Data protection

1 Introduction

We, aXpel composites AG, Murgenthalerstrasse 46, 4628 Wolfwil, operate the website www.aXpel-composites.com (hereinafter "website") and, unless otherwise stated, are responsible for the data processing listed in this data protection declaration.

Please read the information below so that you know what personal data we collect from you and for what purposes we use it. When it comes to data protection, we are primarily guided by the legal requirements of Swiss data protection law, in particular the Federal Data Protection Act (DSG) and the EU GDPR, the provisions of which may be applicable in individual cases.

Please note that the information below will be reviewed and changed from time to time. We therefore recommend that you consult this data protection declaration regularly. Furthermore, other companies are responsible under data protection law for individual data processing listed below or are jointly responsible with us, so that the information from these providers is also decisive in these cases.

Contact person for data protection

If you have any questions about data protection or wish to exercise your rights, please contact our data protection contact by sending an email to the following address: datenschutz.injection@axpel.com

Your rights

If the legal requirements are met, you as the person affected by data processing have the following rights:

Right to information: You have the right, at any time, free of chargeaccess to your personal data stored by us to request when we process them. This gives you the opportunity to check which personal data we process about you and that we use it in accordance with the applicable data protection regulations.

Right to rectification: You have the right to have incorrect or incomplete personal data corrected and to be informed of the correction. In this case, we will inform the recipients of the data concerned about the adjustments made, unless this is impossible or involves disproportionate effort.

Right to erasure: You have the right to have your personal data erased under certain circumstances. In individual cases, especially in the case of statutory retention requirements, the right to erasure may be excluded. In this case, if the conditions are met, the data can be blocked instead of being deleted.

Right to restriction of processing: You have the right to request that the processing of your personal data be restricted.

Right to data portability: You have the right to receive from us the personal data that you have provided to us free of charge in a readable format.

Right to object: You can object to data processing at any time, in particular for data processing in connection with direct advertising (e.g. advertising e-mails).

Right of withdrawal: In principle, you have the right to revoke your consent at any time. However, processing activities based on your consent in the past will not become unlawful as a result of your revocation.

To exercise these rights, please email us at the following address: datenschutz.composites@axpel.com

Right of appeal: You have the right to lodge a complaint with a competent supervisory authority, e.g. against the way your personal data is processed.

2. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal data stored by us against loss and unlawful processing, namely unauthorized access by third parties. Our employees and the service companies commissioned by us are obliged to maintain confidentiality and data protection. In addition, these persons are only granted access to the personal data to the extent necessary to fulfill their tasks.

Our security measures are continuously adapted in line with technological developments. However, the transmission of information via the Internet and electronic means of communication always involves certain security risks and we cannot guarantee the security of information transmitted in this way.

3. Contacting Us

If you contact us via our contact addresses and channels (e.g. by email, telephone or contact form), your personal data will be processed. The data that you have made available to us, e.g. the name of your company, your name, your function, your e-mail address or telephone number and your request will be processed. In addition, the time of receipt of the request is documented. Mandatory information is marked with an asterisk (*) in contact forms.

We process this data exclusively in order to implement your request (e.g. providing information about a product, support in contract processing such as returning products, including your feedback in improving our service, etc.). The legal basis for this data processing is our legitimate interest within the meaning of Article 6 (1) (f) EU GDPR in the implementation of your request or, if your request is aimed at the conclusion or execution of a contract, the need for the implementation of the necessary measures within the meaning of Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. b EU-DSGVO.

4. Use of your data for marketing purposes

If a clear assignment to your person is possible, we will store and link the data described in this data protection declaration, i.e. in particular your personal details, your contact details, your contract data and your surfing behavior on our websites. This serves the efficient administration of customer data and allows us to answer your concerns adequately and enables the efficient provision of the services you have requested and the processing of the associated contracts. The legal basis for this data processing is our legitimate interest within the meaning of Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f EU-GDPR in the efficient administration of user data.

We evaluate this data in order to further develop our offers based on your needs and to display and suggest information and offers that are as relevant as possible. We also use methods that predict possible interests and future orders based on your website usage. The legal basis for this data processing is our legitimate interest within the meaning of Article 6 (1) (f) EU GDPR in carrying out marketing measures.

