Our Privacy Policy

We at item Industrietechnik GmbH (“item”, “we” or “us”) take our data protection responsibilities very seriously. Accordingly, protecting your privacy and your personal data is very important to us. We therefore want to provide you with this Privacy Policy, which explains in more detail which personal data is collected by whom during your visit to our website, and how this data is used. We collect, process and use your personal data in accordance with this Privacy Policy, as well as the applicable data protection laws, especially the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”).

This website (the “Website”) is operated by item. The controller responsible for the processing of personal data within the scope of this website pursuant to the provisions of the GDPR is:

item Industrietechnik GmbH
Friedenstraße 107-109
42699 Solingen/ Germany

Telephone: +49/212 65 80 -300

You can get in touch with us if you have questions regarding the processing of your personal data, and with information requests, suggestions, or complaints:

You can contact our data protection officer at:

item Industrietechnik GmbH
DATA PROTECTION
Friedenstrasse 107-109
42699 Solingen / Germany
E-Mail: datenschutz@item24.com

The term “personal data” includes all individual details on the personal or material circumstances of an identified or identifiable natural person. This includes information such as your name, your address and your telephone number.

Purely statistical/aggregated information which cannot be connected to you, such as the number of users on a site, is not personal data.

Where you do not log in or register in the course of using the Website, or otherwise transfer information, item – like every other website – only collects data which your browser transfers automatically, in order to allow you to visit our website. This so-called usage data is logged in server logfiles.

This data includes the following:

• IP address (internet protocol address) of the computer you accessed the Website from;
• Web address of the website from which the Website was called up (so-called origin or referrer URL);
• Name of service provider you use to visit the Website;
• Name of the files and/or information retrieved;
• Date, time and duration of the retrieval;
• quantity of data transferred;
• Operating system and information on the internet browser of the computer accessing the Website;
• http status code (e.g. “Request successful”, or “Requested file not found”).

item stores IP addresses and/or logfile information like the above for security reasons (e.g. in order to identify attempted attacks) for a limited period of time. We process the data accordingly on the basis of our legitimate interests pursuant to Article 6(1)(f) GDPR.

We collect, store, process and use the personal data you provide when you create a user account (i) to provide our product and service information, and (ii) to establish, carry out and process the contracts concluded with us. The whole purchase is processed exclusively via the domain item24.de. It is only possible to retrieve a product and service catalogue via other domains.

You must register and create a user account in order to be able to retrieve product and service information, and to be able to complete processing via the domain item24.de.

We process the following details, which are required for registration (where not marked as “optional” below):

• first name and surname;
• email address;
• company name;
• address;
• country;
• telephone number;
• business area;
• company size (optional);
• field of work of the person registering (optional);
• a password of your choice.

In order to complete the online sale, i.e. in order to establish, carry out and process the contracts concluded with us via the domain item24.de, we also collect your

• VAT identification number (it is not possible to conclude a contract with us without this);
• payment information and/or bank account details;
• shipping details (such as billing and delivery address, where this differs from the address already provided).

We store information which we access in order to manage your user account for as long as your user account is active.

We process the data in order to be able to convey our services and products to you within the scope of fulfilling the contract according to Article 6(1)(b) GDPR.

When you create a user account, the information you provide there is stored subject to your consent. You can always change the information your provide there (with the exception of the information on your business area, company size and field of activity), or delete the account, in the customer area. We retain information relating to your online transactions for six years.

In order to regularly provide you with information on our company and our offers, we can send you tailored emails regarding item services and products which may be of interest to you. The same applies to email communication in connection with our item blog or item webinars. You can sign up to receive these emails. For this purpose we use Eloqua, as described in more detail under Section 3.5. When your registration is confirmed, your IP address will be stored so that we can prove your registration in case of doubt. If you register for this email, we will collect the following additional data:

• email;
• first name and surname;
• your consent;
• other details which you provide.

