1) Information on the Collection of Personal Data and Contact Details of the Controller

1.1 We are pleased that you are visiting our website and thank you for your interest. On the following pages, we inform you about the handling of your personal data when using our website. Personal data is all data with which you can be personally identified.

1.2 The controller in charge of data processing on this website, within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), is ASCEND GmbH, Wilhelm-Spaeth-Str. 2, 90461 Nürnberg, Germany, Phone.: +49-911-148875-0, Fax: +49-911-148875-99, e-mail: info@ascend.de. The controller in charge of the processing of personal data is the natural or legal person who alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.

2) Data Collection When You Visit Our Website

2.1 When using our website for information only, i.e. if you do not register or otherwise provide us with information, we only collect data that your browser transmits to our server (so-called "server log files"). When you visit our website, we collect the following data that is technically necessary for us to display the website to you:

• Our visited website
• Date and time at the moment of access
• Amount of data sent in bytes
• Source/reference from which you came to the page
• Browser used
• Operating system used
• IP address used (if applicable: in anonymized form)

Data processing is carried out in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR on the basis of our legitimate interest in improving the stability and functionality of our website. The data will not be passed on or used in any other way. However, we reserve the right to check the server log files subsequently, if there are any concrete indications of illegal use.

2.2 This website uses SSL or TLS encryption for security reasons and to protect the transmission of personal data and other confidential content (e.g. orders or inquiries to the controller). You can recognize an encrypted connection by the character string https:// and the lock symbol in your browser line.

3) Cookies

In order to make your visit to our website more attractive and to enable the use of certain functions, we use cookies, i.e. small text files that are stored on your end device. In some cases, these cookies are automatically deleted again after the browser is closed (so-called "session cookies"), in other cases, these cookies remain on your end device for longer and allow page settings to be saved (so-called "persistent cookies"). In the latter case, you can find the duration of the storage in the overview of the cookie settings of your web browser.

If personal data is also processed by individual cookies set by us, the processing is carried out either in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point b GDPR for the performance of the contract, in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point a GDPR in the case of consent given or in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR to safeguard our legitimate interests in the best possible functionality of the website as well as a customer-friendly and effective design of the page visit.

You can set your browser in such a way that you are informed about the setting of cookies and you can decide individually about their acceptance or exclude the acceptance of cookies for certain cases or in general.

Please note that the functionality of our website may be limited if cookies are not accepted.

4) Contacting Us

4.1 - Anthropic Claude

On this website, we have integrated an artificial intelligence software solution from the following provider to offer autonomous customer support:: Anthropic Ireland Limited, 6th Floor, South Bank House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, D04 TR29, Ireland

Data may also be transferred to: Anthropic PBC, USA

Via an API-based integration, visitors can submit text-based inquiries regarding offers, website functionalities, orders placed, and the exercise of contractual rights. These inquiries are then answered and processed by the provider's language models.

For this purpose, the provider's software may collect personal data from the inquirer to compare it with the order history, assign the input to a specific order, automatically review the request, and then initiate processing steps to resolve it.

The collection and further processing of personal data is solely for the purpose of handling the specific request. The processing of website visitor input for the purpose of training and further developing the provider's AI language models is expressly prohibited.

Data processing is based on our legitimate interest in effectively supporting our website visitors, optimally marketing our services, and automating customer support to reduce operational workload, in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR.

Collected personal data will be deleted, subject to any conflicting statutory retention periods, once the provider's software, using automated mathematical-statistical methods, has determined a conclusive resolution of the matter.

We have concluded an order processing agreement with the provider, which ensures the protection of our website visitors' data and prohibits unauthorised disclosure to third parties.

For the transfer of data to the USA, the provider relies on standard contractual clauses of the European Commission, which are meant to ensure compliance with the European level of data protection.

4.2 When you contact us (e.g. via contact form or e-mail), personal data is collected. Which data is collected in the case of a contact form can be seen from the respective contact form. This data is stored and used exclusively for the purpose of responding to your request or for establishing contact and for the associated technical administration.

The legal basis for processing data is our legitimate interest in responding to your request in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR. If your contact is aimed at concluding a contract, the additional legal basis for the processing is Art. 6 (1) point b GDPR. Your data will be deleted after final processing of your enquiry; this is the case if it can be inferred from the circumstances that the facts in question have been finally clarified, provided there are no legal storage obligations to the contrary.

5) Data Processing When Opening a Customer Account and for Contract Processing

Pursuant to Art. 6 (1) point b GDPR, personal data will continue to be collected and processed to the extent required in each case if you provide us with this data when opening a customer account. The data required for opening an account can be found in the input mask of the corresponding form on our website. Deletion of your customer account is possible at any time and can be done by sending a message to the above address of the person responsible. After deletion of your customer account, your data will be deleted, provided that all contracts concluded via it have been fully processed, no legal retention periods are opposed and no legitimate interest on our part in the continued storage exists.

6) Processing of Data for the Purpose of Order Handling

6.1 Insofar as necessary for the processing of the contract for delivery and payment purposes, the personal data collected by us will be passed on to the commissioned transport company and the commissioned credit institution in accordance with Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. b GDPR.

