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Privacy information

Präambel

This privacy policy is intended to inform you about the types of your personal data (hereinafter also referred to as “data”) we process, for what purposes, and to what extent. The privacy policy applies to all processing of personal data we carry out, both in the context of providing our services and in particular on our websites, in mobile applications, and within external online presences, such as our social media profiles (hereinafter collectively referred to as “online offering”).

The terms used are not gender-specific.

Last updated: February 5, 2026

Table of Contents

Controller

GEPACO – GENUINE PARTS COMPANY
Pognerstrasse 30
D-81379 MUNICH

Phone: 0049 (0)89 – 23719044
0049 (0)89 – 23719042
Fax: 0049 (0)89 – 23719041

Authorized Representatives: Hans Sieger

Email address: sales@gepaco.de

Imprint: https://gepaco.de/impressum/

Overview of Processing Operations

The following overview summarizes the types of data processed, the purposes of their processing, and refers to the data subjects.

Types of Data Processed

  • Inventory data.
  • Contact data.
  • Content data.
  • Usage data.
  • Meta, communication, and procedural data.
  • Log data.

Categories of Data Subjects

  • Communication partners.
  • Users.

Purposes of Processing

  • Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations.
  • Communication.
  • Security measures.
  • Direct marketing.
  • Organizational and administrative procedures.
  • Feedback.
  • Marketing.
  • Provision of our online offering and user-friendliness.
  • Information technology infrastructure.
  • Sales promotion.

Relevant Legal Bases

Relevant Legal Bases under the GDPR: Below you will find an overview of the legal bases of the GDPR on which we process personal data. Please note that in addition to the provisions of the GDPR, national data protection regulations may apply in your or our country of residence or domicile. Should more specific legal bases be relevant in individual cases, we will inform you of these in the privacy policy.

  • Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) – The data subject has given consent to the processing of their personal data for one or more specific purposes.
  • Performance of a Contract and Pre-contractual Measures (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR) – Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party or in order to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract.
  • Legitimate Interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) – Processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the controller or by a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require protection of personal data.

National Data Protection Regulations in Germany: In addition to the data protection regulations of the GDPR, national data protection regulations apply in Germany. This includes in particular the Federal Data Protection Act (Bundesdatenschutzgesetz – BDSG). The BDSG contains special provisions on the right to access, the right to erasure, the right to object, the processing of special categories of personal data, processing for other purposes, and transmission as well as automated individual decision-making, including profiling. Furthermore, state data protection laws of the individual federal states may apply.

Security Measures

In accordance with legal requirements and taking into account the state of the art, the costs of implementation, and the nature, scope, context, and purposes of processing as well as the risk of varying likelihood and severity for the rights and freedoms of natural persons, we implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk.

These measures include, in particular, safeguarding the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data by controlling physical and electronic access to the data as well as access to, input of, disclosure of, ensuring availability of, and segregation of the data. Furthermore, we have established procedures to ensure the exercise of data subjects’ rights, deletion of data, and responses to data threats. In addition, we take the protection of personal data into account as early as the development or selection of hardware, software, and procedures in accordance with the principle of data protection through technology design and through data protection-friendly default settings.

Securing Online Connections through TLS/SSL Encryption Technology (HTTPS): To protect users’ data transmitted via our online services from unauthorized access, we use TLS/SSL encryption technology. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) are the cornerstones of secure data transmission on the internet. These technologies encrypt the information transmitted between the website or app and the user’s browser (or between two servers), thereby protecting the data from unauthorized access. TLS, as the more advanced and secure version of SSL, ensures that all data transmissions meet the highest security standards. When a website is secured by an SSL/TLS certificate, this is indicated by the display of HTTPS in the URL. This serves as an indicator to users that their data is being transmitted securely and encrypted.

Transfer of Personal Data

In the course of our processing of personal data, it may occur that this data is transferred to or disclosed to other entities, companies, legally independent organizational units, or persons. Recipients of this data may include, for example, service providers commissioned with IT tasks or providers of services and content that are integrated into a website. In such cases, we comply with legal requirements and, in particular, conclude appropriate contracts or agreements that serve to protect your data with the recipients of your data.

Data Transfer within the Organization: We may transfer personal data to other departments or units within our organization or grant them access to it. If the data transfer is for administrative purposes, it is based on our legitimate business and operational interests or occurs if it is necessary to fulfill our contractual obligations or if consent from the data subjects or legal permission exists.

