Privacy policy BRITA Water Filter Systems Limited

Privacy policy for BRITA Water Filter Systems Limited Professional Division

In this Privacy Policy, BRITA Water Filter Systems Limited BRITA HOUSE 9 GRANVILLE WAY, BICESTER, United Kingdom (“we”, “us”) wish to inform you about how we process your personal data

1. What personal data do we collect from you?

Personal data is any information about a specific or identifiable natural person that you communicate to us and that is generated or collected by us. This includes:

Registration data: You can register your Professional Filter product with us. When you open a customer account with us, you can store your name, job title, company details, postal address, email address, telephone/mobile number (optional) and country there.
v Order data: When you order items from us, the content data provided by you and about you is processed (such as the information from your order, delivery and billing address, telephone number, email address, payment methods, delivery arrangements, order information, and in the case of professional consumers also the company name and SAP customer number).

Other content data: When you use other services or functions on our website, such as when using forms, competitions or when you register to receive newsletters, content data entered by you and about you is processed, together with the information you provide.

Usage data: We set up usage profiles about your use of our website using a pseudonym, which we use to track how our website is used. In addition, your click behaviour when you receive newsletters is evaluated and stored in user profiles; this data is not combined with the pseudonymised usage profiles described in the sentence above or with your customer account.

Server log data: When you use our websites, data (such as the date and time of your visit, the pages visited and data files requested, the type and version of the web browser you use, the type and operating system of the end device you use as well as your IP address) is temporarily saved in a protocol file.

2. For what purpose, on what legal basis and how long do we process your personal data?

2.1 Product registration / Customer account

If you register the Professional Filter product you have purchased, then we collect and use your data in order to set up and manage your customer account and to process future orders. The legal basis for the processing is our legitimate interest under Art. 6, para. 1 (f) of the GDPR to provide the service “Product registration” described above or “Customer account” for you, or perform a user contract with you (Art. 6, para. 1 (b) of the GDPR).

You can also object to the processing of your data on the basis of Art. 6, para. 1 (f) of the GDPR (under Art. 21, para. 1 of the GDPR). In principle, we may then demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing in order to continue it. We will not do so for the use of a customer account, however, and the following applies: The customer account must then be deleted and is no longer available to you.

This data is deleted if the customer account is terminated. If it is not possible to delete it for legal reasons, the data concerned is then blocked instead. Please note that we may store the data about the orders that can be viewed in your customer account for a longer period (see 2.2).

2.2 Your orders

We process your order data for the processing of your order and for the delivery of the items ordered.
The legal basis for the processing is the conclusion and fulfilment of the purchase contract for the items ordered, Art. 6, para. 1 (b) of the GDPR.
This data is deleted if it is no longer required for performance of the contract (including customer service and warranties), unless we are obliged to store it by law, e.g. due to duties of retention under commercial or tax law.

2.3 Your enquiries, requests for information, warranties, customer service, training, seminars and other events

When you contact us with an enquiry, or a request for information, customer service, warranties or to sign up to training, seminars or other events (together, “Enquiries” or each an “Enquiry”) using a contact form, by email or a service telephone, we process the information you provided therein to answer and/or process your Enquiry and, when you use the online contact form the IP address and date/time of the Enquiry, to prevent the misuse of the contact form.

The legal basis for processing is our legitimate interest under Art. 6, para. 1 (f) of the GDPR to provide you with the Enquiries service described above. If the intention of your Enquiry is to initiate or process a contract (which may include, for example, customer service, training or warranties), the additional legal basis for processing is Art. 6, para. 1 (b) of the GDPR.

You can object to the processing of your data based on Art. 6, para. 1 (f) of the GDPR. If we demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing, we may then continue it. In this case, this may be required in particular in order to be able to prove past communications and Enquiries with you. If there are no such compelling legitimate grounds, then we will cease communication with you and delete any data already collected.

