PRIVACY POLICY - FRANCHISE POOL INTERNATIONAL

This is the privacy policy of Franchise Pool International e.K. (hereinafter "Franchise Pool International").

Franchise Pool International attaches great importance to the protection of your personal data. We process your personal data in accordance with the applicable data protection regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679, hereinafter "GDPR") and the Federal Data Protection Act.

In the following privacy policy we explain, among other things, which personal data we collect, for which purposes and on what basis. We do this on the basis of the different situations in which we process personal data. We may amend this Privacy Policy from time to time. We therefore recommend that you read the data protection regulations regularly. The Privacy Policy was last amended on 20 August 2021.

1. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROCESSING OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA

Franchise Pool International is a leading franchise consulting and brokerage firm. The websites of Franchise Pool International can be found at www.franchiseinternational.net (hereinafter referred to as "websites" or "websites"). 

The person responsible for all processing of personal data listed below is Rolf Kirst Franchise Pool International e.K., Wangerstr. 17 D-83365 Nussdorf (Germany), email: office@franchisepool.eu.

If you have any questions or comments about this privacy statement, you can contact Franchise Pool International’s email mentioned above.

2. WHAT PERSONAL DATA DOES THE FRANCHISE POOL INTERNATIONAL COLLECT AND FOR WHAT PURPOSES?

2.1 USE OF THE Franchise Pool International WEBSITE LOG FILES AND COOKIES

In order for the website to work, we need certain information. This information consists of your IP address (the number - minus the last 3 digits - of your computer, which makes it possible to recognize your computer), the type of browser (the computer program used to view Internet pages), the operating system you use and the pages you visit on our website. The legal basis for this is the execution of an agreement concluded with you as a result of your visit to the website, as well as the legitimate interest of Franchise Pool International and/or third parties to prevent fraud and other misuse of their services (art. 6 par. 1 subparagraph 1 letters c) and f) GDPR). We also use cookies and techniques that are comparable to cookies, such as link tracking. Through link tracking we recognize whether you open our e-mail messages and recognize you when you click on our website from our e-mails. We use cookies and similar techniques to improve the user-friendliness of our website and to secure the website, to optimize your use of our services, to personalize information for you, to recognize you on your next visit and to send you offers via other channels. The legal basis for the use of the personal data which we have obtained through cookies and comparable technologies is your consent in accordance with Art. 6 Paragraph 1 Subparagraph 1 lit. a) GDPR. You can revoke your consent at any time via the link "Cookie Information & Settings" at the bottom of the website.

2.2 SOCIAL MEDIA

Franchise Pool International can be found on various social media such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

If you follow Franchise Pool International via social media or communicate with or via Franchise Pool International via social media, we may gain access to a part of your public personal data. If you share information about Franchise Pool International via social media, your data may become visible via social media. Franchise Pool International also monitors the social media channels itself and in this way may gain access to data about you from the social media.

Franchise Pool International can track how often a particular post from Franchise Pool International is shared and "liked" via the social media in order to analyze the reach of the post. Franchise Pool International can also track whether and, if so, which notifications are available on the social media channels of complaint websites about Franchise Pool International. Within this framework, we process the following data so that we can optimize the content of our social media activities for our clients as much as possible.

• Profile information of the social medium concerned;
• The content viewed and posted and the reports related to Franchise Pool International
• Metadata stored in the platform.

The purpose of the processing is to analyze the scope of Franchise Pool International's social media activities and to improve their customer satisfaction. The basis for the processing is your consent, which may be revoked at any time with effect for the future, in accordance with article 6 paragraph 1, subparagraph 1 letter a) of the GDPR, and Franchise Pool International's legitimate interest in being able to improve its service and social media activities (article 6 paragraph 1, subparagraph 1 letter f) of the GDPR). This information can be added to your customer account if you are in contact with the Customer Contact Centre (KCC) via social media. The purpose of this processing is to process your request. The basis for this processing is the fulfilment of the contract with you.

If you take part in a Franchise Pool International competition via social media, we will process the following data, possibly together with one of our partners:

• Your name
• Your profile details in the relevant social media;
• Your e-mail address (in case of a digital prize);
• Your address (in case of a physical price);
• Your entry for the prize draw, including, if applicable, photographic and/or video material.

We use this data within the scope of the execution of the agreement concluded with you to contact you about the prize promotion and to be able to send you the prize. You can find out more about the social media cookies we use in our cookie guidelines.

2.8 CUSTOMER contact

When you contact Franchise Pool International, or when you use the services of Franchise Pool International we collect the information needed to process your request:

• Name, address and place of residence
• E-mail address
• Phone number
• Content of correspondence and notes of conversations
• Establishment of contact in the event of telephone contact
• Name, address and place of residence
• Form of address, if you have specified how you wish to be addressed
• If you contact us through the chat: also the referring website and the page you are on when you start the chat.

We use this information to fulfil the contract with you in order to be able to respond as well as possible to your complaint, enquiry or demand (Art. 6 Paragraph 1 Subparagraph 1 lit. b) GDPR). We store your question in order to be able to help you later and to analyze your customer satisfaction. The basis for this is Franchise Pool International's legitimate interest in improving its service (art. 6 par. 1 subparagraph 1 letter f) GDPR).

2.9 COMMUNICATION FROM FRANCHISE POOL INTERNATIONAL

E-MAIL

On the website you can subscribe to the regular e-mail newsletter of Franchise Pool International. The newsletter contains information about products, services and events of Franchise Pool International. The basis for this is your consent (art. 6 par. 1 subparagraph 1 letter a) GDPR). You can withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future. The newsletter is personalized through the use of cookies. The basis for the use of cookies is your consent, which may be revoked at any time with effect for the future (Art. 6 Paragraph 1 Subparagraph 1 lit. a) GDPR)..

The newsletters are personalized with the help of cookies and similar techniques such as link tracking. With the help of link tracking, we see whether you open our e-mails and recognize you when you click on the link from our e-mails to the website. This allows us to track what actions you take from the email and how efficient our newsletters are. The frequency of sending depends on your click behavior on the website and how often you open an email. The basis for the use of cookies and comparable technologies is a declaration of consent. The legal basis for this is your consent. This consent can always be withdrawn via "Cookie Information & Settings" at the bottom of the website.

2.11 EVENTS

When you register for a Franchise Pool International event (e.g. a Fridays for Franchising), we process - depending on the event - the information required for your participation in the event, such as

• Name
• Gender
• Address (optional)
• E-mail address
• Phone number
• Date of birth (optional)

We use this information to fulfil the agreement with you in order to process and facilitate your participation in the event (Art. 6 Paragraph 1 Subparagraph 1 lit. b) GDPR).

We also use your data for analysis and optimization purposes (without personal reference) to gain insight into the type of visitors to our events. The legal basis for this is a legitimate interest on the part of Franchise Pool International to develop marketing activities and improve the events (art. 6 par. 1 sub-paragraph 1 letter f) GDPR).

3. HOW LONG DO YOUR DATA REMAIN STORED?

Franchise Pool International does not retain personal data for longer than is necessary for the purposes for which they were collected or processed. Franchise Pool International will, if we are no longer required to retain certain data due to a statutory obligation, take into account various retention periods, depending on the purpose and category of the data as defined below.

Cookies

Franchise Pool International uses a maximum of six (6) months for cookies and similar techniques. (Personal) data collected by means of cookies, such as information about your internet usage, is stored for a maximum of six (6) months.

Newsletter

If you have subscribed to the Franchise Pool International newsletter, Franchise Pool International will store your details in order to be able to send the newsletter, until you indicate that you no longer wish to receive it. This can always be done
using the link at the bottom of each message. If you receive a newsletter from your membership, you can also unsubscribe from it in your account.

Customer Contact

When you contact Franchise Pool International Customer Service, your personal data will be stored by us for a maximum of twelve (12) months after the transaction has been completed.

Events

Details of the events for which you have registered will be stored for a maximum of 12 months.

Data relating to fraud and theft Franchise Pool International will keep your data relating to fraud and theft for a maximum period of five (5) years, exclusively if a report is made to the police. If you have any questions about Franchise Pool International's data retention policy, you can contact Franchise Pool International by sending an e-mail to datenschutz@FranchiseInternational.net.

4. TO WHOM DOES FRANCHISE POOL INTERNATIONAL PASS ON YOUR DATA?

Franchise Pool International may use the services of third parties to process your data in accordance with this privacy policy. These third parties will act as processors for Franchise Pool International and Franchise Pool International will ensure that these external parties provide sufficient guarantees with regard to technical and organizational measures. External parties who act as processors for Franchise Pool International have entered into a processing agreement with Franchise Pool International in which it is stated, among other things, that they will process your data exclusively on behalf of Franchise Pool International.

Because we have to carry out an agreement with you or if this should be necessary to keep agreements made with you, your data can also be passed on to third parties. In addition, we also forward your data to such other parties whose services we need to make use of within the scope of our services (e.g. lawyers or bailiffs).

Franchise Pool International can also offer services in cooperation with other parties. These parties may then be involved in the performance of a contract with you as independent processors or as joint processors with Franchise Pool International. You will always be informed of this at the moment you make use of such a service.

