Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy of

Auto Empire Trading GmbH

AUTO EMPIRE Trading GmbH, Am Hetgesborn 18, 35510 Butzbach (hereinafter referred to as “AUTO EMPIRE”) takes the protection of your personal data very seriously. We process your personal data exclusively in accordance with this Privacy Policy and the relevant statutory provisions, in particular the European General Data Protection Regulation (hereinafter referred to as “GDPR”).

The following Privacy Policy refers to the processing of your personal data when using our website (hereinafter referred to as “website”).

1.      USE OF OUR WEBSITE

 

1.1      General information on the use of our website

During the use of our website, we process such personal data which is transmitted to our server by your browser. This includes your IP address, time and date of your request, your time zone difference to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), the contents of your request (specific page), your access status or HTTP status code, the volume of data transferred, the website that is making the request, your browser type, your operating system and its interface as well as its language and version.

On our website, we use Sentry, a service provided by Functional Software Inc., 132 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, California 94107 (hereinafter “Sentry”), to monitor the stability of our site and improve the detection of code errors. For this purpose, various of the above-mentioned data will be transferred anonymously to Sentry and processed by Sentry in the US exclusively for the above-mentioned purpose. Sentry has submitted to the EU-US Privacy Shield, https://www.privacyshield.gov/EU-US-Framework. Further information can be found in Sentry’s Privacy Policy at https://sentry.io/privacy/.

This data processing is performed on the basis of Art. 6 (1) Sentence 1 Letter f of the GDPR. It allows our website to be displayed and especially ensures its stability and security.

 

1.2       Cookies 

In addition to the above-stated data, cookies will be stored on your computer when using our website. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your hard drive and assigned to the browser you are using. Information will be thereby transferred to the party that sets the cookie. Cookies cannot execute programs or transmit viruses onto your computer. They are used to make our website more user-friendly and more efficient.

You may prevent cookies from being stored by adjusting the relevant browser settings, e.g., by deactivating the automatic saving of cookies. However, doing so may prevent functions of this website from being used correctly. Our website uses the following cookies:

 

(a)       Google-Analytics

Our website uses Google Analytics with the extension “anonymizeIP”, a web analysis service of Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA (hereinafter “Google”). This allows IP addresses to be processed by Google in a shortened form within the European Union or within other states, party of the European Economic Area Agreement. Only in exceptional cases the full IP address will be transferred to a Google server in the US and shortened there. Personal references are not possible. If collected data from you includes personal references, this data will be immediately excluded, and the personal data will be deleted. Google has submitted to the EU-US Privacy Shield, https://www.privacyshield.gov/EU-US-Framework.

The legal basis for our use of Google Analytics is Art. 6 (1) Sentence 1 Letter f of the GDPR. Google will use the data obtained on our behalf to evaluate your use of our website, compile reports on website activities and provide us with other services relating to website activity and internet usage. The purpose of the processing is to analyze and optimize our website.

In addition to your browser settings, you may prevent collection of data generated by cookies on your use of the website (incl. your IP address) and its transfer to and processing by Google by downloading and installing a browser plugin available under the following link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de.

For more information about Google’s data collection and processing, please refer to Google’s Privacy Policy, which can be found at www.google.com/policies/privacy.

 

(b)      Other cookies

In addition, we exclusively use cookies, which are absolutely necessary to provide the functions on our website.

After a certain period of time, these cookies are automatically deleted. You may also delete stored cookies yourself at any time in your browser settings.

 

1.3       Social Media

We do not use so called social media plugins. However, at various points on our website, we allow you to visit our corporate pages on social networks, such as Facebook, Instagram or YouTube. If you click on the logo or name of a social network, you will be redirected to our site via a link.

In addition, you may “share” certain contents of our website on social networks. By clicking the “share” logo on our website, the logos of the respective social networks will be displayed. If you click one of these logos, you will be redirected to the website of the respective social network. There, if you have a respective account and are logged in or log in, you may share the desired contents of our website.

No personal data will be transferred to the social networks before you click the respective logos or links that will take you to the respective social network’s website. The option to have personal data sent to and processed by the respective social network will only be provided after you click the respective logo on our website and are redirected to the social network. Personal data will especially be processed if you are logged in to your respective social media account and post the contents on the social network through your account. Furthermore, data, such as your IP address, may be processed even if you do not have a social media account.

We cannot influence how the data is collected or how it is processed. We do not know the full extent of data collection, the purpose of processing or the storage periods. Also, we do not have any information available regarding the deletion of collected data by the respective social network.

Further information on the purpose and scope of data collection and processing can be found in the Privacy Policy of the respective social network. There, you will also find further information on your rights in this regard and setting options to protect your privacy:

LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy?trk=uno-reg-guest-home-privacy-policy

Instagramhttps://www.facebook.com/help/instagram/155833707900388/

Facebookhttps://de-de.facebook.com/policy.php

YouTubehttps://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de&gl=de

Twitterhttps://twitter.com/de/privacy

 

1.4      YouTube Video Integration

Our website contains embedded YouTube videos that are stored on https://www.youtube.com and can be played directly on our website. YouTube is a service provided by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA (hereinafter referred to as “Google”). These videos are embedded using “privacy-enhanced mode”, i.e., no data on you as a user will be transmitted to YouTube if you do not play these videos. Only if you play these videos the data specified in the following paragraph will be transferred. We cannot influence these data transmissions.

By visiting our website, YouTube will be notified that you opened a respective page on our website. In addition, the data stated in Section 1.1 will be transmitted. This will be done irrespective of whether you are logged in to a user account provided by YouTube or not. If you are logged in to Google, your data will be assigned directly to your account. If you do not wish for assignments to be made to your account, you must log out before activating the button. YouTube will store your data (even for users not logged in) as a user profile and use your data for market advertisement, market research and/or need-based design of own offers. You have the right to object to the creation of such user profiles which you may exercise by contacting YouTube.

Further information on the purpose and scope of data collection and processing by YouTube can be found in the Privacy Policy. There, you will also find further information on your rights and setting options to protect your privacy: https://www.google.de/intl/de/policies/privacy. Google will also process your personal data in the US and is subject to the EU-US Privacy Shield: https://www.privacyshield.gov/EU-US-Framework.

The legal basis for this data processing is Art. 6 (1) Sentence 1 Letter f of the GDPR. Processing is performed to optimize our offer.

 

1.5      Google Maps Integration

Our website uses Google Maps, a service provided by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA (hereinafter referred to as “Google”). This allows us to display interactive maps directly on our website and provides you with comfortable use of a map function.

By visiting our website, Google will be notified about what page you opened on our website. In addition, the data stated in Section 1.1 will be transmitted. This will be done irrespective of whether you are logged in to a user account provided by Google or not. If you are logged in to Google, your data will be assigned directly to your account. If you do not wish assignments to be made to your account, you must log out before activating the button. Google will store your data (even for users not logged in) as a user profile and use your data for market advertisement, market research and/or need-based design of own offers. You have the right to object to the creation of such user profiles which you may exercise by contacting Google.

Further information on the purpose and scope of data collection and processing by Google can be found in the Privacy Policy of Google. There, you will also find further information on your rights and setting options to protect your privacy: https://www.google.de/intl/de/policies/privacy. Google will also process your personal data in the US and is subject to the EU-US Privacy Shield: https://www.privacyshield.gov/EU-US-Framework.

The legal basis for this data processing is Art. 6 (1) Sentence 1 Letter f of the GDPR. Processing is performed to optimize our offer.

1.6      Newsletter, Vehicle alert and Search request

You may subscribe to our newsletter through our website and by other means. Our newsletter features industry or company news and informs you about new vehicle entries or promotions such as price discounts or raffles. Only your email address is needed to subscribe. However, you may voluntarily provide additional information such as your name or company.

In addition, we offer the functions “Vehicle alert” and “Search request” on our website. With the “Vehicle alert” function, you will receive an email if the selected vehicle has been sold or if the price for the selected vehicle is reduced. The “Search request” function, on the other hand, allows you to enter various parameters for the vehicle you are looking for. If we add a vehicle to our stock that corresponds to these parameters, you will receive an email. In both cases, in addition to the vehicle details, you only need to enter your email address; any additional data provided, such as your name, is voluntary.

Please understand that for legal reasons, our newsletter, as well as our vehicle alert and search request functions may only be subscribed to by persons aged 16 and over.

Your personal data will be processed as follows for the purpose of sending our newsletter and for the search request and vehicle alert functions (hereinafter jointly referred to as “offers”):

The registration for the offers is made through a so-called double opt-in process. After registering your email address and any additional data, we will send an email to your email address and ask you to confirm your registration for the offers. Only after you confirm your subscription by clicking a respective link you will be added to our mailing list and receive emails regarding our offers. If no confirmation is received within 72 hours, we will block your data and delete it after one month.

We will save the IP address you used for your registration and the dates of your registration and confirmation. This will be done on the basis of Art. 6 (1) Sentence 1 Letter f of the GDPR to verify your registration and resolve any abuse or misuse of your personal data.

