Privacy Policy

Mues-Tec GmbH & Co. KG, including its subsidiaries (referred to as “Mues-Tec,” “we,” or “us”), values your privacy and is committed to safeguarding your personal information. This Privacy Policy outlines our privacy practices and provides you with choices regarding the collection and use of your information, including data obtained from your online activities. This statement is easily accessible on our website, mues-tec.de, and is available at the bottom of every page. Please use the provided links to access translated versions of this statement and any applicable country-specific or service-specific supplements.

In developing our privacy policies and standards, Mues-Tec adheres to global principles and frameworks, including the OECD Guidelines on the Protection of Privacy and Transborder Flows, EU Directive 95/46/EC, APEC Privacy Framework, Madrid Resolution on International Privacy Standards, and the Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

Mues-Tec has established an inter-company agreement governing the transfer and processing of personal data within the Mues-Tec group worldwide. This agreement also serves as the foundation for Mues-Tec’s Binding Corporate Rules for Controller (BCRs), which have received approval from the majority of Data Protection Regulators in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland. The BCRs, along with EU model contracts in some regions, enable Mues-Tec to ensure that EEA personal data transferred to and processed by Mues-Tec entities outside the EEA complies with applicable data protection laws and is adequately protected.

1. Collection of personal information

At Mues-Tec GmbH & Co. KG, your privacy is a top priority. We collect, export, and utilize personal information to manage our relationship with you and to enhance your experience with our services. This collection is carried out with the appropriate notice, consent, and in compliance with data protection authorities’ requirements when applicable.

Sources of Personal Information

We may collect your personal information through various channels, including:

  1. Website Interaction: When you access and use our website, web-based applications, or mobile applications.
  2. Conversations and Correspondence: During interactions with Mues-Tec representatives.
  3. Information Requests: Including inquiries and complaints.
  4. Subscriptions: Such as marketing, newsletters, or support.
  5. Contests and Surveys: Participation in contests or surveys.
  6. Job Applications: When you apply for employment.
  7. Event Registration: For event participation.
  8. Website Visits: Data collected during your visits to our websites.

Types of Personal Information

The personal information we may collect includes:

  • Contact Information: Name, address, telephone number, and email address.
  • Financial Information: Billing details and account information.
  • Unique Information: product preferences, contact preferences.
  • Geo-Location Data: IP address or physical location for location-based services.
  • Purchase Information: Details of products and services you’ve purchased or inquired about.
  • Additional Information: Data provided directly or indirectly through our websites, online presence, representatives, or other means.
  • Information Provided to Our Service Center: Including data from customer surveys or visits by our representatives.

Additional Information for Credit Applications

For instant credit applications, we may request additional personal information such as salary, government-issued identification numbers, banking/financial account details, and other data from credit reporting agencies to verify your identity and assess creditworthiness. This information is used by our financial services providers to determine credit eligibility.

Public Forums and Social Networks

Be cautious when posting personal information, comments, interests, or complaints in public forums on Mues-Tec sites, social networks, blogs, or similar platforms. Any information you share can be accessed, collected, and used by other users. Mues-Tec is not responsible for the information you choose to disclose in such forums.

Automatic Data Collection Tools

During your visit to our websites or web-based applications, we may collect information using Automatic Data Collection Tools, including web beacons, cookies, and similar technologies. These tools collect traffic data, such as browser type, access times, and the website from which you arrived. They may also capture IP addresses, unique device identifiers, clickstream behavior, and product information.

Additionally, some emails and communications sent from Mues-Tec may use these tools to collect information when you open an email or click on embedded links. For more details, refer to our “Automatic Data Collection Tools” section.

Data from Public and Commercial Sources

We may collect information from publicly or commercially available sources, including credible sources that provide data such as names, addresses, email addresses, preferences, interests, and demographic/profile data. This information may be used in conjunction with data collected during your interactions with Mues-Tec.

Non-Personal Information

Mues-Tec may collect non-personal information that does not identify you or others, such as anonymous survey responses or aggregated data about website, product, or service usage.

  • product or service orders, activations, and registrations
  • profile creation and user verification for online services
  • information requests or complaints
  • marketing, newsletter or support subscriptions
  • contest entries or survey participation
  • job applications
  • event registration
  • visits or browsing on Mues-tec websites

The types of personal information Mues-tec may collect from you includes:

  • personal and business contact information, such as name, address, telephone number, and email address
  • in some cases, your business contact data may be provided to Mues-tec by a designated entity within your business or enterprise (such as a member of your IT department)
  • financial information, such as your billing information and account details
  • other unique information such as user IDs and passwords, product functionality, product and service preferences, contact preferences, educational and employment background, and job interest data
  • geo-location data such as your IP address or physical location when you request location based services
  • details of the products and services you have purchased from us or which you have enquired about, together with any additional information necessary to deliver those products and services and to respond to your enquiries
  • any additional information relating to you that you provide to us directly through our websites or indirectly through use of our websites or online presence, through our representatives or otherwise
  • information you provide to us through our service center, customer surveys or visits by our representatives from time to time

If you apply for instant credit, we may ask you to provide additional personal information such as salary, government issued identification number, banking/financial account information, and other information (for example from credit reporting agencies) to authenticate you and verify credit worthiness. This information will be used by our financial services providers in determining whether to extend you credit and how much to extend. If you post, comment, indicate interest or complaint, or share personal information, including photographs, to any public forum on an Mues-tec site, social network, blog, or other such forum, please be aware that any information you submit can be read, viewed, collected, or used by other users of these forums, and could be used to contact you, send you unsolicited messages, or for purposes that neither you nor Mues-tec have control over. Mues-tec is not responsible for the personal information you choose to provide in these forums. In addition to the information you provide, Mues-tec may also collect information during your visit to an Mues-tec website, web-based application, or a website “powered by” another company on behalf of Mues-tec, through our Automatic Data Collection Tools, which include Web beacons, cookies, and similar technologies, as well as embedded Web links. These tools collect certain traffic information that your browser sends to a website, such as your browser type and language, access times, and the address of the website from which you arrived. They may also collect information about your Internet Protocol (IP) address, unique device identifier, clickstream behavior (i.e., the pages you view, the links you click, and other actions you take in connection with Mues-tec websites or “powered by” websites) and product information. Mues-tec may also use some of these Automatic Data Collection Tools in connection with certain emails and communications sent from Mues-tec and therefore may collect information using these tools when you open the email or click on a link contained in the email. To learn more, read “automatic data collection tools”. Mues-tec also collects information from publicly or commercially available sources that it deems credible. Such information may include your name, address, email address, preferences, interests, and demographic/profile data. The information Mues-tec collects from its public or commercial sources may be used along with the information Mues-tec collects when you visit Mues-tec’s sites. For example, Mues-tec may compare the geographic information acquired from commercial sources with the IP address collected by Automatic Data Collection Tools to derive your general geographic area. Where necessary, Mues-tec may also use information provided by you or your employer, together with information from publicly available and other online and offline sources, to conduct due diligence checks on business contacts as part of Mues-tec’s anti-corruption program. Mues-tec may also collect some information that is not personal information because it does not identify you or anyone else. For example, we may collect anonymous answers to surveys or aggregated information about how users use our websites, products or services.

2. Usage of information

Mues-tec may use your information to:

  • Manage Our Relationship: To ensure a smooth and effective relationship with you.
  • Assist with Transactions: To help you complete transactions or orders.
  • Security and Fraud Prevention: To prevent and detect security threats, fraud, or malicious activity.
  • Communication: To communicate with you about Mues-Tec products, services, support, and send marketing communications.
  • Product, Service, and Support Delivery: To provide products, services, and support tailored to your needs.
  • Product and Service Improvement: To continually improve our products, services, and support through quality control, research, and data analysis.
  • Updates: To keep you informed about new services and benefits.
  • Personalized Offers: To provide personalized promotional offers.
  • Marketing Performance: To measure the performance of marketing initiatives, ads, and websites on Mues-Tec’s behalf.
  • Contests and Surveys: To allow your participation in contests and surveys.
  • Enquiries and Support: To answer your inquiries, provide information, support, or advice about our products and services.
  • Website Personalization: To personalize some Mues-Tec websites.
  • Protected Access: To grant you access to protected areas of our website.
  • Website Performance: To assess and enhance the performance and operation of Mues-Tec websites.
  • Contact Details Management: To keep your contact details up to date and provide updated information to Mues-Tec service providers and suppliers when necessary.
  • Complaint Handling: To process and respond to any complaints you may make.

We will give you the opportunity to choose your privacy preferences regarding the marketing communications we send. 

3. Data sharing with third parties

At Mues-Tec GmbH & Co. KG, we are fully committed to safeguarding your privacy in accordance with EU data protection regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We never sell, rent, or lease your personal information to third parties unless explicitly described in this statement. Here’s how we share personal information while adhering to EU data protection rules:

  • Mues-Tec engages service providers and suppliers to support various aspects of our business operations while maintaining GDPR compliance.
  • These entities assist in delivering comprehensive products, services, and customer solutions, as well as supporting marketing and communication initiatives.
  • These providers and suppliers may operate from locations within the EU or other overseas areas, and their engagement is governed by GDPR-compliant contracts.
  • Examples include credit card processors, debt collectors, customer support, marketing and communications partners, IT service providers, email service providers, automated data processors, shipping agents, website management and support, and order fulfillment.
  • These entities are bound by GDPR-compliant contracts to maintain the confidentiality and security of the information they handle on behalf of Mues-Tec, and they may not use it for any purpose other than the services they provide to Mues-Tec.
  • Mues-Tec occasionally participates in joint marketing initiatives with other companies, all while ensuring GDPR compliance.
  • In such initiatives, certain Mues-Tec services and marketing communications may be delivered alongside those from other participating companies.
  • Some services and communications may offer you the option to share personal information with both Mues-Tec and these other participating companies.
  • For example, you may receive marketing communications from Mues-Tec and other companies, or you may have the opportunity to register online for software products from multiple companies.
  • If you choose to provide personal information exclusively to Mues-Tec, we will not share this information with other participating companies.
  • However, if you opt to provide personal information to these other companies, their handling of your data will be in accordance with their GDPR-compliant privacy policies, which may differ from Mues-Tec’s policies and practices.
  • Mues-Tec may transfer your personal information to other Mues-Tec-owned business entities within the EU, UK, and worldwide, ensuring GDPR compliance.
  • By accessing Mues-Tec websites, registering for an account or service, or otherwise providing your personal information to Mues-Tec, you consent to the transfer of your personal information within the global network of GDPR-compliant Mues-Tec entities.

Except as detailed in this Statement and in compliance with EU data protection regulations, Mues-Tec will not share the personal information you provide to us with non-Mues-Tec third parties without your explicit consent, unless required by law or other exceptional circumstances.

4. Children’s privacy

Mues-tec does (not knowingly) collect information from teenagers as defined by local law, and does not target its websites or mobile applications to children under these ages. We encourage parents and guardians to take an active role in their children’s online and mobile activities and interests. However, in the context of applications, e.g. as trainees, the personal data of all applicants will be collected and stored (as long as needed for the application process and maybe later on employment). An application (of teenagers) should include appropriate consent to the data processing by the parants/guardian(s). A corresponding form can be found in the “Jobs” section of our website.

5. Privacy preferences

Mues-tec gives you the choice of receiving a variety of information that complements our products and services. You can subscribe to receive certain product- and service-specific information and also choose to receive Mues-tec general communications. We give you a choice regarding delivery of Mues-tec general communications by postal mail, email, telephone, or mobile device. You can make or change your choices about receiving either subscription or general communications at the data collection point or by using other methods, which are listed in the following sections. This option does not apply to communications primarily for the purpose of administering order completion, contracts, support, product safety warnings, driver updates, or other administrative and transactional notices where the primary purpose of these communications is not promotional in nature. Subscription communications Subscription communications include email newsletters, software updates, etc. that may be expressly requested by you or which you consented to receive. After you request such communications, you may opt out of receiving them by using one of the following methods:

  • Select the email “opt out” or “unsubscribe” link, or follow the opt-out instructions included in each email subscription communication.
  • Return to the Web page(s) where you originally registered your preferences and follow the opt-out instructions.
  • Write to the Mues-tec data protection officer. Be sure to provide your name, relevant contact information, and specific relevant information about the Mues-tec subscriptions that you no longer wish to receive.

Mues-tec general communications provide information about products, services, and/or support. This may include new product or services information, special offers, or invitations to participate in market research or compliance reviews. Newsletter To subscribe to the newsletter offered on our website, you can register via our form. We use the so-called double opt-in procedure. A confirmation e-mail will be sent to your e-mail address with the request for confirmation. The registration only becomes effective when you click on the activation link contained in the confirmation e-mail. We use your data transmitted to us exclusively for sending the newsletter, which may contain information or offers. You can revoke your consent to the storage of the data and its use for sending the newsletter at any time, e.g. via the unsubscribe link in the newsletter. You may opt out of receiving these general communications by using one of the following methods:

  • Select the email “opt out” or “unsubscribe” link, or follow the opt-out instructions included in each email communication.
  • Return to the Web page(s) where you originally registered your preferences and follow the opt-out instructions.
  • Write to the Mues-tec data protection officer. Be sure to provide your name, relevant contact information, and specific relevant information about the Mues-tec subscriptions that you no longer wish to receive.

