Data protection

General information

The following information provides a brief overview of what happens to your personal data when you visit our website. Personal data refers to any information that can be used to personally identify you. For detailed information on data protection, please refer to our Privacy Policy listed below.

Data Collection on Our Website

Who is responsible for data collection on this website?
Data processing on this website is carried out by the website operator. You can find the operator’s contact information in the legal notice section of this website.

How do we collect your data?

We collect your data, in part, because you provide it to us. This may include, for example, data that you enter into a contact form.

Other data is automatically collected by our IT systems when you visit the website. This primarily consists of technical data (e.g., internet browser, operating system, or time of page view). This data is collected automatically as soon as you access our website.

What do we use your data for?

Some of the data is collected to ensure that the website functions properly. Other data may be used to analyze your user behavior.

What rights do you have regarding your data?

You have the right at any time to request, free of charge, information regarding the source, recipients, and purpose of your stored personal data. You also have the right to request the correction, restriction, or deletion of this data. For this and any other questions regarding data protection, you may contact us at any time at the address provided in the legal notice. Furthermore, you have the right to file a complaint with the competent supervisory authority.

Analytics tools and third-party tools

When you visit our website, your browsing behavior may be analyzed for statistical purposes. This is primarily done using cookies and so-called analytics tools. The analysis of your browsing behavior is generally anonymous; your browsing behavior cannot be traced back to you. You can object to this analysis or prevent it by not using certain tools. Detailed information on this can be found in the privacy policy below.

You have the right to object to this analysis. We will inform you about your options for objecting in this Privacy Policy.

2. General Information and Mandatory Disclosures

Data protection

The operators of this website take the protection of your personal data very seriously. We treat your personal data confidentially and in accordance with applicable data protection laws and this Privacy Policy.

When you use this website, various types of personal data are collected. Personal data is information that can be used to identify you personally. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect and how we use it. It also explains how and for what purpose this is done.

Please note that data transmission over the Internet (e.g., when communicating via email) may be subject to security risks. It is not possible to completely protect data from access by third parties.

Information about the responsible entity

The entity responsible for data processing on this website is:

Alpha Stone GmbH & Co. KG
Responsible for content: Mr. Alexander Roll
Triesdorf Bahnhof West
91732 Merkendorf

Phone: 09826 62100
Email: info@alphastone.de

The controller is the natural or legal person who, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data (e.g., names, email addresses, etc.).

Withdrawal of Your Consent to Data Processing

Many data processing operations are only possible with your explicit consent. You may withdraw any consent you have already given at any time. To do so, simply send us an informal email. The lawfulness of the data processing carried out prior to the withdrawal remains unaffected by the withdrawal.

Right to file a complaint with the competent supervisory authority

In the event of violations of data protection laws, the data subject has the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority. The competent supervisory authority for data protection matters is the State Data Protection Commissioner of the federal state in which our company is headquartered. A list of data protection commissioners and their contact information can be found at the following link: www.bfdi.bund.de

SSL or TLS encryption

This site uses SSL or TLS encryption for security reasons and to protect the transmission of confidential information, such as orders or inquiries that you send to us as the site operator. You can recognize an encrypted connection by the fact that the address bar of your browser changes from “http://” to “https://” and by the lock icon in your browser bar.

When SSL or TLS encryption is enabled, the data you send to us cannot be intercepted by third parties.

Access, Blocking, Deletion

In accordance with applicable legal provisions, you have the right at any time to request, free of charge, information about your stored personal data, its source, and recipients, as well as the purpose of the data processing; you may also have the right to have this data corrected, restricted, or deleted. For this and any other questions regarding personal data, you may contact us at any time at the address provided in the legal notice.

Objection to promotional emails

We hereby object to the use of contact information published in accordance with legal disclosure requirements for the purpose of sending unsolicited advertising and informational materials. The operators of this website expressly reserve the right to take legal action in the event of the unsolicited transmission of advertising information, such as through spam emails.

3. Data Collection on Our Website

Cookies

Some of these websites use cookies. Cookies do not harm your computer and do not contain viruses. Cookies help make our website more user-friendly, effective, and secure. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer and saved by your browser.

Most of the cookies we use are so-called “session cookies.” They are automatically deleted at the end of your visit. Other cookies remain stored on your device until you delete them. These cookies allow us to recognize your browser the next time you visit.

