Privacy policy

www.metz-ce.de/en

 

 

Privacy policy

Protecting your personal data is important to us. Below we provide information in accordance with Articles 12, 13, 14 and 21 of the GDPR about how we handle your personal data when you use our website www.metz-ce.de and initiate, implement and conclude a contract with us. Personal data are individual items of information on the personal or material circumstances of a defined or definable natural person. This includes information such as your name, address, telephone number and date of birth. 

I. Responsible authority

The office responsible for the GDPR is:
Metz Consumer Electronics GmbH
Ohmstraße 55
90513 Zirndorf, Germany
E-Mail: info@metz-ce.de

Contact details of our data protection officer:
Jürgen Schmidt
E-Mail: datenschutz@metz-ce.de

 

II. Use of website for information purposes

You can visit our website without providing any personal information. If you use our website for information only, i.e. you neither register nor transmit any information about yourself, we will not process any personal data, apart from data transferred by your browser to enable you to visit the website, and information transmitted to us by the cookies we use for statistical analysis of website usage.  

For technical purposes relating to provision of the website, we are obliged to process certain data transferred by you automatically to enable your browser to display our website and you to use it. This information is collected automatically each timed our website is visited, and it is stored in our server log files. This information relates to the computer system of the accessing computer. The following information is collected: host, IP address of user, possibly also the user’s name, date and time of access.

Our website uses Piwik, (now called Matomo, see matomo.org), a data protection-compliant open source web analytics system. It allows us to optimise the web pages and make them more user-friendly for you. Piwik uses “cookies”; these are text files that are saved to your computer and enable analysis of website usage. The collated data (incl. time, pages visited, user browser and operating system) is saved in a database. All IP addresses are truncated prior to being saved (the final tuple is removed). We can only see the network from which the request originated, not the computer. Cookie-generated information regarding use of this website (incl. anonymized IP address) falls under the data sovereignty of Metz Consumer Electronics GmbH. Metz Consumer Electronics GmbH makes use of this information to evaluate usage of the website and to compile reports regarding website activity. Stored data is not linked to other data sources and is not shared with third parties.

You can find further information on the data protection of Piwik/Matomo at

matomo.org/privacy

We process your personal data for the purpose of technical provision of our website on the following legal basis:

• to fulfil a contract or implement precontractual measures in compliance with Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR, should you visit our website to get information about our products or services;

• to protect our legitimate interests in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR in being able to provide the website in technical terms. Our legitimate interest is to provide you with an attractive, technically functioning and user-friendly website, as well as to take measures to protect our website from cyber attacks and prevent our website from being the source of cyber attacks for third parties.

 

III. Active use of the website and contract conclusion

In addition to using our website purely for information, you may also use our website actively, e.g. to order catalogues, find local specialist dealers, register for our newsletter or to contact us. As well as processing the personal data transferred when you use our website purely for information as set out above, we also process other personal data necessary for handling your order and/or processing and replying to your queries. 

a. Contact enquiries

We process any personal data you have provided in this context in order to process and reply to enquiries sent to us for example via the contact form or to our email address. This includes in each case your name and email address, so that we can reply to your enquiry, as well as other information you send to us in the course of your communication.  

We process your personal data for the purpose of replying to user enquiries on the following legal basis:

• to protect our legitimate interests in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR; our legal interest is to reply appropriately to contact enquiries.  

b. Conclusion of contracts

If in using our website you order one of our services (e.g. catalogue mailing), we process your personal data so that we can receive and handle your order and provide the products or services ordered by you. In this case, we process the data provided on the relevant input forms (required details are marked *; all other details are optional):

• Title
• Surname
• Street / house number
• Postal code
• Place
• Email address
• Telephone number
• Other data provided by you with your email

We process your personal data for the purpose of initiation, implementation and conclusion on the following legal basis:

• to fulfil a contract or implement precontractual measures in accordance with Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR.

c. Newsletter

Data processing after registering for our email newsletter

When you register for our newsletter, we process the required data or data you provide separately so that we can email our newsletter to you on a regular basis. 

We process your personal data for the purpose of mailing our newsletter on the following legal basis:

• on account of the consent you have given to process personal data in accordance with Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR.

d. Metz Blog

We have set up a blog on our website, in which we provide up-to-date reports on our company, products and related issues. Use of the blog for informational purposes is subject to the explanations as set out under figure II above.

However, you may submit comments or requests relating to individual articles. We process any personal data you provide in this context so that we can handle and reply to your enquiries. This includes your name and email address, so that we can reply to your enquiry, as well as other information you send to us in the course of your communication.   

We process your personal data for the purpose of replying to user enquiries on the following legal basis:

• to protect our legitimate interests in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR; our legal interest is to reply appropriately to contact enquiries.  

You can disable cookies by setting your browser accordingly; however, if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of our blog. 

 

IV. Contact enquiries and conclusion of contracts outside the website

If you place a contact enquiry or conclude a contract with us, and do this not via our website but through other channels of communication (e.g. email, telephone, in person), we process the personal data you send us when concluding the contract or making the enquiry and which is required by us to conclude the contract, provide our products or services or reply to your enquiry. 

a. Contact enquiries

We process any personal data you have provided in this context in order to be able to handle and reply to enquiries sent to us via telephone, post or to our email address, for example. This includes your name and address details, such as email address, postal address and fax number, so that we can reply to your enquiry, as well as other information sent to us in the course of your communication. 

We process your personal data for the purpose of replying to user enquiries on the following legal basis:

• to protect our legitimate interests in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR; our legal interest is to reply appropriately to contact enquiries. 

b. Conclusion of contracts

If you order one of our paid or free products or services by telephone, email or in person, we process your personal data so that we can receive and handle your order and provide the products or services you have ordered.  

We process your personal data for the purpose of initiation, implementation and conclusion on the following legal basis:

• to fulfil a contract or implement precontractual measures in accordance with Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR.

c. Credit check

If we have provided services in advance, to protect our legitimate interests we reserve the right to obtain a credit report on the basis of mathematical and statistical methods from the following company:  

Creditreform Nürnberg Aumüller KG, Theodorstrasse 11, 90489 Nuremberg, Germany  

For this purpose we transfer all personal data required for a credit check and use the information received on the statistical probability of a payment default. The credit information may contain probability values (score values) calculated on the basis of scientifically recognised mathematical and statistical methods. A range of markers – including income, addresses, profession, marital status and current payment behaviour – are used to determine the likelihood of future payment default by the customer. The result is expressed in the form of a payment value (or score). Information received in this way forms the basis of our decision to initiate, implement or conclude the contract. The option to select one of the payment types on offer is not dependent upon information of this kind.  

We process your personal data for the purpose of initiating, implementing and concluding a contract on the following legal basis:

• to protect our legitimate interests in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in financially safeguarding our advance services and in protecting against payment default and fraud. 

 

V. Data processing during contract implementation

During implementation of the contract we process your personal data as follows:  

a. Performance of services

To the extent required for fulfilment of the contract, we process your personal data in order to provide services, e.g. to contact you, supply goods, deal with queries and provide services.  

We process your personal data for the purpose of initiating, implementing and concluding a contract on the following legal basis:

• to fulfil a contract or implement precontractual measures in accordance with Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR.

b. Payment

We use payment service providers and banks to process payments. 

We process your personal data for the purpose of initiating, implementing and concluding a contract on the following legal basis:

• to fulfil a contract or implement precontractual measures in accordance with Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR.

c. Legal compliance

We process your personal data in order to fulfil other legal duties arising as a result of implementing the contract. These include in particular trade, commercial or tax storage periods. 

