Privacy Policy
The Zentrum für Europäischen Verbraucherschutz e. V. (Centre for European Consumer Protection in Europe – ZEV) takes the protection of your data seriously. Our non-profit organization aims at raising awareness of and to promote consumers’ rights in Europe.
Your data are exclusively collected, stored and used to respond to your inquiries and complaints and to defend your interests. You will find information on how we handle your data.
The responsible body for the storage and processing of your data is the
Zentrum für Europäischen Verbraucherschutz e. V.
Bahnhofsplatz 3
77694 Kehl
Germany
Phone: +49 7851 99148-0
E-Mail: info[at]cec-zev.eu
It hosts the:
Alexander Wahl
Zentrum für Europäischen Verbraucherschutz e.V.
Bahnhofsplatz 3
77694 Kehl
Germany
E-Mail: datenschutz@cec-zev.eu
The Centre for Consumer Protection in Europe (ZEV) processes your data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Germany’s new Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG) and the Telemedia Act considering the principles of legitimacy, purpose limitation and data minimization (Article 5(1) GDPR).
According to the General Data Protection Regulation and Germany’s Federal Data Protection Act all information related to your person is subject to special protection (OR: Your data).
These can be your:
- Phone Number,
- E-Mail Address,
- Home Address,
- IP-Address,
- Pictures,
- Information relating (to) the case and attached documents.
This information can only be processed, if authorized by law or if the person concerned has given his consent (Article 4(1) GDPR).
Sensitive information related to you is subject to an even stronger protection.
These can be information on your:
- Racial or Ethnic Origin,
- Political Opinions,
- Religious or Philosophical Beliefs,
- Trade Union Membership,
- Health,
- Sex Life,
- Sexual Orientation.
This data can only be processed with your explicit consent (Article 9 GDPR).
Any operation performed on your personal data, such as collection, recording, organisation, structuring, storage, adaption or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or making available otherwise, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction (Article 4(2) GDPR).
If you submit an enquiry by email or via our contact form, we store your personal data so that we can process your enquiry.
The initial storage of the data is based on Article 6(1)(b) GDPR. Storing the data is necessary in order to process your enquiry.
The Centre for European Consumer Protection e.V. protects your data against unauthorised access by third parties through access controls, passwords, firewalls, etc. All our websites are encrypted using HTTPS.
In accordance with the principle of data minimisation, only the department responsible for the information request or complaint has access to your data (see “Controller”).
Before we process particularly sensitive data, we obtain your explicit consent separately. In this case, the legal basis is Article 9(2) GDPR.
If you submit a complaint regarding an allegedly unfair business practice by a company based in another EU country, Iceland or Norway, your data will be used to examine the legal situation and, where appropriate, to initiate collective legal action. This includes, in particular, warnings and injunctions, in which we can use your complaint as evidence of the alleged infringement. The documents will be anonymised and blacked out to ensure that third parties cannot trace them back to you. In cases where anonymisation is not possible, we will obtain your explicit consent separately before taking further action.
It may be useful for us to forward your complaint to a European enforcement authority for consumer rights under Regulation (EU) 2017/2394. In this case, the documents will be anonymised and blacked out to ensure that third parties cannot trace them back to you.
These authorities are responsible for enforcing consumer rights against companies when several consumers have been harmed by a company.
As part of information requests and complaints, it may also be necessary to process personal data relating to entrepreneurs.
There is a legitimate interest in this data processing, as otherwise the information requests and complaints could not be processed. The legal basis for this is therefore Article 6(1)(f) GDPR.
We do not store your personal data on our server for longer than three years after the conclusion of the proceedings.
After this period, the data will be anonymised for statistical purposes. The legal basis for storing the data is Article 6(1)(f) GDPR.
We have a legitimate interest in storing your data.
We use Microsoft 365 services to receive, send and store emails. The provider is Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited, One Microsoft Place, South County Business Park, Leopardstown, Dublin 18, Ireland.
Further information can be found in Microsoft’s privacy statement: Microsoft Privacy Statement – Microsoft Privacy
The purpose of the processing is to provide secure and efficient email communication with consumers and companies.
We have a legitimate interest in this processing, as otherwise we would not be able to communicate electronically with consumers and companies. The legal basis for this is therefore Article 6(1)(f) GDPR.
If we contact consumers regarding an existing enquiry or complaint, we have previously obtained their active consent to the processing of their data. In this case, the legal basis for the processing is Article 6(1)(a) GDPR.
I. What you should know about cookies
The Zentrum für Europäischen Verbraucherschutz e. V. (Centre for Consumer Protection in Europe – ZEV) takes the protection of your personal data very seriously.
This non-profit organization aims at protecting and promoting consumer rights in Europe.