International Data Transfers

Data Processing in Third Countries: If we transfer data to a third country (i.e., outside the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA)) or if this occurs in the context of using third-party services or disclosing or transferring data to other persons, entities, or companies (which is evident from the postal address of the respective provider or if the privacy policy expressly refers to data transfers to third countries), this is always done in accordance with legal requirements.

For data transfers to the USA, we primarily rely on the Data Privacy Framework (DPF), which was recognized as a secure legal framework by an adequacy decision of the EU Commission dated July 10, 2023. Additionally, we have concluded standard contractual clauses with the respective providers that comply with the requirements of the EU Commission and establish contractual obligations to protect your data.

This dual safeguard ensures comprehensive protection of your data: The DPF forms the primary level of protection, while the standard contractual clauses serve as additional security. Should changes occur within the framework of the DPF, the standard contractual clauses act as a reliable fallback option. This ensures that your data remains adequately protected even in the event of political or legal changes.

For individual service providers, we inform you whether they are certified under the DPF and whether standard contractual clauses are in place. Further information on the DPF and a list of certified companies can be found on the website of the U.S. Department of Commerce at https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/ (in English).

For data transfers to other third countries, corresponding security measures apply, in particular standard contractual clauses, express consent, or legally required transfers. Information on third-country transfers and applicable adequacy decisions can be found in the information provided by the EU Commission: https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection_en?prefLang=de.

General Information on Data Storage and Deletion

We delete personal data that we process in accordance with legal provisions as soon as the underlying consent is revoked or there are no further legal bases for processing. This applies to cases in which the original purpose of processing ceases to apply or the data is no longer needed. Exceptions to this rule exist if legal obligations or special interests require longer retention or archiving of the data.

In particular, data that must be retained for commercial or tax law reasons or whose storage is necessary for legal prosecution or to protect the rights of other natural or legal persons must be archived accordingly.

Our privacy notices contain additional information on the retention and deletion of data that applies specifically to certain processing operations.

If multiple retention periods or deletion deadlines are specified for a piece of data, the longest period always applies. Data that is no longer retained for the originally intended purpose but due to legal requirements or other reasons is processed exclusively for the reasons that justify its retention.

Retention and Deletion of Data: The following general periods apply to retention and archiving under German law:

  • 10 Years – Retention period for books and records, annual financial statements, inventories, management reports, opening balance sheets, and the work instructions and other organizational documents required for their understanding (§ 147(1) No. 1 in conjunction with (3) AO, § 14b(1) UStG, § 257(1) No. 1 in conjunction with (4) HGB).
  • 8 Years – Accounting documents, such as invoices and cost receipts (§ 147(1) Nos. 4 and 4a in conjunction with (3) sentence 1 AO and § 257(1) No. 4 in conjunction with (4) HGB).
  • 6 Years – Other business documents: received commercial or business letters, copies of sent commercial or business letters, other documents insofar as they are relevant for taxation, e.g., time sheets, operating statements, cost calculations, price labels, but also payroll documents insofar as they are not already accounting documents and cash register receipts (§ 147(1) Nos. 2, 3, 5 in conjunction with (3) AO, § 257(1) Nos. 2 and 3 in conjunction with (4) HGB).
  • 3 Years – Data required to consider potential warranty and compensation claims or similar contractual claims and rights, as well as to process related inquiries, based on previous business experience and standard industry practices, is stored for the duration of the regular statutory limitation period of three years (§§ 195, 199 BGB).

Start of Period at Year-End: If a period does not expressly begin on a specific date and is at least one year, it automatically starts at the end of the calendar year in which the event triggering the period occurred. In the case of ongoing contractual relationships within which data is stored, the event triggering the period is the time when the termination becomes effective or the legal relationship otherwise ends.

