Privacy Policy

Personal data (usually referred to just as “data” below) will only be processed by us to the extent necessary and for the purpose of providing a functional and user-friendly website, including its contents, and the services offered there.

Per Art. 4 No. 1 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, i.e. the General Data Protection Regulation (hereinafter referred to as the “GDPR”), “processing” refers to any operation or set of operations such as collection, recording, organization, structuring, storage, adaptation, alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination, or otherwise making available, alignment, or combination, restriction, erasure, or destruction performed on personal data, whether by automated means or not.

The following privacy policy is intended to inform you in particular about the type, scope, purpose, duration, and legal basis for the processing of such data either under our own control or in conjunction with others. We also inform you below about the third-party components we use to optimize our website and improve the user experience which may result in said third parties also processing data they collect and control.

Our privacy policy is structured as follows:

I. Information about us as controllers of your data
II. The rights of users and data subjects
III. Information about the data processing

I. Information about us as controllers of your data

The party responsible for this website (the “controller”) for purposes of data protection law is:

Freebird Solutions LLC

500 4th st nw suite 102/2574

87102 Albuquerque

New Mexico

USA

Our website address is: https://petandcastle.com.

II. The rights of users and data subjects

With regard to the data processing to be described in more detail below, users and data subjects have the right

to confirmation of whether data concerning them is being processed, information about the data being processed, further information about the nature of the data processing, and copies of the data (cf. also Art. 15 GDPR);
to correct or complete incorrect or incomplete data (cf. also Art. 16 GDPR);
to the immediate deletion of data concerning them (cf. also Art. 17 DSGVO), or, alternatively, if further processing is necessary as stipulated in Art. 17 Para. 3 GDPR, to restrict said processing per Art. 18 GDPR;
to receive copies of the data concerning them and/or provided by them and to have the same transmitted to other providers/controllers (cf. also Art. 20 GDPR);
to file complaints with the supervisory authority if they believe that data concerning them is being processed by the controller in breach of data protection provisions (see also Art. 77 GDPR).

In addition, the controller is obliged to inform all recipients to whom it discloses data of any such corrections, deletions, or restrictions placed on processing the same per Art. 16, 17 Para. 1, 18 GDPR. However, this obligation does not apply if such notification is impossible or involves a disproportionate effort. Nevertheless, users have a right to information about these recipients.

Likewise, under Art. 21 GDPR, users and data subjects have the right to object to the controller’s future processing of their data pursuant to Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f) GDPR. In particular, an objection to data processing for the purpose of direct advertising is permissible.

III. Information about the data processing

Your data processed when using our website will be deleted or blocked as soon as the purpose for its storage ceases to apply, provided the deletion of the same is not in breach of any statutory storage obligations or unless otherwise stipulated below.

Server data

For technical reasons, the following data sent by your internet browser to us or to our server provider will be collected, especially to ensure a secure and stable website: These server log files record the type and version of your browser, operating system, the website from which you came (referrer URL), the webpages on our site visited, the date and time of your visit, as well as the IP address from which you visited our site.

The data thus collected will be temporarily stored, but not in association with any other of your data.

The basis for this storage is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the improvement, stability, functionality, and security of our website.

The data will be deleted within no more than seven days, unless continued storage is required for evidentiary purposes. In which case, all or part of the data will be excluded from deletion until the investigation of the relevant incident is finally resolved.

Cookies

a) Session cookies

We use cookies on our website. Cookies are small text files or other storage technologies stored on your computer by your browser. These cookies process certain specific information about you, such as your browser, location data, or IP address.

This processing makes our website more user-friendly, efficient, and secure, allowing us, for example, to display our website in different languages or to offer a shopping cart function.

The legal basis for such processing is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. b) GDPR, insofar as these cookies are used to collect data to initiate or process contractual relationships.

If the processing does not serve to initiate or process a contract, our legitimate interest lies in improving the functionality of our website. The legal basis is then Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f) GDPR.

When you close your browser, these session cookies are deleted.

b) Third-party cookies

If necessary, our website may also use cookies from companies with whom we cooperate for the purpose of advertising, analyzing, or improving the features of our website.

Please refer to the following information for details, in particular for the legal basis and purpose of such third-party collection and processing of data collected through cookies.

c) Disabling cookies

You can refuse the use of cookies by changing the settings on your browser. Likewise, you can use the browser to delete cookies that have already been stored. However, the steps and measures required vary, depending on the browser you use. If you have any questions, please use the help function or consult the documentation for your browser or contact its maker for support. Browser settings cannot prevent so-called flash cookies from being set. Instead, you will need to change the setting of your Flash player. The steps and measures required for this also depend on the Flash player you are using. If you have any questions, please use the help function or consult the documentation for your Flash player or contact its maker for support.

If you prevent or restrict the installation of cookies, not all of the functions on our site may be fully usable.

Order processing

The data you submit when ordering goods and/or services from us will have to be processed in order to fulfill your order. Please note that orders cannot be processed without providing this data.

The legal basis for this processing is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. b) GDPR.

After your order has been completed, your personal data will be deleted, but only after the retention periods required by tax and commercial law.

In order to process your order, we will share your data with the shipping company responsible for delivery to the extent required to deliver your order and/or with the payment service provider to the extent required to process your payment.

The legal basis for the transfer of this data is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. b) GDPR.

Customer account/registration

If you create a customer account with us via our website, we will use the data you entered during registration (e.g. your name, your address, or your email address) exclusively for services leading up to your potential placement of an order or entering some other contractual relationship with us, to fulfill such orders or contracts, and to provide customer care (e.g. to provide you with an overview of your previous orders or to be able to offer you a wishlist function). We also store your IP address and the date and time of your registration. This data will not be transferred to third parties.