We process your personal data for the purpose of initiating, implementing and concluding a contract on the following legal basis:

• to fulfil a legal obligation to which we are subject in accordance with Article 6(1)(c) of the GDPR, in particular in combination with trade, commercial or fiscal regulations.

d. Law enforcement

We process your personal data in order to assert our rights and implement our legal claims. Similarly, we process your personal data so that we can defend ourselves against legal claims. Finally, we process your personal data for the prevention or prosecution of criminal offences in as far as this is required.  

We process your personal data for the purpose of law enforcement:

• to protect our legitimate interests in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR, in so far as we assert legal claims or defend ourselves against legal disputes or prevent/resolve criminal acts.

 

VI. Social media platforms

1. General Information

We use fan page(s) on social media platforms. We would like to explain how data is processed when you visit our social media fan page(s) in accordance with the EJC’s decision of 5 June 2018 on social media profiles:We present ourselves and our products on social media fan page(s) on the basis of our legitimate interest as per Art. 6 para. 1 (f) GDPR in up-to-date customer communication and for the purposes of advertising and our public relations.You can access our social media fan page(s) regularly online, whether or not you have your own user account on the relevant platform. In both cases however, your data will be processed by the social media platform.Each time you open the social media platform, your IP address will be recorded and saved. Furthermore, a cookie will usually be placed on your page that saves your visit and further data about your visit on the social media platform.If you also have your own account on the social media platform, your visit will likewise be recorded by cookies or other technical means and assigned to your user account. This means that the social media platform is regularly able to analyse your user behaviour. A user profile with your interests is created, which the social media platform uses to tailor your user experience to your interests, and in particular to display targeted advertisements both within and outside of the social media platform – in some cases even across multiple devices. Your data may also be used for market research. Please see the privacy policies of the social media platform(s) we use for further details.We may also regularly use the data from the social media platform to tailor use of our fan page to your interests or to advertise to you. If you interact with our fan page and are registered with the relevant social media platform, we will also be able to identify your user profile and view its contents in accordance with the terms of use of the social media site.If you do not want this, please refer to the “Cookies” section below, which explains how to manage cookies in general and how to disable them. That section contains a general description of how you can prevent or restrict cookies being saved on your devices. Further down you will find information specific to the relevant fan pages.

2. Cookies 

The social media platform uses cookies within the scope of its legitimate interest in a technically correct online service and its economically efficient presentation and optimisation as per Art. 6 para. 1 (f) GDPR, so that its service can be more effectively and more reliably used. Cookies are text files that are saved on your computer and that save certain data about your user behaviour in your browser so that a service can be offered in keeping with your previous use. Some of these cookies may be “session cookies,” which are automatically deleted at the end of your visit to the social media platform. However, there are also cookies that are permanently saved on your computer unless you delete them. In this case, the social media platform will be able to recognise your browser the next time you open the website and offer services in keeping with your previous use of this website.
Your browser allows you to prevent the use of cookies, either entirely or in individual cases. Please read your browser’s operating instructions for further information. Blocking cookies can affect the functioning of our website and other websites you visit.

You can permanently disable the saving of cookies in your browser by downloading and installing the plugin under the link below. You can find further information here.
You can also stop third-party providers from using your cookies by opting out on the Network Advertising Initiative deactivation page in accordance with the instructions given there. You can find further information here. This US website offers the same service.

The social media platform may be based outside of the EU. This means that your data may be processed and saved outside of the EU by way of cookies, active JavaScripts and other technologies in particular. However, we only have fan pages with providers from non-EU countries for which the EU Commission has ascertained data protection comparable to that of the EU, or for which you have issued your informed consent, or for which we have agreed the standard contractual clauses with the provider to protect your data. In the case of the USA, adequate data protection is again assured under certain conditions with the Privacy Shield framework, see https://www.privacyshield.gov/welcome

3. Rights of users 

According to the EJC decision of 5 June 2018, we always share responsibility for our social media fan page(s) with the respective social media platform. This means that you can also assert your general rights against us in accordance with section X. Please see our contact details at the start of this privacy policy. However, please note that we do not definitively know the exact extent of the processing of your data on social media platforms and have no influence upon it. Therefor, we ask you to promptly contact the relevant social media platform in relation to your rights.

4. Facebook

We have a profile on Facebook.

Jointly responsible:
Facebook Ireland Ltd.
4 Grand Canal Square
Grand Canal Harbour
Dublin 2 Ireland
Contact

Contact details of the Data Protection Officer

If you visit our Facebook fan page, your data will be transmitted to the USA; however, Facebook is registered with Privacy Shield and is obliged to comply with EU data protection regulations.

In an agreement concluded with us about our joint responsibility
https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/page_controller_addendum
Facebook accepts its primary responsibility for processing data and, in particular, guarantees that it can honour your rights to information as set out in the general section. Further information can be found in Facebook’s Data Policy at https://www.facebook.com/policy.php

Facebook also provides us with statistics for targeted advertising as part of “Facebook Insights”. These are generated without our help and provided to us. This data includes, for example, interaction with our site such as “likes”, site activities, video viewings, the reach of our posts, comments, content sharing, clicks on offers or other information on our fan page, as well as statistical data about the interacting parties such as gender, country of origin, town/city and language. The same applies to any groups managed by us.

You can significantly influence how your data is processed on Facebook in various ways if you are registered.
You can set your “timeline”, i.e. what can be seen of you and your page, here:
https://www.facebook.com/settings/?tab=timeline&privacy_source=timeline_gear_menu
You can also change your advertising settings here:
https://www.facebook.com/ads/preferences/?entry_product=ad_settings_screen

5. Instagram

We have an Instagram profile. Instagram now belongs to Facebook.

Jointly responsible:
Facebook Ireland Ltd.
4 Grand Canal Square
Grand Canal Harbour
Dublin 2 Ireland

Contact details of the Data Protection Officer

If you access our Instagram profile, your data will be transmitted to the USA; however, Facebook is registered with Privacy Shield and is obliged to comply with EU data protection regulations.

We do not know how Facebook and Instagram collect and use your data, nor do we have any influence upon this. Further information can be found in Instagram’s Data Policy at https://help.instagram.com/519522125107875

Instagram and Facebook also provide us with statistics for targeted advertising as part of “Facebook Insights”. These are generated without our help and provided to us. This data includes, for example, interaction with our site such as “likes”, site activities, video viewings, the reach of our posts, comments, content sharing, clicks on offers or other information on our fan page, as well as statistical data about the interacting parties such as gender, country of origin, town/city and language. The same applies to any groups managed by us.

You can significantly influence how your data is processed on Instagram in various ways if you are registered.
You can set your contents, i.e. what can be seen of you and your profile, here: https://www.instagram.com/accounts/login/?next=/accounts/privacy_and_security/

6. LinkedIn

We have a profile on LinkedIn.

Jointly responsible:
LinkedIn Ireland Limited Company,
Wilton Place,
Dublin 2,
Ireland
Contact

If you access our LinkedIn profile, your data may be transmitted to the USA; however, LinkedIn is registered with Privacy Shield and is obliged to comply with EU data protection regulations.

We do not know if or how LinkedIn collects and uses your data, nor do we have any influence upon this. Further information can be found in LinkedIn’s privacy policy at https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy

LinkedIn also provides us with statistics. These are generated without our help and provided to us. The data includes, for example, interactions and statistical data.
You can significantly influence how your data is processed on LinkedIn in various ways if you are registered.

LinkedIn explains various options for setting your privacy in its privacy policy.
You can disable the LinkedIn advertising cookie here (opt out):
https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out

7. Xing

We have a Xing profile.

Jointly responsible:
XING SE,
Dammtorstrasse 29–32,
20354 Hamburg,
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)40 419 131-0,
Fax: +49 (0)40 419 131-11,
Email: info@xing.com.

Data Protection Officer:
Felix Lasse,
Dammtorstrasse 30,
20354 Hamburg,
Germany,
Email: Datenschutzbeauftragter@xing.com.