Email Marketing and Newsletters

If you register for our email newsletter (e.g. when opening or within your customer account), the following data will be collected. Mandatory information is marked with an asterisk (*) in the registration form:

E-mail address
Salutation
First and Last Name

To avoid misuse and to ensure that the owner of an e-mail address has actually given their consent themselves, we use the so-called double opt-in for registration. After sending the registration, you will receive an e-mail from us containing a confirmation link. To definitely register for the newsletter, you must click on this link. If you do not click on the confirmation link within the specified period, your data will be deleted again and our newsletter will not be sent to this address.

By registering, you consent to the processing of this data in order to receive news from us about our company, our packaging offerings and related products and services. This can also include requests to participate in sweepstakes or to rate one of the aforementioned products and services. The collection of the salutation and the name allows us to verify the assignment of the registration to a customer account that may already exist and to personalize the content of the e-mails. Linking to a customer account helps us to make the offers and content contained in the newsletter more relevant to you and better tailored to your potential needs.

We use your data for sending emails until you revoke your consent. Revocation is possible at any time, in particular via the unsubscribe link in all our marketing emails.

Our marketing e-mails may contain a so-called web beacon or 1x1 pixel (tracking pixel) or similar technical aids. A web beacon is an invisible graphic that is linked to the user ID of the respective newsletter subscriber. For each marketing email sent, we receive information about which addresses have not yet received the email, which addresses it was sent to and which addresses failed to send. It also shows which addresses opened the email for how long and which links they clicked on. Finally, we also receive information about which addresses have unsubscribed. We use this data for statistical purposes and to optimize the advertising e-mails in terms of frequency, timing, structure and content of the e-mails. This enables us to better tailor the information and offers in our e-mails to the individual interests of the recipient.

The web beacon is deleted when you delete the email. To prevent the use of the web beacon in our marketing emails, please set the parameters of your email program so that HTML is not displayed in messages if this is not already the case by default. Consult the help sections of your email software for information on how to configure this setting, e.g. B.here for Microsoft Outlook.

By registering for the newsletter, you also agree to the statistical evaluation of user behavior for the purpose of optimizing and adapting the newsletter. This consent represents our legal basis for processing the data within the meaning of Article 6 (1) (a) EU GDPR.

We use the email marketing software rapidmail. The provider is rapidmail GmbH, Wentzingerstraße 21, 79106 Freiburg, Germany. Therefore, your data is stored in a rapidmail database in Germany, which enables rapidmail GmbH to access your data if this is necessary for the provision of the software and for support in using the software. The legal basis for this processing is our legitimate interest within the meaning of Article 6 (1) (f) EU GDPR in using the services of third-party providers.

Transmission to third countries: A transfer of the data to third countries does not take place.

5. Disclosure to Third Parties and Possibility of Third Party Access

Without the support of other companies, we would not be able to provide our offers in the desired form. In order for us to be able to use the services of these companies, it is also necessary to pass on your personal data to a certain extent. Such a transfer takes place insofar as this is necessary to fulfill the contract you have requested, i.e. for example to the logistics or transport companies that deliver the desired products, or to a manufacturer who is supposed to fulfill your guarantee claim. In the case of this transfer, the legal basis is the need to fulfill the contract within the meaning of Article 6 (1) (b) of the EU GDPR.

Data is also passed on to selected service providers and only to the extent necessary to provide the service. Various third-party service providers are also explicitly mentioned in this data protection declaration, e.g. in the sections on marketing. Incidentally, these are e.g. IT service providers (e.g. providers of software solutions), advertising agencies, consulting firms. Our legitimate interest within the meaning of Article 6 (1) (f) EU GDPR in obtaining third-party services forms the legal basis for this data transfer.

In addition, your data may be passed on, in particular to authorities, legal advisers or collection agencies, if we are legally obliged to do so or if this is necessary to protect our rights, in particular to enforce claims arising from the relationship with you. Data may also be shared if another company intends to acquire all or part of our business and such sharing is necessary to conduct due diligence or to complete the transaction. Our legitimate interest in protecting our rights and complying with our obligations or the sale of our company forms the legal basis for this data transfer.

