to enable them to select, purchase or order the chosen products, goods and related services, as well as to pay for and receive, or have them delivered or performed. Insofar as required for the execution of an order, we use service providers, in particular postal, freight forwarding and shipping companies, in order to carry out delivery or performance vis-à-vis our customers. For handling payment transactions, we use the services of banks and payment service providers. The required information is marked as such within the order or comparable purchase process and includes the information required for delivery or provision and invoicing, as well as contact information in order to be able to contact customers if necessary; Legal bases: Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR).

Business Processes and Procedures

Personal data of service recipients and clients – including customers, clients or, in special cases, principals, patients or business partners as well as other third parties – are processed within the framework of contractual and comparable legal relationships and pre-contractual measures such as the initiation of business relationships. This data processing supports and facilitates business processes in areas such as customer management, sales, payment transactions, accounting and project management.

The data collected serve to fulfill contractual obligations and to make operational processes efficient. This includes the handling of business transactions, the management of customer relationships, the optimization of sales strategies and the assurance of internal accounting and financial processes. In addition, the data support the protection of the controller’s rights and promote administrative tasks and the organization of the company.

Personal data may be disclosed to third parties if this is necessary for the fulfillment of the aforementioned purposes or legal obligations. After expiry of statutory retention periods, or when the purpose of processing no longer applies, the data will be deleted. This also includes data that must be stored for longer due to tax-law or legal evidentiary obligations.

Categories of processed data: Inventory data (e.g. full name, residential address, contact information, customer number, etc.); payment data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history); contact data (e.g. postal and email addresses or telephone numbers); content data (e.g. textual or visual messages and contributions and the information relating to them, such as information on authorship or time of creation); contract data (e.g. subject matter of the contract, term, customer category); usage data (e.g. page views and dwell time, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, persons involved); log data (e.g. log files concerning logins or the retrieval of data or access times); employee data (information on employees and other persons in an employment relationship).
Data subjects: Service recipients and clients; interested parties; communication partners; business and contractual partners; customers; third parties; users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services); employees (e.g. staff, applicants, temporary workers and comparable persons).
Purposes of processing and legitimate interests: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations; communication; office and organizational procedures; organizational and administrative procedures; business processes and commercial procedures.
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section “General Information on Data Storage and Deletion”.
Legal bases: Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR); legal obligation (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. c GDPR); legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

Customer account: Customers may create an account within our online offering. If registration of a customer account is required, customers are informed accordingly, as well as of the information required for registration. Customer accounts are not public and cannot be indexed by search engines. Within the scope of registration and subsequent logins and use of the customer account, we store customers’ IP addresses together with the respective access times in order to be able to prove registration and to prevent any misuse of the customer account. If customers have terminated their customer account, the data relating to the customer account will be deleted after the date of termination, unless they must be retained for purposes other than making the customer account available or for legal reasons (e.g. internal storage of customer data, order processes or invoices). It is the responsibility of customers to back up their data when the customer account is terminated; Legal bases: Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR); legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR).
Economic analyses and market research: For business reasons and in order to identify market trends, wishes of contractual partners and users, we analyze the data available to us on business transactions, contracts, inquiries, etc.; the group of data subjects may include contractual partners, interested parties, customers, visitors and users of our online offering. The analyses are carried out for the purpose of business evaluations, marketing and market research (e.g. to identify customer groups with different characteristics). Where available, we may take into account profiles of registered users including their details, for example regarding services used. The analyses serve us alone and are not disclosed externally, unless they are anonymous analyses with summarized, i.e. anonymized, values. In addition, we take account of users’ privacy and process the data for analysis purposes in pseudonymized form wherever possible and, where feasible, anonymously (e.g. as summarized data); Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR).
Store and e-commerce software: Processing of the inventory, contract and usage data of our customers for the purpose of providing ordering processes, carrying out sales and invoicing, and delivering goods and services; Legal bases: Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR); legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR).

Use of Online Platforms for Offering and Sales Purposes

We offer our services on online platforms operated by other service providers. In this context, in addition to our privacy notices, the privacy notices of the respective platform also apply. This applies in particular with regard to the execution of payment processes and the procedures used on the platforms for reach measurement and interest-based marketing.

Categories of processed data: Inventory data (e.g. full name, residential address, contact information, customer number, etc.); payment data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history); contact data (e.g. postal and email addresses or telephone numbers); contract data (e.g. subject matter of the contract, term, customer category); usage data (e.g. page views and dwell time, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, persons involved).
Data subjects: Service recipients and clients; business and contractual partners; interested parties.
Purposes of processing and legitimate interests: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations; marketing; business processes and commercial procedures; conversion measurement (measurement of the effectiveness of marketing measures); provision of our online offering and user-friendliness.
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section “General Information on Data Storage and Deletion”.
Legal bases: Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR); legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

Shopware: Online shop software / e-commerce platform; service provider: shopware AG, Ebbinghoff 10, 48624 Schöppingen, Germany; Legal bases: Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR); legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR). Website: https://shopware.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.shopware.com/en/privacy/; Order processing agreement: Provided by the service provider.

Providers and Services Used in the Course of Business Activities

In the course of our business activities, we use additional services, platforms, interfaces or plug-ins from third-party providers (collectively “services”) in compliance with legal requirements. Their use is based on our interests in the proper, lawful and economical management of our business operations and our internal organization.

Categories of processed data: Inventory data (e.g. full name, residential address, contact information, customer number, etc.); payment data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history); contact data (e.g. postal and email addresses or telephone numbers); content data (e.g. textual or visual messages and contributions and information relating to them, such as information on authorship or time of creation); contract data (e.g. subject matter of the contract, term, customer category); usage data (e.g. page views and dwell time, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, persons involved).
Data subjects: Service recipients and clients; interested parties; business and contractual partners; communication partners.
Purposes of processing and legitimate interests: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations; office and organizational procedures; business processes and commercial procedures; direct marketing (e.g. by email or post); reach measurement (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors).
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section “General Information on Data Storage and Deletion”.
Legal bases: Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR); legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

Google Workspace: Software for word processing, spreadsheets and email and file sharing; service provider: Google Cloud EMEA Limited, 70 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR). Website: https://workspace.google.com/; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Basis for third-country transfers: EU/EEA – Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Switzerland – Data Privacy Framework (DPF); Order processing agreement: https://cloud.google.com/terms/data-processing-addendum.
Microsoft 365: Software for word processing, spreadsheets and email and file sharing; service provider: Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited, One Microsoft Place, South County Business Park, Leopardstown, Dublin 18, Ireland; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR). Website: https://microsoft.com/microsoft-365; Privacy Policy: https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/privacystatement; Basis for third-country transfers: EU/EEA – Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Switzerland – Data Privacy Framework (DPF); Order processing agreement: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/compliance/regulatory/offering-eu-model-clauses.