You can configure your browser to notify you when cookies are set, to allow cookies only on a case-by-case basis, to block cookies in specific cases or generally, and to enable the automatic deletion of cookies when you close your browser. Disabling cookies may limit the functionality of this website.

Cookies that are necessary for the electronic communication process or for providing specific functions you have requested (e.g., the shopping cart function) are stored pursuant to Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in storing cookies to ensure the technically error-free and optimized provision of its services. To the extent that other cookies (e.g., cookies used to analyze your browsing behavior) are stored, these are addressed separately in this privacy policy.

Server log files

The website provider automatically collects and stores information in so-called server log files, which your browser automatically transmits to us. This information includes:

• Browser type and browser version
• operating system used
• Referrer URL
• Hostname of the connecting computer
• Time of the server request
• IP address

This data is not combined with other data sources.

The legal basis for data processing is Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR, which permits the processing of data for the performance of a contract or for the implementation of pre-contractual measures.

Contact Form

If you submit an inquiry to us via the contact form, we will store the information you provide in the form—including the contact details you enter there—for the purpose of processing your inquiry and in case we have any follow-up questions. We will not share this information without your consent.

The processing of the data entered in the contact form is therefore based solely on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). You may withdraw this consent at any time. To do so, simply send us an informal email. The lawfulness of the data processing operations carried out prior to the withdrawal remains unaffected by the withdrawal.

The data you enter in the contact form will remain with us until you request that we delete it, revoke your consent to its storage, or the purpose for storing the data no longer applies (e.g., once your inquiry has been processed). Mandatory legal provisions—in particular retention periods—remain unaffected.

4. Social Media

Pinterest Plugin

On our website, we use social plugins from the social network Pinterest, which is operated by Pinterest Inc., 808 Brannan Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-490, USA (“Pinterest”).

When you visit a page that contains such a plugin, your browser establishes a direct connection to Pinterest’s servers. The plugin transmits log data to Pinterest’s servers in the United States. This log data may include your IP address, the addresses of the websites you visited that also contain Pinterest features, your browser type and settings, the date and time of the request, how you use Pinterest, and cookies.

For more information about the purpose, scope, and further processing and use of your data by Pinterest, as well as your rights in this regard and options for protecting your privacy, please refer to Pinterest’s Privacy Policy: https://about.pinterest.com/de/privacy-policy.

5. Analytics Tools and Advertising

Google Analytics

This website uses features of the web analytics service Google Analytics. The provider is Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.

Google Analytics uses so-called “cookies.” These are text files that are stored on your computer and enable an analysis of your use of the website. The information generated by the cookie regarding your use of this website is usually transmitted to a Google server in the United States and stored there.

Google Analytics cookies are stored in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in analyzing user behavior in order to optimize both its website and its advertising.

IP anonymization

We have enabled the IP anonymization feature on this website. This means that Google will truncate your IP address within member states of the European Union or in other signatory states to the Agreement on the European Economic Area before transmitting it to the United States. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be transmitted to a Google server in the United States and truncated there. On behalf of the operator of this website, Google will use this information to evaluate your use of the website, to compile reports on website activity, and to provide other services related to website and internet usage to the website operator. The IP address transmitted by your browser as part of Google Analytics will not be merged with other Google data.

You can prevent cookies from being stored by adjusting your browser settings accordingly; however, please note that in this case you may not be able to use all features of this website to their full extent. You can also prevent the collection of data generated by the cookie and related to your use of the website (including your IP address) by Google, as well as the processing of this data by Google, by downloading and installing the browser plugin available at the following link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de.

Objection to data collection

You can prevent Google Analytics from collecting your data by clicking the following link. An opt-out cookie will be set to prevent your data from being collected during future visits to this website:

[borlabs-cookie type="btn-cookie-preference" title="Change privacy settings"]

For more information on how Google Analytics handles user data, please refer to Google's Privacy Policy: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=de.

Order Data Processing

We have entered into a data processing agreement with Google and fully comply with the strict requirements of the German data protection authorities regarding the use of Google Analytics.

6. Newsletter

Newsletter information

If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter offered on this website, we will need your email address as well as information that allows us to verify that you are the owner of the provided email address and that you consent to receiving the newsletter. No other data is collected, or is collected only on a voluntary basis. We use this data exclusively to send you the requested information and do not share it with third parties.

The processing of the data entered in the newsletter sign-up form is based solely on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). You may revoke your consent to the storage of your data and email address, as well as their use for sending the newsletter, at any time, for example via the “Unsubscribe” link in the newsletter. The lawfulness of data processing operations that have already taken place remains unaffected by the revocation.