6. Transfer of personal data abroad

We are also entitled to transfer your personal data to third parties abroad if this is necessary to carry out the data processing mentioned in this data protection declaration (see in particular Sections 8-11). Of course, the legal regulations for the disclosure of personal data to third parties are complied with. If the country concerned does not have an adequate level of data protection,

we ensure through contractual arrangements that your data is adequately protected with these companies.

7. Retentiondeadlines

We only store personal data for as long as is necessary to carry out the processing explained in this data protection declaration within the scope of our legitimate interest. In the case of contract data, storage is prescribed by statutory retention requirements. Specifications that oblige us to store data result from the provisions on accounting and tax regulations. According to these regulations, business communication, concluded contracts and accounting documents must be kept for up to 10 years. If we no longer need this data to carry out the services for you, the data will be blocked. This means that the data may then only be used if this is necessary to fulfill the storage obligations or to defend and enforce our legal interests. The data will be deleted as soon as there is no longer any obligation to retain it and there is no longer a legitimate interest in retaining it.

Log file data

When you visit our website, the servers of our hosting provider temporarily store each access in a log file (so-called log file). The following data is recorded without your intervention and stored by us until it is automatically deleted:

the IP address of the requesting computer,
the date and time of access,
the name and URL of the retrieved file,
the website from which access was made, possibly with the search term used,
the operating system of your computer and the browser you are using (incl. type, version and language setting),
device type in case of access by mobile phones,
the city or region from which access was made,
the name of your internet access provider.

This data is collected and processed for the purpose of enabling the use of our website (establishing a connection), ensuring system security and stability over the long term and analyzing errors and performance, and enables us to optimize our website (cf. the last points also section 10).

In the event of an attack on the network infrastructure of the website or if there is suspicion of another unauthorized or improper use of the website, the IP address and the other data will be evaluated for clarification and defense and, if necessary, as part of criminal proceedings for identification and for civil and criminal law action against the users concerned.

In the purposes described above, there is our legitimate interest in data processing within the meaning of Article 6 (1) (f) EU GDPR.

Finally, when you visit our website, we use cookies as well as applications and tools that are based on the use of cookies. In this context, the data described here can also be processed. You will find more detailed information on this in the following sections of this data protection declaration, in particular section 8.

8.Cookies

Cookies are information files that your web browser stores on your computer's hard drive or memory when you visit our website. Cookies are assigned identification numbers that identify your browser and the information contained in the cookie can be read.

Cookies help, among other things, to make your visit to our website easier, more pleasant and more meaningful. We use cookies for various purposes that are necessary for the use of the website you want, i.e. are "technically necessary". For example, we use cookies to be able to identify you as a registered user after you have logged in, without you having to log in again when navigating to the various subpages. The provision of the shopping cart and ordering function is also based on the use of cookies. Furthermore, cookies also take on other technical functions required for the operation of the website, such as so-called load balancing, i.e. the distribution of the performance load of the site on different web servers in order to relieve the servers. Cookies are also used for security purposes, for example to prevent unauthorized posting of content. Finally, we also use cookies as part of the design and programming of our website, e.g. to enable scripts or codes to be uploaded.

The legal basis for this data processing is our legitimate interest in providing a user-friendly and up-to-date website within the meaning of Article 6(1)(f) EU GDPR.

Most Internet browsers automatically accept cookies. When you access our website, however, we ask that you consent to the cookies we use that are not technically necessary, especially when using cookies from third parties for marketing purposes. You can use the corresponding buttons in the cookie banner to make the settings you want. Details on the services and data processing associated with the individual cookies can be found within the cookie banner and in the following sections of this data protection declaration.

You can also configure your browser in such a way that no cookies are stored on your computer or that a message always appears when you receive a new cookie. On the following pages you will find explanations of how you can configure the processing of cookies in selected browsers.

Google Chrome

Apple Safari

Deactivating cookies may mean that you cannot use all the functions of our website.

9. Google Site Search / Google Custom Search Engine

This website uses the Google SiteSearch/Google Custom Search Engine from Google LLC (1600 Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA). This enables us to provide you with an efficient search function on our website.

If you use our search fields, your browser may transmit the log file data listed in section 10 (incl. IP address) and the search term you entered to Google, provided you have Java Script installed in your browser. If you want to prevent data transmission, you can deactivate Java Script in the browser settings (usually in the "Privacy" menu). Please note that in this case the search function and other functions of the website may be impaired.

