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    • Data Protection & Privacy

    Data Protection

    1. Information on the collection of personal data

     

    • Below, we provide information on the collection of personal data when you use our Personal data refers to any data that can be linked to you personally, e.g.  name,  address,  email  addresses,  user  behaviour.
    • When you contact us by email or via a contact form, we will store the data you provide (your email address, and, where applicable, your name and telephone number) in order to answer your We will delete the data collected in this context once storage is no longer necessary, or restrict its processing where statutory retention obligations apply. The data will not be passed on to third parties. Nor will the data collected in this way be cross-referenced with data that may be collected by other components of our website.
    • Should we use contracted service providers for individual functions of our service or wish to use your data for marketing purposes, we will provide you with detailed information on the respective processes In doing so, we will also   specify   the   criteria   for   the   retention   period.
    • As the data controller, we have implemented numerous technical and organisational measures to ensure the most comprehensive possible protection of the personal data processed via this Nevertheless, internet-based data transmissions may, in principle, be subject to security vulnerabilities, meaning that absolute protection cannot be guaranteed. For this reason, any data subject is free to provide personal data to us via alternative means, such as by telephone.

     

    1. Name and address of the data controller

     

    The data controller within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), other data protection laws applicable in the Member States of the European Union and other provisions relating to data protection is:

     

    ratioparts GmbH

    represented by the managing directors Markus Linder and Adam McMahon Barentsstr. 17, 53881 Euskirchen, Germany

    Telephone number: +49 (0) 2251 / 650-0

    Fax number: +49 (0) 2251 / 650-500 Email address: info@ratioparts.de Website: www.ratioparts.de

    The external data protection officer for ratioparts Ersatzteile-Vertriebs GmbH, in accordance with Article 37 of the GDPR, is

     

    Digital Compliance Consulting GmbH

    Karl-Arnold-Straße 44, DE 52349 Düren

    Tel.: +49 (0) 2421 5559333

    E-Mail: datenschutz@ratioparts.de

     

    1. Your rights

     

    • You have the following rights in relation to us regarding your personal data:
      • Right of access,
      • Right to rectification or erasure,
      • Right to restriction of processing,
      • Right to object to processing,
      • Right to data portability.

    3.2. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority regarding our processing of your personal data.

    1. Collection of personal data when visiting our website

     

    • When you use the website purely for information purposes – that is, if you do not register or otherwise provide us with information – we only collect the personal data that your browser transmits to our If you wish to view our website, we collect the following data, which is technically necessary for us to display our website to you and to ensure its stability and security (the legal basis is Article 6(1), first sentence, point (f) of the GDPR):
    • The website you have visited
    • Date and time of access
    • Amount of data transmitted in bytes
    • Source/link from which you accessed the page
    • Browser used
    • Operating system used
    • IP address used (where applicable: in anonymised form)
      • Use of cookies

    In addition to the data mentioned above, cookies are stored on your computer when you use our website. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your hard drive and associated with the browser you are using, and through which certain information is transmitted to the party setting the cookie (in this case, us). Cookies cannot run programmes or transmit viruses to your computer. They serve to make the website more user-friendly and effective overall.

    • This website uses the following types of cookies, the scope and functioning of which are explained below:
      • Transient cookies (see 4.2.2)
      • Persistent cookies (see 4.2.3).
    • Transient cookies are automatically deleted when you close your These include, in particular, session cookies. These store a so-called session ID, which allows various requests from your browser to be assigned to the same session. This enables your computer to be recognised when you return to our website. Session cookies are deleted when you log out or close your browser.
    • Persistent cookies are automatically deleted after a specified period, which may vary depending on the You can delete these cookies at any time via your browser’s security settings.
    • You can configure your browser settings as you wish and, for example, refuse to accept third-party cookies or all Please note that you may not be able to use all the features of this website.

    4.2.5. We use cookies to identify you on subsequent visits if you have an account with us. Otherwise, you would have to log in again each time you visit.

