Privacy Policy
1. Data protection at a glance
GENERAL INFORMATION
The following information provides a simple overview of what happens to your personal data when you visit our website. Personal data is any data with which you can be personally identified. Detailed information on the subject of data protection can be found in our privacy policy listed below this text.
DATA COLLECTION ON OUR WEBSITE
Who is responsible for the data collection on this website?
Data processing on this website is carried out by the website operator. You can find their contact details in the legal notice of this website.
How do we collect your data?
On the one hand, your data is collected when you provide it to us. This may, for example, be data that you enter into a contact form.
Other data is collected automatically by our IT systems when you visit the website. This is primarily technical data (e.g., internet browser, operating system, or time of the page access). This data is collected automatically as soon as you enter our website.
What do we use your data for?
Part of the data is collected to ensure the flawless provision of the website. Other data may be used to analyze your user behavior.
What rights do you have regarding your data?
You have the right to receive information free of charge at any time about the origin, recipient, and purpose of your stored personal data. You also have the right to request the correction, blocking, or deletion of this data. You can contact us at any time at the address specified in the legal notice for this or any other questions regarding data protection. Furthermore, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority.
ANALYSIS TOOLS AND THIRD-PARTY TOOLS
When visiting our website, your surfing behavior can be statistically evaluated. This happens primarily with cookies and with so-called analysis programs. The analysis of your surfing behavior is generally anonymous; the surfing behavior cannot be traced back to you. You can object to this analysis or prevent it by not using certain tools. Detailed information on this can be found in the following privacy policy.
You can object to this analysis. We will inform you about the options for objection in this privacy policy.
2. General information and mandatory information
DATA PROTECTION
The operators of these pages take the protection of your personal data very seriously. We treat your personal data confidentially and in accordance with the statutory data protection regulations as well as this privacy policy.
When you use this website, various personal data is collected. Personal data is data with which you can be personally identified. This privacy policy explains which data we collect and what we use it for. It also explains how and for what purpose this happens.
We point out that data transmission over the internet (e.g., when communicating via email) can have security vulnerabilities. It is not possible to completely protect data from access by third parties.
NOTE ON THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY
The party responsible for data processing on this website is:
ETA Grading Service GmbH
Otto-Hahn-Str. 7b
50997 Cologne
E-Mail: info@eta-gs.com
The controller is the natural or legal person who, alone or jointly with others, decides on the purposes and means of the processing of personal data (e.g., names, e-mail addresses, etc.).
REVOCATION OF YOUR CONSENT TO DATA PROCESSING
Many data processing operations are only possible with your express consent. You may revoke your consent at any time. A simple informal notification by e-mail is sufficient. The lawfulness of the data processing carried out before the revocation remains unaffected by the revocation.
RIGHT TO LODGE A COMPLAINT WITH THE COMPETENT SUPERVISORY AUTHORITY
In the event of violations of data protection law, the data subject has the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority. The competent supervisory authority for data protection issues is the state data protection officer of the federal state in which our company is headquartered. A list of data protection officers and their contact details can be found at the following link: https://www.bfdi.bund.de/DE/Infothek/Anschriften_Links/anschriften_links-node.html.
Data Protection Officer
ETA Grading Service GmbH
Otto-Hahn-Str. 7b
50997 Cologne
E-Mail: info@eta-gs.com
RIGHT TO DATA PORTABILITY
You have the right to have data that we process automatically on the basis of your consent or in performance of a contract handed over to you or to a third party in a standard, machine-readable format. If you require the direct transfer of the data to another controller, this will only take place insofar as it is technically feasible.
SSL OR TLS ENCRYPTION
For security reasons and to protect the transmission of confidential content, such as orders or inquiries that you send to us as the site operator, this site uses SSL or TLS encryption. You can recognize an encrypted connection by the fact that the browser's address line changes from "http://" to "https://" and by the lock symbol in your browser line.
If SSL or TLS encryption is activated, the data you transmit to us cannot be read by third parties.
ENCRYPTED PAYMENT TRANSACTIONS ON THIS WEBSITE
If there is an obligation to provide us with your payment data (e.g., account number for direct debit authorization) after the conclusion of a contract subject to a charge, this data is required for payment processing.
Payment transactions via common means of payment (Visa/MasterCard, direct debit) are carried out exclusively via an encrypted SSL or TLS connection. You can recognize an encrypted connection by the fact that the browser's address line changes from "http://" to "https://" and by the lock symbol in your browser line.
In the case of encrypted communication, your payment data transmitted to us cannot be read by third parties.
INFORMATION, BLOCKING, DELETION
Within the framework of the applicable legal provisions, you have the right at any time to free information about your stored personal data, its origin and recipients, and the purpose of the data processing, and, if applicable, a right to correction, blocking, or deletion of this data. For this purpose, as well as for further questions on the subject of personal data, you can contact us at any time at the address provided in the legal notice.
OBJECTION TO ADVERTISING EMAILS
The use of contact data published as part of the legal notice obligation for the purpose of sending unsolicited advertising and information materials is hereby objected to. The operators of the pages expressly reserve the right to take legal action in the event of the unsolicited sending of advertising information, such as spam e-mails.
3. Data collection on our website
COOKIES
The websites partly use so-called cookies. Cookies do not cause any damage to your computer and do not contain viruses. Cookies are used to make our offer more user-friendly, effective, and secure. Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer and stored by your browser.
Most of the cookies we use are so-called "session cookies". They are automatically deleted at the end of your visit. Other cookies remain stored on your terminal device until you delete them. These cookies enable us to recognize your browser the next time you visit.
You can set your browser so that you are informed about the setting of cookies and only allow cookies in individual cases, exclude the acceptance of cookies for certain cases or generally, and activate the automatic deletion of cookies when closing the browser. The functionality of this website may be restricted when cookies are deactivated.
Cookies that are required to carry out the electronic communication process or to provide certain functions desired by you (e.g., shopping cart function) are stored on the basis of Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in the storage of cookies for the technically error-free and optimized provision of his services. Insofar as other cookies (e.g., cookies for the analysis of your surfing behavior) are stored, these are treated separately in this privacy policy.
CONTACT FORM
If you send us inquiries via the contact form, your details from the inquiry form, including the contact data provided by you there, will be stored by us for the purpose of processing the inquiry and in the event of follow-up questions. We do not pass on this data without your consent.
The processing of the data entered into the contact form is therefore carried out exclusively on the basis of your consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR). You may revoke this consent at any time. A simple informal notification by e-mail is sufficient. The lawfulness of the data processing operations carried out until the revocation remains unaffected by the revocation.
The data entered by you in the contact form will remain with us until you request us to delete it, revoke your consent for storage, or the purpose for the data storage no longer applies (e.g., after your request has been processed). Mandatory legal provisions – especially retention periods – remain unaffected.
DATA TRANSMISSION UPON CONCLUSION OF CONTRACT FOR ONLINE SHOPS, RETAILERS, AND SHIPMENT OF GOODS
We transmit personal data to third parties only if this is necessary for the performance of the contract, for example, to the companies entrusted with the delivery of the goods or the financial institution commissioned with payment processing. No further transmission of the data occurs, or it only occurs if you have expressly consented to the transmission. A transfer of your data to third parties without express consent, e.g., for advertising purposes, does not take place.
The basis for data processing is Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR, which permits the processing of data for the performance of a contract or pre-contractual measures.
DATA TRANSMISSION UPON CONCLUSION OF CONTRACT FOR SERVICES AND DIGITAL CONTENT
We transmit personal data to third parties only if this is necessary for the performance of the contract, for example, to the financial institution commissioned with payment processing.
No further transmission of the data occurs, or it only occurs if you have expressly consented to the transmission. A transfer of your data to third parties without express consent, e.g., for advertising purposes, does not take place.
The basis for data processing is Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR, which permits the processing of data for the performance of a contract or pre-contractual measures.
4. Analysis tools and advertising
GOOGLE ANALYTICS
This website uses functions of the web analytics service Google Analytics. The provider is Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.