You can unsubscribe from our email at any time by writing to datenschutz@item24.com, or by clicking a corresponding ‘unsubscribe’ link.

We send you this email on the basis of your explicit consent according to Article 6(1)(a) GDPR.

Information which we store for direct marketing purposes, so that we can send you tailored emails and other product and service information, are stored for as long as you are interested in our marketing communication.

We use “cookies” to enable the use of certain functions. See Clause 3 for more details.

Along with the aforementioned user data, item collects and processes personal data if you provide it to us, for example when you contact us by email. The following personal data is especially likely to be collected in this way:

• first name, surname;
• if applicable, (company) address data (street, house number, postcode, city);
• email address;
• content of your message to us;
• position as well as company and
• other company data, such as the name and address of the company (or customer).

Your data is only processed for the purposes of handling and processing your query. We process this data on the basis of Article 6(1)(b) GDPR or Article 6(1)(f) GDPR in order to process your query, regardless of whether it is linked to a contract concluded/initiated with us or not.

We will retain your information for as long as this is necessary to handle your issue. Recordings of routine queries are usually kept for six months. In some cases (for example, if the query relates to a contract concluded between us, or if it is necessary to seek legal advice in order to handle a complaint), it may be necessary to retain the recording of our communication for up to three years.

We use cookies on our websites in order to make our website attractive to visit, to allow certain functions to be used, and to statistically record the use of our website. Cookies are small text files which your browser creates automatically, and which are stored on your end device (laptop, tablet, smartphone or similar) when you visit our site. Cookies do not damage your end device, and do not contain any viruses, trojans or other malware. The cookie stores information generated in connection with the specific end device used. This does not, however, give us direct access to your identity. Most cookies we use are deleted at the end of your browser session (session cookies). We can use these, for example, to display your basket across different sites, so you can see how many articles are currently in your basket, and how high your current purchase value is. Other cookies remain on your computer and allow us to recognise your computer on your next visit (so-called permanent or cross-session cookies). These cookies are designed to make our services more user-friendly, effective and secure. These files allow, for example, information specially tailored to your interests to be displayed to you on the site.

Of course, you can set up your browser in such a way that it does not deposit cookies on your end device. The help function in the menu bar of most web browsers will explain to you how you can prevent your browser from accepting new cookies, how you can let your browser know when you receive a new cookie, and how you can erase all the cookies you have already received, and block all future ones.

To do so, follow the procedure below:

In Internet Explorer:

1. Select “Internet options” in the “Extras” menu.
2. Click on the “Data protection” tab.
3. Now you can configure the security settings for the website. Here you can configure whether and which cookies are accepted or rejected.
4. By clicking “OK”, you confirm your settings.

In Firefox:

1. Select “Settings” in the “Extras” menu.
2. Click on “Data protection”.
3. In the drop-down menu, select the option “Create according to user-defined settings”.
4. You can now configure whether cookies should be accepted and how long you wish to retain these cookies, and add exceptions as to which websites you always or never want to allow cookies on.
5.  By clicking “OK”, you confirm your settings.

In Google Chrome:

1. Click on the Chrome menu in the browser’s toolbar.
2. Now select “Settings”.
3. Click on “Display expanded settings”.
4. Under “Data protection”, click on “Content settings”.
5. Under “Cookies”, you can carry out the following settings for cookies:
   –  Erase cookies;
   –  Block cookies as standard;
   –  Erase cookies and website data as standard after quitting the browser;
   –  Allow exceptions for cookies from particular websites or domains.

In Safari (Mac):

1. Click on the gear wheel in the menu bar in the upper-right corner to bring up settings, then click on “Settings”.
2. Click on the “Data protection” tab.
3. Under “Cookies”, you can carry out the following settings for cookies:
   –  Prevent cross-website tracking;
   –  Block all cookies.
4. In order to erase stored cookies and data, select “Manage website data”, then select one or more websites and click on “Remove” or “Remove all”.
5. In order to display which websites store cookies or data: Select “Manage website data”.