     

    1. Further functions and services on our website

     

    • In addition to the purely informational use of our website, we offer various services which you may use if you are To do so, you will generally need to provide further personal data, which we use to provide the respective service and to which the aforementioned data processing principles apply.
    • In some cases, we use external service providers to process your These have been carefully selected and commissioned by us, are bound by our instructions and are regularly monitored.
    • Furthermore, we may pass on your personal data to third parties if we offer promotional campaigns, prize draws, the conclusion of contracts or similar services in collaboration with You will receive further information on this when you provide your personal data or in the description of the offer below.
    • Where our service providers or partners are based in a country outside the European Economic Area (EEA), we will inform you of the implications of this in the description of the

     

    1. Objection to or withdrawal of consent for the processing of your data
      • If you have given your consent to the processing of your data, you may withdraw this consent at any Such a withdrawal will affect the lawfulness of the processing of your personal data from the moment you notify us of it.
      • Where we base the processing of your personal data on a balancing of

    interests, you may object to the processing. This is the case, in particular, where the processing is not necessary for the performance of a contract with you, as we will explain in the subsequent description of the functions. When exercising such an objection, we ask you to set out the reasons why we should not process your personal data in the manner we have been doing. In the event of a justified objection, we will examine the circumstances and either cease or adjust the data processing, or explain to you our compelling legitimate grounds on the basis of which we will continue the processing.

    6.3. You may, of course, object at any time to the processing of your personal data for the purposes of advertising and data analysis. You can inform us of your objection to advertising using the contact details provided in section 2.

     

    1. Use of our online shop

     

    • In accordance with Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR, personal data will continue to be collected and processed if you provide it to us for the purpose of performing a contract or when opening a customer The data collected is specified in the relevant input forms. You may delete your customer account at any time by sending a message to the data controller’s address given above: We store and use the data you provide for the purpose of contract fulfilment. Once the contract has been fully fulfilled or your customer account has been deleted, your data will be blocked in accordance with retention periods under tax and commercial law and deleted once these periods have expired, unless you have expressly consented to the continued use of your data or we have reserved the right to further use your data as permitted by law, in which case we will inform you accordingly below.

    We may also process the data you have provided in order to inform you about other interesting products from our range or to send you emails containing technical information.

    • For the purpose of fulfilling the contract in accordance with Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR, we pass on your data to the delivery company commissioned to carry out the delivery, insofar as this is necessary for the delivery of goods ordered.

    Currently, the goods ordered are dispatched by the transport service providers DPD, DHL and UPS. In doing so, we only pass on the recipient’s name and the delivery address to DPD, DHL and UPS. In this case, however, it is not possible to arrange a delivery date in advance with DPD, DHL or UPS, nor is it possible to receive updates on the delivery status of the consignment.

    If you wish to arrange a delivery date in advance or receive updates on the delivery status from DPD, DHL or UPS, we will be happy to pass on your email address prior to delivery, provided you have given your express consent to this. Your consent should be given to us as follows:

    “I agree that my email address may be passed on to DPD, DHL or UPS so that DPD, DHL or UPS can contact me by email prior to delivery of the goods to arrange a delivery date or provide status updates regarding the delivery. I may withdraw my consent in this regard at any time.”

    • We pass on your payment details to the appointed credit institution as part of the payment processing, insofar as this is necessary for the payment Where payment service providers are used, we provide explicit information on this below. The legal basis for the transfer of data in this context is Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR.
    • We are obliged under commercial and tax law to store your address, payment and order details for a period of ten However, after two years, we restrict the processing of your data, meaning that your data will only be used to comply with legal obligations.
    • To prevent unauthorised access by third parties to your personal data, in particular financial data, the ordering process is encrypted using TLS technology .

     

    1. Comments and posts

     

    When users leave comments or other posts, their IP addresses may be stored for 7 days on the basis of our legitimate interests within the meaning of Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. This is for our own security in the event that someone posts unlawful content in comments or posts (insults, prohibited political propaganda, etc.). In such cases, we ourselves may be held liable for the comment or post and are therefore interested in the author’s identity.

    Furthermore, we reserve the right, on the basis of our legitimate interests pursuant to Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR, to process users’ details for the purpose of spam detection.

    The data provided in comments and posts will be stored permanently by us until the user objects.