This data is deleted when our communication with you ends, i.e. the relevant facts have been clarified and there are no further legitimate interests for storing the data, or there are no further statutory obligations to store it.

2.4 Taking part in competitions

If you enter one of our competitions, then we use your details in order to carry out the competition, in particular also to inform entrants about a win and, where applicable, send a prize. Your data may be used for marketing purposes and where required by law, we will obtain your consent for this direct marketing.

2.5 Advertising and product development (usage data, newsletters etc.), right of objection

We would also like to use your personal data and/or any anonymous statistical information created from it in order to inform you about our products and services with regard to water dispensers, water filters and accessories (“BRITA Professional Filter Products and Services”), and to send you offers and special promotions (advertising), or to improve our offers and services (product improvements, customer analyses).

2.6 Direct Marketing

You can subscribe to a free newsletter on our website. Here the data collected at registration is processed (the data shown as compulsory fields is absolutely essential to receive the newsletters; data identified as voluntary is only used to make contact with you more personal and for the selection of the information displayed).

We will contact you by email or messenger service with information, offers and beneficial promotions for BRITA Professional Filter products and services customised to you personally and your interests or use. Where required by law, we will obtain your consent for this direct marketing.

We will only contact you by telephone with information, offers and beneficial promotions for BRITA Professional Filter products and services customised to you personally and your interests or use with your explicit consent. We also inform our professional consumers (BRITA professionals) by phone about our BRITA products and services if we can legitimately presume their consent to this.

We will also contact you by written advertising sent by post without consent where necessary in the extent permissible by law for our services.
You can also send us some of your information voluntarily within the scope of lead ads (request forms, such as on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn).
You may object in full or in part at any time to the creation of pseudonymised data, the use of your personal data for purposes of advertising and product development, and to being contacted in a specific form as a result, or where applicable, withdraw any consent given. Please use the relevant functions provided for you (e.g. the unsubscribe function in your personal customer account) or send a communication to that effect in writing (keyword: data protection) or by email to the contact addresses stated under section 8.

The legal basis for processing is your consent (Art. 6, para. 1 (a) of the GDPR) and our legitimate interests (Art. 6, para. 1 (f) of the GDPR).
We will delete this data following your objection or the withdrawal of any consents given or otherwise no later than the end of its use, or we will only store it in aggregated, anonymised form. Where necessary, we will store the fact of your objection to prevent you from being contacted again.

2.7 For the provision of this website and performance of the services

The processing of server log data is necessary for the provision of this website and the performance of services for technical reasons and subsequently to ensure system security.
The legal basis for processing is our legitimate interest in providing the website with our services (Art. 6, para. 1 (f) of the GDPR). Processing is absolutely essential for the use of the website for technical reasons and subsequently to ensure system security; there is therefore no right of objection.

This data is deleted after no more than 30 days.
The server log data is subsequently analysed on an anonymous basis, where necessary for statistical purposes, and to improve the quality of our Internet presence. The server log data is not linked in any way to your personal data or with other sources of personal data.

3. Sharing of data

3.1 Sharing of data with data processing companies

We sometimes use service providers, subject to compliance with the statutory requirements, by means of commissioned processing, i.e. based on a contract on our behalf, according to our instructions and under our control.
In particular, data processing companies are

technical service providers that we use to provide the website, e.g. service providers for software maintenance, data centre operations and hosting;
technical service providers that we use to provide functionalities, e.g. technically essential cookies;
service providers that carry out order processing for us;
service providers for the practical implementation of advertising and marketing, e.g. call centres for telephone contact, printers and letter shops for shipment by post (also including the shipment of analytical test-strips for water hardness), service providers for sending emails.

In such cases, we remain responsible for the data processing; the sharing and processing of personal data to and from our data processing companies is based on the relevant legal basis that permits us to process data. A separate legal basis is not required.

3.2 Data transmission to third parties

Sometimes we also share your data with third parties, i.e. partners with which we collaborate outside commissioned processing. Partners of this kind perform their services on their own responsibility; processing of your data by partners is governed solely by their privacy policy.

