Privacy statement

We take data protection very seriously. Your personal data will be processed in accordance with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Federal Data Protection Act (Bundesdatenschutzgesetz, BDSG) and other relevant data protection regulations.

Below, we inform you of how we process your data and what rights you will have if you visit our websites and use our online services there.

1. Controller, bases, purpose

1.1 Controller

The controller within the meaning of the data protection laws and the supplier within the meaning of the German Telemedia Act (Telemediengesetz, TMG) is:

vhf camfacture AG

Lettenstraße 10

72119 Ammerbuch

Phone: +49 7032 97097 000

info@vhf.de

1.2 Processing purposes and legal basis

a) Logs

All access to our website and every request for a file that is available on the website will be logged. This logging is for internal system-related and statistical purposes. The following data is transmitted to us by your browser: Browser type and version, operating system used, referrer URL (the previously visited page), host name of the accessing computer (IP address) and date and time of the server request. These data will not be assigned to specific persons. These data will not be merged with other sources of data.

The bases for the processing are 6(1), sentence 1, letter (f) of GDPR and Section 15 of the German Telemedia Act (TMG).

b) Data collection via forms

In cases where it is possible to enter data via our website, e.g., for a quotation request, when registering for a newsletter or using a contact form, certain entry fields are marked as “required information”. We use these fields to collect only the data that is necessary for us to perform the contract or carry out the requested action. If you wish, you are obviously at liberty to provide us with additional data on a voluntary basis.

Your personal data will be used and stored in order to perform the contract that we have concluded with you, or to carry out actions that you have requested (e.g. to prepare a quote, or respond to a contact inquiry) and for advertising purposes (in this respect, please also read item c). As soon as the personal data are no longer required to achieve the intended purpose, they will be deleted. If any statutory retention obligations apply, the data will be held inaccessibly until expiry of the retention obligations and subsequently deleted.

The bases for processing the personal data are 6(1), sentence 1, letters (a), (b) and (f) of the GDPR.

c) Advertising measures; in particular e-mail newsletters

You can, at any time, object to the use of your personal data, or withdraw your consent for this if you have given it to us – with future effect in each case - in writing, by fax, email or telephone.

This applies in particular to our email newsletter, for example, with information about our products and services. We will send you our email newsletter only if you have given your consent to the use of your data for this purpose. You can unsubscribe from an email newsletter at any time, with future effect, either by clicking the link that is provided for this purpose in each email newsletter, or by contacting us using the contact details provided.

The bases for processing the personal data are 6(1), sentence 1, letters (a) and (f) of GDPR.

d) TNT login / service level area

Access to a protected area of the website containing, by way of example, information that is relevant for specialist dealers can be granted to existing business partners upon request. The access data are not generally individual but group based and are given out only by us. The users themselves cannot register individually, users may not pass on data received from us.

The basis for the processing is 6(1), sentence 1, letter (b) of GDPR.

e) Ilias learning platform

To participate in e-learning courses, registration or login to the learning platform is required.

You can register for a password-protected account on our learning platform. This account allows you to participate in the e-learning courses assigned to you or booked by you and to manage your personal data.

As part of the registration process, some personal data is collected as mandatory information, which we require for the implementation of the e-learning courses. You can change this data in the system at any time. You can revoke your consent given in the context of the registration for data processing at any time with effect for the future by writing an e-mail to academy@vhf.de and requesting the deletion of your account. Access to the learning platform is no longer possible after deleting your account.

If you use the Learning Platform on behalf of your employer, vhf is entitled to share all data stored by the Learning Platform with your employer in order to fulfill all obligations towards your employer. In particular, this includes information about your learning progress, test results, misconduct and results of non-anonymous surveys.

If you do not use the learning platform on behalf of your employer, vhf will not share any personal data from the learning platform with third parties.

The basis of the processing is 6(1) letter a of GDPR.

f) Booking system for training sessions

Participation in training sessions requires booking through a web form. This will collect personal data, which we need to implement the training. The data is stored by our booking service provider, cituro GmbH, Peter-Dörfler-Straße 30, 86199 Augsburg, Germany, info@cituro.com, as well as by us. The currently valid privacy policy of cituro GmbH is linked in the booking form. For the transfer of data to third parties, see also 2.

If you book or attend training sessions on behalf of your employer, vhf is entitled to share the data stored in the context of the training sessions booked or attended, as well as information regarding your learning progress, misconduct, test results and results of non-anonymous surveys with your employer in order to fulfill the obligations towards your employer.

