Data privacy

Data protection information

We would like to welcome you to our web page and thank you for your interest in our company. If you require reassurance regarding how we handle your personal data, we should like to outline what happens with your data and the safety measures which we take. Furthermore, you will be informed about your legally stipulated rights in connection with the processing of this data.

Personal data

As a rule we do not require any personal data from you when you visit our web pages. The only information we request is the name of your Internet Service Provider and the web pages you access on our site. However, you as the Internet user remain anonymous as we use this information for statistical purposes only (e.g. number of requests for the individual web pages).

The protection of your privacy is of great importance to us. Therefore it is important that you always know when we store data and how we use it. When you visit our web pages, our web servers save your IP address. The IP address can be used to identify your provider. It is not our intention to identify individuals.

Personal data is only collected if you provide it on a voluntary basis, for example when ordering a brochure.

Currently the data for requesting brochures/catalogues is still transferred in an unencrypted form so that the possibility cannot be excluded that even unauthorised third parties will read this data on their communication channel. However, it is possible to use alternative communication channels (e.g. letter post or fax) which offer greater security than unencrypted e-mails. To do this, we require your contact data which you are requested to enter on the form. This data is provided voluntarily. The data will be used exclusively to send you the required documents and will then be subsequently erased.

Contact form/contact via email (Art. 6 (1) (a) and (b) EU-GDPR)
Our website incorporates a contact form which can be used to contact us electronically. If you use the contact form to write to us, we will process the data provided by you within the scope of the contact form for the purpose of communication and to respond to your questions and requests. In doing so, the principles of data economy and data reduction are observed; this means you are only required to provide the data we need to communicate with you, namely your email address and the message field itself. In addition, as a technical necessity and for legal security, your IP address will also be processed. All other data involves voluntary fields for optional use (e.g. for a more individualised response to your questions).

If you contact us by email, we will process the personal data provided in the email solely for the purposes of responding to your request. Where you do not use the contact forms provided, no further data is collected.

Dealer portal registration
Users can opt to register on our website by providing personal data. In particular, this offers the advantage of being able to download image and text data.

Registration applies the principles of data economy and data reduction, so that only the data which is necessary for registration is marked with a star (*) as a required field. For example, these include the email address, password and password confirmation. Upon registration on our website, the user IP address and the date and time of registration are also stored (technical background data). By clicking the 'Register now' button, you give your consent for your data to be processed.

Please note: We store the password you provide in encrypted form. Our company employees cannot read this password. Consequently, they cannot give you any information if you forget your password.

In this case, please use the 'Forgotten my password' function so that a new automatically generated password can be sent to you by email. Employees are not authorised to ask you for your password by telephone or in writing. Therefore, please do not provide your password if asked to do so in this form.

Upon completion of the registration process, we store your data for the purpose of using the protected dealer portal. Once you have registered on our website with your email address as the user name and your password, this data will be made available for actions performed by you on our website

We will not collect, process or use data for consultation, advertising or market-research purposes unless you have given us your prior consent. Of course you can revoke your consent at any time at Datenschutz@flex-tools.com or by post to FLEX-Elektrowerkzeuge GmbH, Bahnhofstr. 15, 71711 Steinheim.

Use and transmission of personal data / appropriation

We will collect, process and use all personal data, which we acquire from you in the course of using our web pages, for the stated purposes only. We will ensure that this occurs only within the scope of current statutory regulations or with your consent only. Your data will not be sent to any third parties.

Right to information
On request we can also notify you in writing whether and what personal data about you is stored.

Cookies
These cookies enable us to analyse how our web site is used. This in turn allows us to shape our web site content in order to meet the needs of visitors. Cookies also enable us to measure the effectiveness of a particular advert and to place it according to criteria such as the thematic interests of visitors.
Most of the cookies that we use are "session cookies". These are automatically deleted after your visit. Most web browsers accept cookies automatically. However, you can normally also change your browser's settings if you prefer not to send this information. If you do that, the content of our web site will only be usable with restrictions (e.g. download shopping cart for images, documents etc.).

Google Analytics
This web site uses Google Analytics, a web analysis service of Google Inc. ("Google"). Google Analytics uses "cookies". These are text files that are saved to your computer and that enable your use of the web site to be analysed. The information obtained by the cookie in relation to your use of this web site is normally sent to a Google server in the USA, where it is stored. If IP anonymisation is activated on this web site, Google will however abbreviate your IP address within European Union member states or in other contracting states to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be sent to a Google server in the USA to be abbreviated there. Google will use this information on behalf of this web site's owner in order to evaluate your use of the Web site, to compile reports about web site activities and to provide other services related to use of the web site and the internet for the web site owner. The IP address sent by Google Analytics from your browser will not be associated by Google with other data. You can prevent the cookies from being saved by making an appropriate setting in your browser software. However, we point out that in this case you might not be able to make full use of all the functions of this web site. In addition, you can prevent the collection by Google of the data (including your IP address) generated by the cookie that relates to your use of the web site and the processing of this data by Google by downloading and installing the browser add-on available under the following link. The current link is http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de.

If your web browser (e.g. if you call up our site from your smartphone) does not support the above link to the Google browser add-on, you can also prevent recording by Google Analytics by clicking on the following link. An opt-out cookie is then set that will in future prevent your data from being recorded when you visit this web site: deactivate Google Analytics.

Usage of Google Remarketing
We use Remarketing Technology from Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland).Via this technology, users that have already visited our websites and online services and shown interest in the offering are re-addressed by targeted advertising on the sites of the Google partner network. The advertising is phased in by using cookies, small text files that are stored on the user’s computer. With the aid of these text files, user behaviour when visiting the website can be analysed and then used for targeted product recommendations and interest-based advertising.

Should you nevertheless not require the Remarketing function from Google, you can deactivate it by making the appropriate settings under http://www.google.com/settings/ads or https://www.google.de/settings/ads/onweb#display_optout . Alternatively, you can deactivate the usage of cookies for interest-related advertising via the advertising network initiative by following the instructions under http://www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp . Further information on Google Remarketing and the data privacy declaration issued by Google can be accessed under: http://www.google.com/privacy/ads/. We would like to point out that Google has its own data privacy guidelines, which are independent of ours. We assume no responsibility or liability for these guidelines and methods. Kindly inform yourself prior to using our website via data privacy provisions of Google.

Pseudonymised user profiles
User profiles are created exclusively in pseudonymised form. The data collected for this is, without your specially granted permission, not used to identify you personally and not collated with personal data via the bearer of the pseudonym. You have the option of objecting to this at any time. Due compliance will then of course be given to your request and no such profile will be created for you.

Security principles
We have taken appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect any data stored with us about our employees/customers/suppliers against accidental or deliberate manipulation, loss, destruction or access by unauthorised persons. The security levels are constantly monitored in collaboration with security experts and adjusted to new security standards.

Links to other providers
This website also contains clearly identifiable links to the websites of other companies. We have no influence over the content of any linked websites of other providers on our website. Accordingly, no responsibility or guarantee is accepted for such content. The respective provider or operator of the website in question is solely responsible for the content of such.

Linked pages are checked for potential infringements and apparent breaches of the law at the time of linking. No unlawful content was apparent at the time of linking. Notwithstanding this, permanent monitoring of the content of linked pages is not feasible without specific indications of an infringement. Upon notification of infringements, the links in question will be removed without delay.

Your rights as a data subject
Firstly, we would like to take this opportunity to inform you of your rights as a data subject. These rights are set out in Art. 15–22 EU-GDPR. These encompass:

The right to access (Art. 15 EU-GDPR)

The right to erasure (Art. 17 EU-GDPR)

The right to rectification (Art. 16 EU-GDPR)
The right to data portability (Art. 20 EU-GDPR)

The right to restriction of data processing (Art. 18 EU-GDPR)

The right to object to data processing (Art. 21 EU-GDPR).

To assert these rights please contact: Datenschutz@flex-tools.com. The same applies for any questions you may have regarding data processing in our company. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority.