Privacy policy

VAG takes data security concerns seriously and strives to make sure that your personal privacy is protected when you use the VAG Group websites. This is why we have drawn up this data processing notice that comprises an explanatory information as to how data is handled by us.

We reserve the right to change from time to time the nature of data processing as well as the contents of this data protection notice so as to bring our notice in line with the changes in applicable legal provisions, as amended from time to time. This is why we would recommend that you check and take note of our data protection notice at regular intervals.

Section 1 Personal data

  1. We will only collect, process and use your personal data subject to your consent or if and to the extent this is permitted by virtue of regulations. We will only collect, process and use personal data that we require for performing our service and for you to avail yourself of our services or that you may have placed at our disposal out of your own free will.
  2. The term personal data is defined as any data that comprises information on the personal or factual circumstances of a certain or determinable customer. Such information includes but is not limited to the name, e-mail address, residential address, gender, date of birth, telephone number or age.

Section 2 Purpose of collection of personal data
We will exclusively use your personal data for the following purposes:

  • For handling your purchase order (your e-mail address, your residential address, your delivery address)
  • For answering any questions or queries you may have (your e-mail address, if applicable, your telephone number)
  • If you subscribe to our newsletter, your e-mail address will be used by us for promotional purposes unless and until you unsubscribe from the newsletter. To unsubscribe, at any time, please contact us.

Section 3 Cookies automatically collect data
A cookie is a little text file that is stored in your browser's buffer memory that makes it possible to analyse utilisation of our website by you. When you call up our website, the following information will automatically be collected by our computer system through cookies:

  • Your internet address (IP address);
  • Browser type as well as browser version;
  • Website that has driven your visit to our website (referrer URL);
  • Operating system used;
  • Web page through which you visited other websites;
  • Date and time you accessed our site.

This information will be stored by us separately from other data that you may, if applicable, have disclosed to us. Such data will not be linked to other data stored with respect to you. This information will be analysed for statistics purposes so as to enable us to optimise our web pages as well as our offering. After having been analysed, data will be deleted again.

If you do not wish cookies to be enabled, please change your browser settings in such a way as to be informed about any cookies that may be enabled, to only enable cookies on a case-by-case basis, to merely enable cookies under certain circumstances or to generally disable cookies and/or to have cookies automatically deleted when the browser is closed. If you enable any of the restrictive settings above, however, please note that this may impair the functionality of our website.

Section 4 Data collection and processing with Google Analytics
This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service offered by "Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, 4 Barrow St, Dublin, D04 E5W5, Irland“ ("Google"). Google Analytics uses what is known as cookies, i.e. text files that are stored on your computer and that make it possible to analyse the utilisation of the website by you. (In this context, cf. notes in Section 3 above.)

The information about use of this website by you will be anonymised which means that it will no longer be possible to track and trace the information back to a certain subscriber. Generally speaking, the information will be transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there. If you enable IP anonymisation on this website, your IP address will be shortened beforehand by Google within a EU member state or another state that is a party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be transmitted to a Google server in the USA and shortened there. On behalf of the operator of this website, Google will use this information to analyse use of the website by you, so as to draw up reports on website activities for website operators and render additional services associated with the utilisation of web pages and Internet use.

Under no circumstances will Google link up your IP address to other Google data. You can prevent cookies from being enabled by changing your browser software settings accordingly; we would, however, like to point out to you that in this case it may not be possible for you to use the full scope of the functionalities of this website.

Furthermore, it is possible for oyu to prevent the collection of the data generated through the cookie and relating to the use of the website made by you (incl. your IP address) as well as processing of this data by Google by downloading a browser add-on for disabling Google Analytics and installing such add-on for your browser. In the following you will find the link to the browser add-on for disabling cookies: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de.

As an alternative to a browser plug-in, or in the browser on your mobile device, you can click on the following link to set an opt-out cookie that will prevent Google Analytics from capturing any data while you are on this website (The opt-out cookie only works in this browser and for this domain. You will have to click on this link again if you delete your cookies in this browser.): Deactivate Google Analytics

Section 5 Consent and revocation
Please note that if you have given us your consent allowing us to use, process and transmit your personal data for marketing purposes (e.g. electronic newsletter or sending of quotes), it is possible for you to revoke at any time such consent given without having to submit such revocation notice in a special form or within certain time limits; such revocation notice shall henceforth take effect. To the extent we have made use of your data as permitted by law, for instance, for sending you promotional material by post, it would also be possible for you to object to such use of data.

In both cases please contact: VAG Holding GmbH, Carl-Reuther.-Strasse 1, 68305 Mannheim, Germany, +49 (621) 749-0, datenschutz-ma@vag-group.com.

Upon receipt of your revocation notice, we will use your data exclusively for handling the purchase order and refrain from sending you other promotional material.

Section 6 Transmission of personal data to third parties
For the purpose of handling your purchase order, it may be necessary for us to transfer your personal data to third parties (e.g. suppliers or carriers/forwarding agents). In this case we would request that the third parties confirm to us that the data transferred to third parties will exclusively be used by the third parties for the purpose of performance of the obligations or tasks assigned to them. Information will only be transmitted to state authorities or institutions to the extent this is necessary based on mandatory or compulsory national regulations.

Section 7 Term of data storage
Your personal data will only be stored for as long as we need the data to render our services. Under certain circumstances we may be required by law or regulations that exist to store information for longer.

Section 8 Data security
We have taken precautions in terms of technical and organisational steps to protect your data and in particular to prevent loss or manipulation of or unauthorised access to your data. We keep bringing our security precautions in line with ongoing development at regular intervals.

Section 9 Request for information
You, however, have the right to request at any time that you be informed free of charge on which data is being stored by us with respect to you, where such data originates from, who received such data and to what end data processing is being performed. Should your data be incorrect or wrongly have been stored, we will be pleased to correct, block or delete such data. Please also be so kind as to inform us without undue delay of any changes in your personal data that may have emerged.

Should you have any request for information, questions, queries, complaints, comments or remarks with respect to data protection, please do not hesitate to contact us by post at VAG Holding GmbH, Carl-Reuther-Straße 1, 68305 Mannheim, Germany, or by e-mail at datenschutz-ma@vag-group.com.