We do not know if or how Xing collects and uses your data, nor do we have any influence upon this. Further information can be found in Xing’s privacy policy at
https://privacy.xing.com/en/privacy-policy

Xing also provides us with statistics. These are generated without our help and provided to us. The data includes, for example, interactions and statistical data.
Xing explains various options for setting your privacy in its privacy policy.

8. YouTube

We have a YouTube channel.

We share responsibility for your data with:
YouTube LLC ,
901 Cherry Avenue,
San Bruno,
CA 94066
United States,

represented by
Google Ireland Limited,
Gordon House
Barrow Street,
Dublin 4
Ireland
Contact

If you visit our YouTube channel, your data may be transmitted to the USA; however, YouTube is registered with Privacy Shield and is obliged to comply with EU data protection regulations.

We do not know if or how YouTube/Google collects and uses your data, nor do we have any influence upon this. Further information can be found in YouTube’s privacy policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy

YouTube also provides us with statistics. These are generated without our help and provided to us. The data includes, for example, interactions and statistical data.
You can significantly influence how your data is processed on YouTube in various ways if you are registered.

You can set your general privacy here:
https://myaccount.google.com/privacy?pli=1
You can also change your advertising settings here:
https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated

 

VII. Duration of storage

1. Use of website for information purposes

If you use our website purely for information purposes, we shall store your personal data on our servers for the duration of your visit to our website. Your personal data will be deleted immediately upon leaving our website. However, we store server log files for a period of one month. 

In general, cookies installed by us are also deleted when you leave our website. However, this does not apply to login cookies. These are stored for a period of 24 hours. However, this does not apply to cookies placed by the web analytics tool Google Analytics. These may be stored on your device for up to 2 years. Cookies placed by the Hotjar service are stored for up to 365 days. You can delete installed cookies at any time.

2. Active use of the website, contact enquiries and contract conclusion  

When you actively use our website, or in the event of contact enquiries and conclusion of contracts outside the website, we store your personal data for the period it takes to reply to your request. If a business relationship is established and/or contract concluded, we will store your personal data for the duration of our business relationship or duration of the contractual relationship. This includes initiation of a contract (precontractual relationship) and contract conclusion. 

In addition, we shall continue to save your personal data up until the statute of limitation for any legal claims from the relationship with you, so that we can, if applicable, use these as evidence. The statute of limitation shall in general be between 12 and 36 months, but may also last up to 30 years. 

At the beginning of the statute of limitation, we shall delete your personal data unless we are subject to a statutory storage obligation, e.g. arising from the Handelsgesetzbuch (German Commercial Code, §§ 238, 257 Section 4 HGB) or from the Abgabenordnung (General Fiscal Law, § 147 Section 3, 4 AO). These storage obligations may last from two to ten years.

VIII. Categories of recipients

In the first instance, only those employees involved in processing your personal data receive knowledge of it. In addition, we only share your personal data with other recipients who supply services relating to our website or to the conclusion of a contract in as far as this is legally permissible or prescribed. We restrict any further transfer of your personal data to that which is required, in particular for processing your order. On occasions, our service providers receive your personal data as order processors. In this case they are strictly bound by our policy in terms of handling your personal data

We have set out the categories of recipients of your personal data below:  

• Payment service providers and banks for the processing of payments;

• IT service providers for managing and hosting our website and running our apps;

• legal advisors to enforce our claims.

 

VIII. Transfer to third countries

In the context of using Google tools, we transfer your truncated IP address to the USA. Data transfer is based upon the implementing decision (EU) 2016/1250 of the EU Commission of 12 July 2016 in accordance with EU Directive 95/46/EG of the European Parliament and European Council on the adequacy of protection provided by the EU-US data protection shield. 

Furthermore, we do not transfer your personal data to countries outside the EU or EEA or to international organisations. 

