At Daniel Kasparek (operating online at qgnixd.com and from our physical location at Bergstraße 159, 45770 Marl, Germany), we are committed to protecting your privacy and complying with applicable data protection laws, including the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Germany’s Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG-neu). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect personal data (information that identifies or can be used to identify you) when you interact with our services—whether you shop on our website, contact our customer support, visit our physical location, or engage with us on social media.

By using our website, placing an order, or sharing your information with us, you consent to the practices described in this policy.

1. What Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary to provide and improve our services, fulfill orders, and communicate with you. The types of data we collect depend on how you interact with us:

A. Data Collected When You Shop Online (qgnixd.com)

  • Order & Account Information: Full name, email address (e.g., service@qgnixd.com for business inquiries, or your personal email for orders), phone number, shipping address, billing address, and payment details (e.g., credit card information—note: we do not store full payment details; these are processed securely by our third-party payment providers, such as PayPal or Stripe).
  • Browsing & Usage Data: IP address, browser type (e.g., Chrome, Safari), device information (e.g., smartphone, laptop model), pages visited on qgnixd.com, time spent on each page, and search queries (collected via cookies and similar tracking technologies—see Section 4 for details).
  • Child-Related Information: If you purchase toys for a child, we may collect the child’s age (to recommend age-appropriate products) or first name (for gift personalization). We never collect sensitive information about children (e.g., health records, school details) without explicit parental consent, and we do not use child data for marketing purposes.

B. Data Collected When You Contact Us

  • Support Inquiries: When you email (service@qgnixd.com or partnerships@qgnixd.com), call (+49 (0)2365 123 4567), or leave a voicemail, we collect your name, contact information, and details of your inquiry (e.g., order number, question about a toy).
  • Appointment Requests: For in-person visits to our Marl location, we collect your name, email, phone number, and purpose of your visit (e.g., “view toddler toys for a preschool”).

C. Data Collected From In-Person Interactions

  • If you visit our physical location (by appointment), we may collect your name and contact information (to confirm your appointment) or details of any in-person purchases (e.g., billing address for receipts).
  • We do not use cameras or facial recognition technology at our location without prior notice and consent.

D. Data Collected From Social Media

  • If you follow or interact with us on Instagram (@DanielKasparekToys) or Facebook (Daniel Kasparek – Kids’ Toys & Playtime Essentials), we may collect publicly available information (e.g., your username, comments, or shared posts) only if you tag us or send a direct message. We do not access private data from social media platforms without your permission.

2. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use your personal data for specific, legitimate purposes that align with our business operations and your needs. We will never use your data for unrelated purposes without your explicit consent. Key uses include:

  • Fulfilling Orders: To process, package, and ship your online or in-person purchases; communicate order status (e.g., shipping confirmations); and handle returns or refunds.
  • Customer Support: To respond to your inquiries (e.g., answering questions about toy safety, resolving order issues) and provide personalized assistance.
  • Improving Our Services: To analyze browsing and purchase data (in aggregated, non-identifiable form) to enhance qgnixd.com’s functionality, update our toy collection (e.g., prioritizing popular items), and optimize the user experience (e.g., simplifying checkout).
  • Marketing (With Consent): To send you updates about new Daniel Kasparek products, special offers (e.g., holiday discounts on children’s toys), or community events (e.g., playdays in Marl)—only if you have opted in to receive marketing communications. You can unsubscribe at any time (see Section 6).
  • Compliance & Security: To comply with legal obligations (e.g., tax records, consumer protection laws) and protect our business and customers from fraud (e.g., verifying payment details to prevent unauthorized transactions).
  • Child Safety: To ensure we recommend age-appropriate toys and avoid sharing child-related data with third parties (see Section 3).

3. Who We Share Your Data With

We do not sell or rent your personal data to third parties for marketing purposes. We only share data with trusted partners who assist us in providing our services, and we require these partners to comply with data protection laws and protect your information. Key recipients include:

  • Payment Processors: Third-party providers (e.g., PayPal, Stripe) who process your payment details securely. These providers do not store or use your data for any purpose other than processing payments.
  • Shipping Carriers: Companies like DHL, La Poste, or DPD, who need your shipping address to deliver your orders. We only share the minimum data required (e.g., name, address) to complete delivery.
  • IT & Website Providers: Partners who host qgnixd.com (e.g., web hosting services) or provide analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics) to help us improve our website. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data.
  • Legal & Regulatory Authorities: We may share data if required by law (e.g., responding to a court order) or to protect public safety (e.g., reporting fraud).

