Privacy Policy

1) Introduction and contact details of the controller

1.1 We are pleased that you are visiting our website and thank you for your interest. In the following, we inform you about the handling of your personal data when using our website. Personal data in this context is all data with which you can be personally identified.

1.2 The controller responsible for data processing on this website within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is Marek Helmdach, ReturnTreasures, Leuschnerstr. 36, 30457 Hannover, Germany, Tel.: +49 15233756173, E-mail: info@returntreasures.de. The controller responsible for the processing of personal data is the natural or legal person who, alone or jointly with others, decides on the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.

2) Data collection when visiting our website

2.1 When using our website for purely informational purposes, i.e., if you do not register or otherwise transmit information to us, we only collect data that your browser transmits to the page server (so-called "server log files"). When you call up our website, we collect the following data, which is technically necessary for us to display the website to you:

• Our visited website
• Date and time at the time of access
• Amount of data sent in bytes
• Source/reference from which you reached the page
• Browser used
• Operating system used
• IP address used (if applicable: in anonymized form)

The processing is carried out in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR on the basis of our legitimate interest in improving the stability and functionality of our website. There is no disclosure or other use of the data. However, we reserve the right to check the server log files subsequently should there be concrete indications of unlawful use.

2.2 This website uses SSL or TLS encryption for security reasons and to protect the transmission of personal data and other confidential content (e.g., orders or inquiries to the controller). You can recognize an encrypted connection by the string "https://" and the lock symbol in your browser line.

3) Hosting & Content Delivery Network

3.1 Shopify

For the hosting of our website and the display of the page content, we use the system of the following provider: Shopify International Limited, Victoria Buildings, 2nd floor, 1-2 Haddington Road, Dublin 4, D04 XN32, Ireland ("Shopify")

Data is also transferred to: Shopify Inc., 150 Elgin St, Ottawa, ON K2P 1L4, Canada

All data collected on our website is processed on the provider's servers. We have concluded a data processing agreement with the provider that ensures the protection of our site visitors' data and prohibits unauthorized disclosure to third parties.

For data transfers to Canada, an adequate level of data protection is guaranteed by an adequacy decision of the European Commission.

3.2 Shopify

We use a content delivery network from the following provider: Shopify International Limited, Victoria Buildings, 2nd floor, 1-2 Haddington Road, Dublin 4, D04 XN32, Ireland ("Shopify")

Data may also be transferred to:

• Shopify Inc., 150 Elgin St, Ottawa, ON K2P 1L4, Canada
• Cloudflare Inc., 101 Townsend St. San Francisco, CA 94107, USA

This service enables us to deliver large media files such as graphics, page content, or scripts faster via a network of regionally distributed servers. Processing is carried out to protect our legitimate interest in improving the stability and functionality of our website pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR. We have concluded a data processing agreement with the provider that ensures the protection of our site visitors' data and prohibits unauthorized disclosure to third parties.

For data transfers to Canada, an adequate level of data protection is guaranteed by an adequacy decision of the European Commission.

For data transfers to the USA, the data recipient has joined the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which ensures compliance with the European level of data protection on the basis of an adequacy decision by the European Commission.

4) Cookies

To make visiting our website attractive and to enable the use of certain functions, we use cookies, which are small text files stored on your device. Some of these cookies are automatically deleted after closing the browser (so-called "session cookies"), while others remain on your device longer and allow page settings to be saved (so-called "persistent cookies"). In the latter case, you can check the storage duration in the cookie settings overview of your web browser.

Insofar as personal data is also processed by individual cookies used by us, the processing takes place in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR either for the performance of the contract, in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR in the event of consent, or in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR to protect our legitimate interests in the best possible functionality of the website and a customer-friendly and effective design of the site visit.

You can set your browser so that you are informed about the setting of cookies and decide individually about their acceptance or exclude the acceptance of cookies for certain cases or generally.

Please note that if cookies are not accepted, the functionality of our website may be limited.

5) Contacting us

5.1 WhatsApp-Business

You have the option to contact us via the WhatsApp messaging service from WhatsApp Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland. We use the so-called "Business version" of WhatsApp for this.

If you contact us via WhatsApp in connection with a specific transaction (for example, an order placed), we will store and use the mobile number you use on WhatsApp as well as – if provided – your first and last name in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR for the purpose of processing and answering your request. On the basis of the same legal ground, we may ask you via WhatsApp to provide further data (order number, customer number, address, or e-mail address) in order to assign your request to a specific transaction.