If you do not use the learning platform on behalf of your employer, vhf will not disclose any personal data as defined in the previous paragraph to third parties.

The basis of the processing is 6(1) letter a of GDPR.

g) Use of cookies

We use cookies on various pages to enable you to navigate the website and use its functions, e.g. if accessing password-protected areas. Without these cookies, we will be unable to provide you with certain requested services 6(1), sentence 1, letter (b) of GDPR).

If you have given your consent to this, we will, in accordance with 6(1), sentence 1, letter (a) of GDPR, also use cookies for the purposes of tracking, to improve the website’s functionality and service, and to compile statistics on how our website is used and on the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns. Cookies also enable data entered previously during a visit to be remembered (e.g. user name, language) in order to offer customized services to the user. In addition, we use cookies to enable us to design our website according to demands; to this end, pseudonymized user profiles, which enable your use of the website to be analyzed, may be generated. Furthermore, we can also use cookies with advanced tracking and targeting functions. These cookies are used primarily to generate advertising that is even more specific to you and your interests and it may even be possible to keep track of users on other sites. In the case of targeting cookies, advertising networks can also, for example, detect how often a user has visited our site, and this information may be passed to other advertising companies.

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer. Most of the cookies we use will be deleted again from your hard drive at the end of your browser session (session cookies). Other cookies remain on your computer and enable us to recognize your computer on your next visit (persistent cookies). Obviously, you also have the option to view our website without cookies. Most browsers will accept cookies automatically.

In addition, we also use the following third-party cookies:

  • Google Analytics
  • YouTube Analytics

You can adjust your browser settings so that you will be informed about the placement of cookies; this will make the use of cookies transparent for you.

If you have given us your consent, you can withdraw this at any time, or you can object to the data processing. The easiest way to do this is to prevent cookies from being saved on your hard disk by selecting “Do not accept any cookies” in your browser settings. However, if you do so, you may not be able to use all of the functions on our website to their full extent.

2. Disclosure of data to third parties

We will pass on your personal data within our company to the departments that require the data to comply with the contractual and statutory obligations or to pursue our legitimate interest. Further disclosure of your personal data, including your home address and email address, to third parties will be made only to the extent that this is essential for the purposes of contract performance, if you have expressly agreed to the disclosure, or if such disclosure is permitted under data protection law. However, in each case, only the essential data will be transferred.

3. Your data protection rights

Subject to certain conditions, you have the right to request to be informed, free of charge, about the personal data we have stored about you, to have incorrect data rectified, and to erasure or restriction of processing and to portability of your personal data. You can object to the use of the data at any time with future effect. In some cases, however, we may not be permitted to completely delete user data owing to statutory retention obligations. We would also like to inform you of your right to lodge a complaint with the Baden-Württemberg State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (Landesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit Baden-Württemberg).

If you have any queries concerning the processing of personal data, please contact our data protection officer:

Address: Lettenstraße 10, 72119 Ammerbuch

Phone: +49 7032 97097 000

Email: data-protection@vhf.de

4. Analytics service

We use the web analytics service Matomo.

This allows us to record and analyze the use of our website by website visitors. This allows us to find out, among other things, when which page views were made and from which region they come. We also collect various log files (e.g. IP address, referrer, browsers used, and operating systems) and can measure whether our website visitors perform certain actions (e.g. clicks, purchases and similar). We host Matomo on our own servers, so all analytics data remains with us and is not shared.

The use of this analysis tool is based on 6(1) letter f of GDPR. We have a legitimate interest in analyzing user behavior in order to optimize both our web offerings and our advertising.

The web analytics service does not use cookies, but accesses information about the website visitor’s device via device fingerprinting.

  • We mask the last 2 bytes of the IP address, which prevents it from being stored in full (e.g. as 192.168.xxx.xxx).

  • We take into account the “Do Not Track” setting of the browsers.

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5. Privacy policies for third-party services

5.1 Google Analytics

This website uses functions of the web analysis service Google Analytics. The provider is Google Ireland Limited (“Google”), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland. Google Analytics enables the website operator to analyze the behavior of website visitors. In this context, the website operator receives various usage data, such as page impressions, duration of visit, operating systems used and origin of the user. This data is summarized in a user ID and assigned to the respective end device of the website visitor. Furthermore, Google Analytics allows us to record your mouse and scroll movements and clicks, among other things. In addition, Google Analytics uses various modeling approaches to augment the data records it collects and employs machine learning technologies in its data analysis.

Google Analytics uses technologies that enable the recognition of the user for the purpose of analyzing user behavior (e.g. cookies or device fingerprinting). The information collected by Google about the use of this website is usually transferred to a Google server in the USA and stored there.

The use of this service is based on your consent according to 6(1) letter a of GDPR and § 25 para. 1 of the German TTDSG. Consent can be revoked at any time. Data transfer to the USA is based on the standard contractual clauses of the EU Commission. Details can be found here: https://business.safety.google/adscontrollerterms/sccs/

5.2 IP anonymization

On this website we have activated the IP anonymization function. Hence, your IP address will be truncated by Google within European Union member states, or in other contracting state parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, before it is transmitted to the USA. Only in exceptional cases will a full IP address be transmitted to a Google server in the USA and truncated there. Google will use this information on behalf of the operator of this website to analyze your use of the website, compile reports on website activities and to provide additional services to the website operator in connection with use of the website and the internet. The IP address transmitted by your browser as part of Google Analytics is not merged with other Google data.

5.3 Browser Plugin

You can prevent the collection and processing of your data by Google by downloading and installing the browser plugin available at the following link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en. Further information on how Google Analytics handles user data can be found in Google’s privacy policy, available at: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=en.

5.4 Objecting to data collection

In the case of browsers on mobile devices, you can prevent Google Analytics from collecting your data by clicking on the following link. An opt-out cookie will be set to prevent your data from being collected on future visits to this website: In this context, please note that this opt-out cookie only works in this browser and only for this domain. If you delete your cookies in this browser, you will need to click on the link again.

5.5 Additional information

Further information on how Google Analytics handles user data can be found in Google’s privacy policy, available at:

5.6 Order Data Processing

We have concluded a contract for order data processing with Google and are fully implementing the strict specifications issued by the German data protection authorities in connection with use of Google Analytics.

5.7 Plugins and tools

a) Google reCAPTCHA

We use “Google reCAPTCHA” (hereinafter referred to as “reCAPTCHA”) on this website. The provider is Google Ireland Limited (“Google”), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.

The purpose of reCAPTCHA is to verify whether the data entry on this website (e.g. in a contact form) is made by a human or by an automated program. For this purpose, reCAPTCHA analyzes the behavior of the website visitor based on various characteristics. This analysis starts automatically as soon as the website visitor visits the website. For analysis, reCAPTCHA evaluates various information (e.g. IP address, time spent by the website visitor on the website or mouse movements made by the user). The data collected during the analysis is forwarded to Google.

The reCAPTCHA analyses run completely in the background. Website visitors are not made aware that an analysis is taking place.

The data processing is based on 6(1) letter f of GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in protecting its web offerings from abusive automated spying and from SPAM.

For more information about Google reCAPTCHA, please see the Google Privacy Policy and the Google Terms of Service at the following links: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de and https://policies.google.com/terms?hl=de.

b) YouTube

We have embedded videos from the Google-operated site YouTube (YouTube, LLC, 901 Cherry Ave., San Bruno, CA 94066, USA) into the “enhanced data protection mode” on our website. Launching the respective video will mean that your IP address will be passed to the YouTube server. YouTube will thus be informed that our internet site has been visited with your IP address. If you are also logged into YouTube on the browser that you use for this site, the account name will also be forwarded. Hence, YouTube can assign your visit to this website to your user account. We will not be informed about the data that is collected in this way, or of how it is used.

YouTube is used in the interests of providing an attractive presentation of our online services. This constitutes a legitimate interest within the meaning of 6(1)(f) of the GDPR.

Further information about how user data is handled can be found in YouTube’s privacy policy, available at: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en&gl=en.

c) Vimeo

We can embed videos provided by the service provider Vimeo Inc. on the Vimeo platform, please note: Legal Department, 555 West 18th Street, New York 10011, USA. Privacy Policy: vimeo.com/privacy. Please note that Vimeo may make use of Google Analytics. We therefore refer you to the Google Analytics privacy policy (https://policies.google.com/privacy) and opt-out options (http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de) or Google’s settings for data usage for marketing purposes (https://adssettings.google.com/).

5.8 Data processing through social networks

We maintain publicly accessible profiles on social networks. The social networks that we used can be found below in detail.

Social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. can generally analyze your user behavior extensively when you visit their website or a website with integrated social media content (e.g. Like buttons or advertising banners). Visiting our social media sites triggers numerous processing operations relevant to data protection. In detail:

If you are logged into your social media account and visit our social media page, the operator of the social media portal can assign this visit to your user account. However, your personal data may also be collected under certain circumstances if you are not logged in or do not have an account with the respective social media portal. In this case, this data collection takes place, for example, via cookies that are stored on your end device or by recording your IP address.

With the help of the data collected in this way, the operators of the social media portals can create user profiles in which your preferences and interests are stored. In this way, interest-based advertising can be displayed to you inside and outside the respective social media site. If you have an account with the respective social network, the interest-based advertising may be displayed on all devices on which you are or were logged in.

Please also note that we cannot track all processing on the social media portals. Depending on the provider, further processing operations may therefore be carried out by the operators of the social media portals. For details, please refer to the terms of use and privacy policies of the respective social media portals.

Legal basis

Our social media presences are designed to ensure the broadest possible presence on the Internet. This is a legitimate interest within the meaning of 6(1) letter f of GDPR. The analysis processes initiated by the social networks may be based on different legal bases, which are to be specified by the operators of the social networks (e.g. consent within the meaning of 6(1) letter a of GDPR).

Controller and assertion of rights

If you visit one of our social media sites (e.g. Facebook), we are jointly responsible with the operator of the social media platform for the data processing operations triggered during this visit. In principle, you can assert your rights (information, correction, deletion, restriction of processing, data portability and complaint) both against us and against the operator of the respective social media portal (e.g. against Facebook).

Please note that despite the joint responsibility with the social media portal operators, we do not have full influence on the data processing operations of the social media portals. Our options are largely determined by the corporate policy of the respective provider.

Storage duration

The data collected directly by us via the social media page will be deleted from our systems as soon as you request us to delete it, revoke your consent to store it, or the purpose for storing the data no longer applies. Stored cookies remain on your end device until you delete them. Mandatory statutory provisions – particularly retention periods – remain unaffected.

We have no influence on the storage period of your data, which is stored by the operators of the social networks for their own purposes. For details, please contact the operators of the social networks directly (e.g. in their privacy policy, see below).

Your rights

You have the right at any time to receive information free of charge about the origin, recipient and purpose of your stored personal data. You also have the right to object, the right to data portability and the right to complain to the appropriate supervisory authority. Furthermore, you can request the correction, blocking, deletion and, under certain circumstances, the restriction of the processing of your personal data.

Social networks in detail

a) Facebook

We have a profile on Facebook. The provider of this service is Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland (hereinafter referred to as Meta). According to Meta, the collected data is also transferred to the USA and other third countries.

We have entered into a joint processing agreement (Controller Addendum) with Meta. This agreement specifies the data processing operations for which we or Meta are responsible when you visit our Facebook page. You can view this agreement at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/page_controller_addendum.

You can adjust your advertising settings independently in your user account. To do so, click on the following link and log in: https://www.facebook.com/settings?tab=ads.

Data transfer to the USA is based on the standard contractual clauses of the EU Commission. Details can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum and

https://de-de.facebook.com/help/566994660333381.

For details, see Facebook’s privacy policy: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/.

b) Twitter

We use the short message service Twitter. The provider is Twitter International Company, One Cumberland Place, Fenian Street, Dublin 2, D02 AX07, Ireland.

You can adjust your Twitter privacy settings independently in your user account. To do so, click on the following link and log in: https://twitter.com/personalization.

Data transfer to the USA is based on the standard contractual clauses of the EU Commission. Details can be found here: https://gdpr.twitter.com/en/controller-to-controller-transfers.html.

For details, see Twitter’s privacy policy: https://twitter.com/de/privacy.

c) Instagram

We have a profile on Instagram. The provider of this service is Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland.

Data transfer to the USA is based on the standard contractual clauses of the EU Commission.

Details can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum, https://help.instagram.com/519522125107875 and https://de-de.facebook.com/help/566994660333381.

For details on how they handle your personal data, please see Instagram’s privacy policy: https://help.instagram.com/519522125107875.

d) XING

We have a profile on XING. The provider is New Work SE, Dammtorstraße 30, 20354 Hamburg, Germany. For details on how they handle your personal data, please refer to XING’s privacy policy: https://privacy.xing.com/de/datenschutzerklaerung.

e) LinkedIn

We have a profile on LinkedIn. The provider is LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Plaza, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland. LinkedIn uses advertising cookies.

If you wish to disable LinkedIn advertising cookies, please use the following link: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out.

Data transfer to the USA is based on the standard contractual clauses of the EU Commission. Details can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/l/dpa and https://www.linkedin.com/legal/l/eu-sccs.

For details on how they handle your personal data, please see LinkedIn’s privacy policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.

f) YouTube

We have a profile on YouTube. The provider is Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland. For details on how they handle your personal data, see YouTube’s privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de.

Date of this privacy policy: 01/17/2022