If we owe you updates for goods with digital elements or for digital products on the basis of a corresponding contract, we will process the contact data (name, address, e-mail address) provided by you when placing the order in order to inform you personally by suitable means of communication (e.g. by post or e-mail) about upcoming updates within the legally stipulated period of time within the framework of our statutory duty to inform pursuant to Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. c GDPR. Your contact details will be used strictly for the purpose of informing you about updates owed by us and will only be processed by us for this purpose to the extent that this is necessary for the respective information.

In order to process your order, we also work together with the following service provider(s), who support us in whole or in part in the execution of concluded contracts. Certain personal data is transferred to these service providers in accordance with the following information.

6.2 In order to fulfil our contractual obligations, we may use direct delivery by suppliers (drop shipping). For this purpose, we will pass on your name and delivery address to a supplier selected by us, solely for the purpose of delivering the goods, in accordance with Article 6 (1) point b of the GDPR.
Where the delivery involves goods that cannot be sent by parcel post (freight, bulky goods, etc.), and where prior coordination of a delivery date by telephone is required, we will also pass on your telephone number to the said supplier in accordance with Article 6 (1) point b of the GDPR.

6.3 - Anthropic Claude

We use software incorporating artificial intelligence from the following provider to provide our services: Anthropic Ireland Limited, 6th Floor, South Bank House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, D04 TR29, Ireland

Information provided by you within the scope of a contractual relationship may be entered into the provider's software in order to organize, analyze, aggregate, modify, evaluate, or process it for the purpose of delivering our services.

Information may also be transmitted to: Anthropic PBC, USA

The collection and further processing of this information are strictly limited to the purpose of contract fulfillment. Processing for the purpose of training or further developing the provider's AI language models is expressly prohibited.

Where the processing involves personal data, it is carried out based on our legitimate interest in structuring our services efficiently and making optimal use of available resources and technologies, in accordance with Art. 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. If the personal data belongs to third parties and you have entrusted us with its processing, such processing is secured through a data processing agreement concluded with us; this agreement specifies the measures taken to protect the data as well as your rights of control and access.

We have concluded an order processing agreement with the provider, that ensures the protection of personal data processed by the provider and prohibits unauthorized disclosure to third parties.

For the transfer of data to the USA, the provider relies on standard contractual clauses of the European Commission, which are meant to ensure compliance with the European level of data protection.

6.4 We reserve the right to forward your data to the debt collection service provider paywise GmbH; Hopfenstraße 8; 80335 München if our payment claim has not been settled despite a prior reminder. In such a case, the claim will be collected directly by the debt collection service provider.

The transfer of your data serves the purpose of contract performance pursuant to Art. 6 (1) point b GDPR, as well as the protection of our legitimate interests—which prevail following a balancing of interests—in the effective assertion or enforcement of our payment claim pursuant to Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR.

7) Retargeting/Remarketing/ Referral Advertising

Google Marketing Platform

This website uses the online marketing tool Google Marketing Platform of the operator Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, 4 Barrow St, Dublin, D04 E5W5, Ireland ("GMP").

GMP uses cookies to serve ads relevant to users, to improve campaign performance reports or to prevent a user from seeing the same ads more than once. Google uses a cookie ID to identify which ads are shown in which browser and to prevent them from being shown more than once.

In addition, GMP can use cookie IDs to record so-called conversions that relate to ad requests. This is the case, for example, when a user sees a GMP advertisement and later, using the same browser, calls up the advertiser's website and makes a purchase via this website. According to Google, GMP cookies contain no personal information.

Due to the marketing tools used, your browser automatically establishes a direct connection with the Google server. We have no influence on the scope and further use of the data collected by Google through the use of these tools and therefore inform you as follows according to our state of knowledge: By integrating GMP, Google receives the information that you have called up the corresponding part of our website or clicked on an advertisement from us. If you are registered with a Google service, Google can allocate the visit to your account. Even if you are not registered with Google or have not logged in, it is possible that the provider will find out and save your IP address. In the context of the use of GMP, personal data may also be transmitted to the servers of Google LLC. in the USA.

All processing described above, in particular the reading of information on the end device used, is only carried out if you have given us your express consent to do so in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point a GPDR. Without this consent, GMP will not be used during your visit to the site.

You can revoke your consent at any time with effect for the future. To exercise your revocation, please deactivate this service in the "Cookie Consent Tool" provided on the website.

For data transfers to the USA, the provider participates in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which ensures compliance with the European level of data protection on the basis of an adequacy decision by the European Commission.

You can obtain further information about the data protection regulations of GMP by Google at the following Internet addresses: https://policies.google.com/privacy?gl=de&hl=en and https://business.safety.google/privacy/

8) Site Functionalities

YouTube Videos

This website uses plugins to display and play videos from the following provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, 4 Barrow St, Dublin, D04 ESW5, Ireland

Data may also be transmitted to: Google LLC., USA.

When you call up a page of our website that contains such a plugin, your browser establishes a direct connection to the provider's servers to load the plugin. This involves certain information, including your IP address, being transmitted to the provider.

