Privacy policy

Privacy

We have written this privacy statement (version 10.05.2020-311175856) to explain to you, in accordance with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679, what information we collect, how we use data and what decision-making options you have as a visitor to this website.

Unfortunately, it is in the nature of things that these explanations sound very technical, but we have tried to describe the most important things as simply and clearly as possible when creating them.

Cookies

Our website uses HTTP cookies to store user-specific data.
Below we explain what cookies are and why they are used, so that you can better understand the following privacy policy.

What exactly are cookies?

Whenever you browse the Internet, you use a browser. Popular browsers include Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Edge. Most websites store small text files in your browser. These files are called cookies.

One thing can’t be denied: Cookies are really useful little helpers. Almost all websites use cookies. More precisely, they are HTTP cookies, as there are other cookies for other applications. HTTP cookies are small files that are stored on your computer by our website. These cookie files are automatically placed in the cookie folder, effectively the “brain” of your browser. A cookie consists of a name and a value. When defining a cookie, one or more attributes must also be specified.

Cookies store certain user data about you, such as language or personal page settings. When you return to our site, your browser transmits the “user-related” information back to our site. Thanks to cookies, our site knows who you are and offers you your usual default setting. In some browsers, each cookie has its own file; in others, such as Firefox, all cookies are stored in a single file.

There are both first-party cookies and third-party cookies. First-party cookies are created directly by our site, third-party cookies are created by partner websites (e.g. Google Analytics). Each cookie must be evaluated individually, as each cookie stores different data. Also, the expiration time of a cookie varies from a few minutes to a few years. Cookies are not software programs and do not contain viruses, Trojans or other “pests”. Cookies also cannot access information on your PC.

For example, cookie data may look like this

Name: _ga
Expiration time: 2 years
Usage: Differentiation of website visitors
Example value: GA1.2.1326744211.152311175856
A browser should support the following minimum sizes:
A cookie should be able to contain at least 4096 bytes
It should be possible to store at least 50 cookies per domain
A total of at least 3000 cookies should be able to be stored

What are the types of cookies?

The question of which cookies we use in particular depends on the services used and is clarified in the following sections of the privacy policy. At this point, we would like to briefly discuss the different types of HTTP cookies.

Absolutely necessary cookies.
These cookies are necessary to ensure basic functions of the website. For example, these cookies are needed when a user adds a product to the shopping cart, then continues browsing on other pages, and only later goes to the checkout. These cookies do not delete the shopping cart even if the user closes his browser window.

Functional cookies
These cookies collect information about user behavior and whether the user receives any error messages. In addition, these cookies are also used to measure the loading time and the behavior of the website with different browsers.

Target-oriented cookies
These cookies provide a better user experience. For example, entered locations, font sizes or form data are stored.

Advertising cookies
These cookies are also called targeting cookies. They are used to deliver customized advertising to the user. This can be very convenient, but also very annoying.

Usually, when you visit a website for the first time, you are asked which of these cookie types you want to allow. And of course, this decision is also stored in a cookie.

How can I delete cookies?

How and whether you want to use cookies is up to you. Regardless of which service or website the cookies come from, you always have the option to delete, only partially allow or disable cookies. For example, you can block third-party cookies but allow all other cookies.

If you want to find out which cookies have been stored in your browser, if you want to change or delete cookie settings, you can find it in your browser settings:

Chrome: Delete, enable and manage cookies in Chrome.

Safari: Manage cookies and website data with Safari.

Firefox: Delete cookies to remove data that websites have placed on your computer

Internet Explorer: delete and manage cookies

Microsoft Edge: delete and manage cookies

If you generally don’t want cookies, you can set your browser to notify you whenever a cookie is about to be set. This way, you can decide for each cookie whether to allow it or not. The procedure varies depending on the browser. The best way is to search the instructions in Google with the search term “delete cookies Chrome” or “disable cookies Chrome” in case of a Chrome browser or replace the word “Chrome” with the name of your browser, e.g. Edge, Firefox, Safari.

What about my privacy?

Since 2009, there are the so-called “Cookie Guidelines”. This states that storing cookies requires the consent of the website visitor (i.e. you). Within the EU countries, however, there are still very different reactions to these directives. In Germany, the Cookie Directives have not been implemented as national law. Instead, this directive was largely implemented in Section 15 (3) of the German Telemedia Act (TMG).

If you want to know more about cookies and are not afraid of technical documentation, we recommend https://tools.ietf.org/html/ rfc6265, the Request for Comments of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) called “HTTP State Management Mechanism”.

Rights under the General Data Protection Regulation

According to the provisions of the GDPR, you are generally entitled to the following rights:

  • Right to rectification (Article 16 of the GDPR).
  • Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”) (Article 17 GDPR)
  • Right to restriction of processing (Article 18 DSGVO)
  • Right to notification – obligation to notify in connection with the rectification or erasure of personal data or the restriction of processing (Article 19 GDPR)
  • Right to data portability (Article 20 GDPR)
  • Right to object (Article 21 GDPR)
  • Right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing – including profiling (Article 22 GDPR).
  • If you believe that the processing of your data violates data protection law or your data protection rights have otherwise been violated in any way, you can contact the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI).

Google Analytics Privacy Policy

On our website, we use the analysis tracking tool Google Analytics (GA) of the American company Google Inc. For the European area, the company Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services. Google Analytics collects data about your actions on our website. For example, when you click on a link, this action is stored in a cookie and sent to Google Analytics. Using the reports we receive from Google Analytics, we can better tailor our website and service to your preferences. In the following, we will go into more detail about the tracking tool and, in particular, inform you about what data is stored and how you can prevent this.

What is Google Analytics?

Google Analytics is a tracking tool used to analyze traffic to our website. In order for Google Analytics to work, a tracking code is built into the code of our website. When you visit our website, this code records various actions you take on our website. Once you leave our website, this data is sent to Google Analytics servers and stored there.

  • Google processes the data and we receive reports about your user behavior. These reports may include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Audience reports: through audience reports, we get to know our users better and know more precisely who is interested in our service.
    Ad reports: Ad reports help us analyze and improve our online advertising.
  • Acquisition reports: Acquisition reports give us helpful information on how to attract more people to our service.
  • Behavior reports: This is where we learn how you interact with our website. We can track the path you take on our site and which links you click.
  • Conversion reports: Conversion is when you take a desired action based on a marketing message. For example, you go from being a mere website visitor to a buyer or newsletter subscriber. These reports help us learn more about how our marketing efforts are working for you. This is how we aim to increase our conversion rate.
  • Real-time reports: Here we always know immediately what is happening on our website. For example, we can see how many users are currently reading this text.

Why do we use Google Analytics on our website?

Unser Ziel mit dieser Website ist klar: Wir wollen Ihnen das bestmögliche Service bieten. Die Statistiken und Daten von Google Analytics helfen uns dieses Ziel zu erreichen.

Die statistisch ausgewerteten Daten zeigen uns ein klares Bild von den Stärken und Schwächen unserer Website. Einerseits können wir unsere Seite so optimieren, dass sie von interessierten Menschen auf Google leichter gefunden wird. Andererseits helfen uns die Daten, Sie als Besucher besser zu verstehen. Wir wissen somit sehr genau, was wir an unserer Website verbessern müssen, um Ihnen das bestmögliche Service zu bieten. Die Daten dienen uns auch, unsere Werbe- und Marketing-Maßnahmen individueller und kostengünstiger durchzuführen. Schließlich macht es nur Sinn, unsere Produkte und Dienstleistungen Menschen zu zeigen, die sich dafür interessieren.

What data is stored by Google Analytics?

Google Analytics uses a tracking code to create a random, unique ID that is associated with your browser cookie. This is how Google Analytics recognizes you as a new user. The next time you visit our site, you will be recognized as a “returning” user. All collected data is stored together with this user ID. This makes it possible to evaluate pseudonymous user profiles in the first place.

Through identifiers such as cookies and app instance IDs, your interactions on our website are measured. Interactions are all types of actions that you perform on our website. If you also use other Google systems (such as a Google account), data generated through Google Analytics may be linked to third-party cookies. Google does not share Google Analytics data unless we, as the website operator, authorize it. Exceptions may occur if required by law.

The following cookies are used by Google Analytics:

Name: _ga
Wert:2.1326744211.152311175856-5
Purpose: By default, analytics.js uses the _ga cookie to store the user ID. Basically, it is used to distinguish website visitors.
Expiration date: after 2 years

Name: _gid
Wert:2.1687193234.152311175856-1
Purpose: The cookie is also used to distinguish the website visitors.
Expiration date: after 24 hours

Name: _gat_gtag_UA_<property-id>
Value: 1
Purpose: Used to lower the request rate. If Google Analytics is deployed via Google Tag Manager, this cookie will be named _dc_gtm_ <property-id>.
Expiration date: after 1 minute

Name: AMP_TOKEN
Value: not specified
Purpose: The cookie has a token that can be used to retrieve a user ID from the AMP client ID service. Other possible values indicate a logout, a request, or an error.
Expiration date: after 30 seconds up to one year.

Name: __utma
Wert:1564498958.1564498958. 1564498958.1
Purpose: This cookie is used to track your behavior on the website and measure performance. The cookie is updated every time information is sent to Google Analytics.
Expiration date: after 2 years

Name: __utmt
Value: 1
Purpose: The cookie is used like _gat_gtag_UA_<property-id> to throttle the request rate.
Expiration date: after 10 minutes

Name: __utmb
Value:3.10.1564498958
Purpose: This cookie is used to determine new sessions. It is updated every time new data or info is sent to Google Analytics.
Expiration date: after 30 minutes

Name: __utmc
Value: 167421564
Purpose: This cookie is used to set new sessions for returning visitors. This is a session cookie, and it is only stored until you close the browser again.
Expiration date: After you close the browser.

Name: __utmz
Value: m|utmccn=(referral)|utmcmd=referral| utmcct=/
Purpose: The cookie is used to identify the source of traffic to our website. That is, the cookie stores from where you came to our website. This may have been another page or an advertisement.
Expiration date: after 6 months

Name: __utmv
Value: not specified
Purpose: The cookie is used to store custom user data. It is updated whenever information is sent to Google Analytics.
Expiration date: after 2 years

Note: This list cannot claim to be exhaustive, as Google is always changing its choice of cookies.

Here we show you an overview of the most important data collected by Google Analytics:

Heatmaps: Google creates so-called heatmaps. Heatmaps allow you to see exactly those areas that you click on. This gives us information about where you are “on the move” on our site.

Session duration: Google defines session duration as the time you spend on our site without leaving. If you have been inactive for 20 minutes, the session ends automatically.

Bounce rate: A bounce is when you view only one page on our site and then leave our site.

Account creation: when you create an account or make an order on our website, Google Analytics collects this data.

IP address: The IP address is only shown in a shortened form so that no clear assignment is possible.

Location: The IP address can be used to determine the country and your approximate location. This process is also referred to as IP- location determination.

Technical information: Technical information includes, but is not limited to, your browser type, internet service provider, or screen resolution.

Source of origin: Google Analytics, or us, is of course also interested in which website or which advertisement you came to our site from.

Other data include contact details, any ratings, playing media (for example, if you play a video via our site), sharing content via social media or adding to your favorites. The enumeration does not claim to be complete and only serves as a general orientation of the data storage by Google Analytics.

How long and where is the data stored?

Google has your servers spread all over the world. Most servers are located in America and consequently your data is mostly stored on American servers. You can find out exactly where Google data centers are located here: https://www.google.com/about/ datacenters/inside/locations/?hl=en

Your data is distributed on different physical data carriers. This has the advantage that the data can be accessed more quickly and is better protected from tampering. In each Google data center, there are appropriate emergency programs for your data. If, for example, the hardware at Google fails or natural disasters paralyze servers, the risk of a service interruption at Google still remains low.

Google Analytics has a standard retention period of 26 months for your user data. Then your user data is deleted. However, we have the option to choose the retention period of user data ourselves. We have five variants available for this purpose:

  • Deletion after 14 months
  • Deletion after 26 months
  • Deletion after 38 months
  • Deletion after 50 months
  • No automatic deletion

Once the specified period has expired, data is deleted once a month. This retention period applies to your data associated with cookies, user recognition and advertising IDs (e.g. DoubleClick domain cookies). Reporting results are based on aggregated data and are stored separately from user data. Aggregated data is a merging of individual data into a larger unit.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

According to European Union data protection law, you have the right to obtain information about your data, update it, delete it or restrict it. Using the browser add-on to disable Google Analytics JavaScript (ga.js, analytics.js, dc.js), you can prevent Google Analytics from using your data. You can download and install the browser add-on at https://tools.google.com/ dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en. Please note that this add-on only disables the collection of data by Google Analytics.

If you generally want to disable, delete or manage cookies (independently of Google Analytics), there are separate instructions for each browser:

Chrome: Delete, enable and manage cookies in Chrome.

Safari: Manage cookies and website data with Safari.