We use cookies exclusively to ensure the functioning of our website (session-cookies) and constantly improve its content (analytics tool: Matomo).
Here, we also inform you about the use of third-party cookies.
With questions relating our use of cookies you can contact us: Bahnhofsplatz 3, 77694 Kehl, Germany, Tel.: +49 7851 991 48 0; E-Mail: info@cec-zev.eu.
You can also contact our data protection officer at: datenschutz@cec-zev.eu.
His complete contact information you find in our privacy statement.
2. Session-cookies
Our website uses session-cookies. When you, for example, enter information in our online complaint form or log in to our complaint management system, these data are stored (on your computer) and sent to us.
Without these cookies this would not work; they are automatically deleted when you leave our website.
Since the processing of your complaint is not possible without this function, the legal basis for the data processing is Article 6(1)(b) GDPR.
3. Analytics tool: Matomo
Scope and purpose of data processing:
On this website, we use the web analysis service Matomo to analyse and check the use of our website. We can use the statistics obtained to improve our offer and make it more interesting for you as a user.
We operate Matomo in a version that does not require cookies. This means that no Matomo cookies are stored on your end device for the purpose of web analysis. To analyse website usage, your IP address and information such as timestamps, websites visited and your language settings are recorded.
We store the information collected in this way on our server. The Centre for European Consumer Protection is responsible for data processing.
This website uses Matomo with the extension ‘AnonymizeIP’. This means that IP addresses are further processed in abbreviated form and cannot be directly linked to individuals. The IP address transmitted by your browser using Matomo is not merged with other data collected by us.
Legal basis:
The legal basis for the use of Matomo is Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f GDPR.
The Matomo programme is an open source project. Information from the third-party provider on data protection can be found at matomo.org/privacy-policy.
4. Third-party cookies
In addition, our website is linked to services of third parties, i.e. YouTube and Google-Maps.
These companies also use cookies to collect personal data (IP address, surfing behaviour etc.).
We are not to be held responsible for the information collected by these companies and how they protect your data.
You can learn more about their cookies policies on their websites. You can disable third-party cookies in the settings of your browser.
5. YouTube
Scope and purpose of data processing:
We have integrated YouTube videos into our online offering, which are stored on YouTube.com and can be played from our website by clicking on the thumbnails. The videos are all integrated in ‘extended data protection mode’, i.e. no data about you as a user is transferred to YouTube if you do not play the videos. Only when you play the videos by clicking on the preview image will the data mentioned in the next paragraph be transmitted. We have no influence on this data transfer.
When you visit the website, YouTube receives the information that you have accessed the corresponding subpage of our website. In addition, the basic data that is generally collected when you visit a website is transmitted (e.g. IP address and timestamp). This occurs regardless of whether YouTube provides a user account through which you are logged in or whether no user account exists. If you are logged in to Google, your data will be assigned directly to your account. If you do not wish your data to be associated with your YouTube profile, you must log out before activating the button. YouTube stores your data as usage profiles and uses them for the purposes of advertising, market research and/or customising its website. Such an evaluation is carried out in particular (even for users who are not logged in) to provide customised advertising and to inform other users of the social network about your activities on our website. You have the right to object to the creation of these user profiles, whereby you must contact YouTube to exercise this right.
Legal basis:
The legal basis for the display of the videos is Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a GDPR, i.e. the video will only be displayed with your consent.
Transfer to third countries:
The information collected is stored on Google servers, including in the USA. In these cases, the provider has, according to its own information, imposed a standard that corresponds to the former EU-US Privacy Shield and has promised to comply with applicable data protection laws when transferring data internationally. Further information on the purpose and scope of data collection and its processing by YouTube can be found in YouTube’s privacy policy. T
Here you can find more information on how YouTube processes your data.
In this section we inform you about the data processing in connection with the third-party platforms on which we are present. We would like to point out that the Centre for Consumer protection in Europe (Zentrum für Europäischen Verbraucherschutz e.V.) is not aware of the data processing of third-party platforms and has no influence on it. We also do not have access to the personal data of users, as long as they do not make it public themselves.
Processing of personal data and purposes of the processing
If the European Consumer Centre (Zentrum für Europäischen Verbraucherschutz e.V.) opens an account on a third-party platform, the operator sets cookies as soon as the user visits the European Consumer Centre (Zentrum für Europäischen Verbraucherschutz e.V.) account. We expressly point out that the operators of third-party platforms collect personal data of users with the help of cookies for the purpose of statistical evaluation of their behavior. This applies in particular if you are already registered on these third-party platforms. You can find more detailed information in the data protection statements of these third-party platforms.