Payment Procedures

Within the framework of contractual and other legal relationships, due to legal obligations or otherwise on the basis of our legitimate interests, we offer data subjects efficient and secure payment options and for this purpose use banks and credit institutions as well as additional service providers (collectively “payment service providers”). Payment transactions are carried out exclusively via encrypted connections in accordance with the state of the art so that the data entered are protected against unauthorized access during transmission.

The data processed by the payment service providers include inventory data, such as name and address, bank data, such as account numbers or credit card numbers, passwords, TANs and checksums, as well as contract, total amount and recipient-related information. The information is necessary in order to carry out the transactions. However, the entered data are processed and stored only by the payment service providers. This means that we do not receive any account- or credit card-related information, but only information confirming or denying payment. Under certain circumstances, the payment service providers may transmit the data to credit agencies. This transmission serves the purpose of identity and creditworthiness checks. In this regard, we refer to the payment service providers’ terms and conditions and privacy notices.

The terms and conditions and privacy notices of the respective payment service providers apply to payment transactions and can be accessed within the respective websites or transaction applications. We also refer to these for further information and for the assertion of rights of revocation, access and other rights of the data subjects.

Categories of processed data: Inventory data (e.g. full name, residential address, contact information, customer number, etc.); payment data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history); contract data (e.g. subject matter of the contract, term, customer category); usage data (e.g. page views and dwell time, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, persons involved).
Data subjects: Customers; interested parties; service recipients and clients.
Purposes of processing and legitimate interests: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations; business processes and commercial procedures.
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section “General Information on Data Storage and Deletion”.
Legal bases: Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR); legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

American Express: Payment services (technical connection of online payment methods); service provider: American Express Europe S.A. (Germany branch), Theodor-Heuss-Allee 112, 60486 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Legal bases: Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR); Website: https://www.americanexpress.com/de/; Privacy Policy: https://www.americanexpress.com/de-de/firma/legal/datenschutz-center/online-datenschutzerklarung/.
Apple Pay: Payment services (technical connection of online payment methods); service provider: Apple Inc., Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014, USA; Legal bases: Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR); Website: https://www.apple.com/de/apple-pay/; Privacy Policy: https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/de-ww/.
Google Pay: Payment services (technical connection of online payment methods); service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal bases: Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR); Website: https://pay.google.com/intl/de_de/about/; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy.
Klarna: Payment services (technical connection of online payment methods); service provider: Klarna Bank AB (publ), Sveavägen 46, 111 34 Stockholm, Sweden; Legal bases: Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR); Website: https://www.klarna.com/de; Privacy Policy: https://www.klarna.com/de/datenschutz.
Mastercard: Payment services (technical connection of online payment methods); service provider: Mastercard Europe SA, Chaussée de Tervuren 198A, B-1410 Waterloo, Belgium; Legal bases: Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR); Website: https://www.mastercard.de/de-de.html; Privacy Policy: https://www.mastercard.de/de-de/datenschutz.html.
PayPal: Payment services (technical connection of online payment methods) (e.g. PayPal, PayPal Plus, Braintree); service provider: PayPal (Europe) S.à r.l. et Cie, S.C.A., 22-24 Boulevard Royal, L-2449 Luxembourg; Legal bases: Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR); Website: https://www.paypal.com/de; Privacy Policy: https://www.paypal.com/de/legalhub/paypal/privacy-full.
Stripe: Payment services (technical connection of online payment methods); service provider: Stripe, Inc., 510 Townsend Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA; Legal bases: Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR); Website: https://stripe.com; Privacy Policy: https://stripe.com/de/privacy; Basis for third-country transfers: EU/EEA – Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Switzerland – Data Privacy Framework (DPF).
Visa: Payment services (technical connection of online payment methods); service provider: Visa Europe Services Inc., London Branch, 1 Sheldon Square, London W2 6TT, United Kingdom; Legal bases: Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR); Website: https://www.visa.de; Privacy Policy: https://www.visa.de/nutzungsbedingungen/visa-privacy-center.html.
iDEAL: Payment services (technical connection of online payment methods); service provider: Currence Holding B.V., Beethovenstraat 300, Amsterdam 1077, Netherlands; Legal bases: Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR); Website: https://www.ideal.nl/; Privacy Policy: https://www.ideal.nl/en/disclaimer-privacy-statement/.
EPS (Electronic Payment Standard): Payment services (technical connection of online payment methods); service provider: Studiengesellschaft für Zusammenarbeit im Zahlungsverkehr GmbH, Frankgasse 10/8, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Legal bases: Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR); Website: https://www.eps-ueberweisung.at/; Privacy Policy: https://www.eps-ueberweisung.at/de/datenschutzerklaerung.

Provision of the Online Offering and Web Hosting

We process users’ data in order to provide them with our online offering. For this purpose, we process the users’ IP address, which is necessary in order to transmit the contents and functions of our online offering to the users’ browser or end device.

Categories of processed data: Usage data (e.g. page views and dwell time, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, persons involved); log data (e.g. log files concerning logins or the retrieval of data or access times).
Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing and legitimate interests: Provision of our online offering and user-friendliness; information technology infrastructure (operation and provision of information systems and technical devices, such as computers, servers, etc.); security measures.
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section “General Information on Data Storage and Deletion”.
Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

Provision of online offering on rented storage space: To provide our online offering, we use storage space, computing capacity and software that we rent or otherwise obtain from a corresponding server provider (also called a “web host”); Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR).
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 may include the address and name of the accessed web pages and files, date and time of access, data volumes transferred, notification of successful retrieval, 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 may be used, on the one hand, for security purposes, e.g. to avoid server overloads (especially in the case of abusive attacks, so-called DDoS attacks), and, on the other hand, to ensure server utilization and stability; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR).
Email dispatch and hosting: The web hosting services we use also include the dispatch, receipt and storage of emails. For these purposes, the addresses of recipients and senders as well as other information concerning email dispatch (e.g. the providers involved) and the contents of the respective emails are processed. The aforementioned data may also be processed for the purposes of detecting SPAM. Please note that emails on the internet are generally not sent in encrypted form. As a rule, emails are encrypted during transport, but – unless an end-to-end encryption method is used – not on the servers from which they are sent and received. We therefore cannot assume responsibility for the transmission path of emails between the sender and receipt on our server; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR).
TimmeHosting: Services in the field of providing information technology infrastructure and related services (e.g. storage space and/or computing capacities); service provider: Timme Hosting GmbH & Co. KG, Ovelgönner Weg 43, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR). Website: https://timmehosting.de; Privacy Policy: https://timmehosting.de/datenschutz; Order processing agreement: Provided by the service provider.

Use of Cookies

The term “cookies” refers to functions that store information on users’ end devices and read it from them. Cookies may also be used for various purposes, for example for the functionality, security and convenience of online offerings as well as for creating analyses of visitor flows. We use cookies in accordance with the legal provisions. Where required, we obtain users’ consent in advance. If consent is not required, we rely on our legitimate interests. This applies where storing and reading information is indispensable in order to provide explicitly requested content and functions. This includes, for example, storing settings and ensuring the functionality and security of our online offering. Consent can be withdrawn at any time. We clearly inform about the scope of consent and which cookies are used.

Notes on legal bases under data protection law: Whether we process personal data with the help of cookies depends on consent. Where consent exists, it serves as the legal basis. Without consent, we rely on our legitimate interests, which are explained above in this section and in the context of the respective services and procedures.

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

Temporary cookies (also: session cookies): Temporary cookies are deleted no later than after a user has left an online offering and closed their end device (e.g. browser or mobile application).
Permanent cookies: Permanent cookies remain stored even after the end device has been closed. For example, the login status can be saved and preferred content can be displayed directly when the user visits a website again. Likewise, the user data collected by means of cookies can be used for reach measurement. Unless we provide users with explicit information on the type and storage duration of cookies (e.g. when obtaining consent), users should assume that cookies are permanent and that the storage duration can be up to two years.

General information on withdrawal and objection (opt-out): Users can withdraw the consent they have given at any time and can also object to processing in accordance with the legal requirements, including by means of the privacy settings of their browser.

Categories of processed data: Meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, persons involved); usage data (e.g. page views and dwell time, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions).
Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR); consent (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. a GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

Processing of cookie data on the basis of consent: We use a consent management solution in which users’ consent to the use of cookies, or to the procedures and providers mentioned in the consent management solution, is obtained. This procedure serves to obtain, log, manage and revoke consent, in particular with regard to the use of cookies and comparable technologies that are used to store, read and process information on users’ end devices. Within the scope of this procedure, the users’ consents are obtained for the use of cookies and the associated processing of information, including the specific processing operations and providers named in the consent management procedure. Users also have the option of managing and withdrawing their consents. The declarations of consent are stored in order to avoid repeated requests and in order to be able to prove consent in accordance with legal requirements. Storage takes place server-side and/or in a cookie (so-called opt-in cookie) or by means of comparable technologies in order to be able to assign consent to a specific user or their device. Unless no specific information is available about the providers of consent management services, the following general information applies: The duration of storage of the consent is up to two years. A pseudonymous user identifier is created and stored together with the time of consent, details on the scope of consent (e.g. the relevant categories of cookies and/or service providers) and information about the browser, the system and the end device used; Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. a GDPR).

Contact and Inquiry Management

When contacting us (e.g. by post, contact form, email, telephone or via social media) as well as within the framework of existing user and business relationships, the information of the requesting persons is processed insofar as this is necessary to answer the contact inquiries and any requested measures.

Categories of processed data: Inventory data (e.g. full name, residential address, contact information, customer number, etc.); contact data (e.g. postal and email addresses or telephone numbers); content data (e.g. textual or visual messages and contributions and the information relating to them, such as information on authorship or time of creation); usage data (e.g. page views and dwell time, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, persons involved).
Data subjects: Communication partners.
Purposes of processing and legitimate interests: Communication; office and organizational procedures; organizational and administrative procedures; feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form); provision of our online offering and user-friendliness.
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section “General Information on Data Storage and Deletion”.
Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR); performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

Contact form: When contacting us via our contact form, by email or other means of communication, we process the personal data transmitted to us in order to answer and handle the respective concern. This generally includes details such as name, contact information and, where applicable, further information communicated to us and necessary for appropriate processing. We use these data exclusively for the stated purpose of contact and communication; Legal bases: Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR), legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR).

Communication via Messenger

We use messenger services for communication purposes and therefore ask you to observe the following notes on the functionality of messenger services, encryption, the use of communication metadata and your options to object.

You can also contact us by alternative means, e.g. by telephone or email. Please use the contact options communicated to you or the contact options specified within our online offering.

In the case of end-to-end encryption of content (i.e. the contents of your message and attachments), we point out that the communication contents (i.e. the content of the message and attached images) are encrypted end-to-end. This means that the content of the messages cannot be viewed, not even by the messenger providers themselves. You should therefore always use an up-to-date version of the messenger service with activated encryption so that the encryption of the message contents is ensured.

However, we also point out to our communication partners that although the messenger providers cannot see the content, they can find out that and when communication partners communicate with us and may also process technical information on the communication partner’s device used and, depending on their device settings, location information (so-called metadata).

Notes on legal bases: If we ask communication partners for permission before communicating with them via messenger, the legal basis for our processing of their data is their consent. Otherwise, if we do not request consent and they contact us on their own initiative, for example, we use messenger services in relation to our contractual partners and in the context of contract initiation as a contractual measure and, in the case of other interested parties and communication partners, on the basis of our legitimate interests in fast and efficient communication and in meeting the needs of our communication partners for communication via messenger. We would also like to point out that we do not transmit the contact details provided to us to the messenger services for the first time without your consent.