Firefox: Delete cookies to remove data that websites have placed on your computer

Internet Explorer: delete and manage cookies

Microsoft Edge: delete and manage cookies

Google Analytics is an active participant in the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework, which governs the accurate and secure transfer of personal data. For more information, please visit https://www.privacyshield.gov/ participant?id=a2zt0000001L5AAI&tid=3111 75856. We hope we have been able to provide you with the most important information regarding Google Analytics data processing. If you want to learn more about the tracking service, we recommend these two links: http://www.google.com/analytics/ terms/en.html and https://support.google.com/ analytics/answer/6004245?hl=en.

Cookiebot privacy policy

We use functions of the provider Cookiebot on our website. The company behind Cookiebot is Cybot A/S, Havnegade 39, 1058 Copenhagen, DK. Cookiebot offers us, among other things, the possibility to provide you with a comprehensive cookie notice (also called cookie banner or cookie notice). By using this feature, data from you may be sent to Cookiebot or Cybot, stored and processed. In this privacy policy, we inform you why we use Cookiebot, what data is transferred and how you can prevent this data transfer.

What is Cookiebot?

We use functions of the provider Cookiebot on our website. The company behind Cookiebot is Cybot A/S, Havnegade 39, 1058 Copenhagen, DK. Cookiebot offers us, among other things, the possibility to provide you with a comprehensive cookie notice (also called cookie banner or cookie notice). By using this feature, data from you may be sent to Cookiebot or Cybot, stored and processed. In this privacy policy, we inform you why we use Cookiebot, what data is transferred and how you can prevent this data transfer.

Why do we use Cookiebot on our website?

We take data protection very seriously. We want to show you exactly what is going on on our website and what data is stored from you. Cookiebot helps us get a good overview of all our cookies (first-party and third-party cookies). This allows us to inform you about the use of cookies on our website accurately and transparently. You always get an up-to-date and privacy-compliant cookie notice and decide for yourself which cookies you allow and which not.

What data is stored by Cookiebot?

If you allow cookies, the following data will be transmitted to Cybot, stored and processed.

IP address (in anonymized form, the last 3 digits are set to 0)

date and time of your consent

our website URL

technical browser data

encrypted, anonymous key

the cookies you have allowed (as proof of consent)

The following cookies are set by Cookiebot if you have consented to the use of cookies:

Name: CookieConsent
Value: {stamp:’P7to4eNgIHvJvDerjKne BsmJQd9311175856-2
Purpose: This cookie stores your consent status,. This allows our website to read and follow the current status on future visits.
Expiration date: after one year

Name: CookieConsentBulkTicket
Value: kDSPWpA%2fjhljZKClPqsncfR8Sv eTnNWhys5NojaxdFYBPjZ2 PaDnUw%3d%3311175856-6
Purpose: This cookie is set if you allow all cookies and thus have “collective consent” enabled. The cookie then stores its own random and unique ID.
Expiration date: after one year

Note: Please keep in mind that this is an exemplary list and we cannot claim completeness. In the cookie declaration at https://www.cookiebot.com/de/ cookie-declaration/ you can see what other cookies may be used.

According to Cybot’s privacy policy, the company does not resell personal data. However, Cybot does share data with trusted third parties or subcontractors that help the company achieve its business goals. Data is also shared when legally required.

What data is stored by Cookiebot?

All collected data is transferred, stored and forwarded exclusively within the European Union. The data is stored in an Azure data center (cloud provider is Microsoft). You can learn more about all “Azure regions” at https://azure.microsoft.com/de-de/global-infrastructure/regions/. All user data will be deleted by Cookiebot after 12 months from registration (cookie consent) or immediately after cancellation of the Cookiebot service.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

You have the right to access and also delete your personal data at any time. You can prevent data collection and storage, for example, by rejecting the use of cookies via the cookie notice. Your browser offers another possibility to prevent the data processing or to manage it according to your wishes. Depending on the browser, cookie management works slightly differently. Here you can find the instructions for the currently most popular browsers:

Chrome: Delete, enable and manage cookies in Chrome.

Safari: Manage cookies and website data with Safari

Firefox: Delete cookies to remove data that websites have placed on your computer

Internet Explorer: delete and manage cookies

Microsoft Edge: Delete and manage cookies

If you want to learn more about the privacy policy of “Cookiebot” or the company behind it, Cybot, we recommend reading through the privacy policy at https://www.cookiebot.com/de/ privacy-policy/.