If you confirm your registration for our offers, we will store your email address and any additional data provided by you in accordance with Art. 6 (1) Sentence 1 Letter f of the GDPR to send you our offers.

You may revoke your consent to the sending of offers and cancel the respective offer. This does not affect the lawfulness of the processing carried out on the basis of your consent until revoked. You may declare your revocation by clicking the link provided in every email, contacting us by email at service@auto-empire.de or via the contact details provided in our imprint.

Please note that we will assess your user behavior through our newsletter to improve and optimize our newsletter. To perform this assessment, our emails include so-called web beacons or tracking pixels, i.e., small one-pixel files with a user ID, that tell us when you read our newsletter and what links you clicked in our newsletter. This allows us to determine your personal interests. We use the data generated thereby to create a user profile to tailor the newsletter to your individual interests.

Processing is performed on the basis of Art. 6 (1) Sentence 1 Letter f of the GDPR and serves for optimizing our services.

You can prevent this tracking by deactivating image displays in your email program. However, in this case, the newsletter will not be displayed to you fully and you may not be able to use every function. If you click a link in the newsletter despite deactivating images, your click behavior will be tracked. If you display images manually, this tracking will be performed to the full extent.

 

1.7      Contacting us by email or through our contact form

When contacting us by email, we will save the data you submit (your email address and, if applicable, your name and telephone number) to answer your inquiries. We will delete any such data after its storage is no longer required or will limit its processing if the data is subject to legal storage periods. The same applies when you use our contact form. Contacting us this way only requires stating your name and email address. Any other information, such as your telephone number, may be provided voluntarily. Data submitted through our contact form will be transmitted to our server by your browser using encryptions (SSL).

The legal basis for this data processing is Art. 6 (1) Sentence 1 Letter b of the GDPR. It serves exclusively for the processing and answering of your inquiry.

 

1.8      Applying by email or through our contact form for applicants

When applying to us by email, we will save the data you submit (your contact information, date of birth, professional background) to process your application. The same applies when you use our contact form for applicants. Data submitted through our contact form for applicants will be transmitted to our server by your browser using encryptions (SSL).

The processing of your applicant data is carried out exclusively for the purpose of filling the vacant position for which you have applied. In addition, we will store your data for 6 months after completion of the application process in order to be able to answer questions in connection with your application.

The legal basis for this data processing is Art. 26 of the BDSG (new version).

 

2.      TRANSMISSION OF DATA

 

We will only provide the personal data we collected to third parties if doing so is permitted under the data-protection law. Please see the provisions above for specific information on scope and recipients. For the rest, we will provide your personal data only to other companies and individuals we have commissioned to perform particular tasks and services for us. The transfer of your personal data to such companies is limited to the extent required for the performance of their activities. These companies are bound to adhere to privacy regulations and were carefully selected and are regularly monitored by us. Apart from that, we will only disclose your personal data to third parties if we are required to do so by law or a court order.

 

3.      DATA SECURITY AND STORAGE DURATION

 

We will take measures to protect your data from unauthorized access, loss, abuse or destruction. However, please note that data transfers via the Internet (e.g. via email communication) may bear security flaws. All-over protection of data from third-party access is not possible.

Personal data will only be stored for the period required for achieving the storage purpose or that is mandated by law. Accordingly, personal data is routinely blocked or deleted once the storage purpose no longer applies or the legally required storage period expires.

 

4.      YOUR RIGHTS / CONTACT

 

You are entitled to the following rights against Auto Empire with respect to the personal data that we collect from you:

  • Right of access
  • Right to rectification or erasure
  • Right to restriction of processing
  • Right to object to the processing
  • Right to data portability.

 

If you consented to the processing of your personal data, you may revoke your consent at any time. However, doing so will not affect the legitimacy of data processing performed with your consent prior to your revocation.

If we base the processing of your personal data on the balance of interests (Art. 6 (1) Sentence 1 Letter f of the GDPR), you may object to the processing. When submitting such objections, please state the reasons as to why we should no longer process your personal data in this manner. If your objections are legitimate, we will review the matter and either suspend or adjust the processing or explain our reasons for continuing to process your data.

You may, of course, object to the processing of your personal data for advertising or data analysis purposes at any time. You may inform us about your objections at: AUTO EMPIRE Trading GmbH, Am Hetgesborn 18, 35510 Butzbach, email: service@auto-empire.de.

Furthermore, you may submit complaints to the data protection supervisory authorities about our processing of your personal data.

The controller in the sense of Art. 4 (7) of the GDPR is AUTO EMPIRE Trading GmbH, Am Hetgesborn 18, 35510 Butzbach, email: service@auto-empire.de.