The data you have provided to us for the purpose of subscribing to our newsletter will be stored until you unsubscribe, at which point it will be deleted. Data stored for other purposes (e.g., email addresses for the members' area) remains unaffected by this.

MailChimp

This website uses MailChimp to send newsletters. The provider is Rocket Science Group LLC, 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Suite 5000, Atlanta, GA 30308, USA.

MailChimp is a service that can be used, among other things, to organize and analyze the distribution of newsletters. If you enter data for the purpose of subscribing to the newsletter (e.g., your email address), this data is stored on MailChimp’s servers in the United States.

MailChimp is certified under the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield. The Privacy Shield is an agreement between the European Union (EU) and the United States designed to ensure compliance with European data protection standards in the United States.

We use MailChimp to analyze our newsletter campaigns. When you open an email sent via MailChimp, a file contained in the email (known as a web beacon) connects to MailChimp’s servers in the United States. This allows us to determine whether a newsletter message has been opened and, if applicable, which links were clicked. In addition, technical information is collected (e.g., time of access, IP address, browser type, and operating system). This information cannot be linked to the specific newsletter recipient. It is used exclusively for the statistical analysis of newsletter campaigns. The results of these analyses can be used to better tailor future newsletters to the interests of the recipients.

If you do not want MailChimp to track your activity, you must unsubscribe from the newsletter. We provide a link for this purpose in every newsletter. You can also unsubscribe from the newsletter directly on our website.

Data processing is based on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). You may withdraw this consent at any time by unsubscribing from the newsletter. The lawfulness of any data processing that has already taken place remains unaffected by this withdrawal.

The data you have provided to us for the purpose of subscribing to our newsletter will be stored by us until you unsubscribe from the newsletter and will be deleted from both our servers and MailChimp’s servers once you unsubscribe. Data stored by us for other purposes (e.g., email addresses for the members’ area) remains unaffected by this.

For more information, please refer to MailChimp’s privacy policy at: https://mailchimp.com/legal/terms/.

Execution of a Data Processing Agreement

We have entered into a Data Processing Agreement with MailChimp, in which we require MailChimp to protect our customers’ data and not to disclose it to third parties. This agreement can be viewed at the following link: https://mailchimp.com/legal/forms/data-processing-agreement/sample-agreement/.

7. Plugins and Tools

Google Web Fonts

This site uses web fonts provided by Google to ensure consistent font display. When you visit a page, your browser loads the necessary web fonts into its cache to display text and fonts correctly.

To do this, the browser you are using must connect to Google’s servers. As a result, Google becomes aware that our website has been accessed via your IP address. We use Google Web Fonts to ensure a consistent and visually appealing presentation of our online content. This constitutes a legitimate interest within the meaning of Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR.

If your browser does not support web fonts, a default font from your computer will be used.

For more information about Google Web Fonts, visit https://developers.google.com/fonts/faq and review Google’s Privacy Policy: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/.

Google Maps

This site uses the Google Maps mapping service via an API. The provider is Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.

In order to use the features of Google Maps, it is necessary to store your IP address. This information is typically transmitted to a Google server in the United States and stored there. The provider of this website has no influence over this data transfer.

We use Google Maps to ensure that our online content is presented in an appealing way and to make it easy for users to locate the places listed on our website. This constitutes a legitimate interest within the meaning of Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR.

For more information on how user data is handled, please see Google's Privacy Policy: https://www.google.de/intl/de/policies/privacy/.

Google reCAPTCHA

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

reCAPTCHA is used to verify whether data entry on this website (e.g., in a contact form) is performed by a human or by an automated program. To do this, reCAPTCHA analyzes the website visitor’s behavior based on various characteristics. This analysis begins automatically as soon as the website visitor enters the website. For the analysis, reCAPTCHA evaluates various pieces of information (e.g., IP address, the duration of the website visitor’s stay on the website, or mouse movements made by the user). The data collected during the analysis is forwarded to Google.

The reCAPTCHA analyses run entirely in the background. Website visitors are not notified that an analysis is taking place.

The storage and analysis of data are based on Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in protecting its web offerings from abusive automated scanning and spam. If consent has been obtained, processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR and Section 25(1) of the TTDSG, insofar as the consent covers the storage of cookies or access to information on the user’s device (e.g., device fingerprinting) within the meaning of the TTDSG. Consent may be revoked at any time.

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