6. Changes to/of this statement

If we modify our Privacy Statement, we will post the revised statement here, with an updated revision date. If we make significant changes to our Statement that materially alter our privacy practices, we may also notify you by other means, such as sending an email or posting a notice on our corporate website and/or social media pages prior to the changes taking effect. This privacy policy was last updated in October 18, 2023.

7. Contact the Data Protection Officer

If you have comments or questions about our Privacy Statement, any concerns or a complaint regarding our collection and use of your data or a possible breach of your privacy, please send them to the Mues-tec Privacy Officer or write to us at the appropriate address below. We will treat your requests or complaints confidentially. Our representative will contact you within a reasonable time after receipt of your complaint to address your concerns and outline options regarding how they may be resolved. We will aim to ensure that your complaint is resolved in timely and appropriate manner. 

8. Tools for automatic data collection

The following sections provide additional information about commonly-used web technology tools. Cookies A “cookie” is a small data file transferred by a website to your computer’s hard drive. Mues-tec or its service providers send cookies when you surf our site or sites where our ads appear, make purchases, request or personalize information, or register yourself for certain services. Accepting the cookies used on our site, sites that are “powered by” another company on Mues-tec behalf, or sites where our ads appear may give us access to information about your browsing behavior, which we may use to personalize your experience. Cookies are typically classified as either “session” cookies or “persistent” cookies.

  • Session cookies do not stay on your computer after you close your browser.
  • Persistent cookies remain on your computer until you delete them or they expire. Most browsers automatically accept cookies by default, but you can usually refuse cookies or selectively accept cookies by adjusting the preferences in your browser. If you turn off cookies, there may be some features of our site that will not be available to you and some Web pages may not display properly.

In certain countries you may also adjust your Mues-tec and associated cookie preferences by using a preference manager tool in this Statement which is available from the site you are visiting. You can find information on popular browsers and how to adjust your cookie preferences in the help and support section of your browser. From time to time, Mues-tec and third parties with whom we partner will use Flash local shared objects (LSOs) and similar technologies to store Flash content information and preferences. LSOs perform similar functions to HTML browser cookies and deposit small files on your computer, which are commonly called Flash cookies. Flash cookies are different from browser cookies and cookie management tools provided by your browser may not remove Flash cookies. To learn more about Flash Cookies and how to manage the related privacy and storage settings, please visit the Adobe Systems website . Web beacons Some Mues-tec and third-party web pages, applications, and HTML-formatted email use Web beacons alone or in conjunction with cookies to compile information about your website usage and your interaction with email, as well as to measure performance on Mues-tec, applications, and websites “powered by” another company on Mues-tec behalf. A web beacon is an electronic image, called a single-pixel (1×1) or clear GIF. Web beacons can recognize certain types of information on your computer such as cookies, the time and date of a page viewed, and a description of the page where the web beacon is placed. Depending on the context, web beacons may also refer to content on a third-party server, and may be used by service providers to deliver relevant advertising to you. You may be able to disable web beacons in email messages by not downloading images contained in the message you receive (this feature varies depending on the email software used on your personal computer). However, doing this may not always disable a web beacon or other automatic data collection tools in the email message due to specific email software capabilities. For more information about this, please refer to the information provided by your email software or service provider. If you choose to receive marketing emails or newsletters from Mues-tec as specified in Your choices and selecting your privacy preferences, Mues-tec may automatically collect personal information about you. For example, through web beacons and personalized URLs embedded in these emails or newsletters, Mues-tec can track whether you’ve opened those messages and whether you’ve clicked on links contained within those messages. For more information on embedded web links, see below. Embedded Web links Emails from Mues-tec, Internet keyboard keys preconfigured by Mues-tec, and promotional icons preinstalled on your PC desktop often use links designed to lead you to a relevant area on the Web, after redirection through Mues-tec’s servers. The redirection system allows Mues-tec to change the destination URL of these links, if necessary, and to determine the effectiveness of our marketing initiatives. In emails, such web links may also allow Mues-tec to determine whether you have clicked a link in an email, and this information about the interaction may be connected to your personal identity. If you do not want Mues-tec to collect information about the links that you click, you can:

  • change your choice about how you receive communications from Mues-tec (i.e. choose a text-based version of the message where available) or choose not to click links in an email that Mues-tec sends
  • delete the promotional icons preinstalled by Mues-tec on your PC desktop or choose not to click on those
  • reconfigure the Internet keyboard keys on certain PC models to launch a destination URL of your choice by using the instructions provided with your PC