If you use our WhatsApp contact for general inquiries (e.g., regarding the range of services, availability, or our website), we will store and use the mobile number you use on WhatsApp as well as – if provided – your first and last name in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR on the basis of our legitimate interest in the efficient and timely provision of the requested information.

Your data is always used only to answer your request via WhatsApp. There is no disclosure to third parties.

Please note that WhatsApp Business gains access to the address book of the mobile device we use for this purpose and automatically transfers telephone numbers stored in the address book to a server of the parent company Meta Platforms Inc. in the USA. For the operation of our WhatsApp Business account, we use a mobile device in whose address book only the WhatsApp contact data of users who have also contacted us via WhatsApp is stored.

This ensures that every person whose WhatsApp contact data is stored in our address book has already consented to the transmission of their WhatsApp telephone number from the address books of their chat contacts in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR by accepting the WhatsApp terms of use when first using the app on their device. A transfer of data from such users who do not use WhatsApp and/or have not contacted us via WhatsApp is excluded in this respect.

For the purpose and scope of data collection and the further processing and use of the data by WhatsApp, as well as your related rights and settings options for protecting your privacy, please refer to WhatsApp's privacy policy: https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/?eea=1#privacy-policy

We have concluded a data processing agreement with the provider that protects the data of our site visitors and prohibits disclosure to third parties.

Within the scope of the above-mentioned processing, data may be transferred to servers of Meta Platforms Inc. in the USA.

For data transfers to the USA, the provider has joined the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which ensures compliance with the European level of data protection on the basis of an adequacy decision by the European Commission.

5.2 In the context of contacting us (e.g., via contact form or e-mail), personal data is processed exclusively for the purpose of processing and answering your request and only to the extent necessary for this.

The legal basis for the processing of this data is our legitimate interest in answering your request pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR. If your contact is aimed at a contract, the additional legal basis for the processing is Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR. Your data will be deleted when it is clear from the circumstances that the matter in question has been conclusively clarified and provided that there are no statutory storage obligations to the contrary.

6) Comment function

As part of the comment function on this website, in addition to your comment, information about the time the comment was created and the commentator name you chose are saved and published on this website. Furthermore, your IP address is logged and saved. This saving of the IP address is for security reasons and in case the person concerned infringes the rights of third parties or posts illegal content through a comment. We need your e-mail address to contact you should a third party object to your published content as illegal.

The legal bases for the storage of your data are Art. 6 (1) (b) and (f) GDPR. We reserve the right to delete comments if they are objected to by third parties as illegal.

7) Data processing when opening a customer account

In accordance with Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR, personal data will continue to be collected and processed to the extent necessary if you provide it to us when opening a customer account. Which data is required for opening an account can be seen from the input mask of the corresponding form on our website.

You can delete your customer account at any time by sending a message to the above-mentioned address of the controller. After your customer account has been deleted, your data will be deleted, provided all contracts concluded through it have been fully processed, no statutory storage periods prevent this, and there is no longer any legitimate interest on our part in further storage.

8) Use of customer data for direct advertising

8.1 Subscription to our e-mail newsletter

When you subscribe to our e-mail newsletter, we will regularly send you information about our offers. The only mandatory information required to send the newsletter is your e-mail address. Providing further data is voluntary and is used to address you personally. For the newsletter distribution, we use the so-called double opt-in procedure, which ensures that you only receive the newsletter if you have explicitly confirmed your consent to receive the newsletter by clicking on a verification link sent to the specified e-mail address.

By activating the confirmation link, you grant us your consent for the use of your personal data in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR. We store your IP address entered by the Internet Service Provider (ISP) as well as the date and time of registration in order to be able to trace potential misuse of your e-mail address at a later date. The data collected by us when subscribing to the newsletter is used strictly for this purpose.

You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time via the link provided in the newsletter or by sending a corresponding message to the controller mentioned at the beginning. After you have unsubscribed, your e-mail address will be immediately deleted from our newsletter distribution list, unless you have expressly consented to further use of your data or we reserve the right to use your data beyond this, which is legally permitted and about which we inform you in this declaration.