The legal basis for this data processing is our legitimate interest within the meaning of Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f EU-DSGVO in providing an efficient website search function.

For the further processing of the data by Google, please note the data protection regulations of Google:www.google.com/intl/de_de/policies/privacy.

10. Tracking and Webanalyse tools

We use the web analysis services listed below for the purpose of designing our website to meet needs and continuously optimizing it. In this context, pseudonymised user profiles are created and cookies are used (please also note Section 8). The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website is usually transmitted to a server of the service provider, together with the log file data listed under Section 7, where it is stored and processed. this can also result in transmission to servers abroad, e.g. in the USA (cf. Section 6, in particular regarding the guarantees made).

By processing the data, we receive the following information, among other things:

Navigation path that a visitor follows on the site (including content viewed and products selected or purchased),
Duration of stay on the website or subpage,
the subpage on which the website is left,
the country, region or city
from where access is made,
End device (type, version, color depth, resolution, width and height of the browser window) and Returning or new visitor.

On our behalf, the provider will use this information to evaluate the use of the website, to compile reports on website activity for us and to provide other services related to website activity and internet usage for the purposes of market research and the needs-based design of these websites. For this processing, we and the providers can be regarded as jointly responsible for data protection up to a certain extent.

The legal basis for this data processing with the following tools is your consent within the meaning of Article 6 (1) (a) EU GDPR. You can revoke your consent or reject processing at any time by rejecting or switching off the relevant cookies in the settings of your web browser (see section 8) or by using the service-specific options described below.

For the further processing of the data by the respective provider as (sole) responsible under data protection law, in particular also a possible transfer of this information to third parties such as authorities due to national legal regulations, please note the respective data protection information of the provider.

Google Analytics

We use the web analytics service Google Analytics from Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, 4 Barrow St, Dublin, D04 E5W5, Ireland) or Google LLC (1600 Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA) ("Google").

The data described about the use of the website for the processing purposes explained (see Section 12) can be sent to the servers of Google LLC. be sent in the USA. The IP address is shortened by activating IP anonymization ("anonymizeIP") on this website before transmission within the member states of the European Union or in other contracting states of the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be sent to a Google server in the USA and shortened there.

Users can prevent the data generated by the cookie and related to the website usage by the user in question (including the IP address) being sent to Google and the processing of this data by Google by downloading the browser plug-in under the following link and install: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de. You can find more information on data protection at Googlehere.

11. Social Media

We have integrated links to our profiles in the social networks of the following providers on our website:

Meta Platforms Inc., 1601 S California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA;

Instagram Inc. 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA;

Twitter Inc. located at 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA;

Linkedin Unlimited Company, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland.

If you click on the icons of the social networks, you will be automatically forwarded to our profile in the respective network. A direct connection is established between your browser and the server of the respective social network. This gives the network the information that you have visited our website with your IP address and clicked on the link.

If you click on a link to a network while logged into your user account with that network, the content of our website may be linked to your profile so that the network can directly attribute your visit to our website to your account. If you want to prevent this, you should log out before clicking on the relevant links. There is always a connection between your access to our website and your user account when you log in to the respective network after clicking on the link. The respective provider is responsible under data protection law for the associated data processing. Therefore, please note the information on the network's website.

The legal basis for any data processing that may be attributed to us is our legitimate interest in the use and advertising of our social media profiles within the meaning of Article 6(1)(f) EU GDPR.

Social Media Plugins

You can use social plugins from the providers listed below on our website:

Meta Platforms Inc., 1601 S California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA,Privacy Policy;

Instagram Inc., 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA,Privacy Policy;

Twitter Inc., 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA,Privacy Policy;

Linkedin Unlimited Company, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland,Privacy Policy.

We use the social plugins to make it easier for you to share content from our website. The social plugins help us to increase the visibility of our content in the social networks and in this respect contribute to better marketing.

The plugins are deactivated by default on our websites and therefore do not send any data to the social networks when you simply visit our website. To increase data protection, we have integrated the plugins in such a way that a connection to the network servers is not automatically established. Your browser only establishes a direct connection to the servers of the respective social network when you activate the plugins and thus give your consent to the data transmission and further processing by the providers of the social networks.