However, we wish to point out that without cookies you may not be able to use all of the Website’s functions in full.

We use cookies in connection with the following functions:

We use Google Analytics, a service provided by Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland (“Google”). Google uses certain cookies for Google Analytics. The information on your use of the Website that is generated by the cookie (including your IP address) is transferred to a Google server in the United States and stored there. We use the stored information to analyze your use of the Website, compile reports on website activity for website operators, and provide other services associated with website use. Under no circumstances will Google associate your IP address with other Google data.

Please note that this website uses Google Analytics with the “anonymizeIp()” extension. This masks IP addresses before they are transferred to a server in the United States. This means that it is generally not possible to link the stored data to a specific individual. Only in isolated cases is the full IP address transferred to a server in the United States and shortened there.

We process the data received in this way based on our overriding interest in the optimal marketing of our online range pursuant to Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. We have a legitimate interest in showing you personalized advertising, and in analyzing the use of our website.

You can object to data collection at any time with effect for the future by using the deactivation add-on for browser from Google Analytics at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en-GB

Please also take account of Google’s instructions on using data in the Google partner network at: https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites?hl=en

Further information on data protection can be found at: policies.google.com/privacy .

Users’ personal data is automatically erased or anonymized after 14 months. Data which has reached the end of its retention period is automatically deleted once a month.

Our website uses the functions of Google Analytics Remarketing. This service is provided by Google. We use this function to display interest-related, personalized advertising on the websites of third parties who also participate in the Google advertising network.

To facilitate this advertising service, Google stores a cookie containing a sequence of numbers on your end device during your visit to our website via your internet browser. This cookie registers both your visit and your use of our website. If you then visit the website of a third party which also uses the Google advertising network, ads will appear where possible which relate to our website and/or to the range we offer on it. According to information provided by Google, it does not combine the data collected as part of Google Remarketing with any personal data of yours which may be stored by Google (for example, because you have registered for a Google service). According to Google, Remarketing uses pseudonymisation.

The legal basis for this is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. We have a legitimate interest in analyzing the use of our website, in order to display personalized advertising to you, and to ensure the economic operation of our website.

Google offers a browser plug-in for the most common internet browsers for long-term deactivation of this function at https://www.google.com/settings/ads/plugin

Using so-called cross-device marketing, Google may be able to track your user behavior across several end devices, such that you are where possible shown interest-related, personalized advertising even when you change end device. This requires, however, that you have a Google account, and that you have consented to your browsing history being linked to your Google account.

Google offers further information on Google Remarketing at https://www.google.com/privacy/ads/

Users’ personal data is automatically erased or anonymized after 24 months. Data which has reached the end of its retention period is automatically deleted once a month.

This website uses Google AdWords, and specifically the “conversion tracking” function. AdWords is an online advertising program from Google. If you click on adverts placed by Google, a cookie is placed on your end device for conversion tracking. The information which is collected using conversion cookies serves to create conversion statistics for us as a Google Ads customer, for example to record sales figures and other conversions which can be traced back to you clicking on an ad displayed by Google. These cookies expire after 30 days, do not include any personal data and cannot be used to identify you personally.

The legal basis for this processing of data is Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest). We have a legitimate interest in showing you personalized advertising, and in analyzing the use of our website.

You can prevent the storage of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser software; however, please note that if you do so, you may not be able to use all the functions of this website to their full extent. Beyond this, you can deactivate interest-related ads on Google and interest-related Google ads on the web (within the Google display network) in your browser, by https://www.google.com/settings/adstoggling the relevant button to “Off”, or carrying out deactivation at https://www.aboutads.info/choices/. You can find further information regarding your settings options and data protection at Google at: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en .