Rights of Data Subjects

Rights of Data Subjects under the GDPR: As a data subject under the GDPR, you have various rights, which arise in particular from Articles 15 to 21 GDPR:

  • Right to Object: You have the right to object at any time, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to the processing of personal data concerning you which is based on Article 6(1)(e) or (f) GDPR; this also applies to profiling based on these provisions. If the personal data concerning you is processed for direct marketing purposes, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you for such marketing; this also applies to profiling insofar as it is related to such direct marketing.
  • Right to Withdraw Consent: You have the right to withdraw consent at any time.
  • Right of Access: You have the right to request confirmation as to whether data concerning you is being processed and to access this data as well as further information and a copy of the data in accordance with legal requirements.
  • Right to Rectification: In accordance with legal requirements, you have the right to request the completion of data concerning you or the rectification of inaccurate data concerning you.
  • Right to Erasure and Restriction of Processing: In accordance with legal requirements, you have the right to request that data concerning you be erased without delay, or alternatively, in accordance with legal requirements, to request restriction of the processing of the data.
  • Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive data concerning you that you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format in accordance with legal requirements, or to request its transmission to another controller.
  • Complaint to Supervisory Authority: Without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work, or place of the alleged infringement, if you consider that the processing of personal data concerning you infringes the provisions of the GDPR.

Provision of the Online Offering and Web Hosting

We process users’ data in order to provide them with our online services. For this purpose, we process the user’s IP address, which is necessary to transmit the content and functions of our online services to the user’s browser or device.

  • Types of Data Processed: Usage data (e.g., page views and dwell time, click paths, usage intensity and frequency, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and features); meta, communication, and procedural data (e.g., IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, persons involved). Log data (e.g., log files concerning logins or data retrieval or access times).
  • Data Subjects: Users (e.g., website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of Processing: Provision of our online offering and user-friendliness; information technology infrastructure (operation and provision of information systems and technical devices (computers, servers, etc.)); security measures. Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations.
  • Retention and Deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section “General Information on Data Storage and Deletion”.
  • Legal Bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).

Further Information on Processing Operations, Procedures, and Services:

  • Provision of Online Offering on Rented Storage Space: For the provision of our online offering, we use storage space, computing capacity, and software that we rent or otherwise obtain from a corresponding server provider (also called “web host”); Legal Bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).
  • Collection of Access Data and Log Files: Access to our online offering is logged in the form of so-called “server log files”. Server log files may include the address and name of the web pages and files accessed, date and time of access, data volumes transferred, notification of successful access, browser type and version, the user’s operating system, referrer URL (the previously visited page), and as a rule IP addresses and the requesting provider. The server log files can be used for security purposes, e.g., to avoid server overload (especially in the case of abusive attacks, so-called DDoS attacks), and to ensure server utilization and stability; Legal Bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). Deletion of Data: Log file information is stored for a maximum of 30 days and then deleted or anonymized. Data whose further retention is required for evidentiary purposes is exempt from deletion until the respective incident is finally resolved.
  • 1&1 IONOS: Services in the field of providing information technology infrastructure and related services (e.g., storage space and/or computing capacity); Service Provider: 1&1 IONOS SE, Elgendorfer Str. 57, 56410 Montabaur, Germany; Legal Bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR); Website: https://www.ionos.de; Privacy Policy: https://www.ionos.de/terms-gtc/terms-privacy. Data Processing Agreement: https://www.ionos.de/hilfe/datenschutz/allgemeine-informationen-zur-datenschutz-grundverordnung-dsgvo/vereinbarung-zur-auftragsverarbeitung-avv-mit-ionos-abschliessen/.

Contact and Inquiry Management

When contacting us (e.g., by post, contact form, email, telephone, or via social media) and in the context of existing user and business relationships, the information of the inquiring persons is processed insofar as this is necessary to respond to contact inquiries and any requested measures.

  • Types of Data Processed: Contact data (e.g., postal and email addresses or telephone numbers); content data (e.g., textual or pictorial messages and posts as well as information concerning them, such as information on authorship or time of creation). Meta, communication, and procedural data (e.g., IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, persons involved).
  • Data Subjects: Communication partners.
  • Purposes of Processing: Communication; organizational and administrative procedures; feedback (e.g., collecting feedback via online form). Provision of our online offering and user-friendliness.
  • Retention and Deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section “General Information on Data Storage and Deletion”.
  • Legal Bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). Performance of a contract and pre-contractual measures (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR).

Further Information on Processing Operations, Procedures, and Services:

  • Contact Form: When contacting us via our contact form, by email, or other means of communication, we process the personal data transmitted to us to respond to and handle the respective inquiry. This typically includes information such as name, contact information, and, if applicable, further information provided to us and necessary for appropriate handling. We use this data exclusively for the stated purpose of contact and communication; Legal Bases: Performance of a contract and pre-contractual measures (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR), legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).