3.2.1 Payment service providers

In order to process your orders, we share payment information with payment service providers that carry out the payments processes associated with the orders. The legal basis for sharing the data is performance of the contract with you, Art. 6, para. 1 (b) of the GDPR.

3.2.2 Other service providers within the BRITA Group

Some accounts are managed for accounting purposes by companies affiliated to BRITA Water Filter Systems Limited. The legal basis for sharing data is our legitimate interest in sharing customer data within a corporate group for administrative purposes, Art. 6, para. 1 (f) of the GDPR.

3.2.3 Local sales companies

When you send us an enquiry, we may transfer your contact data to a BRITA Group company based in your country or a distributor appointed to sell our products for us if they are better able to help you with your concerns based on the actual circumstances (e.g. language knowledge, specialisation in a specific product). The legal basis for the data transfer is our legitimate interest in making our sales process as efficient as possible for the benefit of the customer, Art. 6 (1) f) GDPR.

3.2.4 Logistics companies

We share your address with logistics service providers for shipment purposes. The legal basis for processing is the conclusion and fulfilment of the purchase contract for the items ordered, Art. 6, para. 1 (b) of the GDPR.

4. Cookies

We only use strictly necessary cookies on these websites, but if you navigate away from this page cookies may be dropped by others, including our group companies. You will be made aware of this through the use of a cookie banner, from which you can find out more information about cookie practices and how to manage your preferences.

5. Security

We and our service providers take technical and organisational security precautions in order to safeguard your personal data managed by us against accidental or intentional manipulation, loss and destruction, or against access by unauthorised persons. Our data processing systems and security measures are constantly being improved to meet the latest technical developments.

When your personal data is transmitted to us, encryption takes place via a Secure Socket Layer (SSL). Personal data that is exchanged between you and us or another company of the BRITA Group is transmitted via encrypted connections that conform to the current state of technology.
Of course, our employees and the service providers that we engage are committed to confidentiality.

6. Your rights to information, rectification, blocking or deletion

In principle, every natural person whose personal data we process has the following rights in relation to us (i.e. depending on the relevant conditions):

If you have any questions on the processing of your personal data by BRITA Water Filter Systems Limited, we will be happy to provide you with information about personal data stored about you at any time free of charge (Art. 15 of the GDPR).
You have a right to the rectification of incorrect data and to have incomplete data completed (Art. 16 of the GDPR).
You have a right to the blocking / restriction of processing or to the deletion of your personal data that is no longer required or that is stored based on legal obligations (Art. 17, 18 of the GDPR).
You have a right to the portability of your data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, if you have provided the data to us based on a consent or a contract between you and us (Art. 20 GDPR).
You have a right to object to the processing of your data for direct marketing at any time (cf. also section 2.5, Art. 21 para. 2 and 3 of the GDPR).
You have a right to object due to processing based on a legitimate interest; in this case, we may demonstrate our compelling legitimate grounds (Art. 21, para. 1 of the GDPR). We have referred above to when this right exists (see section 2).
If you have given your consent to data processing, then you can withdraw this at any time with future effect, i.e. the lawfulness of the data processing remains unaffected up to the time of withdrawal. Once you have withdrawn your consent, you may not be able to use our services any longer.

Please contact the address stated under section 6 with your concerns. We reserve the right to verify your identity in order to prevent your personal data from being disclosed to unauthorised persons.

You also have the right to submit a complaint to a supervisory authority for data protection.

7. If you need to reach us regarding our use of your data for direct marketing (as described in Section 2.6.2 above), please contact us at the address below:
UK001_clientservices@brita.net

8. Amendments

It is necessary to revise the content of this Privacy Policy from time to time. We therefore reserve the right to amend it at any time. We will also publish the amended version of the Privacy Policy here. If you visit us again, you should therefore read through the Privacy Policy once more.

Version dated February 2021