8.2 WhatsApp newsletter

When you subscribe to our WhatsApp newsletter, we will regularly send you information about our offers via WhatsApp. The only mandatory information for sending the newsletter is your mobile phone number.

To receive the newsletter, you add our communicated mobile number to the contacts of your mobile device and send us the message "Start" via WhatsApp. By sending this WhatsApp message, you grant us your consent for the use of your personal data in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR for the purpose of sending the newsletter. We will then add you to our newsletter distribution list.

The data collected by us when subscribing to the newsletter is processed exclusively for the purpose of advertising by means of the newsletter. You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time by sending us the message "Stop" via WhatsApp. After you have unsubscribed, your mobile number will be immediately deleted from our newsletter distribution list, unless you have expressly consented to further use of your data or we reserve the right to use your data beyond this, which is legally permitted and about which we inform you in this declaration.

Please note that WhatsApp Business gains access to the address book of the mobile device we use for this purpose and automatically transfers telephone numbers stored in the address book to a server of the parent company Meta Platforms Inc. in the USA.

For sending our WhatsApp newsletter, we therefore use a mobile device in whose address book only the WhatsApp contact data of our newsletter recipients is stored. This ensures that every person whose WhatsApp contact data is stored in our address book has already consented to the transmission of their WhatsApp telephone number from the address books of their chat contacts in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR by accepting the WhatsApp terms of use when first using the app on their device. A transfer of data from such users who do not use WhatsApp and/or have not contacted us via WhatsApp is excluded in this respect.

For the purpose and scope of data collection and the further processing and use of the data by WhatsApp, as well as your related rights and settings options for protecting your privacy, please refer to WhatsApp's privacy policy: https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/?eea=1#privacy-policy

We have concluded a data processing agreement with WhatsApp that protects the data of our newsletter recipients and prohibits disclosure to third parties.

Within the scope of the above-mentioned processing, data may be transferred to servers of Meta Platforms Inc. in the USA.

For data transfers to the USA, the provider has joined the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which ensures compliance with the European level of data protection on the basis of an adequacy decision by the European Commission.

9) Data processing for order processing

9.1 Insofar as necessary for the performance of the contract for delivery and payment purposes, the personal data collected by us will be passed on to the commissioned transport company and the commissioned credit institution in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR.

Insofar as we owe you updates for goods with digital elements or for digital products on the basis of a corresponding contract, we process the contact details you provided when ordering in order to personally inform you within the scope of our statutory information obligations pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (c) GDPR. Your contact details will be used strictly for the purpose of communicating updates owed by us and will only be processed by us to the extent necessary for the respective information.

9.2 In the case of orders for age-restricted goods, we ensure in accordance with applicable youth protection law that you have reached the legally required minimum age for the product in question. We use an age verification procedure for this, with which we can ensure your personal identification (age check) and, if applicable, authentication. We use the AgeVerif service for this purpose.

For the purpose of checking the required minimum age, some of your personal data will be transferred to the aforementioned service provider. This data processing is carried out in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR on the basis of our overriding legitimate interests in ensuring an offer that complies with youth protection law and furthermore to protect statutory provisions on youth protection.

9.3 Disclosure of personal data to shipping service providers

- DPD

We use the following provider as a transport service provider: DPD Deutschland GmbH, Wailandtstraße 1, 63741 Aschaffenburg, Germany

In accordance with Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR, we will pass on your e-mail address and/or telephone number to the provider prior to delivery of the goods for the purpose of coordinating a delivery date or for delivery notification, provided that you have given your express consent to this during the ordering process. Otherwise, for the purpose of delivery in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR, we will only pass on the recipient's name and delivery address to the provider. Data is only passed on to the extent necessary for the delivery of the goods. In this case, prior coordination of the delivery date with the provider or delivery notification is not possible.

Consent may be revoked at any time with effect for the future by notifying the controller named above or the provider.

9.4 - Anthropic Claude

To provide our services, we use artificial intelligence software from the following provider: Anthropic Ireland Limited, 6th Floor, South Bank House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, D04 TR29, Ireland

Information provided by you within the scope of a contractual relationship may be fed into the provider's software in order to organize, analyze, aggregate, modify, evaluate, or process it for the provision of our service.

Information may also be transmitted to: Anthropic PBC, USA

The collection and further processing of this information is strictly purpose-bound for the fulfillment of the contract. Processing for the purpose of training and further developing the provider's AI language models is expressly prohibited.