The content of the plugin is transmitted directly from the social network to your browser, which integrates it into the website. This gives the respective provider the information that your browser has accessed the corresponding page of our website, even if you do not have an account for this social network or are not currently logged in to it. This information (including your IP address) is transmitted directly from your browser to the provider's server (usually in the USA) and stored there. We have no influence on the scope of the data that the provider collects with the plugin, although from a data protection point of view we can be regarded as jointly responsible with the providers up to a certain extent.

If you are logged into the social network, it can assign your visit to our website directly to your user account. If you interact with the plugins, the corresponding information is also sent directly to the provider's server and stored there. The information (e.g. that you like one of our products) may also be published on the social network and may be displayed to other users of the social network. The provider of the social network may use this information for the purpose of placing advertising and tailoring the respective offer to needs. For this purpose, usage, interest and relationship profiles could be created, e.g. to evaluate your use of our website with regard to the advertisements displayed to you on the social network, to inform other users about your activities on our website and to provide other information related to the use of the social network to provide services. The purpose and scope of the data collection and the further processing and use of the data by the providers of the social networks as well as your rights in this regard and setting options for the protection of your privacy can be found directly in the data protection information of the respective provider.

If you do not want the social network provider to assign the data collected via our website to your user account, you must log out of the social network before activating the plugin. Your consent within the meaning of Article 6 (1) (a) EU GDPR forms the legal basis for the data processing described. You can revoke your consent at any time by declaring your revocation to the provider of the plugin in accordance with the information in their data protection information.

12. Online Advertising and Targeting

We use the services of various companies to provide you with interesting offers online. Your user behavior on our website and websites of other providers is analyzed in order to then be able to show you online advertising tailored to your individual needs.

Most technologies for tracking your user behavior (“tracking”) and for displaying advertising in a targeted manner (“targeting”) work with cookies (see also section 8) with which your browser can be recognized across different websites. Depending on the service provider, it is also possible for you to be recognized online even when using different end devices (e.g. laptop and smartphone). This can be the case, for example, if you have registered with a service that you use with multiple devices.

In addition to the data already mentioned, which is generated when websites are called up (“log file data”, see Section 7) and when cookies are used (Section 8) and which can reach the companies involved in the advertising networks, the following data in particular flow into: the selection of the advertising that is potentially most relevant to you:

Information about yourself that you provided when registering or using a service from advertising partners (e.g. your gender, your age group);

User behavior (e.g. search queries, interactions with advertising, types of websites visited, products viewed and purchased, newsletters subscribed to).

We and our service providers use this data to identify whether you belong to the target group we are addressing and take this into account when selecting the advertisements. For example, after you have visited our site, when you visit other sites, you may be shown advertisements for the products you have consulted (“re-targeting”). Depending on the scope of the data, a profile of a user can also be created, which is automatically evaluated, and the ads are selected according to the information stored in the profile, such as affiliation to certain demographic segments or potential interests or behavior. Such ads can be presented to you on various channels, which, in addition to our website or app (as part of on-site and in-app marketing), also includes ads that are mediated via the online advertising networks we use, such as Google.

The data can then be evaluated for the purpose of billing the service provider and assessing the effectiveness of advertising measures in order to better understand the needs of our users and customers and to improve future campaigns. This can also include information that taking an action (e.g. visiting certain sections of our website or sending information) is due to a specific advertisement. We also receive aggregated reports of ad activity and information about how users interact with our website and our ads from the service providers.

The legal basis for this data processing is your consent within the meaning of Article 6 (1) (a) EU GDPR. You can revoke your consent at any time by rejecting or switching off the relevant cookies in the settings of your web browser (see Section 8). You can also find other options for blocking advertising in the information provided by the respective service provider, such as Google.

Google Ads

This website uses the services of Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA ("Google") for online advertising. For this purpose, Google uses cookies, such as the so-called DoubleClick cookie, which enable your browser to be recognized when you visit other websites. The information generated by the cookies about your visit to this website (including your IP address) is transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there (please also note Section 8). You can find more information on data protection at Google here.

This document has been translated automatically. The original can be found on the German page.

Wolfwil, August 21, 2023