The Centre for Consumer protection in Europe (Zentrum für Europäischen Verbraucherschutz e.V.) only receives anonymous evaluations of account usage from third-party platforms. This anonymous data is used for the analysis of user behavior for statistical purposes, so that the Centre for Consumer protection in Europe (Zentrum für Europäischen Verbraucherschutz e.V.) can better adapt its offers of help and support to the needs and interests of consumers. This is necessary to fulfill the mission of the Centre for Consumer protection in Europe (Zentrum für Europäischen Verbraucherschutz e.V.) and to reach the largest possible number of users with its contents. The processing of anonymized data is accordingly carried out on the basis of our legitimate interest in accordance with Article 6(1)(e) of the GDPR.
In order to evaluate the account activities, insofar as the data has been provided by the user or has been collected, the operators provide the Centre for Consumer protection in Europe (Zentrum für Europäischen Verbraucherschutz e.V.) with the following criteria or categories in an anonymous manner:
- Age group
- Gender
- Place of residence (city and country)
- Language
- Mobile and stationary page views (and device type for YouTube)
- Interactions on posts (e.g., reactions, comments, shares, clicks, views, length of time the video was used)
- Time of use
We do not know what personal data is collected in total by the operators of third-party platforms and for what other purposes they process user data. We can therefore only inform you about what we know about the data processing by these platforms. We thank you for your understanding.
The Centre for Consumer protection in Europe (Zentrum für Europäischen Verbraucherschutz e.V.) draws your attention to the fact that the operators of the platforms are usually American companies and that their data may therefore be processed outside the European Union. This may result in risks, as it could make it more difficult to enforce users’ rights.
Further information on data processing can be found in the data protection declaration of the operators themselves:
Facebook
Facebook Ireland Ltd.
4 Grand Canal Square
Grand Canal Harbour
Dublin 2, Ireland
Privacy on Facebook
Opt-out advertising preferences
YouTube
YouTube LLC
901 Cherry Ave.
San Bruno, CA 94066, USA
YouTube Privacy
LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company
Attn: Legal Dept (Privacy Policy and User Agreement)
Wilton Plaza
Wilton Place, Dublin 2
Ireland
Privacy on LinkedIn
Instagram
Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd.
4 Grand Canal Square
Grand Canal Harbour
Dublin 2
Irland
Privacy on Instagram
Netiquette:
On our social media channels and in the comments section, we would like to promote exchange with the community and dialogue between members. The comments are public, praise and constructive criticism are always welcome.
Discussing with friends and other fans is best done in a friendly and respectful tone. Be nice to each other and don’t call each other names!
Everyone has the right to a free opinion – within the limits of what is legally permissible.
Not welcome, however, are:
- Insults, threats and slurs of any kind.
- incitement to violence
- Election and party advertising
- Radical, especially right-wing radical ideas, racism and hate propaganda
- pornography and obscenity
- Violations of the rights of third parties
- Calls for campaigns, rallies or donations
- Comments that are not related to the topic of the post in question
- Links to external websites unrelated to the original post
- The publication of forum/blog posts, private correspondence and private data (addresses, e-mail addresses or telephone numbers)
- Misuse of the comment function for advertising purposes
No spam.
No trolling.
No bashing.
If you want to report a personal case and need help, please contact us personally only – either via FB messenger or better via our official contact form, which you can find here.
It is not allowed to mention names and other personal (contact) data in the comments.
We reserve the right to delete comments and to block people who do not adhere to our netiquette despite repeated warnings. Each user is responsible for the contributions he/she publishes. ZEV accepts no liability for this. We reserve the right to update the netiquette at a future date.
Have fun on our pages!
You can order our newsletter by including your E-Mail address in the mailing list on our website.
You will receive a confirmation E-Mail. Only if you confirm your order, we will send you a newsletter.
The Legal basis is, hence, Article 6(1)(a) GDP.
Each newsletter contains a link to unsubscribe. After the cancellation, your E-Mail will be immediately erased.
If you submit an enquiry via the contact form on our website, we will ask for your consent to process your enquiry. You provide your active consent by ticking the corresponding box.
I. Access, deletion, rectification, restriction of processing, portability, withdrawal of consent
On demand, we will inform you of personal data we store.
You can also ask us to erase or rectify your data. At the same time, you can require us to process your data for certain purposes only.
Finally, we will provide you with the data set received from you in a machine-readable format.
At any time, you can contact us and withdraw your given consents with effect for the future.
To use your rights, you can turn to the Zentrum für Europäischen Verbraucherschutz e. V. (info@cec-zev.eu) or our external data protection officer (datenschutz@cec-zev.eu).
The complete contact information you find in the categories: ‘Responsible body’ and ‘Data protection officer’.
II. Supervisory authority
If you have the opinion that we did not protect your data sufficiently, you are entitled to turn to the competent data protection authority, the Landesbeauftragten für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit in Baden-Württemberg (regional data protection authority of Baden-Württemberg).