Promotional Communication via Email, Post, Fax, or Telephone

We process personal data for the purposes of promotional communication, which may be carried out via various channels, such as email, telephone, post, or fax, in accordance with legal requirements.

Recipients have the right to withdraw consent at any time or to object to promotional communication at any time free of charge via the contact options mentioned above.

After withdrawal or objection, we store the data required to prove the previous authorization to contact or send communications for up to three years after the end of the year of withdrawal or objection based on our legitimate interests. The processing of this data is limited to the purpose of a possible defense against claims. Based on the legitimate interest in permanently observing the user’s withdrawal or objection, we also store the data necessary to avoid renewed contact (e.g., depending on the communication channel, the email address, telephone number, name).

  • Types of Data Processed: Inventory data (e.g., full name, residential address, contact information, customer number, etc.); contact data (e.g., postal and email addresses or telephone numbers). Content data (e.g., textual or pictorial messages and posts as well as information concerning them, such as information on authorship or time of creation).
  • Data Subjects: Communication partners.
  • Purposes of Processing: Direct marketing (e.g., by email or post); marketing. Sales promotion.
  • Retention and Deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section “General Information on Data Storage and Deletion”.
  • Legal Bases: Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).

Changes and Updates

We ask you to regularly inform yourself about the content of our privacy policy. We adapt the privacy policy as soon as changes to the data processing we carry out make this necessary. We will inform you as soon as the changes require your cooperation (e.g., consent) or other individual notification.

If we provide addresses and contact information of companies and organizations in this privacy policy, please note that addresses may change over time and please verify the information before contacting us.

Definitions of Terms

In this section, you will find an overview of the terms used in this privacy policy. Insofar as the terms are legally defined, their legal definitions apply. The following explanations are primarily intended to aid understanding.

  • Inventory Data: Inventory data includes essential information necessary for the identification and management of contractual partners, user accounts, profiles, and similar assignments. This data may include personal and demographic information such as names, contact information (addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses), dates of birth, and specific identifiers (user IDs). Inventory data forms the basis for any formal interaction between persons and services, institutions, or systems by enabling clear assignment and communication.
  • Content Data: Content data includes information generated in the course of creating, editing, and publishing content of all kinds. This category of data may include texts, images, videos, audio files, and other multimedia content published on various platforms and media. Content data is not limited to the actual content but also includes metadata that provides information about the content itself, such as tags, descriptions, author information, and publication dates.
  • Contact Data: Contact data is essential information that enables communication with persons or organizations. It includes telephone numbers, postal addresses, and email addresses, as well as means of communication such as social media handles and instant messaging identifiers.
  • Meta, Communication, and Procedural Data: Meta, communication, and procedural data are categories that contain information about how data is processed, transmitted, and managed. Metadata, also known as data about data, includes information that describes the context, origin, and structure of other data. It may include information on file size, creation date, author of a document, and change histories. Communication data captures the exchange of information between users via various channels, such as email traffic, call logs, messages on social networks, and chat histories, including the persons involved, timestamps, and transmission paths. Procedural data describes the processes and workflows within systems or organizations, including workflow documentation, logs of transactions and activities, as well as audit logs used to track and review operations.
  • Usage Data: Usage data refers to information that captures how users interact with digital products, services, or platforms. This data encompasses a wide range of information that shows how users use applications, which features they prefer, how long they stay on certain pages, and through which paths they navigate through an application. Usage data may also include frequency of use, timestamps of activities, IP addresses, device information, and location data. It is particularly valuable for analyzing user behavior, optimizing user experiences, personalizing content, and improving products or services. Furthermore, usage data plays a crucial role in identifying trends, preferences, and potential problem areas within digital offerings.
  • Personal Data: “Personal data” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter “data subject”); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier (e.g., cookie), or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural, or social identity of that natural person.
  • Log Data: Log data is information about events or activities that have been logged in a system or network. This data typically contains information such as timestamps, IP addresses, user actions, error messages, and other details about the use or operation of a system. Log data is often used to analyze system problems, for security monitoring, or to create performance reports.
  • Controller: “Controller” means the natural or legal person, public authority, agency, or other body which, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.
  • Processing: “Processing” means any operation or set of operations which is performed on personal data or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means. The term is broad and covers practically any handling of data, whether it is the collection, evaluation, storage, transmission, or deletion.

Created with the free privacy policy generator from Dr. Thomas Schwenke