Global Website Privacy Notice

1) Introduction and contact details of the controller

1.1 We are pleased that you are visiting our website and thank you for your interest. In the following, we will inform you about how we handle your personal data when you use our website. Personal data is all data with which you can be personally identified.

1.2 The controller in charge of data processing on this website, within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), is EFEN GmbH, Gewerbepark-Nord 6, 04938 Uebigau-Wahrenbrück, Deutschland, Tel.: +49 35365 893 0, Fax: +49 35365 893 35, E-Mail: efen@efen.com. The controller responsible for the processing of personal data is the natural or legal person who alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.

1.3 The controller has appointed a data protection officer, who can be contacted as follows: „Mrs Frances Trautmann frances.trautmann@efen.com“

 

2) Data collection when visiting our website

2.1 When you use our website for information purposes only, i.e. if you do not register or otherwise provide us with information, we only collect the data that your browser transmits to the site server (so-called „server log files“). When you visit our website, we collect the following data, which is technically necessary for us to display the website to you:

– Our visited website

– Date and time at the time of access

– Amount of data sent in bytes

– Source/reference from which you reached the page

– Browser used

– Operating system used

– IP address used (if applicable: in anonymised form)

Processing is carried out in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR on the basis of our legitimate interest in improving the stability and functionality of our website. The data will not be passed on or used in any other way. However, we reserve the right to subsequently check the server log files if there are concrete indications of unlawful use.

2.2 This website uses SSL or TLS encryption for security reasons and to protect the transmission of personal data and other confidential content (e.g. orders or enquiries to the controller). You can recognise an encrypted connection by the character string „https://“ and the lock symbol in your browser line.

 

3) Cookies

We use cookies, i.e. small text files that are stored on your end device, to make visiting our website attractive and to enable the use of certain functions. Some of these cookies are automatically deleted after you close your browser (so-called „session cookies“), while others remain on your device for longer and allow you to save page settings (so-called „persistent cookies“). In the latter case, you can find the storage period in the cookie settings overview of your web browser.

If personal data is also processed by individual cookies used by us, the processing is carried out in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR either for the execution of the contract, in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR in the case of consent given or in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR to safeguard our legitimate interests in the best possible functionality of the website and a customer-friendly and effective design of the page visit.

You can set your browser so that you are informed about the setting of cookies and can decide individually whether to accept them or to exclude the acceptance of cookies for certain cases or in general.

Please note that if you do not accept cookies, the functionality of our website may be restricted.

 

4) Making contact

4.1 WhatsApp Business

We offer visitors to our website the opportunity to contact us via the WhatsApp messaging service provided by WhatsApp Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland. We use the so-called „business version“ of WhatsApp for this purpose.

If you contact us via WhatsApp on the occasion of a specific transaction (for example, an order placed), we will store and use the mobile phone number you use on WhatsApp and – if provided – your first and last name in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b. GDPR to process your enquiry. GDPR to process and respond to your request. On the same legal basis, we may ask you to provide further data (order number, customer number, address or e-mail address) via WhatsApp in order to be able to assign your enquiry to a specific process.

If you use our WhatsApp contact for general enquiries (e.g. about the range of services, availability or our website), we store and use the mobile phone number you use on WhatsApp and – if provided – your first and last name in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR on the basis of our legitimate interest in the efficient and timely provision of the requested information.

Your data will only ever be used to respond to your request via WhatsApp. Your data will not be passed on to third parties.

Please note that WhatsApp Business receives access to the address book of the mobile device we use for this purpose and automatically transfers telephone numbers stored in the address book to a server of the parent company Meta Platforms Inc. in the USA. To operate our WhatsApp Business account, we use a mobile device whose address book only stores the WhatsApp contact data of those users who have contacted us via WhatsApp.

This ensures that every person whose WhatsApp contact data is stored in our address book has already consented to the transmission of their WhatsApp telephone number from the address books of their chat contacts in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR when using the app on their device for the first time by accepting the WhatsApp terms of use. The transmission of data of such users who do not use WhatsApp and/or have not contacted us via WhatsApp is excluded in this respect.

The purpose and scope of the data collection and the further processing and use of the data by WhatsApp as well as your rights in this regard and setting options to protect your privacy can be found in WhatsApp’s data protection information: https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/?eea=1#privacy-policy

As part of the above-mentioned processing, data may be transferred to Meta Platforms Inc. servers in the USA.

For data transfers to the USA, the provider has joined the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which ensures compliance with the European level of data protection on the basis of an adequacy decision by the European Commission.

