Data protection
Trusted Shops takes the protection of your data very seriously.
Our privacy policy declaration explains how carefully we handle your personal data and provides answers to the following questions:
What data will be collected and/or used? How can I correct, block or delete my data? Will my data be passed on to third parties and how will it be protected against misuse? Take a moment to find out what data will be collected and used, and how you can have this data corrected, blocked or deleted.
Principle
Trusted Shops GmbH, the party responsible for the collection, processing and use of data, is committed to protecting the privacy of all persons who use our website and services and to treat their data with confidentiality when collecting, processing and using such data. We are committed to protecting your privacy online. We appreciate that you do not want the personal information you provide to us distributed indiscriminately and here we explain how we collect information, what we do with it and what controls you have. Our employees are regularly obligated to maintain data secrecy. The basis for this are the applicable provisions of law, such as the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG) and the German Telemedia Act (TMG).
We reserve the right to change this privacy policy from time to time by changing it on the website. This privacy policy was last updated on 15 October 2012.
We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and our registration number is Z2211983.
Which data is collected and used when I visit the website?
You can visit our website without entering any directly identifiable personal information. When you visit our website, we may automatically collect access information about you, such as the type of internet browser you use, the website from which you have come to our website and your IP address (the unique address which identifies your computer on the internet) which is automatically recognised by our web server. This information is only used to assist us in providing an effective service on our website and to collect broad demographic information for aggregate use. We will only store access data without any personal reference. Besides we will use the previously anonymised IP address on our own behalf to locate the country from which you are visiting the website, to offer you the correct language version. The anonymised IP address will not be stored for this purpose.
The use of cookies
In order to make visiting our website appealing and to enable the use of certain functions, we use so-called cookies on various pages. Cookies are small text files that are saved on your computer. Most of the cookies we use are deleted from your hard drive at the end of your browser session (so-called session cookies). Other cookies remain on your computer and enable us to recognise your computer again the next time you visit our site (so-called permanent cookies). Our partner companies are not permitted to collect, or use data from cookies that can be linked to directly identifiable information that we may hold about you via our website.
Web analysis by etracker
Data is collected and stored on our website for marketing and optimisation purposes using technologies from etracker GmbH ("etracker"). This data can be used to create a user profile. Cookies may be used to do this. Cookies enable recognition of a user's browser but they do not personally identify users. The data collected by etracker is stored anonymously under an abbreviated form, as a "pseudonym" so that is it not possible to identify individual users.
Unless you give your express consent, data collected with etracker technologies will not be used to personally identify you by this website and is not combined with personal data about you or pseudonym data. You may refuse future collection and storage for the purposes of web analysis by etracker at any time on this website.
You can change your browser settings so that you are informed about the creation of cookies and either decide each time whether to allow cookies or to block them completely. By disallowing cookies, you may restrict the functionality of our website.
Google Adwords conversion tracking
When registering for membership and successfully submitting an order, the visitor reaches the order confirmation page. This page is connected to the online advertising programme Google AdWords, a product of Google Inc. (www.google.com). Google uses cookies so that companies which pay Google to display advertisements can ascertain how many people who click on their ads subsequently purchase their products (conversion tracking). The cookie for conversion tracking will only be placed in your browser if you click on an advertisement displayed by Google with regard to which the advertiser has opted for conversion tracking. The cookies will expire after 30 days and contain no information that allows you to be personally identified. If you visit the order confirmation page on the Trusted Shops website and the cookie has not yet expired, Google and the advertiser will be able to detect the fact that you clicked on the advertisement and were redirected to that page. Each advertiser receives a different cookie. Cookies cannot therefore be tracked via advertisers’ websites. If you would like to deactivate cookies for conversion tracking, you can set your browser so that cookies from the domain “googleadservices.com” are blocked.
What data will be collected and processed if I register for Trusted Shops Buyer Protection?
If you register for Trusted Shops Buyer Protection you will be asked to consent to the storage, processing and use of your data by Trusted Shops GmbH. Of course, we will also respect your decision to refuse such consent. However, in that case you will not be entitled to Trusted Shops Buyer Protection.
When you register for Buyer Protection, we need your e-mail-address, the name of the online shop, the total purchase price, the selected payment method, the order number and the shop customer number if any. With your registration we will not gain knowledge of either the products that you ordered or of sensitive payment information, for example your credit card number or bank details.
Your data will be used exclusively to enable us to provide you with Buyer Protection and to allow you to use the Trusted Shops system. In the Trusted Shops system you can view your active and completed guarantees, enter any refund claims and rate completed transactions. Your e-mail address will serve as a user name for access to the Trusted Shops system and will be permanently stored for that purpose. Furthermore, only information and data which is absolutely necessary to resolve any refund claims will be stored and processed.
You can also request that your data be deleted at any time. Please use our contact form for this purpose. However, Trusted Shops Buyer Protection will then no longer be valid.
If you take advantage of Buyer Protection, we will need additional information and personal data from you to verify and process the refund request. When you register a refund claim, your name and address, possibly your telephone number and your bank details for the refund will be collected. That data will be stored for six months and used exclusively to process the refund claim. After that, the data will be blocked for further use and will be finally erased after all retention periods under commercial and tax law have ended.
What data will be collected and used if I submit a seller rating?
If you submit a rating through the Trusted Shops seller rating system and have not previously registered for Trusted Shops Buyer Protection, we will need your e-mail address to ensure that the rating is valid and trustworthy. Your e-mail-address will only be used to verify whether the rating indeed originates from a customer of the rated online shop and can be demonstrably attributed to an order, and for that purpose it will be permanently stored with the submitted rating.
When submitting a rating by clicking “submit rating now” in the rating form, Trusted Shops GmbH will store your rating and the related e-mail address in databases and will completely or partially duplicate, disseminate and reproduce the ratings and comments, both online and offline (for example in print media or catalogues), as well as the right to make them publicly available.
However, your e-mail address will never be viewable by the general public.
Which data is collected and used if I write a comment on our website?
Personal data (e-mail address, name) is collected if you voluntarily agree to this when commenting on an article. We use the data you choose to supply solely for the publication of your comment. Where you choose to leave a comment it is possible that you may wish to link your user name to your website. Your e-mail address will not be published.
Which data is collected and used if I sign up for the newsletter?
We will only send you our newsletter where you have agreed to receive this. Submission of your e-mail address is required to receive our newsletter any other information that you provide is optional. The newsletter contains current information and offers from Trusted Shops GmbH and from third parties. You may unsubscribe via our newsletter or at any time through an e-mail.
Which data is collected and used when I enquire about or register for membership?
Registration for membership is only available to people who are engaged in commercial or entrepreneurial activities. Personal data is collected if you voluntarily agree to this during contact or upon registration for membership. We use your data for the exclusive purposes of offering you the information or services that you require. The only information and data, which is saved and processed, is that which is absolutely necessary to answer your enquiry or to process the contract.
When making an enquiry or registering for membership you will be asked to provide us with certain personal information such as your e-mail address, your name, address and the address of your online shop. Whether information is mandatory or optional is clearly indicated on the various pages. We require the data to be able to respond to your enquiry or check your membership registration. Insofar as a membership contract exists, you may request that your data be exempt from further processing after full performance of the contract agreement, and that your data be deleted after the expiration of the tax and commercial law period of storage. In the event of contact without completion of a membership contract, your data will be deleted from our customer database on request.
Will my data be passed on to third parties?
Only If the visitor is engaged in commercial or entrepreneurial activities and applies for membership, the following applies: Upon completion of a contract for membership, we pass on your address data to credit agencies when necessary for the purposes of liability risk assessments and credit checks.
In general, other than the disclosures referred to in this privacy policy, your data is not passed on to third parties without your express permission. You will receive emails solely from Trusted Shops GmbH.
How is my data protected from misuse?
We place great importance on the security of all personally identifiable information associated with our users. We have security measures in place to attempt to protect against the loss, misuse and alteration of personal information under our control. Whilst we cannot ensure or guarantee that loss, misuse or alteration of information will never occur, we use all reasonable efforts to prevent it.
Using the latest technical and organisational measures, we secure our website and other systems from loss, destruction, access to, change or publication of your data by third parties. We use encryption technology to ensure the highest level of confidentiality when transferring personal data such as enquiry, registration or buyer protection data. Your personal data is password protected, meaning that only you have access to it. Our servers use various security mechanisms and authorisation procedures in order to impede unauthorised access. You should never disclose your access information to others and always close the browser window when you have completed communication with Trusted Shops. You can thereby ensure that nobody can access your personal data if you use a shared computer.
You should bear in mind that submission of information over the internet is never entirely secure. We cannot guarantee the security of information you submit via our website whilst it is in transit over the internet and any such submission is at your own risk.
How can I amend, block or delete my personal data?
You can view and edit your own user information at any time in the secure area of the Trusted Shops homepage by logging in with your e-mail address and password. If you forget your password or have problems logging in, please contact us. Please use the contact form to request that your user information be deleted.
You have the right to request information about your saved data, as well as the right to have that data amended, blocked or deleted. Such request will be free of charge. Please contact our data protection officer in this regard. As mentioned above, you have a right to prevent the use of your personal information for direct marketing purposes.
Data protection officer
If you have any questions regarding the collection, processing or use of your personal data, the disclosure, correction, blocking or erasing of data or the revocation of granted consent, please contact our data protection officer in writing at the following address:
Lars Klatte
Trusted Shops GmbH
Subbelrather Straße 15c
50823 Cologne
Germany
As well as internal data protection inspections by our data protection officer, the German Federal Data Protection Act provides for supervisory authorities, which help you to enforce your rights. Trusted Shops is covered by the jurisdiction of the supervisory authority of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, whose address is as follows:
Landesbeauftragter für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit Nordrhein-Westfalen
Ulrich Lepper
Kavalleriestr. 2-4
40213 Düsseldorf
Germany
Tel. (0211) 38424-0
Fax (0211) 38424-0
E-mail: poststelle [at] ldi.nrw.de
Appendix: Declaration of consent
You may have explicitly granted the following consents, which we have logged. Pursuant to the German Telemedia Act, we are obliged to ensure that the content of the consents is available at all times to be accessed by you. You can withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future.
Registration for Buyer Protection
I confirm that the above data is correct and declare that I consent to its storage. I am aware of the terms and conditions of Trusted Shops Buyer Protection and accept them.
Registration for the newsletter
I would like Trusted Shops to regularly inform me of news and offers by e-mail. My e-mail address will not be passed on to third parties. I can unsubscribe from this service at any time by clicking on the link at the end of the newsletter.
Imprint
Person responsible under § 5 of Germany’s Telemedia Act (TMG) for www.trustedshops.co.uk and for the Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/trustedshops.co.uk is:
Registered office
Trusted Shops GmbH
Subbelrather Straße 15c
50823 Cologne, Germany
Tel.: +44 20 3364 5906
E-Mail: service@trustedshops.co.uk
Cologne Local Court, Germany, Commercial Register (HRB) 32735
VAT ID No.: DE 812 947 877
Managing Directors: Jean-Marc Noël, Thomas Karst, Ulrich Hafenbradl
Responsible for content: Ulrich Hafenbradl (responsible), Carsten Föhlisch
Representative for minor protection, pursuant to Article 7 JMStV: Valena Will