Google Analytics & Google Tag Manager

Google Analytics This website uses functions of the web analysis 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 about your use of this website is usually transferred to a Google server in the USA and stored there. IP anonymization We have activated the IP anonymisation function on this website. This will cause your IP address to be cut by Google within Member States of the European Union or in other countries party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area before being transmitted to the USA. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be transmitted to a Google server in the USA and shortened 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 the website operator with other services relating to website and Internet use. The IP address transmitted by your browser in the context of Google Analytics is not merged with other Google data. Browser plugin You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. You can also prevent Google from collecting the data generated by the cookie and relating to your use of the website (including your IP address) and from processing this data by Google by downloading and installing the browser plug-in available under the following link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en Objection to data collection You can prevent Google Analytics from collecting your data by clicking on the following link.

For more information on how Google Analytics handles user data, please see Google’s privacy policy: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=en Contract data processing We have concluded a contract with Google for commissioned data processing and fully implement the strict requirements of the German data protection authorities for the use of Google Analytics. Google Tag Manager Google Tag Manager is a solution with which we can manage so-called website tags via an interface (and thus integrate Google Analytics and other Google marketing services into our online offering, for example). The Tag Manager itself (which implements the tags) does not process any personal data of the users. With regard to the processing of users’ personal data, reference is made to the following information on the Google services. Usage guidelines: https://www.google.com/intl/en/tagmanager/use-policy.html. Deactivate Google Analytics Mues-tec ads and offerings on third-party websites Mues-tec contracts with service providers to place ads on Mues-tec websites and on websites owned by third parties. In addition, some websites may be “powered by” a service provider to provide Mues-tec offers on Mues-tec’s behalf. These service providers may send cookies from and use web beacons on these third-party websites. The cookies and web beacons may enable Mues-tec to collect information about the pages you viewed and the links you clicked in order to provide you with targeted Mues-tec advertisements based on your interests.. Mues-tec participates in the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA and DAAC) self-regulatory program for digital online advertising (see http://www.aboutads.info/ or http://youradchoices.com/ in the US and youradchoices.ca in Canada). Mues-tec advertisements that are targeted to you will be identified with the Ad Choices icon . If you wish to not have this information used for serving you targeted ads, you can to opt-out. This will allow you to access and update your preferences. Note that this does not opt you out of being served non-targeted advertising.

Social Media Profiles

We maintain an online presence on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube to present our company and our services and to communicate with customers/interested parties.

The following social networks are linked to our site:

Instagram and Facebook

Facebook Ireland Ltd., 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland (a subsidiary of Meta Platforms, Inc., formerly Facebook, Inc.)

Privacy Policy: Instagram Privacy Policy, Facebook Data Policy

Meta Platforms, Inc. is located at 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA.

Meta Platforms, Inc. has certified under the EU-U.S. and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Frameworks.

For more information on Meta Platforms, Inc.’s certification, you can visit the Privacy Shield List.

YouTube

In our internet presence we use YouTube. This is a video portal of YouTube LLC, 901 Cherry Ave, 94066 San Bruno, CA, USA, hereinafter referred to as “YouTube”. YouTube is a subsidiary of Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, hereinafter referred to as “Google”. Privacy Policy: YouTube Privacy Policy. We use YouTube in conjunction with the “Extended Privacy Mode” feature to display videos to you. The legal basis is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f) DSGVO. Our legitimate interest lies in improving the quality of our website. According to YouTube, the function “Extended data protection mode” means that the data described in more detail below will only be transmitted to YouTube’s server if you actually start a video. Without this “Extended Data Protection”, a connection to the YouTube server in the USA will be established as soon as you access one of our Internet pages on which a YouTube video is embedded. This connection is necessary in order to display the video on our website via your Internet browser. YouTube will record and process at least your IP address, the date and time and the website you visited. In addition, a connection to the advertising network “DoubleClick” is established by Google. If you are logged in to YouTube at the same time, YouTube assigns the connection information to your YouTube account. If you wish to prevent this, you must either log out of YouTube before visiting our website or make the appropriate settings in your YouTube user account. YouTube permanently stores cookies on your terminal device via your Internet browser for the purpose of functionality and analysis of user behaviour. If you do not agree with this processing, you have the option of preventing the cookies from being saved by making a setting in your Internet browser. You can find more information on this under “Cookies” above. Further information on the collection and use of data as well as your rights and protection options in this regard is held by Google in the “Google Privacy Policy” section of this website. https://policies.google.com/privacy data protection information that can be called up.

Contact Information

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please don’t hesitate to contact us: