This privacy policy sets out how we process and protect your personal data.
§ 1 Information about the Collection of Personal Data
(1) In the following we inform you about the collection of personal data when using our website. Personal data is all data that can be related to you personally, e.g., name, address, e-mail addresses, user behavior.
(2) Benchmark Services, Dr. Alexandra Partale, Zur Mark 24, D-65719 Hofheim a. Ts. E-Mail: alexandra.partale@benchmark-services.de (see our Imprint) is responsible in accordance with Art. 4 (7) of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
(3) When you contact us by e-mail or via a contact form, the data you provide (your e-mail address, your name, and your telephone number) will be stored by us in order to answer your questions. We delete the data arising in this context after the storage is no longer necessary, or restrict the processing if there are statutory storage obligations. The legal basis is Art. 6 (1) lit. b GDPR.
(4) If we use commissioned service providers for individual functions of our offer or would like to use your data for advertising purposes, we will inform you in detail below about the respective processes. We also state the specified criteria for the storage period.
§ 2 Your Rights
(1) You have the following rights towards us with regard to your personal data:
(2) You also have the right to complain to a data protection supervisory authority about the processing of your personal data by us.
§ 3 Collection of Personal Data when Visiting our Website
(1) If you only use the website for informational purposes, i.e. if you do not register or otherwise provide us with information, we only collect the personal data that your browser transmits to our server. If you want to view our website, we collect the following data, which is technically necessary for us to display our website to you and to ensure stability and security (legal basis is Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR):
(2) In addition to the aforementioned data, cookies are stored on your computer when you use our website. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your hard drive and assigned to the browser you are using and through which certain information flows to the place that sets the cookie (here from us). Cookies cannot run programs or transmit viruses to your computer. They serve to make the Internet offer more user-friendly and effective overall.
(3) Use of cookies:
a) This website uses only its own cookies (first-party cookies). We do not use any analytics, tracking, or advertising cookies, we do not create user profiles, and we do not embed any third-party content: fonts, scripts, images, and videos are delivered exclusively from our own server. Therefore, your data is not transferred to external providers or to third countries.
b) Technically necessary storage. These cookies are required to provide the website you have requested; they do not require consent according to Section 25 Paragraph 2 No. 2 of the German Telemedia Act (TDDDG). The legal basis for the associated processing is Article 6 Paragraph 1 Sentence 1 Letter f of the GDPR.:
session – Session identifier: assigns your answers and survey progress to your session, protects forms against cross-site request forgery, and maintains your login in the customer area. Duration: up to 12 months. The content is signed and will not be used for other purposes.
consent – saves your selection in the cookie settings so that we respect it and don't ask you again. Duration: 12 months.
c) Convenience features. This data is only stored if you consent. The legal basis is Section 25 Paragraph 1 of the German Telemedia Act (TDDDG) in conjunction with Article 6 Paragraph 1 Sentence 1 Letter a of the GDPR.:
color_scheme – your chosen color scheme (light or dark). Duration: 12 months.
language – the language you have chosen. Duration: 12 months.
vgm-hq-video – stores in your browser's local storage which video quality has already been loaded for your screen, so the homepage doesn't reload it. Storage duration: until you clear your browser's storage or withdraw your consent.
d) If you do not agree to the convenience features, the website will remain fully functional. The color scheme and language will then only apply to the current session, and any previously saved convenience settings will be deleted.
e) Your consent is voluntary and can be revoked at any time with effect for the future. You can view and change your selection here at any time.:
f) Regardless, you can configure your browser settings according to your preferences, reject cookies, and delete stored cookies at any time in your browser's security settings. Please note that without technically necessary cookies, you may not be able to use all the functions of this website.
§ 4 Other Functions and Offers of our Website
(1) In addition to the purely informational use of our website, we offer various services that you can use if you are interested. To do this, you usually have to provide additional personal data that we use to provide the respective service and for which the aforementioned data processing principles apply.
(2) In some cases, we use external service providers to process your data. These have been carefully selected and commissioned by us, are bound by our instructions and are regularly checked.
(3) Furthermore, we can pass on your personal data to third parties if you wish to receive feedback after completing the survey. You will receive more detailed information on this when you enter your personal data or below in the description of the offer.
§ 5 Objection or Revocation against the Processing of your Data
(1) If you have given your consent to the processing of your data, you can revoke this at any time. Such a revocation affects the admissibility of the processing of your personal data after you have given it to us.
(2) If we base the processing of your personal data on the balancing of interests, you can object to the processing. This is the case if the processing is not necessary in particular to fulfill a contract with you, which is shown by us in the following description of the functions. If you exercise such an objection, we ask that you explain the reasons why we should not process your personal data as we have done. In the event of your justified objection, we will examine the situation and will either discontinue or adjust the data processing or show you our compelling reasons worthy of protection on the basis of which we will continue the processing.
(3) Of course, you can object to the processing of your personal data for data analysis purposes at any time. You can inform us of your objection using the following contact details:
§ 6 Survey and Feedback Form
(1) Participation in our survey is anonymous and for statistical purposes. It is not possible to draw conclusions about your person.
(2) If you use our feedback form for praise, criticism and other comments, you can voluntarily provide us with your name and e-mail address so that we can give you feedback. The legal basis is Art. 6 (1) lit. a GDPR.
(3) There is no link between the previous survey and the feedback form.
§ 7 Password Protection - HS256
(1) If you use our services that require authentication, we would like to point out that you should use a password that is not easy to guess. We recommend that you use a password that consists of at least 8 characters, contains upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters. Please do not use a password that you also use for other services. We recommend that you change your password regularly. Please note that we are not responsible for the security of your password. We encourage you to learn about password security and take appropriate security measures.
We use the HS256 (HMAC with SHA256) cryptographic algorithm for authentication. This algorithm is a state-of-the-art cryptographic algorithm used to ensure the integrity and authenticity of data in transit. This widely accepted method provides a high level of security, protects against unauthorized data modification and verifies authenticated messages. As a state-of-the-art password protection solution, HS256 underscores our commitment to a secure and positive user experience.