Privacy Policy

Personal data (usually referred to just as “data” below) will only be processed by us to the extent necessary and for the purpose of providing a functional and user-friendly website, including its contents and the services offered there.

Per Art. 4 No. 1 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, i.e., the General Data Protection Regulation (hereinafter referred to as the “GDPR”),”processing” refers to any operation or set of operations such as collection, recording, organization, structuring, storage, adaptation, alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination, or otherwise making available, alignment, or combination, restriction, erasure, or destruction performed on personal data, whether by automated means or not.

The following privacy policy is intended to inform you in particular about the type, scope, purpose, duration, and legal basis for the processing of such data either under our own control or in conjunction with others. We also inform you below about the third-party components we use to optimize our website and improve the user experience, which may result in said third parties also processing data they collect and control.

Our privacy policy is structured as follows:

I. Information about us as controllers of your data
II. The rights of users and data subjects
III. Information about the data processing

I. Information about us as controllers of your data

The parties responsible for this website (the “controllers”) for purposes of data protection law are:

I. Information about Us as Controllers of Your Data

The parties responsible for data processing on this website (“controllers”) within the meaning of data protection law are:

How To Study German LLC
30 N Gould St Ste N
Sheridan, WY 82801
United States
Email: info [at] howtostudygerman [dot] com
Managing Member: Nikolai Beiers
Registered in Wyoming, USA

Responsible for digital products (e.g., eBooks, grammar tools, learning tools) and for contractual fulfillment of purchases made through the website.

If requested, invoices for private lessons can be issued by How To Study German LLC.

EXCHANGENB OÜ
Männimäe 1
Pudisoo küla, 74626 Kuusalu vald
Harjumaakond, Estonia
Company Registration Number: 14776112
Email: how2studygerman [at] gmail [dot] com
Managing Director: Nikolai Beiers

Responsible for the processing of personal data under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and for the provision of private German lessons, unless invoiced through the LLC upon request.

II. The rights of users and data subjects

With regard to the data processing to be described in more detail below, users and data subjects have the right:

to confirmation of whether data concerning them is being processed, information about the data being processed, further information about the nature of the data processing, and copies of the data (cf. Art. 15 GDPR);
to correct or complete incorrect or incomplete data (cf. Art. 16 GDPR);
to the immediate deletion of data concerning them (cf. Art. 17 GDPR),or, alternatively, if further processing is necessary as stipulated in Art. 17 Para. 3 GDPR, to restrict said processing per Art. 18 GDPR;
to receive copies of the data concerning them and/or provided by them and to have the same transmitted to other providers/controllers (cf. Art. 20 GDPR);
to file complaints with the supervisory authority if they believe that data concerning them is being processed by the controllers in breach of data protection provisions (cf. Art. 77 GDPR).

In addition, the controllers are obliged to inform all recipients to whom they disclose data of any such corrections, deletions, or restrictions placed on processing the same per Art. 16, 17 Para. 1, 18 GDPR. However, this obligation does not apply if such notification is impossible or involves a disproportionate effort. Nevertheless, users have a right to information about these recipients.

Likewise, under Art. 21 GDPR, users and data subjects have the right to object to the controllers’ future processing of their data pursuant to Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f) GDPR. In particular, an objection to data processing for the purpose of direct advertising is permissible.

III. Information about the data processing

Your data processed when using our website will be deleted or blocked as soon as the purpose for its storage ceases to apply, provided the deletion of the same is not in breach of any statutory storage obligations or unless otherwise stipulated below.

Cookies

To manage the cookies and similar technologies used (tracking pixels, web beacons, etc.) and the related consents on this website, we use the consent tool “Real Cookie Banner”. Details on how “Real Cookie Banner” works can be found at
https://devowl.io/rcb/data-processing/.

The legal bases for the processing of personal data in this context are Art. 6 (1) (c) GDPR and Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the management of the cookies and similar technologies used and the related consents.

The provision of personal data is neither contractually required nor necessary for the conclusion of a contract. You are not obliged to provide personal data. However, if you do not provide the data, we will not be able to manage your consents.

a) Session cookies

We use cookies on our website. Cookies are small text files or other storage technologies stored on your device by your browser. These cookies process certain specific information about you, such as your browser, location data, or IP address.

This processing makes our website more user-friendly, efficient, and secure, allowing us, for example, to display our website in different languages or to offer a shopping cart function.

The legal basis for such processing is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. b) GDPR, insofar as these cookies are used to collect data to initiate or process contractual relationships.

If the processing does not serve to initiate or process a contract, our legitimate interest lies in improving the functionality of our website. The legal basis is then Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f) GDPR.

b) Third-party cookies

If necessary, our website may also use cookies from companies with whom we cooperate for the purpose of advertising, analyzing, or improving the features of our website.

Please refer to the following information for details, in particular for the legal basis and purpose of such third-party collection and processing of data collected through cookies.

c) Disabling cookies

You can refuse the use of cookies by changing the settings on your browser. Likewise, you can delete cookies that have already been stored. However, the steps and measures required vary, depending on the browser you use. Please refer to your browser’s help function or documentation. If you prevent or restrict the installation of cookies, not all functions on our site may be fully usable.