If the playback of embedded videos is started via the plugin, the provider also uses cookies to collect information about user behavior, to create playback statistics and to prevent abusive behavior.

If you are logged into a user account maintained by the provider during your visit to the site, your data will be directly assigned to your account when you click on a video. If you do not wish to have your data assigned to your account, you must log out before clicking on the play button.

All the above-mentioned processing, in particular the setting of cookies for reading out information on the end device used, only takes place if you have given us your express consent in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point a GDPR. You can revoke your consent at any time with effect for the future by deactivating this service via the "cookie consent tool" provided on the website.

For data transfers to the USA, the provider participates in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which ensures compliance with the European level of data protection on the basis of an adequacy decision by the European Commission.

9) Tools and Miscellaneous

This website uses a so-called "cookie consent tool" to obtain effective user consent for cookies and cookie-based applications that require consent. The "cookie consent tool" is displayed to users in the form of an interactive user interface when they access the page, on which consent for certain cookies and/or cookie-based applications can be given by ticking the appropriate box.

Using the tool, all cookies/services requiring consent are only loaded if the respective user provides the corresponding consent by ticking the corresponding box. This ensures that such cookies are only set on the respective end device of the user if consent has been granted.

The tool sets technically necessary cookies to save your cookie preferences. Personal user data is generally not processed.
If, in individual cases, personal data (such as the IP address) is processed for the purpose of storing, assigning or logging cookie settings, this is done in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR based on our legitimate interest in legally compliant, user-specific and user-friendly consent management for cookies and thus in a legally compliant design of our website.
Further legal basis for the processing is Art. 6 (1) point c GDPR. As the responsible party, we are subject to the legal obligation to make the use of technically unnecessary cookies dependent on the respective user consent.
Further information on the operator and the setting options of the cookie consent tool can be found directly in the corresponding user interface on our website.

10) Rights of the Data Subject

10.1 The applicable data protection law grants you the following comprehensive rights of data subjects (rights of information and intervention) vis-à-vis the data controller with regard to the processing of your personal data:

• Right of access by the data subject pursuant to Art. 15 GDPR;
• Right to rectification pursuant to Art. 16 GDPR;
• Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”) pursuant to Art. 17 GDPR;
• Right to restriction of processing pursuant to Art. 18 GDPR;
• Right to be informed pursuant to Art. 19 GDPR;
• Right to data portability pursuant to Art. 20 GDPR;
• Right to withdraw a given consent pursuant to Art. 7 (3) GDPR;
• Right to lodge a complaint pursuant to Art. 77 GDPR.

10.2 RIGHT TO OBJECT

IF, WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF A CONSIDERATION OF INTERESTS, WE PROCESS YOUR PERSONAL DATA ON THE BASIS OF OUR PREDOMINANT LEGITIMATE INTEREST, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT AT ANY TIME TO OBJECT TO THIS PROCESSING WITH EFFECT FOR THE FUTURE ON THE GROUNDS THAT ARISE FROM YOUR PARTICULAR SITUATION.

IF YOU EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO OBJECT, WE WILL STOP PROCESSING THE DATA CONCERNED. HOWEVER, WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO FURTHER PROCESSING IF WE CAN PROVE COMPELLING REASONS WORTHY OF PROTECTION FOR PROCESSING WHICH OUTWEIGH YOUR INTERESTS, FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS, OR IF THE PROCESSING SERVES TO ASSERT, EXERCISE OR DEFEND LEGAL CLAIMS.

IF WE PROCESS YOUR PERSONAL DATA FOR DIRECT MARKETING PURPOSES, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBJECT AT ANY TIME TO THE PROCESSING OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA WHICH ARE USED FOR DIRECT MARKETING PURPOSES. YOU MAY EXERCISE THE OBJECTION AS DESCRIBED ABOVE.

IF YOU EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO OBJECT, WE WILL STOP PROCESSING THE DATA CONCERNED FOR DIRECT ADVERTISING PURPOSES.

11) Duration of Storage of Personal Data

The duration of the storage of personal data is based on the respective legal basis, the purpose of processing and - if relevant – on the respective legal retention period (e.g. commercial and tax retention periods).

If personal data is processed on the basis of express consent pursuant to Art. 6 (1) point a GDPR, this data is stored until the data subject revokes his consent.

If there are legal storage periods for data that is processed within the framework of legal or similar obligations on the basis of Art. 6 (1) point b GDPR, this data will be routinely deleted after expiry of the storage periods if it is no longer necessary for the fulfillment of the contract or the initiation of the contract and/or if we no longer have a justified interest in further storage.

When processing personal data on the basis of Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR, this data is stored until the data subject exercises his right of objection in accordance with Art. 21 (1) GDPR, unless we can provide compelling grounds for processing worthy of protection which outweigh the interests, rights and freedoms of the data subject, or the processing serves to assert, exercise or defend legal claims.

If personal data is processed for the purpose of direct marketing based on Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR, this data is stored until the data subject exercises his right of objection pursuant to Art. 21 (2) GDPR.

Unless otherwise stated in the information contained in this declaration on specific processing situations, stored personal data will be deleted if it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected or otherwise processed.