On our website, we use the analysis service Eloqua from Oracle Corporation, 100 Oracle Pkwy, Redwood City, CA 94065, USA (“Eloqua”). Eloqua allows us to analyze the use of our website. Emails sent with Eloqua use tracking technologies. This allows us to track your email reading behavior and determine, for example, whether you open certain emails and which links you click. Eloqua uses cookies to provide this service. These cookies collect information on your user behavior on our website. The information collected by our website’s cookie is only visible to us and is not shared either with Oracle or with other users of the Eloqua system.

The data processing described above is based on our overriding interest in the optimal marketing of our online offerings pursuant to Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. We have a legitimate interest in showing you personalized advertising, and evaluating the use of our website.

Users’ personal data is automatically erased or anonymized after 24 months.

You can object to data collection at any time with effect for the future using the following link: www.oracle.com/marketingcloud/opt-status.html.

You can find further information on data protection at Eloqua at: https://www.oracle.com/legal/privacy/privacy-policy.html.

Our website uses the conversion tool “LinkedIn Insight Tag” from LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland (“LinkedIn”). This tool creates a cookie in your web browser, which allows, among other things, the following data to be collected: IP address, device and browser properties and page events (e.g. page views). This data is encrypted and anonymized within seven days, and the anonymized data is erased within 90 days. LinkedIn does not share any personal data with item. Rather, it offers anonymized reports on website target groups and the ad service. LinkedIn also uses the “insight tag” to offer the option of re-targeting. Using this service, item can show targeted advertising outside of its website, without identifying you as a website visitor. You can find further information on data protection at LinkedIn in the LinkedIn privacy notice.

The legal basis for this processing of data is Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest). We have a legitimate interest in showing you personalized advertising, and in analyzing the use of our website.

LinkedIn members can manage the use of their personal data for advertising purposes in their account settings. In order to deactivate the insight tag on the LinkedIn website (“opt-out”), click here.

We may use a visitor pixel and cookies from Taboola Inc., 28 West 23rd St., 5th fl., New York, NY 10010, USA (“Taboola”), to measure conversions. This allows us to track the behavior of website users after they are forwarded to the website of the provider by clicking on a Taboola advert. This procedure serves to evaluate Taboola ads for statistical and market research purposes, and may contribute to optimizing future advertising measures. The data collected is anonymous to us, so it does not allow us to trace users’ identities.

You can object to tracking by Taboola at any time; to do this, click on the “Reject” field (opt-out) under Taboola’s privacy policy, which you can view at https://www.taboola.com/privacy-policy. Here, you can also find further information on data protection at Taboola Inc. The opt-out only applies to the device you are using, and expires when you erase your cookies.

The legal basis for this processing of data is Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest). We have a legitimate interest in showing you personalized advertising, and in analyzing the use of our website.

The transferred data is erased within three months.

Our website may uses Bing Ads, a service provided by Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399, USA (“Microsoft”). This service allows us to track your activities on our website if you reached our website via Bing Ads. If this is the case, a cookie will be placed on your computer. The Bing UET Tag, which is integrated on our website, allows us to store pseudonymous information regarding the use of our website. This includes how long you spend on our website, which areas of the Website you visit and via which ads you reached our website.

The information collected is transferred to Microsoft servers in the USA. You can find further information on data protection at Microsoft and Bing in Microsoft’s privacy statement (https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-GB/privacystatement).

You can use the specific tools provided by Microsoft to ensure that Bing Ads cannot execute on your computer: https://account.microsoft.com/privacy/ad-settings.

The legal basis for this processing of data is Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest). We have a legitimate interest in showing you personalized advertising, and in analyzing the use of our website.

Microsoft stores this data for 180 days.

item has integrated YouTube components on this Website. YouTube is an internet video portal which allows video publishers to post videos for free, and allows other users to view, rate and comment on these videos for free. YouTube allows the publication of all kinds of videos, so everything from entire films and TV programmes, to music videos, trailers or videos produced by users themselves can be viewed on its internet portal.

The operator of the site is YouTube, LLC, 901 Cherry Ave., San Bruno, CA 94066, USA (“YouTube”). YouTube is a subsidiary of Google Inc. 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway Mountain View, CA 94043-1351, USA.

Every time one of the individual pages of this website is visited which is operated by item and on which a YouTube component (YouTube video) has been integrated, the internet browser on the data subject’s IT system is automatically induced to download a presentation of the corresponding YouTube components from YouTube. You can view further information on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/about/. In the course of this technical procedure, YouTube and Google receive knowledge of which specific pages of our website the data subject visits.

If the data subject is logged into YouTube at the same time, YouTube registers it when they visit a page containing a YouTube video which specific page the data subject is visiting. This information is collected by YouTube and Google, and linked to the data subject’s YouTube account.

YouTube and Google always receive information via the YouTube components when the data subject visits our website, if the data subject is logged into YouTube when they visit our website; this happens regardless of whether the data subject clicks on a YouTube video or not. If the data subject does not want this information to be transferred to YouTube and Google, they can prevent the transfer by logging out of YouTube before visiting our website.

YouTube’s data protection provisions, which you can view at https://policies.google.com/privacy, give information about the collection, processing and use of personal data by YouTube and Google.

We incorporate the maps service “Google Maps”, provided by Google. The processed data is especially likely to include users’ IP addresses and location data, which cannot, however, be collected without their consent (generally in the course of setting up their mobile devices). Google’s privacy policy, which gives further information on Google Maps, can be viewed here: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/.

You can object to data collection with effect for the future at any time by using Google Maps’ deactivation add-on for browser at https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.

Along with the deactivation methods already described, you can stop the technologies described on a very general level by using a corresponding cookie configuration in your browser. You also have the option of deactivating preference-based advertising in the preference manager, which you can find here.

On our website, we may use the End Use Monitoring (EUM) software of Instana, Inc, 222 S. Riverside Plaza, 15th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606. Riverside Plaza, 15th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606 (hereinafter referred to as “Instana”).

With Instana we can observe the condition of the engineering tool operated on our website as well as detect technical faults in order to remedy these as soon as possible. In addition, with Instana we can evaluate the use of the engineering tool. For example, we can see how many requests are received and at which times. These details help us to improve the engineering tool for you. Finally, we can determine any customer-specific problems by using the engineering tool and work on finding a solution.

Instana functions through a JavaScript, which is carried out by your browser. This JavaScript collects information for the aforementioned purposes and transmits this data in an anonymized form to Instana, Inc. your IP address is transmitted in an anonymized form. In addition, the date and time of the request, time zone difference to the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), content of the request (specific page), access status/HTTP status code, respectively transferred data volume, the website, from which the request comes, browser, operating system and its interface and the language and version of the browser software transmitted to Instana, Inc. Instana, Inc. principally erases your information after seven days, at the latest however after one year. You can prevent the collection and transmission of personal data and the use of this information by Instana, Inc. by deactivating JavaScript in your browser or by installing a tool such as “NoScript”. However, we would like to point out that in this case you may, if applicable, not be able to use the functions of the engineering tool in full.

A component of Instana is a function of Cloudflare, Inc., 101 Townsend St, San Francisco, CA 94107 (hereinafter referred to as “Cloudflare”). Cloudflare, Inc. is a subcontractor of Instana, Inc. For this purpose, Cloudflare uses the cookie (__cfuid). A cookie is a small text file which is stored on your computer. Cloudflare initially checks whether the address of the user stems from a so-called botnet (group of automated malware). In this case Cloudflare would prevent the access to the engineering tool. Furthermore, through Cloudflare we can reduce the access times to the engineering tool, regardless of your location. Your IP address is stored on one of the servers of Cloudflare, Inc. for 24 hours. You can prevent the storage of the cookie (__cfuid) by selecting the appropriate settings in your browser software; however, please note that if you do so, you may not be able to use the full functionality of the engineering tool.