Otherwise, Franchise Pool International will only pass on data to third parties with your express consent or if Franchise Pool International is obliged to do so by law or regulation, if the use of the data is mandatory in the context of a legal dispute and/or if Franchise Pool International deems it necessary to protect its own interests and/or the interests of third parties.

5. DO WE PASS ON YOUR DATA TO OTHER COUNTRIES?

Franchise Pool International may use the services of third parties to process your data in accordance with this privacy policy. These parties may be based outside the European Union or they may use servers located outside the European Union, including in the United States. The level of data protection in these countries may be lower than in the European Union.

In order to protect your privacy, Franchise Pool International will only transfer your personal data to countries outside the European Union in accordance with the applicable rules for the transfer of personal data if the European Commission has decided that the third country ensures an adequate level of protection and/or if other appropriate guarantees are in place, such as an adequacy finding (for example the EU-VS Privacy Shield+ or the unchanged use of standard privacy clauses approved by the European Commission. You can find them here+.

6. HOW DO WE PROTECT YOUR PERSONAL DATA?

Franchise Pool International has taken appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against loss or any form of improper processing. For example, we use a firewall and have taken encryption measures to prevent unauthorized persons from gaining access to your data.

Our customer data is stored at locations that are both physically and technically secure. In addition, a record is kept of who has had access to user data. Only a limited group of employees has access to customer data based on their function. The employees who have access to the data are trained in advance and instructed on how to handle the data. They are also bound to secrecy.

Several times a year, a security check is carried out by external specialists in order to continue to guarantee the security of personal data. Any requirements that may arise from this are directly addressed, recorded and implemented.

7. WHAT HAPPENS IF THE COMPANY IS TAKEN OVER?

In the future, one or more parts of the assets of Franchise Pool International may be transferred to a third party or Franchise Pool International may merge with a third party. In this case, your personal data may also be transferred to this third party. Franchise Pool International will always inform you in advance in such a case.

8. WHAT ARE YOUR RIGHTS?

Insight and correction

If you want to know what personal data Franchise Pool International processes about you and for what purposes, you can contact
 Franchise Pool International via datenschutz@franchiseinternational.net You can also request that your data be amended or corrected. If you are under 16, such requests must be made by your parents (or legal representative). Franchise Pool International will respond to your request as soon as possible, but at the latest within four (4) weeks.

Complaint

You can at any time complain about the use of your personal data in direct marketing and/or the (further) receipt of (certain) marketing information by contacting Franchise Pool International datenschutz@franchiseinternational.de . In the e-mails or other messages that Franchise Pool International sends you, there is also a cancellation option. If you use this, you will no longer receive such messages. You cannot unsubscribe from necessary service messages.

You may also lodge a complaint against other forms of processing justified by Franchise Pool International on the basis of a legitimate interest. In most cases, these are forms of processing that are necessary in the context of good and secure management, in which Franchise Pool International has weighed the interests of its own company against your interest in protecting your data. If you believe that your personal circumstances outweigh Franchise Pool International's legitimate interest in the processing of your data, you can lodge a complaint about this by sending an e-mail to datenschutz@franchiseinternational.de .

Deletion

If you want Franchise Pool International to delete your personal data and/or your account, you can request this in an email to datenschutz@franchiseinternational.de . It is possible that some personal data will continue to be stored after Franchise Pool International has requested deletion, for example if this is necessary for the processing of orders that have been placed or if there is a legal obligation to store the data.

Restriction of processing

If you have legitimate reasons to request a restriction of processing, for example because you doubt the accuracy of the personal data processed by Franchise Pool International or you have objected to the processing of personal data by Franchise Pool International, you can request this by sending an e-mail to datenschutz@franchiseinternational.de .

Data transferability

If the processing of personal data by Franchise Pool International is based on your consent and is carried out by means of automated procedures, you have the right to request to receive the relevant personal data you have provided Franchise Pool International in a structured, common and machine-readable form. You can request this by e-mail to datenschutz@franchiseinternational.de .

Revocation of consent

If processing of personal data is based on your (explicit) consent, you have the right to revoke this consent at any time, the legality of the processing carried out on the basis of the consent until revocation is not affected.

Complaints

If you have a complaint about the use of your personal data by Franchise Pool International, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, such as the Data Protection Authority.

9. THIRD PARTY WEBSITES

The website may contain hyperlinks to third party websites. Franchise Pool International has no control over the third-party websites to which links are provided. It is therefore possible that a different privacy policy may apply to the use of these third-party websites. This privacy policy only applies to personal data collected by Franchise Pool International. Franchise Pool International accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever for (the function and/or content of) third party websites.

Status: August 2021