Withdrawal, objection and deletion: You can withdraw any consent given at any time and object to communication with us via messenger at any time. In the case of communication via messenger, we delete messages in accordance with our general deletion policy (i.e. as described above, for example after the end of contractual relationships, in the context of archiving obligations, etc.) and otherwise as soon as we can assume that we have answered any information provided by the communication partners, if no reference to a previous conversation is to be expected and no legal retention obligations prevent deletion.

Reservation of reference to other communication channels: Finally, we would like to point out that, for your own safety, we reserve the right not to answer inquiries via messenger. This is the case, for example, if contract details require special confidentiality or if a reply via messenger does not meet formal requirements. In such cases, we will refer you to more appropriate communication channels.

Categories of processed data: Contact data (e.g. postal and email addresses or telephone numbers); content data (e.g. textual or visual messages and contributions and information relating to them, such as information on authorship or time of creation); usage data (e.g. page views and dwell time, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, persons involved).
Data subjects: Communication partners.
Purposes of processing and legitimate interests: Communication; direct marketing (e.g. by email or post).
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section “General Information on Data Storage and Deletion”.
Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. a GDPR); legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR); performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

WhatsApp: Messenger service; service provider: WhatsApp Ireland Limited, Merrion Road, Dublin 4, D04 X2K5, Ireland; Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. a GDPR), legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR), performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. b GDPR). Website: https://www.whatsapp.com/; Privacy Policy: https://www.whatsapp.com/legal; Basis for third-country transfers: EU/EEA – Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Switzerland – Data Privacy Framework (DPF).

Newsletters and Electronic Notifications

We send newsletters, emails and other electronic notifications (hereinafter “newsletters”) only with the consent of the recipients or on the basis of a legal permission. Insofar as the contents of the newsletters are specifically described when registering for the newsletter, they are decisive for the users’ consent. Apart from that, our newsletters contain information about our services and us.

To subscribe to our newsletters, 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 details if these are necessary for the purposes of the newsletter.

Double opt-in procedure: Registration for our newsletter is generally 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 nobody can register with third-party email addresses. Newsletter registrations 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 dispatch service provider are also logged.

Deletion and restriction of processing: We may store unsubscribed email addresses for up to three years on the basis of our legitimate interests before deleting them, in order to be able to prove that consent was previously given. Processing of these data is limited to the purpose of possibly defending against claims. An individual request for deletion is possible at any time, provided that the former existence of consent is confirmed at the same time. In the event of obligations to permanently observe objections, we reserve the right to store the email address in a blocklist (so-called “blocklist”) 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 properly. Insofar as we commission a service provider with the dispatch of emails, this is done on the basis of our legitimate interests in an efficient and secure dispatch system.

Notes on legal bases: Newsletters are sent on the basis of the recipients’ consent or, if consent is not required, on the basis of our legitimate interests in direct marketing, provided and insofar as this is permitted by law, e.g. in the case of advertising to existing customers. Insofar as we commission a service provider to send emails, this is done on the basis of our legitimate interests. The registration procedure is logged on the basis of our legitimate interests in order to prove that it was carried out in accordance with the law.

Contents: Information about us, our services, promotions and offers.

Categories of processed data: Inventory data (e.g. full name, residential address, contact information, customer number, etc.); contact data (e.g. postal and email addresses or telephone numbers); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, persons involved); usage data (e.g. page views and dwell time, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions).
Data subjects: Communication partners.
Purposes of processing and legitimate interests: Direct marketing (e.g. by email or post).
Storage and deletion: 3 years – on the basis of our legitimate interests we may store unsubscribed email addresses for up to three years in order to be able to prove that consent was previously given.
Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. a GDPR); legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

Measurement of opening and click rates: The newsletters contain a so-called “web beacon”, i.e. a pixel-sized file, which is retrieved from our server or, if we use a dispatch service provider, from its server when the newsletter is opened. In the context 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, is initially collected. This information is used to technically improve our newsletter on the basis of technical data or the target groups and their reading behavior on the basis of their retrieval locations (which can be determined with the help of the IP address) or access times. This analysis also includes determining whether the newsletters are opened, when they are opened and which links are clicked. For technical reasons, this information can in principle be assigned to the individual newsletter recipients. However, neither it is our endeavor nor, if used, that of the dispatch service provider to observe individual users. Rather, the evaluations serve us to recognize the reading habits of our users and to adapt our content to them or to send different content according to the interests of our users. The evaluation of the newsletter and success measurement take place, subject to the express consent of the users, on the basis of our legitimate interests for the purpose of using a user-friendly and secure newsletter system that serves both our business interests and the expectations of the users. A separate withdrawal of the success measurement is unfortunately not possible; in this case, the entire newsletter subscription must be canceled or objected to.

Promotional Communication via Email, Post, Fax or Telephone

We process personal data for the purposes of promotional communication, which may take place via various channels, such as email, telephone, post or fax, in accordance with the legal requirements.

Recipients have the right to withdraw consent given at any time or to object to promotional communication at any time.

After withdrawal or objection, we store the data necessary to prove previous authorization to contact or send communication for up to three years after the end of the year in which the withdrawal or objection was declared, on the basis of our legitimate interests. Processing of these data is limited to the purpose of possibly defending against claims. On the basis of the legitimate interest in permanently observing the users’ withdrawal or objection, we also store the data necessary to avoid renewed contact (e.g. depending on the communication channel, the email address, telephone number, name).

Categories of processed data: Inventory data (e.g. full name, residential address, contact information, customer number, etc.); contact data (e.g. postal and email addresses or telephone numbers).
Data subjects: Communication partners.
Purposes of processing and legitimate interests: Direct marketing (e.g. by email or post).
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section “General Information on Data Storage and Deletion”.
Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. a GDPR); legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR).

Web Analytics, Monitoring and Optimization

Web analytics (also referred to as “reach measurement”) serve to evaluate visitor flows within our online offering and may 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 used most frequently or invite users to reuse them. It also enables us to determine which areas require optimization.

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

Unless otherwise stated below, for these purposes profiles may be created, i.e. data combined into a usage process, and information may be stored in a browser or on an end device and subsequently read out. The information collected includes, in particular, websites visited and the elements used there as well as technical information such as the browser used, the computer system used and information on times of use. If users have consented to the collection of their location data by us or by the providers of the services used by us, location data may also be processed.

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

Notes on legal bases: If we ask users for their consent to the use of third-party providers, the legal basis for the data processing is consent. Otherwise, user data are 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 refer you to the information on the use of cookies in this privacy policy.

Categories of processed data: Usage data (e.g. page views and dwell time, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, persons involved); event data (Facebook) (“event data” are data that can be transmitted by us to Facebook, e.g. via Meta pixel or comparable functions, and relate to persons or their actions; these data include, for example, details on visits to websites, interactions with content, functions, installations of apps, purchases of products, etc.; the event data are processed for the purpose of creating target groups for content and advertising information, remarketing, determining conversions and therefore for the user’s display of content and advertising information likely to correspond to the users’ interests. Event data do not include actual content such as comments written, login information or contact information such as names, email addresses and telephone numbers. Event data are deleted by Facebook after a maximum of two years; the target groups formed from them disappear when our Facebook account is deleted); log data (e.g. log files concerning logins or the retrieval of data or access times).
Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing and legitimate interests: Reach measurement (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); profiles with user-related information (creation of user profiles); provision of our online offering and user-friendliness.
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section “General Information on Data Storage and Deletion”; storage of cookies of up to 2 years (unless otherwise stated, cookies and similar storage methods may be stored on users’ devices for a period of two years).
Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. a GDPR); legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

Google Analytics: We use Google Analytics to measure and analyze the use of our online offering on the basis of a pseudonymous user identification number. This identification number does not contain any unique data, such as names or email addresses. It is used to assign analysis information to an end device in order to recognize which content users have called up within one or several usage processes, which search terms they have used, which content they have interacted with again or with which providers they have interacted within our online offering. The time of use and its duration are also stored, as well as the sources of users who refer to our online offering and technical aspects of their end devices and browsers. Pseudonymous user profiles are created with information from the use of various devices, whereby cookies may be used. Google Analytics does not log or store individual IP addresses for EU users. However, Analytics provides rough geographical location data by deriving the following metadata from IP addresses: city (and the derived latitude and longitude of the city), continent, country, region, subcontinent (and ID-based counterparts). In the case of EU data traffic, IP address data are used exclusively for this derivation of geolocation data before they are deleted immediately. They are not logged, are not accessible and are not used for any other purposes. When Google Analytics collects measurement data, all IP queries are carried out on EU-based servers before the traffic is forwarded for processing to Analytics servers; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. a GDPR). Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com/intl/en/about/analytics/; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Order processing agreement: https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms/; Basis for third-country transfers: EU/EEA – Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Switzerland – Data Privacy Framework (DPF); Opt-out option: Opt-out plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en, settings for the display of advertisements: https://myadcenter.google.com/personalizationoff.
Google Tag Manager: We use Google Tag Manager, a software by Google that enables us to centrally manage so-called website tags via a user interface. Tags are small code elements on our website that serve, among other things, to measure traffic and visitor behavior, to capture the impact of online advertising and social channels, to use remarketing and targeting, and to test and optimize websites. Tag Manager itself is a domain that does not set cookies and does not process personal data, since it serves solely to manage and play out the tools integrated through it. However, when Tag Manager is loaded, the user’s IP address is transmitted to Google, which may also result in a transfer to Google’s parent company in the United States. A separate privacy section is only required if additional Google services or other tags are integrated through Tag Manager and these themselves process personal data or set cookies; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. a GDPR). Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Order processing agreement: https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms; Basis for third-country transfers: EU/EEA – Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Switzerland – Data Privacy Framework (DPF).

Online Marketing

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

For these purposes, so-called user profiles are created and stored in a file (the so-called “cookie”), or similar procedures are used by means of which the information relevant for the presentation of the aforementioned content is stored in relation to the user. This 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 and information on usage times and functions used. If users have consented to the collection of their location data, such data may also be processed.

Users’ IP addresses 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 data of users (such as email addresses or names) are stored as part of online marketing procedures, but pseudonyms. This means that neither we nor the providers of the online marketing procedures know the actual identity of the users, but only the information stored in their profiles.

The information in the profiles is generally stored in cookies or by means of similar procedures. These cookies can later generally also be read on other websites that use the same online marketing procedure and analyzed for the purpose of displaying content, supplemented with further data and stored on the server of the online marketing procedure provider.

By way of exception, clear data may be assigned to profiles, in particular if, for example, users are members of a social network whose online marketing procedures we use and the network links the users’ profiles with the above-mentioned information. Please note that users may enter into additional agreements with the providers, for example by granting consent as part of registration.

As a rule, we only receive access to aggregated information about the success of our advertisements. However, in the context of so-called conversion measurement, we can check which of our online marketing procedures led to a so-called conversion, i.e. for example to a contract conclusion with us. Conversion measurement is used solely to analyze the success of our marketing measures.

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

Notes on legal bases: If we ask users for their consent to the use of third-party providers, the legal basis for data processing is consent. Otherwise, users’ data are 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 refer you to the information on the use of cookies in this privacy policy.

Categories of processed data: Usage data (e.g. page views and dwell time, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, persons involved); event data (Facebook) (“event data” are data that can be transmitted by us to Facebook, e.g. via Meta pixel or comparable functions, and relate to persons or their actions; these data include, for example, details on visits to websites, interactions with content, functions, installations of apps, purchases of products, etc.; the event data are processed for the purpose of creating target groups for content and advertising information, remarketing, determining conversions and therefore for the user’s display of content and advertising information likely to correspond to the users’ interests. Event data do not include actual content such as comments written, login information or contact information such as names, email addresses and telephone numbers. Event data are deleted by Facebook after a maximum of two years; the target groups formed from them disappear when our Facebook account is deleted).
Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing and legitimate interests: Marketing; profiles with user-related information (creation of user profiles); reach measurement (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); target group formation; cross-device tracking; conversion measurement (measurement of the effectiveness of marketing measures); click tracking; remarketing.
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section “General Information on Data Storage and Deletion”; storage of cookies of up to 2 years (unless otherwise stated, cookies and similar storage methods may be stored on users’ devices for a period of two years).
Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. a GDPR); legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