If personal data is also subject to processing, this is based on our legitimate interest in the efficient organization of our services and the optimal use of available resources and technologies in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR.

We have concluded a data processing agreement with the provider which ensures the protection of personal data processed by the provider and prohibits unauthorized disclosure to third parties.

For the transmission of data to the USA, the provider relies on standard contractual clauses of the European Commission, which are intended to ensure compliance with the European level of data protection.

9.5 Use of payment service providers (payment services)

- Paypal

One or more online payment methods of the following provider are available on this website: PayPal (Europe) S.a.r.l. et Cie, S.C.A., 22-24 Boulevard Royal, L-2449 Luxembourg

If you select a payment method from the provider for which you make an advance payment, your payment data (including name, address, bank and payment card information, currency and transaction number) as well as information about the content of your order will be passed on to the provider in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR. In this case, your data will be passed on exclusively for the purpose of payment processing with the provider and only to the extent necessary for this purpose.

If you select a payment method for which we make an advance payment, you will also be asked to provide certain personal data (first and last name, street, house number, zip code, city, date of birth, e-mail address, telephone number, and possibly data on an alternative payment method) during the ordering process.

In order to protect our legitimate interest in determining your solvency in such cases, this data will be forwarded by us to the provider for the purpose of a credit check in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR. Based on the personal data provided by you as well as other data (such as shopping cart, invoice amount, order history, payment experience), the provider will check whether the payment option you have selected can be granted with regard to payment and/or default risks.

The credit report may contain probability values (so-called score values). Insofar as score values are included in the result of the credit report, they are based on a scientifically recognized mathematical-statistical procedure. Address data, among other things, flows into the calculation of the score values, but is not limited to this.

You may object to this processing of your data at any time by sending a message to us or to the provider. However, the provider may remain entitled to process your personal data if this is necessary for the contractual payment processing.
- Shopify Payments

One or more online payment methods of the following provider are available on this website: Shopify International Limited, Victoria Buildings, 1-2 Haddington Road, Dublin 4, D04 XN32, Ireland

If you select a payment method from the provider for which you make an advance payment (such as credit card payment), your payment data (including name, address, bank and payment card information, currency and transaction number) as well as information about the content of your order will be passed on to the provider in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR. In this case, your data will be passed on exclusively for the purpose of payment processing with the provider and only to the extent necessary for this purpose.

9.6 Electronic withdrawal function for distance contracts

Consumers who conclude contracts on this website for which there is a statutory right of withdrawal have the option of declaring their withdrawal via an electronic withdrawal function in accordance with the applicable withdrawal provisions.

To provide the electronic withdrawal function, we use a solution from the following provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, D04 E5W5, Ireland.

When using the withdrawal function, in addition to information identifying the contract to be withdrawn, other personal information such as the consumer's first and last name as well as e-mail address must be provided or confirmed.

This information is initially collected by the provider based on our legitimate interest in a user-friendly, stable, and process-optimized solution in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR, then used to confirm receipt of the notice of withdrawal on our behalf by e-mail, and finally transmitted to us. We subsequently process the transmitted information for the proper handling of the withdrawal in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR and Art. 6 (1) (c) GDPR on the basis of our legal obligation to provide an electronic withdrawal function for distance contracts with consumers that are subject to payment.

The information collected by the provider will be routinely deleted after final processing of a withdrawal, provided that there are no statutory retention obligations to the contrary.

We have concluded a data processing agreement with the provider which protects data processed within the scope of the withdrawal function and prohibits unauthorized disclosure to third parties.

10) Page functionalities

Trustami trust seal

To display external customer reviews and/or an externally awarded quality seal, graphic elements of the following provider are integrated into our website: Trustami GmbH, Schröderstraße 5, 10115 Berlin, Germany

When you access a page of our website that contains such graphic elements, your browser establishes a direct connection to the provider's servers in order to load the elements properly. In this process, certain browser information, including your IP address, is transmitted to the provider.

Insofar as personal data is processed during this process, this is done in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR on the basis of our legitimate interest in the optimal marketing of our offer and the appealing design of our website.