Google Analytics uses so-called "cookies". These are text files that are stored on your computer and allow an analysis of the use of the website by you. The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website is generally transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there.
The storage of Google Analytics cookies is based on Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in the analysis of user behavior in order to optimize both his web offer and his advertising.
IP Anonymization
We have activated the IP anonymization function on this website. This will shorten your IP address by Google within member states of the European Union or in other contracting states of the Agreement on the European Economic Area before transmission to the USA. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be transmitted to a Google server in the USA and shortened there. On behalf of the operator of this website, Google will use this information to evaluate your use of the website, to compile reports on website activity, and to provide other services related to website use and internet usage to the website operator. The IP address transmitted by your browser within the scope of Google Analytics will not be merged with other Google data.
Browser Plugin
You can prevent the storage of cookies by setting your browser software accordingly; however, we point out that in this case, you may not be able to use all functions of this website to their full extent. Furthermore, you can prevent the collection of the data generated by the cookie and related to your use of the website (incl. your IP address) to Google as well as the processing of this data by Google by downloading and installing the browser plugin available under the following link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en.
Objection to data collection
You can prevent the collection of your data by Google Analytics by clicking on the following link. An opt-out cookie will be set, which prevents the collection of your data during future visits to this website: Disable Google Analytics.
More information on the handling of user data at Google Analytics can be found in the privacy policy of Google: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=en.
Order data processing
We have concluded a contract for order data processing with Google and fully implement the strict requirements of the German data protection authorities when using Google Analytics.
Demographic characteristics with Google Analytics
This website uses the "demographic characteristics" function of Google Analytics. This allows reports to be created that contain statements about the age, gender, and interests of site visitors. This data comes from interest-based advertising by Google as well as visitor data from third-party providers. This data cannot be assigned to a specific person. You can deactivate this function at any time via the ad settings in your Google account or generally prohibit the collection of your data by Google Analytics as described in the point "Objection to data collection".
GOOGLE ADSENSE
This website uses Google AdSense, a service for integrating advertisements of Google Inc. ("Google"). The provider is Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.
Google AdSense uses so-called "cookies", text files that are stored on your computer and allow an analysis of the use of the website. Google AdSense also uses so-called web beacons (invisible graphics). Through these web beacons, information such as visitor traffic on these pages can be evaluated.
The information generated by cookies and web beacons about the use of this website (including your IP address) and the delivery of advertising formats is transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there. This information can be passed on by Google to Google's contractual partners. However, Google will not merge your IP address with other data stored by you.
The storage of AdSense cookies is based on Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in the analysis of user behavior in order to optimize both his web offer and his advertising.
You can prevent the installation of cookies by setting your browser software accordingly; however, we point out that in this case, you may not be able to use all functions of this website to their full extent. By using this website, you consent to the processing of the data collected about you by Google in the manner described above and for the aforementioned purpose.
GOOGLE ANALYTICS REMARKETING
Our websites use the functions of Google Analytics Remarketing in combination with the cross-device functions of Google AdWords and Google DoubleClick. The provider is Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.
This function allows the advertising target groups created with Google Analytics Remarketing to be linked with the cross-device functions of Google AdWords and Google DoubleClick. In this way, interest-based, personalized advertising messages that have been adapted to you depending on your previous usage and surfing behavior on one terminal device (e.g., mobile phone) can also be displayed on another of your terminal devices (e.g., tablet or PC).
If you have given your corresponding consent, Google will link your web and app browser history with your Google account for this purpose. In this way, the same personalized advertising messages can be placed on every terminal device on which you sign in with your Google account.
To support this function, Google Analytics collects Google-authenticated IDs of users, which are temporarily linked to our Google Analytics data to define and create target groups for cross-device advertising.
You can permanently object to cross-device remarketing/targeting by deactivating personalized advertising in your Google account; follow this link for this purpose: https://www.google.com/settings/ads/onweb/.
The summarization of the collected data in your Google account is based exclusively on your consent, which you can give or revoke at Google (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR). For data collection operations that are not merged in your Google account (e.g., because you do not have a Google account or have objected to the merger), the collection of data is based on Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR. The legitimate interest arises from the fact that the website operator has an interest in the anonymized analysis of website visitors for advertising purposes.
Further information and the data protection provisions can be found in the privacy policy of Google at: https://www.google.com/policies/technologies/ads/.
GOOGLE ADWORDS AND GOOGLE CONVERSION TRACKING
This website uses Google AdWords. AdWords is an online advertising program of Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States (“Google”).
As part of Google AdWords, we use so-called conversion tracking. When you click on an ad placed by Google, a cookie for conversion tracking is set. Cookies are small text files that the internet browser places on the user's computer. These cookies lose their validity after 30 days and are not used for personal identification of the users. If the user visits certain pages of this website and the cookie has not yet expired, Google and we can recognize that the user clicked on the ad and was redirected to this page.
Every Google AdWords customer receives a different cookie. The cookies cannot be tracked via the websites of AdWords customers. The information obtained using the conversion cookie is used to create conversion statistics for AdWords customers who have opted for conversion tracking. Customers learn the total number of users who clicked on their ad and were redirected to a page provided with a conversion tracking tag. However, they do not receive information that can personally identify users. If you do not want to participate in tracking, you can object to this use by easily deactivating the Google conversion tracking cookie via your internet browser under user settings. You will then not be included in the conversion tracking statistics.
The storage of “conversion cookies” is based on Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in the analysis of user behavior in order to optimize both his web offer and his advertising.
More information about Google AdWords and Google conversion tracking can be found in Google's privacy policy: https://www.google.de/policies/privacy/.
You can set your browser so that you are informed about the setting of cookies and only allow cookies in individual cases, exclude the acceptance of cookies for certain cases or generally, and activate the automatic deletion of cookies when closing the browser. The functionality of this website may be restricted when cookies are deactivated.
FACEBOOK PIXEL
For conversion measurement, our website uses the visitor action pixel from Facebook, Facebook Inc., 1601 S. California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA (“Facebook”).
In this way, the behavior of site visitors can be tracked after they have been redirected to the provider's website by clicking on a Facebook advertisement. This allows the effectiveness of Facebook advertisements to be evaluated for statistical and market research purposes and future advertising measures to be optimized.
The data collected is anonymous to us as the operator of this website; we cannot draw any conclusions about the identity of the users. However, the data is stored and processed by Facebook, so that a connection to the respective user profile is possible and Facebook can use the data for its own advertising purposes, in accordance with the Facebook Data Use Policy. This allows Facebook to enable the placement of advertisements on pages of Facebook and outside of Facebook. As the site operator, we have no influence on this use of data.
You can find further information on protecting your privacy in Facebook's data policy: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/.
You can also deactivate the "Custom Audiences" remarketing feature in the ad settings section at https://www.facebook.com/ads/preferences/?entry_product=ad_settings_screen. You must be logged in to Facebook to do this.
If you do not have a Facebook account, you can deactivate usage-based advertising from Facebook on the website of the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance: http://www.youronlinechoices.com/de/praferenzmanagement/.
5. Newsletter
NEWSLETTER DATA
If you would like to receive the newsletter offered on the website, we require an e-mail address from you as well as information that allows us to verify that you are the owner of the provided e-mail address and that you agree to receive the newsletter. Further data is not collected or is only collected on a voluntary basis. We use this data exclusively for sending the requested information and do not pass it on to third parties.
The processing of the data entered into the newsletter subscription form takes place exclusively on the basis of your consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR). You can revoke the consent granted for the storage of the data, the e-mail address, and their use for sending the newsletter at any time, for example via the "unsubscribe" link in the newsletter. The legality of the data processing operations that have already taken place remains unaffected by the revocation.
The data you provide to us for the purpose of receiving the newsletter will be stored by us until you unsubscribe from the newsletter and will be deleted after you unsubscribe. Data that has been stored by us for other purposes (e.g., e-mail addresses for the member area) remains unaffected by this.
MAILCHIMP
This website uses the services of MailChimp to send newsletters. The provider is the Rocket Science Group LLC, 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Suite 5000, Atlanta, GA 30308, USA.
MailChimp is a service with which, among other things, the sending of newsletters can be organized and analyzed. If you enter data for the purpose of receiving the newsletter (e.g., e-mail address), this is stored on MailChimp's servers in the USA.
MailChimp is certified under the “EU-US Privacy Shield”. The “Privacy Shield” is an agreement between the European Union (EU) and the USA intended to ensure compliance with European data protection standards in the USA.
With the help of MailChimp, we can analyze our newsletter campaigns. When you open an e-mail sent with MailChimp, a file contained in the e-mail (a so-called web beacon) connects to MailChimp's servers in the USA. This allows us to determine whether a newsletter message has been opened and which links, if any, have been clicked. In addition, technical information is recorded (e.g., time of retrieval, IP address, browser type, and operating system). This information cannot be assigned to the respective newsletter recipient. It is used exclusively for the statistical analysis of newsletter campaigns. The results of these analyses can be used to better adapt future newsletters to the interests of the recipients.
If you do not want analysis by MailChimp, you must unsubscribe from the newsletter. We provide a corresponding link for this in every newsletter message. Furthermore, you can also unsubscribe from the newsletter directly on the website.
Data processing takes place on the basis of your consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR). You can revoke this consent at any time by unsubscribing from the newsletter. The legality of the data processing operations that have already taken place remains unaffected by the revocation.
The data you provide to us for the purpose of receiving the newsletter will be stored by us until you unsubscribe from the newsletter and will be deleted from both our servers and the servers of MailChimp after you unsubscribe. Data that has been stored by us for other purposes (e.g., e-mail addresses for the member area) remains unaffected by this.
For more details, please refer to the MailChimp privacy policy at: https://mailchimp.com/legal/terms/.
Conclusion of a Data Processing Agreement
We have concluded a so-called “Data Processing Agreement” with MailChimp, in which we commit MailChimp to protect our customers' data and not to pass it on to third parties. This contract can be viewed at the following link: https://mailchimp.com/legal/forms/data-processing-agreement/sample-agreement/.
6. Online Marketing and Affiliate Programs
AMAZON AFFILIATE PROGRAM
The site operators participate in the Amazon EU Affiliate Program. Amazon advertisements and links to the Amazon.de site are integrated into our pages, through which we can earn money via advertising cost reimbursement. For this purpose, Amazon uses cookies to trace the origin of orders. As a result, Amazon can recognize that you have clicked the affiliate link on our website.
The storage of “Amazon cookies” takes place on the basis of Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in this, as the amount of its affiliate remuneration can only be determined through the cookies.
Further information on the use of data by Amazon can be found in Amazon's privacy policy: https://www.amazon.de/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=footer_privacy?ie=UTF8&nodeId=3312401.
7. Payment Providers
PAYPAL
On our website, we offer payment via PayPal, among others. The provider of this payment service is PayPal (Europe) S.à.r.l. et Cie, S.C.A., 22-24 Boulevard Royal, L-2449 Luxembourg (hereinafter “PayPal”).
If you select payment via PayPal, the payment data you enter will be transmitted to PayPal.
The transmission of your data to PayPal takes place on the basis of Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent) and Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR (processing for the fulfillment of a contract). You have the option to revoke your consent to data processing at any time. A revocation does not affect the validity of past data processing operations.
8. Plugins and Tools
GOOGLE WEB FONTS
For uniform representation of fonts, this page uses so-called Web Fonts provided by Google. When you call up a page, your browser loads the required Web Fonts into its browser cache to display texts and fonts correctly.
For this purpose, the browser you use must establish a connection to Google's servers. Through this, Google becomes aware that our website has been accessed via your IP address. The use of Google Web Fonts is in the interest of a uniform and appealing presentation of our online offerings. This constitutes a legitimate interest within the meaning of Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR.
If your browser does not support Web Fonts, a standard font will be used by your computer.
Further information on Google Web Fonts can be found at https://developers.google.com/fonts/faq and in Google's privacy policy: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/.