The legal basis for the use of Instana, including Cloudflare is Art. 6(1)(1)(f) GDPR, whereby our legitimate interests are derived from the technical description cited above.

For more information about Instana’s privacy policy, please visit: https://www.instana.com/privacy-policy/.
For more information about Cloudflare’s privacy policy, please visit: https://www.cloudflare.com/privacypolicy/

item may transfer your personal data to the following recipients:

• other item companies or other third parties, e.g. sales partners or suppliers, if this is necessary in providing and operating the item range and services, or initiating, executing or processing a business relationship,
• IT service providers who process data as part of providing their service (e.g. service providers for maintenance activities), and/or
• third parties, if this is necessary in order to comply with applicable law or to assert, exercise or defend from legal actions (e.g. in connection with arbitration or judicial proceedings before regular courts, courts of arbitration, authorities or legal advisers).

The recipients may have their registered office in countries whose data protection laws do not provide a level of data protection consonant with the country where you are resident.

In such a case, item shall take measures to ensure suitable and appropriate guarantees to protect personal data in another way.

Personal data will only be transferred to item companies and external recipients in such countries if they (i) have agreed EU standard contractual clauses with item, or (ii) (for recipients with their registered office in the USA) are certified under the EU/US Privacy Shield.

We store your personal data for as long as this is appropriate and necessary in order to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected (consent which you give us in this way shall remain valid even after our business relationship with you has ended), and in order to comply with applicable law.

Specific information in this Privacy Policy or statutory regulations on the retention and deletion of personal data, especially those which we must retain for tax reasons, shall remain unaffected.

You can request at any time that we provide you with a copy of your personal data.

You are entitled to request a copy from us of the personal data transferred by you which we retain for the purpose of the contract concluded with us or based on your consent, in a structured, common and machine-readable format, such that you can reuse it or forward it to other organizations.

If you think that the personal data we are storing on you is incorrect or incomplete, you can request that we correct or complete it.

You may also have the right to object to the processing of your data, and you may request that we restrict our use of your data and erase it.

If we ask you for your consent to use your data for a particular purpose, you are always free to withdraw your consent. We will also tell you how to do this.

There are, however, several exceptions to these rights. For example, we cannot erase your data if we are legally obliged to store it, or if we retain it because we have concluded a contract with you. Information on and access to your data may also be refused if providing information would mean disclosing another person’s personal information, or if we are unable to disclose this information for legal reasons.

If you wish to exercise these rights, please contact us using the contact details provided in Clause 1.

Should you have concerns regarding our handling of your personal data, you also have the right to complain to the responsible data protection authority (the State Officer for Data Protection and Freedom of Information for North Rhine-Westphalia). You can find further details on this on their website at https://www.ldi.nrw.de/.

Our website is SSL-encrypted. item and its computer center service providers implement all the legally required technical and organizational measures to protect your data according to the current general state of technology, and especially to protect it from loss, falsification or perusal by unauthorized parties.

In the event that you wish to contact us by e-mail, please note that the confidentiality of the information transferred cannot be guaranteed. As a basic principle, the content of e-mails may be subject to spying by unauthorized third parties in transit.

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. If you follow a link to one of these websites, please bear in mind that we cannot take any responsibility or provide any guarantee for third-party content or data protection provisions, and do not have any influence on these.

Please inform yourself of the applicable data protection provisions before transferring personal data to these websites.

item reserves the right to update this Privacy Policy at any time without notifying users (this may be necessary due to current developments, such as an amendment to data protection law or a possible revision of our website). item will update the date at the top of the first page accordingly. Please inform yourself of the Privacy Policy applicable at the time every time you use our website. In some cases, item may also inform you of particular data processing activities or important changes to this Privacy Policy, where this is prescribed by law.

Last updated: April 2022