     

    1. Use of a live chat system

     

    On this website, anonymised data is collected and stored using technologies provided by LiveZilla GmbH, Byk-Gulden-Straße 22, 78224 Singen (www.livezilla.net/home/en/) for the purposes of web analytics and to operate the live chat system for responding to live support enquiries.

    Usage profiles may be created from this anonymised data under a pseudonym. Cookies may be used for this purpose. Cookies are small text files that are stored locally in the cache of the website visitor’s internet browser. The cookies enable the internet browser to be recognised. Where the information collected in this way relates to an individual, processing is carried out in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR on the basis of our legitimate interest in providing effective customer support and in the statistical analysis of user behaviour for optimisation purposes.

    The data collected using LiveZilla technologies will not be used to personally identify visitors to this website without the data subject’s separate consent, nor will it be combined with personal data relating to the holder of the pseudonym. To prevent LiveZilla cookies from being stored, you can configure your web browser so that no further cookies can be stored on your computer in future, or so that cookies already stored are deleted. However, disabling all cookies may mean that some functions on our website can no longer be used. You may object at any time, with future effect, to the collection and storage of data for the purpose of creating a pseudonymised usage profile by sending us your objection informally by email to the email address stated in the legal notice.

     

    1. Use of your data for direct marketing

     

    • Newsletter

    With your consent, you can subscribe to our newsletter, through which we will keep you informed about our latest interesting offers. The goods and services advertised are specified in the declaration of consent.

    We use the so-called double opt-in procedure for subscribing to our newsletter. This means that, following your registration, we will send a email to the email address you have provided, asking you to confirm that you wish to receive the newsletter. If you do not confirm your registration within 24 hours, your details will be blocked and automatically deleted after one month. In addition, we store the IP addresses you use and the times of your registration and confirmation. The purpose of this procedure is to verify your registration and, if necessary, to investigate any potential misuse of your personal data.

    The only mandatory information required to receive the newsletter is your email address. The provision of any further, separately marked data is voluntary and is used to enable us to address you personally. Following your confirmation, we will store your email address for the purpose of sending you the newsletter. The legal basis for this is Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR.

    You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time via the link provided in the newsletter or by sending a message to the data controller named at the beginning of this notice. Once you have unsubscribed, your email address will be deleted immediately from our newsletter distribution list, unless you have expressly consented to the further use of your data or we reserve the right to use your data for other purposes that are permitted by law and about which we inform you in this statement.

    • Advertising by post

    On the basis of our legitimate interest in personalised direct marketing, we reserve the right to store your first name and surname, your postal address and – insofar as we have received this additional information from you in the course of the contractual relationship - your title, academic degree, year of birth and your professional, sector or business title in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR, and to use them to send you interesting offers and information about our products by post.

    You may object to the storage and use of your data for this purpose at any time by sending a corresponding message to the data controller.

    1. Retention period

     

    The data controller shall process and store your personal data only for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purpose of storage. Data may also be stored beyond this period where this is provided for by European or national legislation in EU regulations, laws or other provisions to which the data controller is subject.

    As soon as the purpose of storage ceases to apply or a retention period prescribed by the aforementioned regulations expires, the personal data will routinely be blocked or deleted.

     

    1. Use of Matomo with anonymisation function

     

    This website uses the web analytics service Matomo (formerly Piwik) to analyse and regularly improve the use of our website. The statistics obtained enable us to improve our offering and make it more interesting for you as a user. The legal basis for the use of Matomo is Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR.

    Cookies are stored on your computer for the purposes of this analysis. You can adjust the settings for this analysis by deleting existing cookies and preventing the storage of cookies. Please note that if you prevent the storage of cookies, you may not be able to use this website to its full extent. You can prevent the storage of cookies by adjusting the settings in your browser.

    This website uses Matomo with the ‘AnonymizeIP’ extension. This ensures that IP addresses are processed in truncated form, thereby ruling out any direct personal identification. The IP address transmitted by your browser via Matomo is not combined with any other data we collect.

    Matomo is an open-source project. Information on data protection from the third-party provider is available at https://matomo.org/privacy/

     

    1. YouTube

     

    We embed videos from the “YouTube” platform provided by Google LLC,

    1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.