4.2 Personal data is collected when you contact us (e.g. via contact form or email). The data collected when a contact form is used can be seen from the respective contact form. This data is stored and used exclusively for the purpose of responding to your enquiry or for contacting you and the associated technical administration.

The legal basis for the processing of this data is our legitimate interest in responding to your request in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. If your contact is aimed at the conclusion of a contract, the additional legal basis for the processing is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR. Your data will be deleted after final processing of your enquiry. This is the case if it can be inferred from the circumstances that the matter in question has been conclusively clarified and provided that there are no statutory retention obligations to the contrary.

 

5) Registration with the portal or forum

You can register on our website by providing personal data. Which personal data is processed for registration is determined by the input mask used for registration. We use the so-called double opt-in procedure for registration, i.e. your registration is not complete until you have confirmed your registration by clicking on the link contained in a confirmation e-mail sent to you for this purpose. If you do not confirm your registration within 24 hours, your registration will be automatically deleted from our database. You must provide the aforementioned data. You can provide all other information voluntarily by using our portal.

If you use our portal, we will store your data required for the fulfilment of the contract, including any information on the method of payment, until you finally delete your access. Furthermore, we store the voluntary data you provide for the duration of your use of the portal, unless you delete it beforehand. You can manage and change all information in the protected customer area. The legal basis is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR.

In addition, we store all content published by you (e.g. public posts, pinboard entries, guestbook entries, etc.) in order to operate the website. We have a legitimate interest in providing the website with complete user-generated content. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. If you delete your account, your public statements, especially in the forum, will remain visible to all readers, but your account will no longer be accessible. All other data will be deleted in this case.

 

6) Use of customer data for direct advertising

6.1 Registration for our e-mail newsletter

If you register for our e-mail newsletter, we will send you regular information about our offers. The only mandatory information for sending the newsletter is your e-mail address. The provision of further data is voluntary and is used to address you personally. We use the so-called double opt-in procedure for sending the newsletter. This means that we will only send you an e-mail newsletter if you have expressly confirmed to us that you consent to receiving the newsletter. We will then send you a confirmation e-mail asking you to confirm that you wish to receive the newsletter in future by clicking on a corresponding link.

By activating the confirmation link, you give us your consent to the use of your personal data in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR. When you register for the newsletter, we store your IP address entered by the Internet service provider (ISP) as well as the date and time of registration in order to be able to trace any possible misuse of your e-mail address at a later date. The data collected by us when you register for the newsletter will be used exclusively for the purpose of advertising by means of the newsletter. You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time via the link provided for this purpose in the newsletter or by sending a corresponding message to the controller named at the beginning. Once you have cancelled your subscription, your email address will be deleted from our newsletter mailing list immediately, unless you have expressly consented to further use of your data or we reserve the right to use data beyond this, which is permitted by law and about which we inform you in this declaration.

6.2 Sending the e-mail newsletter to existing customers

If you have provided us with your e-mail address when purchasing goods or services, we reserve the right to regularly send you offers for similar goods or services to those already purchased from our range by e-mail. In accordance with Section 7 (3) UWG, we do not need to obtain separate consent from you for this. In this respect, data processing is carried out solely on the basis of our legitimate interest in personalized direct advertising in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. If you have initially objected to the use of your email address for this purpose, we will not send you any emails.

You are entitled to object to the use of your email address for the aforementioned advertising purpose at any time with effect for the future by sending a message to the controller named at the beginning. You will only incur transmission costs for this in accordance with the basic rates. Upon receipt of your objection, the use of your e-mail address for advertising purposes will be discontinued immediately.

 

6.3 CleverReach

Our e-mail newsletters are sent via this provider: CleverReach GmbH & Co. KG, Mühlenstr. 43, 26180 Rastede, Germany

On the basis of our legitimate interest in effective and user-friendly newsletter marketing, we pass on the data you provide when registering for the newsletter to this provider in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR so that they can send the newsletter on our behalf.

Subject to your express consent in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR, the provider also carries out a statistical evaluation of the success of newsletter campaigns using web beacons or tracking pixels in the emails sent, which can measure opening rates and specific interactions with the content of the newsletter. End device information (e.g. time of access, IP address, browser type and operating system) is also collected and analysed, but not merged with other data sets.

You can revoke your consent to newsletter tracking at any time with effect for the future.

We have concluded an order processing contract with the provider that protects the data of our website visitors and prohibits it from being passed on to third parties.

