Principle

Trusted Shops GmbH is committed to protecting the privacy of all persons who engage our services and to treat their data with confidentiality when collecting, processing and using such data. Our employees are regularly sworn to keep data secret. The basis of this is formed by the respective applicable legal conditions, such as the Bundesdatenschutzgesetz (German Federal Data Protection Act) and the Telemediengesetz (German Telemedia Act).

We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and our registration number is Z2211983.

Which data is collected and used when I visit the website?

You can visit our website without entering any personal information. We only store access data that is not person-specific. This data is used exclusively for evaluation purposes to improve our services and cannot be traced back to you.

Data is collected and stored on this website for marketing and optimisation purposes using technologies from etracker GmbH (“etracker”). This data can be used to create user profiles using a pseudonym. Cookies can be used to do this. Cookies are small text files that are saved locally in the website visitor's internet browser cache. Cookies enable internet browser recognition.

Without the express authorisation of those affected, data collected with etracker technologies is not used to personally identify the user of this website and is not combined with personal data about the bearer of the pseudonym.

You may refuse future collection and storage for the purposes of web analysis by etracker at any time on this website.

In order to make visiting our website appealing and to enable the use of certain functions, we use so-called cookies on various pages. Cookies are small text files that are saved on your computer. Most of the cookies we use are deleted from your hard drive at the end of your browser session (so-called session cookies). Other cookies remain on your computer and enable us to recognise your computer again the next time you visit our site (so-called permanent cookies). Our partner companies are not permitted to collect, process or use personal data from cookies via our website.

You can change your browser settings so that you are informed about the creation of cookies and either decide each time whether to allow cookies or to block them completely. By disallowing cookies, you may restrict the functionality of our website.

Which data is collected and used if I register for Trusted Shops Buyer Protection?

When registering for Trusted Shops Buyer Protection, you will be asked to consent to the storage, processing and use of your data by Trusted Shops GmbH. We do of course respect your decision not to grant us consent. However, in this case you will not be entitled to Trusted Shops Buyer Protection.

In order to register for Buyer Protection, we require your email address, the name of the online shop, the total purchase price, the selected payment method, the order number and, in some cases, the shop customer number. During registration, we do not know which products you have ordered nor do we have access to sensitive payment information such as your credit card number or bank details.

Your data will solely be used to be able to offer you Buyer Protection and to enable you to use the Trusted Shops System. In the Trusted Shops System, you can view your active and completed warranties, make any necessary claims for refunds and rate completed transactions. Your email address is used as your user name for access to the Trusted Shops System and is permanently stored for these purposes. Furthermore, only the information and data that is absolutely necessary to clarify possible claims for refunds is saved and processed.

You can also request that your data be deleted at any time. Please use our contact form for this purpose. However, Trusted Shops Buyer Protection then loses its validity.

In the event of a Buyer Protection claim, we require additional information and personal data from you for the purposes of verifying and processing the refund claim. When claiming a refund, your name, address and in some cases your telephone number and your bank details for reimbursement are stored. This data is then stored for six months and used solely to complete the refund claim. After this period, the data is blocked from being used for any other purposes and after the expiration of the tax and commercial law period of storage the data is permanently deleted.

Which data is collected and used if I submit a customer rating?

If you submit a rating using the Trusted Shops customer rating system without already being registered for Trusted Shops Buyer Protection, we require your email address in order to guarantee the validity and credibility of the rating. The email address is used exclusively to verify that the rating really originates from a customer of the rated shop and can be allocated to a proven purchase, and for these purposes the email address will be permanently stored together with the submitted rating.

By clicking on “Write a review!”, you grant Trusted Shops GmbH the exclusive right to permanently store your rating with the corresponding email address in databases as well as the right to reproduce, publish or pass on the ratings and comments, in part or in full, both online as well as offline (e.g. print media, catalogues), and the right to make them publicly accessible. Your email address will never be publicly accessible.

Which data is collected and used if I write a comment?

Personal data is collected if you voluntarily agree to this when commenting on a product. We use the data supplied by you without your express consent solely for the publication of your comment. Your email address is not published and your name is linked to your website if you submit a website.

To prevent automatic spam comments, we use the Akismet spam filter service from Automattic Inc. on our sites. Akismet analyses submitted comments using certain criteria in order to prevent unwanted entries, such as advertisements. The data submitted and the IP address of the comment author are transferred to a server of the Automattic Inc. in the USA where they are then processed and stored. When writing a comment, you are therefore requested to consent to transfer of your IP address and the entries you have made to the Automattic Inc. servers and storage on these servers.

Cookies are also used to prevent spam. Cookies are small text files that are saved on your computer. Cookies remain on your computer and enable us to recognise your computer again upon your next visit. These cookies contain your name and your email address and expire after 12 months.

Which data is collected and used if I sign up for the newsletter?

If you sign up for our newsletter, we use the data submitted by you to send you the newsletter with your express permission. Submission of your email address is mandatory and all other information is optional. The newsletter contains current information and offers from Trusted Shops GmbH and from third party providers. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Will my data be passed on to third parties?

No, your data is not passed on to third parties without your express permission. Neither Trusted Shops GmbH nor Atradius Versicherungsgruppe pass your personal data on to third parties. You will receive emails solely from Trusted Shops GmbH.

How is my data protected from misuse?

Using the latest technical and organisational measures, we secure our website and other systems from loss, destruction, access to, change or publication of your data by third parties. We use encryption technology to ensure the highest level of confidentiality when transferring personal data such as enquiry, registration or buyer protection data. Your personal data is password protected meaning that only you have access to it. Our servers use various security mechanisms and authorisation procedures in order to impede unauthorised access. You should never disclose your access information to others and always close the browser window when you have completed communication with Trusted Shops. You can thereby ensure that nobody can access your personal data if you use a shared computer.

How can I amend, block or delete my personal data?

You can view and edit your own user information at any time in the secure area of the Trusted Shops homepage by logging in with your email address and password. If you forget your password or have problems logging in, please contact us. Please use the contact form to request that your user information be deleted.

You have the right to request information about your saved data free of charge, as well as the right to amend, block or delete this data. Please contact our data protection officer in this regard.

Data protection officer

For questions regarding collection, processing or use of your personal data, for information about, amendment, blocking or deletion of data as well as to revoke your consent, please write to our data protection officer:

Lars Klatte
Trusted Shops GmbH
Subbelrather Straße 15c
50823 Cologne, Germany

Along with internal data protection measures employed by our data protection officer, the Bundesdatenschutzgesetz (German Federal Data Protection Act) also sets out guidelines that help you to enforce your rights. The Federal German State of North Rhine-Westphalia is the responsible supervisory body for Trusted Shops:

Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information in North Rhine-Westphalia
Ulrich Lepper
Kavalleriestr. 2 – 4
40213 Düsseldorf, Germany
Phone: +49 211 38424-0
Fax: +49 211 38424-10
Email: poststelle [at] ldi.nrw.de

Appendix: Declaration of consent

You may have expressly granted us consent and we have logged your consent. In accordance with the Telemediengesetz (German Telemedia Act), we are obliged to provide access to the contents of declarations of consent at all times. You can revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future.

Buyer-protection registration
I agree to the storage of the above information. I have read and accept the conditions of the Trusted Shops guarantee from Atradius.

Newsletter subscription
I would like to receive the Trusted Shops Newsletter. (You may unsubscribe at any time)