Data privacy statement

Thank you for your interest in our website. Protecting your personal data is important to us, VARTA AG (further details can be found in the Imprint) as provider of this website within the meaning of the German Telemedia Act (Telemediengesetz – TMG) and as the responsible body within the meaning of the German Federal Data Protection Act (Bundesdatenschutzgesetz – BDSG). Naturally, we comply with the legal provisions of the BDSG, the TMG, the GDPR and other data protection regulations.

This Privacy Policy provides an indication of the types of data we gather when you use the site, the purposes of the collection, processing and use of the data and your rights with respect to the data.

 

1. Automatic data collection and data handling
Generally, for access and use of the VARTA website for informational purposes only, you are not required to provide any personal data.

As is standard practice with many websites, we automatically gather and process the following data when accessing any page belonging to our website:

• IP address of the computer used to access the site,
• Name and URL of any files accessed,
• Date, time and duration of access,
• Data volume transferred,
• Message indicating whether the retrieval of the web pages was successful,
• Identification data (type, version and language) of the browser and operating system of the computer used,
• Referring URL when access was made by a link, or search criteria if access was made via a search engine, and
• Name of your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

These data cannot be assigned to a particular person. These data are not merged with any other data, forwarded or used to compile a user profile.

Data is processed solely for the purpose of facilitating the use of the website (establishing a connection), for internal system-related purposes that affect technical administration and system security, and for statistical purposes, such as to be able to adapt the website better to meet your needs by anonymously evaluating general user behavior (see 2 and 3 below). (Art. 6 Sentence. 1 Paragraph 1 lit. f GDPR)

 

2. Cookies
When you visit our website, our web servers automatically store cookies.

Cookies are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyze how users use the site. Cookies cannot run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. They serve to make our website more user-friendly and effective.

We use so-called session cookies on our websites, for technical session control in order to identify your browser for the duration of you visit at the website. Session cookies facilitate navigation through our website and allow us to optimize the website to meet your needs, an anonymous evaluation of the general user behavior based on the number of visitors. These data are automatically deleted after 15 minutes inactivity, when terminating your session or when closing our browser.
We use persistent cookies to identify your browser during subsequent visits to our website and thereby to automatically provide you with the same functions or settings you selected on the previous visit. These persistent cookies are automatically deleted 30 days after your latest visit to our website.

We also use session and persistent cookies for our analysis with Google Analytics (see 3 below.).

Our website can also be viewed without cookies. Most browsers, however, automatically accept cookies. You can prevent the storage of cookies or be warned before a cookie is saved from your browser by setting your browser settings accordingly. For more information on these features, see the Help menu of your browser. Disabling cookies may, however, impair the functionality of our website offerings.

3. Statistical analysis with Google Analytics
This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA (“Google”). Google Analytics uses cookies, which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyze user behavior (see 2 above).

The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on a Google server in the United States. We have activated the IP anonymization on our website. Google will truncate your IP address beforehand within Member States of the European Union or other parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases the full IP address will be transmitted to a Google server in the United States and truncated there.

Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity and providing the website operator with other services relating to website and Internet use.

The IP address transmitted by your browser within the scope of Google Analytics will not be associated with any other data held by Google.

You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser. Furthermore you can prevent Google’s collection and use of data (cookies and IP address) by downloading and installing the browser plug-in available at: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

Moreover, you can refuse the use of Google Analytics by clicking on the link below. An opt-out cookie will be set on the computer, which prevents the future collection of your data when visiting this website: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

Further information concerning the terms and conditions of use and data privacy can be found at www.google.com/analytics/terms/gb.html  or at https://www.google.de/intl/de/policies/.

 

4. Collection, processing and use of personal data
Personal data such as your name, mailing address or e-mail address are only collected when you send these data to us or enter them on our website. The data will only be processed and used to the extent permitted by law or allowed by your consent.

The use of certain services on our website, such as contact forms and requests, requires the collection, processing and usage of personal data.