    The enhanced privacy mode is used here, which, according to the provider, only initiates the storage of user information once the video(s) are played. When playback of embedded YouTube videos begins, the provider ‘YouTube’ uses cookies to collect information about user behaviour.

    According to information provided by “YouTube”, this serves, amongst other things, to compile video statistics, improve user-friendliness and prevent abusive behaviour. If you are logged in to Google, your data will be directly associated with your account when you click on a video. If you do not wish your data to be associated with your YouTube profile, you must log out before clicking the button. Google stores your data (even for users who are not logged in) as usage profiles and analyses them. Such analysis is carried out in particular in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR on the basis of Google’s legitimate interests in displaying personalised advertising, conducting market research and/or tailoring its website to users’ needs. You have the right to object to the creation of these user profiles; to exercise this right, you must contact YouTube.

    Regardless of whether the embedded videos are played, a connection to the Google ‘DoubleClick’ network is established every time this website is accessed, which may trigger further data processing operations beyond our control.

    The European Commission has approved the use of standard contractual clauses as a means of ensuring an adequate level of protection when transferring data outside the EEA. Through the use of standard contractual clauses in – a contract concluded between the data controllers – personal data can be protected when it is transferred from the EEA to countries that have not been classified by the European Commission as ensuring an adequate level of protection for personal data. Google offers these standard contractual clauses to customers who use Google’s business services.

    Further information on data protection on ‘YouTube’ can be found in the provider’s privacy policy at: https://www.google.de/intl/de/policies/privacy Opt-out: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.

     

    1. Instagram

     

    • Information about the Instagram page

    Instagram is an online service for sharing photos and videos, which belongs to the Meta Group, formerly Facebook. For the information service offered here, we use the technical platform and services provided by Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, Merrion Road, Dublin 4, D04 X2K5, Ireland, (‘Meta’).

    Please note that you use the Instagram page and its features at your own risk. This applies in particular to the use of interactive features (e.g. commenting, rating).

    • Processing of personal data by Meta

    When you visit this Instagram page, Meta collects, amongst other things, your IP address and other information stored on your computer in the form of cookies. This information is used to provide us, as the operator of the Instagram pages, with anonymised statistical information regarding the use of the Instagram page.

    The data collected about you in this context is processed by Meta and may be transferred to countries outside the European Union or the European Economic Area. Meta describes in its privacy policy what information it receives and how it is used. There you will also find

    information on how to contact Meta and on the options for managing ad settings.

    The Privacy Policy is available via the following link:

    https://help.instagram.com/519522125107875

    The full Terms of Use, the legal notice and further information about the Instagram service can be found at: https://help.instagram.com/581066165581870/?helpref=hc_fnav

     

    Meta provides information on the use of cookies in its Cookie Policy for the Instagram service at: https://help.instagram.com/1896641480634370/?helpref=hc_fnav We would like to point out that, through the cookies it uses, Meta is able to track your user behaviour (across devices for logged-in users) on other websites beyond the Instagram service. This applies to both users registered with the Instagram service and those who are not registered there.

    According to Meta’s own statements, it stores data until it is no longer required to provide the services and Meta products, or until the user’s account is deleted – whichever occurs first. This depends on the circumstances of each individual case, in particular the type of data, the reasons for which this data is collected and processed, and the relevant legal or operational storage requirements. Further information on data retention can be found at:

    https://de-de.facebook.com/about/privacy

     

    14.3. Instagram Insights

    Meta processes a range of personal data relating to page visitors in its so-called Insights for its own purposes. This processing takes place regardless of whether page visitors are registered with Meta or Instagram, and regardless of whether they are members of the Meta, Facebook or Instagram network. Even users who access Instagram pages without being registered with or logged into Instagram have the option to influence the scope of data processing via a cookie banner set by Meta. Further information on Meta’s cookies can be found at:

    https://www.facebook.com/policies/cookies/

     

    Page Insights consist of aggregated, anonymised statistics. Page operators themselves do not have access to the personal data processed in this context, but only to the aggregated, anonymised Page Insights. Further information can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/help/instagram/788388387972460

     

    14.4. Rights of the data subject

    The Instagram page offers you the opportunity to react to our posts, comment on them and send us private messages. Please check carefully what personal data you are sharing with us via our Instagram page. If you wish to prevent Meta from processing personal data that you have sent to us, please contact us by other means.

    Where users’ personal data is processed, they have the right, in accordance with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), to access, rectify, object to, transfer and erase their data. Meta is obliged to respond to requests from data subjects. Further information on data subjects’ rights is provided by Meta or Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/help/2069235856423257

     

    Meta also provides information on privacy-friendly profile settings for Instagram profiles: https://help.instagram.com/811572406418223/?helpref=hc_fnav

     

    1. LinkedIn

     

    • Information about the LinkedIn page

    We operate a company page on the LinkedIn platform, provided by LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland (“LinkedIn”), in joint responsibility with LinkedIn, on which we provide

    information about ourselves.

    15.2. Data processing and legal basis

    As a provider of an online presence on the social media platform LinkedIn, we process personal data when you contact us directly via the platform (in a private message or via the public comments function).

    The data collected depends on the information you provide (your inputs) and the contact details you have provided or shared. Please refrain from sending personal data whenever possible when using LinkedIn.

    LinkedIn also collects information via cookies and similar technologies (e.g. web beacons, pixels, ad tags and device identifiers), which enables LinkedIn to recognise users and analyse user behaviour comprehensively. LinkedIn provides us with this information in anonymised form (Page Insights) to analyse user behaviour on our online presence. This enables us to carry out a statistical analysis of the use of our LinkedIn page and thus to manage our activities in a targeted manner.

    The operator of the social media platform can also use the data collected in this way to create user profiles. This enables them to display interest-based advertising to the user both within and outside the respective social media platform. If you are logged into your social media account whilst visiting our LinkedIn page, LinkedIn may also associate this visit with your account.

    Our processing of personal data collected via the platform is based on Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR for the purpose of optimising our company profile and ensuring more effective communication with (potential) contractual partners, prospective clients and job applicants.

    If LinkedIn asks you to consent to the data processing described above, the legal basis for this processing is Article 6(1)(a) in conjunction with Article 7 of the GDPR.

    15.3. Agreements pursuant to Article 26 of the GDPR

    We have entered into an agreement with LinkedIn pursuant to Article 26 of the GDPR, in which the data protection obligations arising from the operation of our company page are shared between us and LinkedIn.

    LinkedIn has assumed the majority of the data protection obligations, such as the fulfilment of data subjects’ rights under Article 12 et seq. of the GDPR, the obligation to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to safeguard the security of personal data, and the reporting and notification obligations in the event of a data breach. If you contact us regarding your rights as a data subject, we will forward your enquiry to LinkedIn without delay.

    Further information on the agreement between us and LinkedIn can be found at: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/124838?lang=de and https://legal.linkedin.com/pages-joint-controller-addendum

     

    15.4. Disclosure of data

    Please note that we are also unable to track all processing activities on LinkedIn, nor do we have any influence over them. Accordingly, we can neither influence nor rule out the possibility that the information collected may be transferred by LinkedIn to a third country – in particular to a server belonging to the parent company Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052, USA, or to LinkedIn Corporation, 1000 W. Maude Ave., Sunnyvale, California 94085, USA. In such cases, the information is currently transferred on the basis of the so-called EU-US Data Privacy Framework (Adequacy Decision).

    15.5. Data subjects’ rights

    You may, in principle, exercise your data protection rights in relation to the processing of data via our LinkedIn page both with us and with LinkedIn. However, we would like to point out that these rights are most effectively exercised directly with LinkedIn, as only LinkedIn, as the provider, has access to users’ data and can take appropriate measures and provide information directly.

    Further information on data processing by LinkedIn and on the options for setting preferences and exercising the right to object can be found at:

    https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy (“Privacy Policy”)

    https://www.linkedin.com/legal/cookie-policy?trk=homepage-basic_footer-cookie-policy  (“Cookie  Policy”)

    https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls?trk=homepage-basic_footer-guest-controls  (“Opt-out”)

     

    Last updated: 4 December 2025 / 17 September 2026

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