Meta Pixel and Custom Audiences (Custom Audience): With the help of the Meta pixel (or comparable functions for transmitting event data or contact information via interfaces in apps), Meta is on the one hand able to determine the visitors to our online offering as a target group for the display of advertisements (so-called “Meta ads”). Accordingly, we use the Meta pixel to display the Meta ads placed by us only to users on Meta platforms and within the services of partners cooperating with Meta (so-called “audience network” https://www.facebook.com/audiencenetwork/) who have also shown an interest in our online offering or who have certain features (e.g. interests in certain topics or products that are evident from the websites visited) which we transmit to Meta (so-called “custom audiences”). With the help of the Meta pixel, we also want to ensure that our Meta ads correspond to users’ potential interests and are not annoying. With the help of the Meta pixel, we can also track the effectiveness of Meta ads for statistical and market research purposes by seeing whether users were redirected to our website after clicking on a Meta ad (so-called “conversion measurement”); service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, Merrion Road, Dublin 4, D04 X2K5, Ireland; Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. a GDPR). Website: https://www.facebook.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy/; Order processing agreement: https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/dataprocessing; Basis for third-country transfers: EU/EEA – Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses (https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum), Switzerland – Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses (https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum); Further information: Event data of users, i.e. behavioral and interest information, are processed for the purposes of targeted advertising and target group formation on the basis of the joint controllership agreement (“Controller Addendum”, https://www.facebook.com/legal/controller_addendum). 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, which in particular concerns the transmission of the data to Meta Platforms, Inc. in the USA (https://www.facebook.com/legal/controller_addendum).
Google Ads and conversion measurement: Online marketing procedure for placing content and advertisements within the provider’s advertising network (e.g. in search results, in videos, on websites, etc.) so that they are shown to users presumed to have an interest in the advertisements. We also measure the conversion of advertisements, i.e. whether users took them as an occasion to interact with the advertisements and use the advertised offers (so-called conversions). However, we only receive anonymous information and no personal information about individual users; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. a GDPR). Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Basis for third-country transfers: EU/EEA – Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Switzerland – Data Privacy Framework (DPF); Further information: Types of processing and processed data: https://business.safety.google/adsservices/; data processing terms between controllers and standard contractual clauses for third-country transfers of data: https://business.safety.google/adscontrollerterms.
Information about the processing of personal data by Google: When you consent to the use of Google services on our website, in particular Google Ads, Google Analytics, Google Conversion Tracking, Google Remarketing or comparable Google marketing and analytics features, personal data, cookies and similar technologies may be processed by Google. The processing may take place in particular to analyse the use of our website, measure the effectiveness of our advertising, measure conversions, create target groups, carry out remarketing and display personalised and non-personalised advertising. Further information on how Google processes personal data and how Google handles data from websites and apps that use Google services can be found on Google’s Responsible handling of business data page.
Google Ads Remarketing: Google remarketing procedure with which users who have visited our online offering can be assigned to a target group in order to display suitable advertisements to them on other online offerings within the Google advertising network; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. a GDPR). Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Basis for third-country transfers: EU/EEA – Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Switzerland – Data Privacy Framework (DPF); Further information: Types of processing and processed data: https://business.safety.google/adsservices/; data processing terms between controllers and standard contractual clauses for third-country transfers of data: https://business.safety.google/adscontrollerterms.

Customer Reviews and Rating Procedures

We participate in review and rating procedures in order to evaluate, optimize and promote our services. If users rate us via the participating rating platforms or procedures or otherwise give feedback, the general terms and privacy notices of the providers also apply. As a rule, the rating additionally requires registration with the respective providers.

In order to ensure that the reviewing persons have actually used our services, we transmit, with the customers’ consent, the necessary data regarding the customer and the service used to the respective review platform (including name, email address and order number or article number). These data are used solely to verify the authenticity of the user.

Categories of processed data: Contract data (e.g. subject matter of the contract, term, customer category); usage data (e.g. page views and dwell time, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, persons involved).
Data subjects: Service recipients and clients; users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing and legitimate interests: Feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form); marketing.
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section “General Information on Data Storage and Deletion”.
Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR); consent (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. a GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

Google Customer Reviews: Service for obtaining and/or displaying customer satisfaction and customer feedback; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. a GDPR). Website: https://www.google.com/shopping/customerreviews/; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Basis for third-country transfers: EU/EEA – Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Switzerland – Data Privacy Framework (DPF).
Google Reviews: Platform for obtaining and/or displaying customer satisfaction and customer feedback; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR). Website: https://www.google.com/; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Basis for third-country transfers: EU/EEA – Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Switzerland – Data Privacy Framework (DPF).
Trusted Shops: Review platform; service provider: Trusted Shops AG, Subbelrather Straße 15C, 50823 Cologne, Germany; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR). Website: https://www.trustedshops.de; Privacy Policy: https://www.trustedshops.de/impressum/#datenschutz.

Presences on Social Networks (Social Media)

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

We point out that user data may be processed outside the territory of the European Union. This may result in risks for users because, for example, the enforcement of users’ rights may be more difficult.

Furthermore, users’ data are generally processed within social networks for market research and advertising purposes. Thus, for example, user profiles can be created on the basis of usage behavior and the resulting interests of users. These user profiles may in turn be used, for example, to place advertisements within and outside the networks that are presumed to correspond to users’ interests. For these purposes, cookies are generally stored on users’ computers, in which the usage behavior and interests of users are stored. In addition, data can also be stored in the usage profiles independently of the devices used by the users (in particular if users are members of the respective platforms and are logged into them).

For a detailed description of the respective forms of processing and the possibilities to object (opt-out), we refer to the privacy policies and information provided by the operators of the respective networks.

Also in the event of requests for information and the assertion of rights of data subjects, we point out that these can be most effectively asserted with the providers. Only the providers have access to the users’ data and can directly take appropriate measures and provide information. Should you nevertheless need help, you may contact us.

Categories of processed data: Contact data (e.g. postal and email addresses or telephone numbers); content data (e.g. textual or visual messages and contributions and the information relating to them, such as information on authorship or time of creation); usage data (e.g. page views and dwell time, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions).
Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing and legitimate interests: Communication; feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form); public relations.
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section “General Information on Data Storage and Deletion”.
Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

Facebook Pages: Profiles within the social network Facebook – together with Meta Platforms Ireland Limited we are jointly responsible for the collection (but not the further processing) of data of visitors to our Facebook page. These data include information on the types of content users view or interact with, or the actions they perform (see under “Things you and others do and provide” in the Facebook Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy/), as well as information about the devices used by users (e.g. IP addresses, operating system, browser type, language settings, cookie data; see under “Device Information” in the Facebook Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/privacy/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” for page operators so that they receive insights into how people interact with their pages and with the content associated with them. We have concluded a special agreement with Facebook (“Page Insights Controller Addendum”, https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/page_controller_addendum), which in particular regulates the security measures Facebook must observe and in which Facebook has agreed to fulfill data subjects’ rights (i.e. users can, for example, direct requests for information or deletion directly to Facebook). Users’ rights (in particular to information, deletion, objection and complaint to the competent supervisory authority) remain unaffected. Further information can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/information_about_page_insights_data. Users can therefore direct requests for information or deletion directly to Facebook. Joint controllership is limited exclusively to the collection of data by Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (EU). Further processing, including any transmission to Meta Platforms Inc. in the USA, is the sole responsibility of Meta Platforms Ireland Limited; Service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, Merrion Road, Dublin 4, D04 X2K5, Ireland; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR); Website: https://www.facebook.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy/. Basis for third-country transfers: EU/EEA – Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses (https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum), Switzerland – Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses (https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum).
Pinterest: Social network enabling the sharing of photos, commenting, favoriting and curating of posts, messaging and subscription to profiles; Service provider: Pinterest Europe Limited, 2nd Floor, Palmerston House, Fenian Street, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR); Website: https://www.pinterest.com. Privacy Policy: https://policy.pinterest.com/de/privacy-policy.
YouTube: Social network and video platform; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR); Website: https://www.youtube.com; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Basis for third-country transfers: EU/EEA – Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Switzerland – Data Privacy Framework (DPF).
Instagram: Social network; Service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, Merrion Road, Dublin 4, D04 X2K5, Ireland; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR); Website: https://www.instagram.com; Privacy Policy: https://privacycenter.instagram.com/policy/; Basis for third-country transfers: EU/EEA – Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses (https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum), Switzerland – Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses (https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum).

Plug-ins and Embedded Functions and Content

We integrate 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 collectively referred to as “content”).

Integration always requires that the third-party providers of this content process users’ IP addresses, since without the IP address they could not send the content to users’ browsers. The IP address is therefore required for the presentation of this content or these functions. We endeavor to use only such content whose respective providers use the IP address solely to deliver the content. Third-party providers may also use so-called pixel tags (invisible graphics, also referred to as “web beacons”) for statistical or marketing purposes. These “pixel tags” can be used to evaluate information such as visitor traffic on the pages of this website. The pseudonymous information may furthermore be stored in cookies on users’ devices and may contain, among other things, technical information on the browser and operating system, referring websites, time of visit and other information on the use of our online offering, and may also be linked with such information from other sources.

Categories of processed data: Usage data (e.g. page views and dwell time, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, persons involved).
Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing and legitimate interests: Provision of our online offering and user-friendliness; marketing.
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section “General Information on Data Storage and Deletion”.
Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. a GDPR); legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

YouTube videos: Video content; videos are integrated via the domain youtube-nocookie.com in extended data protection mode; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. a GDPR). Website: https://www.youtube.com; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Basis for third-country transfers: EU/EEA – Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Switzerland – Data Privacy Framework (DPF). Opt-out option: Opt-out plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en, settings for the display of advertisements: https://myadcenter.google.com/personalizationoff.
Font Awesome (loaded from the provider’s server): Retrieval of fonts (as well as symbols) for the purpose of a technically secure, maintenance-free and efficient use of fonts and symbols with regard to timeliness and loading times, their consistent display and the 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) are transmitted which are necessary for the provision of the fonts depending on the devices used and the technical environment; Service provider: Fonticons, Inc., 6 Porter Road Apartment 3R, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f GDPR); Website: https://fontawesome.com/. Privacy Policy: https://fontawesome.com/privacy.

Amendment and Update

Please regularly inform yourself about the content of our privacy policy. We adapt the privacy policy as soon as changes in the data processing carried out by us make this necessary. We will inform you as soon as the changes require an act of cooperation on your part (e.g. consent) or another individual notification.

Where we provide addresses and contact information of companies and organizations in this privacy policy, please note that the addresses may change over time and we ask you to verify the details before contacting them.

Definitions of Terms

In this section you will find an overview of the terminology used in this privacy policy. Insofar as the terms are legally defined, their legal definitions apply. The following explanations, however, are primarily intended to aid understanding.