If certain data collection, processing or usage, such as for subscription to a newsletter, requires your prior consent, we will ask for your consent when you sign up. This declaration of consent is recorded by us and can be accessed by you at any time. We recommend that you print the consent form for your records. You are entitled to withdraw your consent at any time, in whole or in part with future effect.

Google Maps
This website uses the mapping services from Google Maps. Provider is Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. To be able to use this service, Google Maps stores your IP address. This information will be normally transferred to the Google Server in the USA and will be stored there. The Provider of this website has no influence on this data transfer (based on Art. 6 Sentence 1 Paragraph 1 lit. f) GDPR).

If you do not consent to the transfer of your data as part of the usage of Google Maps in future, you may deactivate the Google Maps service completely. This requires that you deactivate this application in the JavaScript of your browser. In doing so the services provided by Google Maps can no longer be used on this website. Please note that if you deactivate JavaScript from your Browser, also other services which we offer on this website cannot be used. More information about Google’s data policy can be found here: Google: https://www.google.de/intl/de/policies/privacy/ .

 

5. Data transfer to third parties
Personal data gathered in the course of using our website is generally neither forwarded to third parties nor transferred in any other way without your prior approval. Exceptions include the transfer of personal data to government institutions and authorities and private rights holders if legally required or upon judicial or governmental decisions and in legal or criminal proceedings as required by law.

To the extent legally permissible or upon your prior consent, certain personal data may be forwarded to subsidiaries of VARTA AG or to external service providers for purposes previously described. Such external service providers we may engage to operate our website or to process certain services on our website process personal data solely on our behalf and are contractually obliged to comply with legal provisions regarding data protection and data security. These service providers shall not be deemed third parties within the meaning of data protection law.

We will not transmit your data to unsecure countries outside the EU.

 

6. Data Security
Data gathered and stored are handled confidentially and protected from loss, modification and unauthorised third-party access by implementing appropriate technical and organisational measures. Data transferred between your computer and us via our website is SSL encrypted.

 

7. Your rights
You are entitled to inquire at any time about your personal data, data source and recipient, as well as the purpose of the storage. For this purpose you may contact us by using any of the contact details set forth in the imprint. If you have any questions regarding data protection, or if you would like to receive further information on a specific issue, you may also contact us at any of the listed addresses.

You have the right at any time to request the correction, freezing or deletion of your personal data stored on our servers. If deletion of the data violates statutory, contractual, commercial or fiscal regulations, in particular data retention laws, the data will be frozen instead of deleted.

If you wish to make use of your right to correct, freeze or delete data, or if you wish to revoke your consent to process and use your personal data, either in whole or in part, please contact us by using any of the contact details set forth in the imprint.

If you wish to write us an email, please note that the content of unencrypted emails may possibly be read by third parties. We would therefore recommend you sending confidential information in encrypted form or via regular mail.

 

8. Deleting your data
We comply with all legal requirements when storing your data.

If you have approved a longer storage period than required by law, we will keep your data until this period has expired or until you withdraw your consent.

 

9. Your right to complain
You have the right to complain about the processing of your personal data by us to the data protection supervisory authority. The responsible supervisory authority for us is Munich.

 

10. Amendment of the Privacy Policy
It might become necessary from time to time to adapt this privacy policy, in particular to further develop this website or to comply with changing legal requirements. Therefore, VARTA AG reserves the right to change the privacy policy at any time with effect for the future. We therefore recommend that you read this Privacy Policy periodically.

 

11. Disclaimer for links to other websites
We cannot accept responsibility for the data privacy practices or contents of websites not operated by VARTA AG, which are linked from our website.

 

12. Contact details
If you have any further questions regarding the processing of your personal data, you are welcome to contact us.

 

Data protection officer:
VARTA AG
Philipp Herold
+49 451 160852 -21
VARTA-Platz 1, 73479 Ellwangen
E-Mail: Datenschutz@varta-ag.com