11) Tools and other items

Cookie consent tool

This website uses a "cookie consent tool" to obtain effective user consent for cookies and cookie-based applications that require consent. The "cookie consent tool" is displayed to users when they access the page in the form of an interactive user interface, on which consent can be given for certain cookies and/or cookie-based applications by checking boxes. By using the tool, all cookies/services requiring consent are only loaded if the respective user gives their consent by checking the appropriate box. This ensures that such cookies are only placed on the user's terminal device if consent has been given.

The tool sets technically necessary cookies to save your cookie preferences. As a rule, no personal user data is processed here.

If, in individual cases, personal data (such as the IP address) is processed for the purpose of saving, assigning, or logging cookie settings, this is done in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR on the basis of our legitimate interest in legally compliant, user-specific, and user-friendly consent management for cookies and thus in a legally compliant design of our website.

A further legal basis for the processing is Art. 6 (1) (c) GDPR. As the controller, we are subject to the legal obligation to make the use of technically unnecessary cookies dependent on the respective user's consent.

Where necessary, we have concluded a data processing agreement with the provider which ensures the protection of our site visitors' data and prohibits unauthorized disclosure to third parties.

Further information on the operator and the settings of the cookie consent tool can be found directly in the corresponding user interface on our website.

12) Rights of the data subject

12.1 The applicable data protection law grants you the following data subject rights (rights of access and intervention) vis-à-vis the controller with regard to the processing of your personal data, with reference being made to the stated legal basis for the respective exercise requirements:

• Right of access pursuant to Art. 15 GDPR;
• Right to rectification pursuant to Art. 16 GDPR;
• Right to erasure pursuant to Art. 17 GDPR;
• Right to restriction of processing pursuant to Art. 18 GDPR;
• Right to notification pursuant to Art. 19 GDPR;
• Right to data portability pursuant to Art. 20 GDPR;
• Right to revoke consent granted pursuant to Art. 7 (3) GDPR;
• Right to lodge a complaint pursuant to Art. 77 GDPR.

12.2 RIGHT TO OBJECT

IF, WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF A BALANCING OF INTERESTS, WE PROCESS YOUR PERSONAL DATA ON THE BASIS OF OUR OVERRIDING LEGITIMATE INTEREST, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBJECT TO THIS PROCESSING AT ANY TIME WITH EFFECT FOR THE FUTURE FOR REASONS ARISING FROM YOUR PARTICULAR SITUATION.

IF YOU EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO OBJECT, WE WILL STOP PROCESSING THE DATA CONCERNED. FURTHER PROCESSING REMAINS RESERVED, HOWEVER, IF WE CAN DEMONSTRATE COMPELLING LEGITIMATE GROUNDS FOR PROCESSING THAT OUTWEIGH YOUR INTERESTS, FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS, AND FREEDOMS, OR IF THE PROCESSING SERVES TO ASSERT, EXERCISE, OR DEFEND LEGAL CLAIMS.

IF YOUR PERSONAL DATA IS PROCESSED BY US FOR THE PURPOSE OF DIRECT MARKETING, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBJECT AT ANY TIME TO THE PROCESSING OF PERSONAL DATA CONCERNING YOU FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUCH ADVERTISING. YOU MAY EXERCISE THE OBJECTION AS DESCRIBED ABOVE.

IF YOU EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO OBJECT, WE WILL STOP PROCESSING THE DATA CONCERNED FOR DIRECT MARKETING PURPOSES.

13) Duration of storage of personal data

The duration of the storage of personal data is determined by the respective legal basis, the purpose of processing, and – if applicable – additionally by the respective statutory retention period (e.g., commercial and tax law retention periods).

When processing personal data on the basis of express consent pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR, the data concerned is stored until you revoke your consent.

If there are statutory retention periods for data that is processed within the scope of legal or quasi-legal obligations on the basis of Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR, this data is routinely deleted after the retention periods have expired, provided that it is no longer required for the fulfillment of the contract or the initiation of a contract and/or we have no further legitimate interest in continuing to store it.

When processing personal data on the basis of Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR, this data is stored until you exercise your right to object pursuant to Art. 21 (1) GDPR, unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for processing that outweigh your interests, rights, and freedoms, or the processing serves to assert, exercise, or defend legal claims.

When processing personal data for the purpose of direct marketing on the basis of Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR, this data is stored until you exercise your right to object pursuant to Art. 21 (2) GDPR.

Unless otherwise stated in the other information in this declaration regarding specific processing situations, stored personal data is otherwise deleted when it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected or otherwise processed.