 

7) Site functionalities

YouTube

This website uses plugins to display and play videos from the following provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, 4 Barrow St, Dublin, D04 E5W5, Ireland

Data may also be transmitted to: Google LLC, USA

When you access a page on our website that contains such a plugin, your browser establishes a direct connection to the provider’s servers in order to load the plugin. Certain information, including your IP address, is transmitted to the provider.

If playback of embedded videos is started via the plugin, the provider also uses cookies to collect information about user behavior, compile playback statistics and prevent abusive behavior.

If you are logged into a user account with the provider during your visit to the site, your data will be assigned directly to your account when you click on a video. If you do not wish your data to be associated with your account, you must log out before clicking the play button.

All of the aforementioned processing, in particular the setting of cookies for reading information on the end device used, will only take place if you have given us your express consent to do so in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR. You can revoke your consent at any time with effect for the future by deactivating this service via the „cookie consent tool“ provided on the website.

For data transfers to the USA, the provider has joined the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which ensures compliance with the European level of data protection on the basis of an adequacy decision by the European Commission.

 

8) Tools and other

– DATEV

We use the cloud-based accounting software service of the following provider to handle our accounting: DATEV eG, Paumgartnerstr. 6-14, 90429 Nuremberg, Germany

The provider processes incoming and outgoing invoices and, if applicable, our company’s bank transactions in order to automatically record invoices, match them to the transactions and create the financial accounting from this in a partially automated process.

If personal data is also processed in this process, the processing is carried out in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR on the basis of our legitimate interest in the efficient organization and documentation of our business transactions.

 

9) Rights of the data subject

9.1 The applicable data protection law grants you the following data subject rights (information and intervention rights) vis-à-vis the controller with regard to the processing of your personal data, whereby reference is made to the stated legal basis for the respective exercise requirements:

– Right of access pursuant to Art. 15 GDPR;

– Right to rectification pursuant to Art. 16 GDPR;

– Right to erasure pursuant to Art. 17 GDPR;

– Right to restriction of processing pursuant to Art. 18 GDPR;

– Right to information pursuant to Art. 19 GDPR;

– Right to data portability pursuant to Art. 20 GDPR;

– Right to withdraw consent granted pursuant to Art. 7 para. 3 GDPR;

– Right to lodge a complaint pursuant to Art. 77 GDPR.

9.2 RIGHT TO OBJECT

IF WE PROCESS YOUR PERSONAL DATA AS PART OF A BALANCING OF INTERESTS ON THE BASIS OF OUR OVERRIDING LEGITIMATE INTEREST, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBJECT TO THIS PROCESSING AT ANY TIME WITH EFFECT FOR THE FUTURE ON GROUNDS RELATING TO YOUR PARTICULAR SITUATION.

IF YOU EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO OBJECT, WE WILL STOP PROCESSING THE DATA CONCERNED.HOWEVER, WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CONTINUE PROCESSING IF WE CAN DEMONSTRATE COMPELLING LEGITIMATE GROUNDS FOR THE PROCESSING WHICH OVERRIDE YOUR INTERESTS, FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS, OR IF THE PROCESSING SERVES THE ESTABLISHMENT, EXERCISE OR DEFENCE OF LEGAL CLAIMS.

IF YOUR PERSONAL DATA IS PROCESSED BY US FOR THE PURPOSE OF DIRECT MARKETING, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBJECT AT ANY TIME TO THE PROCESSING OF PERSONAL DATA CONCERNING YOU FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUCH MARKETING.YOU CAN EXERCISE YOUR OBJECTION AS DESCRIBED ABOVE.

IF YOU EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO OBJECT, WE WILL STOP PROCESSING THE DATA CONCERNED FOR DIRECT MARKETING PURPOSES.

 

10) Duration of storage of personal data

The duration of the storage of personal data is determined by the respective legal basis, the purpose of processing and – if applicable – additionally by the respective statutory retention period (e.g. retention periods under commercial and tax law).

When processing personal data on the basis of express consent in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR, the data concerned will be stored until you withdraw your consent.

If there are statutory retention periods for data that is processed within the scope of legal or similar obligations on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR, this data will be routinely deleted after the retention periods have expired, provided that it is no longer required for contract fulfilment or contract initiation and/or we no longer have a legitimate interest in further storage.

When processing personal data on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR, this data will be stored until you exercise your right to object in accordance with Art. 21 para. 1 GDPR, unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override your interests, rights and freedoms, or the processing serves the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims.

When processing personal data for the purpose of direct marketing on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR, this data will be stored until you exercise your right to object in accordance with Art. 21 para. 2 GDPR.

Unless otherwise stated in the other information in this declaration on specific processing situations, stored personal data will be deleted when it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected or otherwise processed.