During the registration process, your consent will be obtained for this processing of your data, with reference made to this privacy policy. The data collected by us will be used exclusively to provide your customer account.

If you give your consent to this processing, Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a) GDPR is the legal basis for this processing.

If the opening of the customer account is also intended to lead to the initiation of a contractual relationship with us or to fulfill an existing contract with us, the legal basis for this processing is also Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. b) GDPR.

You may revoke your prior consent to the processing of your personal data at any time under Art. 7 Para. 3 GDPR with future effect. All you have to do is inform us that you are revoking your consent.

The data previously collected will then be deleted as soon as processing is no longer necessary. However, we must observe any retention periods required under tax and commercial law.

If you register for our free newsletter, the data requested from you for this purpose, i.e. your email address and, optionally, your name and address, will be sent to us. We also store the IP address of your computer and the date and time of your registration. During the registration process, we will obtain your consent to receive this newsletter and the type of content it will offer, with reference made to this privacy policy. The data collected will be used exclusively to send the newsletter and will not be passed on to third parties.

The legal basis for this is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a) GDPR.

You may revoke your prior consent to receive this newsletter under Art. 7 Para. 3 GDPR with future effect. All you have to do is inform us that you are revoking your consent or click on the unsubscribe link contained in each newsletter.

Contact

If you contact us via email or the contact form, the data you provide will be used for the purpose of processing your request. We must have this data in order to process and answer your inquiry; otherwise we will not be able to answer it in full or at all.

The legal basis for this data processing is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. b) GDPR.

Your data will be deleted once we have fully answered your inquiry and there is no further legal obligation to store your data, such as if an order or contract resulted therefrom.

User posts, comments, and ratings

We offer you the opportunity to post questions, answers, opinions, and ratings on our website, hereinafter referred to jointly as “posts.” If you make use of this opportunity, we will process and publish your post, the date and time you submitted it, and any pseudonym you may have used.

The legal basis for this is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a) GDPR. You may revoke your prior consent under Art. 7 Para. 3 GDPR with future effect. All you have to do is inform us that you are revoking your consent.

In addition, we will also process your IP address and email address. The IP address is processed because we might have a legitimate interest in taking or supporting further action if your post infringes the rights of third parties and/or is otherwise unlawful.

In this case, the legal basis is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in any legal defense we may have to mount.

Follow-up comments

If you make posts on our website, we also offer you the opportunity to subscribe to any subsequent follow-up comments made by third parties. In order to be able to inform you about these follow-up comments, we will need to process your email address.

The legal basis for this is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a) GDPR. You may revoke your prior consent to this subscription under Art. 7 Para. 3 GDPR with future effect. All you have to do is inform us that you are revoking your consent or click on the unsubscribe link contained in each email.

Google Fonts

Our website uses Google Fonts to display external fonts. This is a service provided by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043 (hereinafter: Google).

Through certification according to the EU-US Privacy Shield

https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt000000001L5AAI&status=Active

Google guarantees that it will follow the EU’s data protection regulations when processing data in the United States.

To enable the display of certain fonts on our website, a connection to the Google server in the USA is established whenever our website is accessed.

The legal basis is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the optimization and economic operation of our site.

When you access our site, a connection to Google is established from which Google can identify the site from which your request has been sent and to which IP address the fonts are being transmitted for display.

Google offers detailed information at

https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated

https://policies.google.com/privacy

in particular on options for preventing the use of data.

Matomo (formerly: PIWIK)

Our website uses Matomo (formerly: PIWIK). This is open-source software with which we can analyze the use of our site. Data such as your IP address, the pages you visit, the website from which you came (referrer URL), the duration of your visit, and the frequency of your visits is processed.

Matomo stores a cookie on your device via your browser in order to collect this data. This cookie is valid for one week.

The legal basis is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the analysis and optimization of our website.

We use Matomo with the “Automatically Anonymize Visitor IPs” function. This anonymization function truncates your IP address by two bytes so that it is impossible to assign it to you or to the internet connection you are using.

If you do not agree to this processing, you have the option of preventing the installation of cookies by making the appropriate settings in your browser. Further details can be found in the section about cookies above.

In addition, you have the option of terminating the analysis of your usage behavior by opting out. By confirming the link

matomo-opt-out

a cookie is stored on your device via your browser to prevent any further analysis. Please note, however, that you must click the above link again if you delete the cookies stored on your end device.

Pixel tags from Verwertungsgesellschaft WORT (VG WORT)

Our website uses the VG WORT counter pixels provided by INFOnline GmbH, Forum Bonn Nord, Brühler Str. 9, 53119 Bonn as scalable central measurement method.

The legal basis is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the optimization and economic operation of our website and the preservation of our copyright interests with regard to the contents of our site.

The pixel code is a graphic placed on our website to collect key statistical data. This makes it possible to calculate the likelihood of content being copied based on the number of hits and the nature of the contents itself. This data is collected anonymously. In order to be able to count hits and return visits, either a so-called session cookie is stored on your device by your browser or a signature is created from various information in your browser (e.g. user agent, screen resolution, etc.). However, your IP address will only be processed in an anonymized form. As an individual user, you cannot be identified at any time.

https://optout.ioam.de

a cookie is stored on your device via your browser to prevent any further analysis. Please note, however, that you must click the above link again if you delete the cookies stored on your end device.

Affiliate tracking cookies

We also advertise third-party offers and services on our website. If you enter into a contract with the third party after viewing our advertising for these third party offers, we will receive a commission for this referral.

We use the affiliate tracking cookie to record this successful conversion. However, this cookie does not store any of your personal data. Only our identification number as the affiliate advertiser and the serial number of the advertising material you clicked on (e.g. a banner or a text link) are recorded. We need this information for the purpose of processing and/or receiving payment of our commissions.

Pet & Castle