1. Introduction and Overview
This Privacy Policy informs you in accordance with Art. 13 and 14 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR, EU 2016/679) and the German Telecommunications Digital Services Data Protection Act (TDDDG) about which personal data we process, for what purpose, and on what legal basis.
This policy applies to the website www.germaservice.de and all associated language versions (German, English, Japanese).
2. Data Controller
The party responsible for data processing on this website within the meaning of the GDPR is:
Name: Uwe Krämer
Business: GermaService
Address: Immermannstraße 27, 40210 Düsseldorf, Germany
Phone: +49 211 15879988
E-Mail: info@germaservice.de
Legal Notice: https://www.germaservice.de/impressum
If you have any questions about data protection, please contact the person listed above directly.
3. Legal Bases for Processing
We only process personal data when at least one of the following legal bases applies:
Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR – Consent: You have given us your explicit consent (e.g. cookie consent, contact form submission).
Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR – Contract performance: Processing is necessary to fulfil a contract with you or to take pre-contractual steps at your request (e.g. course registration).
Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR – Legal obligation: Processing is required to comply with a legal obligation (e.g. statutory retention periods for accounting records).
Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR – Legitimate interests: Processing is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided your fundamental rights do not override them (e.g. IT security, operation of the website).
4. Your Rights as a Data Subject
Under the GDPR you have the following rights:
Right of access (Art. 15 GDPR): You may request information about the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification (Art. 16 GDPR): You may request that inaccurate data be corrected.
Right to erasure (Art. 17 GDPR): You may request deletion of your data, unless statutory retention obligations apply.
Right to restriction (Art. 18 GDPR): You may request that we restrict processing of your data.
Right to data portability (Art. 20 GDPR): You may request your data in a commonly used, machine-readable format.
Right to object (Art. 21 GDPR): You may object to processing based on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR at any time.
Right to withdraw consent (Art. 7(3) GDPR): You may withdraw any consent you have given at any time with future effect.
Right to lodge a complaint (Art. 77 GDPR): You have the right to complain to a supervisory authority.
The competent supervisory authority for GermaService is:
State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information North Rhine-Westphalia (LDI NRW)
5. Web Hosting and Server Log Files
Data subjects: All visitors to the website
Data processed: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring URL, date and time of access
Purpose: Technical operation and security of the website
Retention period: Generally 14 days, then automatically deleted
Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interests)
When you visit our website, our web server automatically creates server log files containing technical access data. These are required to ensure the operation and IT security of the website. The data is not shared with third parties and is not combined with other data sources.
This website runs on WordPress. Please refer to the Cookies section below for further information.
6. Cookies and Consent Management
Our website uses cookies — small text files stored by your browser on your device. We distinguish between:
Technically necessary cookies: These are essential for the website to function and are set without your consent (§ 25(2) TDDDG).
Non-essential cookies: Cookies for analytics, marketing, or convenience features are only set with your explicit consent (§ 25(1) TDDDG, Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR).
On your first visit to our website, a cookie notice will appear allowing you to grant or decline consent. You can withdraw or adjust your consent at any time via your browser settings or our consent management tool.
Note: WordPress sets technically necessary cookies by default (e.g. session cookies). If plugins such as Google Analytics, contact forms, or social media integrations are used, these must be documented separately and require active consent.
7. Contact and Communication
Data subjects: All persons who contact us by phone, e-mail, or contact form
Data processed: Name, e-mail address, phone number, message content
Purpose: Processing your enquiry and handling the related business transaction
Retention period: Until the matter is resolved, then in accordance with statutory retention periods (generally 6–10 years for business correspondence)
Legal bases: Art. 6(1)(a) (consent), Art. 6(1)(b) (contract), Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interests)
When you contact us by e-mail, phone, or via our contact form, the data you provide will be used solely to process your enquiry. Data will not be passed on to third parties unless this is required to fulfil the contract.
8. Processing for Tax and Accounting Purposes
In connection with course registrations and invoicing, we process personal data (name, address) on the basis of Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR to comply with statutory retention obligations under § 147 of the German Fiscal Code (AO) — retention period: 10 years.
GermaService is exempt from value-added tax pursuant to § 4 No. 21 of the German VAT Act (UStG). No VAT is charged and no VAT identification number is processed.
9. Data Sharing and Third-Country Transfers
Your personal data will only be shared with third parties if:
– this is necessary to fulfil the contract (e.g. payment service providers),
– we are legally obliged to do so, or
– you have given your explicit consent.
We do not currently transfer personal data to third countries outside the EU/EEA. Should this change in the future, we will inform you separately and ensure appropriate safeguards in accordance with Art. 46 GDPR.
10. Objection to Advertising E-Mails
We hereby object to the use of contact data published as part of our legal notice obligation for the purpose of sending unsolicited advertising or informational materials. We reserve the right to take legal action in the event of unsolicited commercial communications, such as spam e-mails.
11. Updates to this Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy is current as of May 2026. We reserve the right to update this policy in response to changes in the legal framework or our data processing practices. The latest version will always be available on our website.
As of: May 2026 — GermaService, Uwe Krämer, Düsseldorf, Germany