Contact

If you contact us via email or the contact form, the data you provide will be used for the purpose of processing your request. We need this data to process and answer your inquiry; otherwise, we will not be able to answer it fully or at all.

The legal basis for this data processing is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. b) GDPR.

Your data will be deleted once we have fully answered your inquiry and there is no further legal obligation to store your data.

Customer Account/Registration

Creating a Customer Account

When you create a customer account with us via our website, we will use the data you provide during registration (such as your name, and email address) exclusively for the following purposes:

Order Fulfillment: To process and fulfill your orders or any other contractual relationship with us.
Customer Care: To offer customer support, provide an overview of your previous orders, or offer features like a wishlist.
Communication: To inform you about new services or products that we believe may be of interest to you, based on your previous interactions with us.

This data will not be transferred to third parties without your explicit consent.

Legal Basis for Processing:

If you consent to this processing, Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a) GDPR serves as the legal basis.
If the creation of a customer account is intended to lead to the initiation of a contractual relationship or fulfill an existing contract with us, the legal basis is also Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. b) GDPR.

Revoking Consent:

You may revoke your consent to the processing of your personal data at any time with future effect, as per Art. 7 Para. 3 GDPR. Simply inform us that you wish to withdraw your consent.

Data Deletion:

Once processing is no longer necessary, your data will be deleted, provided there are no legal retention periods that we must observe.

Third-Party Services

To provide our services efficiently and enhance your experience on our website, we utilize several third-party services. These services may process your data in accordance with their own privacy policies.

Stripe

We use Stripe as our payment service provider to process credit card payments securely. Stripe may receive your personal information, such as purchase amount and email address, to process transactions. Their privacy policy can be found at: https://stripe.com/privacy.

AI Tools

The AI used for our German AI tools (Beta) is ChatGPT-4 from OpenAI. The processing of your data within these tools is governed by OpenAI’s privacy policies, which you can review here: OpenAI Privacy Policy.

If you register for our free newsletter, the data requested from you for this purpose—your email address and, optionally, your name—will be sent to us. The data collected will be used exclusively to send the newsletter and will not be passed on to third parties.

The legal basis for this is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a) GDPR.

You may revoke your prior consent to receive this newsletter under Art. 7 Para. 3 GDPR with future effect. Simply inform us that you are revoking your consent or click on the unsubscribe link contained in each newsletter.

YouTube

We maintain an online presence on YouTube to present our company and our services and to communicate with customers/prospects. YouTube is a service of Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.

Please note that this might cause user data to be processed outside the European Union, particularly in the United States. This may increase risks for users that may make subsequent access to the user data more difficult. We do not have access to this user data; only YouTube does.

The YouTube privacy policy can be found here: https://policies.google.com/privacy

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics on our website. This is a web analytics service provided by Google Ireland Limited. Google Analytics uses cookies to analyze how our website is used. The legal basis is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the analysis, optimization, and economic operation of our site.

Google offers further information regarding its data protection practices at: https://policies.google.com/privacy

Cloudflare

To secure our website and optimize loading times, we use the Cloudflare CDN (Content Delivery Network). This is a service of Cloudflare Inc., 101 Townsend Street, San Francisco, California 94107, USA. The legal basis for collecting and processing this information is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f) GDPR.

Cloudflare’s privacy policy can be found here: https://www.cloudflare.com/privacypolicy/

Google Fonts

Google Fonts

Our website uses Google Fonts to display external fonts. To ensure GDPR compliance, we store the fonts locally on our server using the plugin “Local Google Fonts” (https://wordpress.org/plugins/local-google-fonts/). As a result, no data, including your IP address, is transmitted to Google when accessing our website. The legal basis for processing is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f) GDPR.

hCaptcha

To protect our website from automated abuse (e.g., bots) and ensure its security, we use the hCaptcha service. This service helps distinguish between human users and bots. During this process, hCaptcha may collect certain data, such as your IP address and other information related to your website usage. The legal basis for processing is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f) GDPR, as it serves our legitimate interest in maintaining the security and functionality of our website.

For more information about hCaptcha and its privacy practices, please visit: https://www.hcaptcha.com/privacy

YouTube Videos

We use YouTube in its advanced privacy mode to show you videos. If you have granted your consent to this processing, the legal basis is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a) GDPR. The legal basis can also be Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f) GDPR.

For more information: https://policies.google.com/privacy

Use of Stripe as a Payment Method

If you decide to pay with the online payment service provider Stripe during your order process, your contact data will be transmitted to Stripe as part of the order you initiate. Stripe facilitates cashless payment for products and services on the Internet, allowing payments to be processed via credit card.

The personal data transmitted to Stripe includes the purchase amount, your credit card information, and the email address required for processing the payment.

Your data is transmitted to Stripe based on Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. b) GDPR.

Stripe’s privacy policy: https://stripe.com/privacy

Created by the Law Firm Weiß & Partner and adapted for How To Study German LLC and EXCHANGENB OÜ.