 

IX. Your rights as a data subject

As a data subject you are entitled to the following rights under the statutory provisions, which you may assert against us:  

Right of information: In accordance with Art. 15 of the GDPR, you have the right at any time to request from us confirmation as to whether we process appropriate personal data. Where this is the case, you shall furthermore have the right within the scope of Art. 15 of the GDPR to receive a copy of your data, as well as information on this personal data and certain other information (e.g. the processing purposes, categories of personal data, categories of recipients, the planned storage duration, the origin of the data, the use of automated decision-making and, in case of the transfer of data to a non-member state, the appropriate guarantees).  

Right of rectification: In accordance with Art. 16 of the GDPR, you have the right to request rectification of the personal data we have stored should this be incorrect or erroneous.  

Right of deletion:  Under the provisions of Art. 17 of the GDPR, you have the right to request that we delete personal data concerning you without delay. The right of deletion shall not, amongst other things, exist if the processing of personal data is required for: 

• exercising the right to freedom of opinion and information; 

• fulfilment of a legal obligation to which we are obligated (e.g. statutory storage obligations);

• assertion or exercising of legal claims or the defence against legal claims. 

Right to restriction of processing: Under the provisions of Art. 18 of the GDPR, you have the right to request that we limit the processing of your personal data.  

Right of data portability: Under the provisions of Art. 20 of the GDPR, you have the right to request that we hand over to you the personal data concerning you and which you have provided to us, in a structured, conventional and machine-readable format. 

Right of withdrawal: You have the right to revoke your consent to processing of your personal data with effect for the future at any time. 

Right to object: Under the provisions of Art. 21 of the GDPR, you have the right to file an objection against the processing of your personal data, meaning that we must terminate the processing of your personal data. The right of objection only exists within the limits set out in Art. 21 of the GDPR. In addition, our interests may contradict termination of the processing, meaning that we may remain authorised to process your personal data in spite of your objection. 

Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority:  Under the provisions of Art. 77 of the GDPR, if you consider that the processing of personal data relating to you infringes the GDPR, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the member state of your habitual residence, place of work or place of the alleged infringement. Your right to lodge a complaint is without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy. 

The responsible supervisory authority is:  
Bayerisches Landesamt für Datenschutzaufsicht (BayLDA)
Promenade 27
91522 Ansbach, Germany
Telephone: 0981 531300
Fax: 0981 53981300
Email: poststelle@lda.bayern.de 

However, we recommend that you direct any complaint in the first instance to our data protection officer. 

Your requests to exercise your rights should be addressed where possible in writing to the address given above or sent directly to our data protection officer.

 

X. Scope of your obligations to provide data

Fundamentally, you are not required to share your personal data with us. Should you not do this, however, we will not be able to provide access to our website, answer your queries or conclude a contract with you. Personal data that we urgently require for the aforementioned processing purposes is marked *. Other information is optional and need not be filled out.

 

XI. Automated decision-making/profiling

We do not use automated decision-making or profiling (automated analysis of your personal circumstances).

 

XII. Links to other websites

This privacy policy is valid for our website only. We are not responsible for the content of external websites. This is valid in particular for links on our website to other websites, over whose content we have no influence. 

Should you click on a link to access another website, we recommend that you familiarise yourself with the privacy policy of that website.

 

Information about your right to object, Article 21 of the GDPR

You have the right to file an objection at any time against processing of your data that is performed on the basis of Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR (data-processing on the basis of a weighing out of interests) or Article 6(1)(e) of the GDPR (data-processing in the public interest). The precondition for this is that there are grounds for your objection emanating from your personal situation. 

If you file an objection, we shall no longer process your personal data unless we can demonstrate compelling reasons for processing warranting protection that outweigh your interests, rights and freedoms, or the processing serves the purpose of asserting, exercising or defending legal claims.

 

An objection can be filed by contacting 
Metz Consumer Electronics GmbH
Datenschutz
Ohmstraße 55
90513 Zirndorf, Germany
datenschutz@metz-ce.de