We never share child-related data with third parties unless required by law or to ensure the safety of the child.

4. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies (small text files stored on your device) and similar technologies (e.g., web beacons) to enhance your experience on qgnixd.com. Cookies help us:

  • Remember your login details (if you create an account) to avoid re-entering information.
  • Track items in your shopping cart.
  • Analyze how users interact with our website (e.g., which pages are most visited) to improve functionality.

We use two types of cookies:

  • Necessary Cookies: Required for qgnixd.com to work properly (e.g., cookies for shopping cart functionality). These cannot be disabled without breaking the website.
  • Non-Necessary Cookies: Used for analytics and marketing (e.g., cookies to track how you found our website). You can opt out of these cookies via your browser settings or our cookie consent banner (which appears when you first visit qgnixd.com).

To manage cookies, you can adjust your browser preferences (e.g., in Chrome, go to “Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data”). Note that disabling non-necessary cookies may limit some features of our website.

5. How We Protect Your Data

We take robust measures to safeguard your personal data from unauthorized access, loss, or misuse. These include:

  • Technical Security: Encryption of data transmitted between your device and qgnixd.com (using HTTPS); secure storage of data on servers with firewalls; and regular updates to our website and IT systems to address vulnerabilities.
  • Organizational Security: Training our team on data protection best practices; limiting access to personal data (only employees who need it to perform their roles can access it); and requiring strong passwords for internal systems.
  • Data Retention: We only keep your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected. For example:
  • Order data is retained for 7 years (to comply with tax and legal obligations).
  • Marketing data is retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
  • Child-related data is deleted once the purpose of collection is fulfilled (e.g., after recommending an age-appropriate toy).

After the retention period, we securely delete or anonymize your data so it can no longer identify you.

6. Your Data Protection Rights

Under GDPR and BDSG-neu, you have the following rights regarding your personal data. We make it easy to exercise these rights at any time:

  • Right to Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (e.g., your order history, contact information).
  • Right to Correction: Ask us to update or correct inaccurate data (e.g., a wrong shipping address).
  • Right to Erasure (“Right to Be Forgotten”): Request that we delete your personal data, provided we are not required by law to keep it (e.g., tax records).
  • Right to Restrict Processing: Ask us to stop using your data (e.g., pausing marketing communications) without deleting it.
  • Right to Data Portability: Request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format (e.g., to transfer it to another retailer).
  • Right to Object: Object to our use of your data for specific purposes (e.g., marketing or analytics).

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at:

  • Email: service@qgnixd.com (subject line: “Data Protection Request – [Your Name]”)
  • Mail: Daniel Kasparek, Attn: Data Protection Officer, Bergstraße 159, 45770 Marl, Germany

We will respond to your request within 1 month (and may extend this by 2 months for complex requests, with prior notice). We do not charge a fee for standard requests, but we may charge a reasonable fee for excessive or repeated requests.

If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with Germany’s data protection authority: Der Landesbeauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit Nordrhein-Westfalen (LfDI NRW).

7. Special Notes for Parents & Guardians

Since we sell children’s toys, we recognize the importance of protecting children’s privacy. We do not intentionally collect personal data from children under the age of 16 without the consent of a parent or legal guardian. If you believe we have collected data from a child without your consent, please contact us immediately at service@qgnixd.com, and we will delete the data promptly.

8. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in data protection laws, our business practices, or services (e.g., adding new features to qgnixd.com). When we make changes, we will:

  • Update the “Last Updated” date at the top of the policy.
  • Notify you via email (if you have opted in to communications) or post a notice on qgnixd.com.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your data.

9. Contact Us About Privacy

If you have questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact our Data Protection Officer:

  • Email: service@qgnixd.com (subject line: “Privacy Inquiry – [Your Name]”)
  • Phone: +49 (0)2365 123 4567 (Monday–Friday, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM CET)
  • Mail: Daniel Kasparek, Attn: Data Protection Officer, Bergstraße 159, 45770 Marl, Germany

We are committed to addressing your privacy concerns promptly and transparently.