Employees: Employees are persons who are in an employment relationship, whether as workers, salaried employees or in similar positions. An employment relationship is a legal relationship between an employer and an employee established by an employment contract or an agreement. It includes the employer’s obligation to pay remuneration while the employee provides work performance. The employment relationship comprises various phases, including its establishment, in which the employment contract is concluded, its implementation, in which the employee performs their work activity, and its termination, when the employment relationship ends, whether by notice of termination, termination agreement or otherwise. Employee data are all information relating to these persons in the context of their employment. This includes aspects such as personal identification data, identification numbers, salary and bank data, working hours, vacation entitlements, health data and performance evaluations.
Inventory data: Inventory data comprise essential information necessary for the identification and administration of contractual partners, user accounts, profiles and similar assignments. These data may include, among other things, personal and demographic information such as names, contact details (addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses), dates of birth and specific identifiers (user IDs). Inventory data form the basis for any formal interaction between persons and services, institutions or systems by enabling unique assignment and communication.
Cross-device tracking: Cross-device tracking is a form of tracking in which behavioral and interest information of users is recorded across devices in so-called profiles by assigning users an online identifier. This makes it possible, as a rule, to analyze user information for marketing purposes regardless of the browsers or devices used (e.g. mobile phones or desktop computers). With most providers, the online identifier is not linked to clear data such as names, postal addresses or email addresses.
Content data: Content data comprise information generated in the course of creating, editing and publishing content of any kind. This category of data may include texts, images, videos, audio files and other multimedia content published on various platforms and media. Content data are not limited to the actual content, but also include metadata that provide information about the content itself, such as tags, descriptions, author information and publication dates.
Click tracking: Click tracking makes it possible to keep track of users’ movements within an entire online offering. Since the results of these tests are more accurate if users’ interaction can be tracked over a certain period of time (e.g. so that we can find out whether a user likes to return), cookies are generally stored on users’ computers for these test purposes.
Contact data: Contact data are essential information enabling communication with persons or organizations. They include, among other things, telephone numbers, postal addresses and email addresses, as well as means of communication such as social media handles and instant messaging identifiers.
Conversion measurement: Conversion measurement (also referred to as “conversion tracking”) is a procedure by which the effectiveness of marketing measures can be determined. For this purpose, a cookie is generally stored on users’ devices within the websites on which the marketing measures take place and then retrieved again on the target website. For example, this allows us to track whether ads placed by us on other websites were successful.
Meta, communication and procedural data: Meta, communication and procedural data are categories containing information about the way data are processed, transmitted and managed. Metadata, also known as data about data, include information describing the context, origin and structure of other data. They may include, for example, file size, creation date, author of a document and change histories. Communication data record the exchange of information between users across various channels, such as email traffic, call logs, messages in social networks and chat histories, including the persons involved, timestamps and transmission paths. Procedural data describe the processes and workflows within systems or organizations, including workflow documentations, logs of transactions and activities, and audit logs used to trace and verify operations.
Usage data: Usage data refer to information that captures how users interact with digital products, services or platforms. These data include a broad range of information showing how users use applications, which features they prefer, how long they remain on certain pages and via which paths they navigate through an application. Usage data may also include frequency of use, timestamps of activities, IP addresses, device information and location data. They are particularly valuable for analyzing user behavior, optimizing user experiences, personalizing content and improving products or services. In addition, usage data play a decisive role in identifying trends, preferences and potential problem areas within digital offerings.
Personal data: “Personal data” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (“data subject”); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier (e.g. cookie) or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.
Profiles with user-related information: Processing of “profiles with user-related information”, or “profiles” for short, includes any form of automated processing of personal data consisting in using these personal data to analyze, evaluate or predict certain personal aspects relating to a natural person (depending on the type of profiling, these may include different information concerning demographics, behavior and interests, such as interaction with websites and their content, etc.) (e.g. interests in certain content or products, click behavior on a website or location). Cookies and web beacons are often used for profiling purposes.
Log data: Log data are information on events or activities logged in a system or network. These data typically include information such as timestamps, IP addresses, user actions, error messages and other details about the use or operation of a system. Log data are often used to analyze system problems, monitor security or create performance reports.
Reach measurement: Reach measurement (also referred to as web analytics) serves to evaluate visitor flows within an online offering and may include the behavior or interests of visitors in relation to certain information, such as the contents of websites. With the help of reach analysis, operators of online offerings can, for example, identify at what time users visit their websites and in which content they are interested. This enables them, for example, to better adapt the content of the websites to the needs of their visitors. For purposes of reach analysis, pseudonymous cookies and web beacons are often used to recognize returning visitors and thereby obtain more accurate analyses of the use of an online offering.
Remarketing: “Remarketing” or “retargeting” is used when, for example, it is noted for advertising purposes which products a user was interested in on a website in order to remind the user of these products on other websites, e.g. in advertisements.
Tracking: “Tracking” means the tracing of users’ behavior across several online offerings. As a rule, behavioral and interest information with regard to the online offerings used is stored in cookies or on the servers of the providers of the tracking technologies (so-called profiling). This information can subsequently be used, for example, to display advertisements to users that are likely to correspond to their interests.
Controller: “Controller” means 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.
Processing: “Processing” means any operation or set of operations performed on personal data, whether or not by automated means. The term is broad and covers virtually any handling of data, be it collection, evaluation, storage, transmission or deletion.
Contract data: Contract data are specific information relating to the formalization of an agreement between two or more parties. They document the conditions under which services or products are provided, exchanged or sold. This category of data is essential for managing and fulfilling contractual obligations and includes both the identification of the contracting parties and the specific terms and conditions of the agreement. Contract data may include the start and end dates of the contract, the type of services or products agreed, price arrangements, payment conditions, termination rights, renewal options and special terms or clauses. They serve as the legal basis for the relationship between the parties and are crucial for clarifying rights and obligations, enforcing claims and resolving disputes.
Payment data: Payment data comprise all information required to process payment transactions between buyers and sellers. These data are of decisive importance for e-commerce, online banking and any other form of financial transaction. They include details such as credit card numbers, bank details, payment amounts, transaction data, verification numbers and billing information. Payment data may also include information on payment status, chargebacks, authorizations and fees.
Target group formation: Target group formation (in English “custom audiences”) occurs when target groups are determined for advertising purposes, e.g. for the display of advertisements. For example, based on a user’s interest in certain products or topics on the internet, it may be inferred that this user is interested in advertisements for similar products or for the online shop in which they viewed the products. “Lookalike audiences” (or similar target groups), in turn, means that content considered suitable is displayed to users whose profiles or interests are presumed to correspond to the users for whom the profiles were formed. Cookies and web beacons are generally used for the purposes of creating custom audiences and lookalike audiences.

Privacy Policy

Preamble

Table of Contents

Controller

Overview of Processing Activities

Categories of Data Processed

Categories of Data Subjects

Purposes of Processing

Applicable Legal Bases

Security Measures

Transfer of Personal Data

International Data Transfers

General Information on Data Storage and Deletion

Rights of Data Subjects

Business Services

Business Processes and Procedures

Use of Online Platforms for Offering and Sales Purposes

Providers and Services Used in the Course of Business Activities

Payment Procedures

Provision of the Online Offering and Web Hosting

Use of Cookies

Contact and Inquiry Management

Communication via Messenger

Newsletters and Electronic Notifications

Promotional Communication via Email, Post, Fax or Telephone

Web Analytics, Monitoring and Optimization

Online Marketing

Customer Reviews and Rating Procedures

Presences on Social Networks (Social Media)

Plug-ins and Embedded Functions and Content

Amendment and Update

Definitions of Terms