Cookies & Privacy Policy

Declaration on the duty to provide information
(Data Privacy Policy)

The privacy of your personal data is important to us. We therefore process your data exclusively on the basis of statutory provisions (GDPR). This privacy policy is to inform you about the most important aspects of data processing on our website.

Your rights

You always have a right of access as well as a right to rectification, erasure, restriction, data portability, revocation and objection. If you believe that the processing of your data violates data protection law or that your data protection entitlements have been violated in some other way, you can complain to the supervisory authority. In Belgium, the data protection authority is called Privacycommissie.

Contact options

If you contact us through a form on our website, by phone or by email, the data you provide will be stored by us for the purpose of processing your enquiry or request and for the event of follow-up questions. These data will not be passed on to third parties without your consent.

Information about the use of cookies

The following technologies are used on this website:

Certain information is gathered depending on your web browser settings. These are automatically sent by your browser to the website operator using a cookie when you visit this website. This information usually concerns your computer assigned IP address as well as the type of operating system and browser installed.

A cookie is a small text file that is stored on the hard drive of your computer by a web server. A distinction is made between ‘session cookies’ and ‘permanent cookies’.

Session cookies: A session cookie is applied with every visit to this website. A randomly generated, unique identification number is assigned to your computer therein. The validity of a session cookie automatically expires when you close the browser. The session cookies are used to support the functionality of the website and to find out more about your usage of the website, i.e. which pages you visit, which links you use and how long you spend on each page.

Permanent cookies: Provided that it is permitted, permanent cookies will be applied. These cookies do not expire when you close your browser, but rather remain on the hard drive until they expire after a specified time span or are deleted. The web server identifies the permanent cookie stored on the hard drive of your computer every time you visit this website. By issuing such a permanent, unique identifier for your computer, preferential settings and your usage patterns can be stored in a database. Furthermore, it is possible to determine how frequently you visit this website, how your user habits change and how effective the promotional activities of the website are. No personal data is contained in this information, but rather only the actions you make on your computer.

If you access the website via an email that was sent to you, or a ‘user identity’ was created during one of your visits, the information provided by the website or third-party cookies is linked to any information in the data records of the website provider, from which conclusions can be drawn about your identity.

Consent to the use of cookies: Your prior consent is not required for session cookies as they are necessary for the functioning of the website and expire as soon as you leave the site. The use of permanent cookies, which store your preferred settings as well as your usage patterns, that are not exactly necessary for the functioning of the website, requires your prior consent. By using the website, you agree to the use of permanent cookies, provided that you have not prevented the installation of cookies by changing the settings on your computer. This is also applicable to third-party cookies.

Web beacons: The website may contain pixel graphics. These are called ‘web beacons’, ‘single-pixel GIFs’ or ‘clear GIFs’. Third-parties can use web beacons in order to learn more about the behaviour of visitors to their website and measure the impact of promotional activities. Web beacons may also be used in promotional emails to determine whether they have actually been opened and user activity triggered. The information contained in web beacons is only linked to your personal data with your prior consent. By clicking on a link in promotional emails, which are sent to you with your consent, you agree to the use of web beacons, provided that you have not prevented the installation of web beacons by changing the settings on your computer.

Cookies used currently on the website (current status of our cookie use, its purpose, its impact on privacy as well as its permanence):

  • Session ID: The web server may generate session cookies that are necessary for the use of certain interactive elements of the website (e.g. contact forms or login). The cookie contains a session ID, by which your visit is distinguished from those of other users, which visit the website at the same time. Session cookies are regarded as necessary for the use of the website and do not require your consent.
  • Analytics: The website uses Google Analytics. Google Analytics creates several first-party cookies, with which it is ensured that each successive visit to the website can be assigned to the same (unique) visitor. The manner in which you came across the page can also be established.
  • Website navigation: The content management tool creates several first-party cookies. These refer to session cookies that are deleted as soon as you close your browser. These cookies enable the proper functioning of our website. This data is aggregated and can be assigned to any person. Based on the data that is collected using these first-party cookies, reports are generated in an aggregated form, which provide information on how visitors get to the website and use this. Findings on general user behaviour can be obtained using these reports. These findings are used to update and improve the website.
  • Third-party cookies: Third-party cookies are cookies applied by partners. If it is permitted for these partners to embed a cookie on a page of the website, the website provider indicates the guidelines and clarifies the fact that the collection of information using such cookies requires the consent of the user. You can refuse such consent by changing your computer settings. Cookies from advertising partners are used and external content from third parties is embedded in the website. This refers to cookies belonging to the domain of the third party and thus can only be viewed and managed by the third party. These third parties include, amongst others, Facebook and Twitter, whose cookie policy can be viewed on their corresponding websites. Furthermore, the Google-Maps tool as well as the ‘Like’ plug-in of Facebook is used. In the context of this, the privacy policies of these providers apply. The website provider has no direct control over the content of the cookies that these plug-ins generate.
  • Miscellaneous: Occasionally, other services are tested that may apply cookies onto your computer. In this case, the relevant manner of use is listed here.

Changing your cookie preferences
Configuring your Internet browser is a free and effective way to manage cookies. You have the following possibilities:

  • Allow the use of all cookies that are integrated in the pages and content you invoke.
    Note: These cookies can only be read by their issuer on the one hand. On the other hand, this process is not definitive. You can deactivate cookies anytime later on (the management of cookies depends on your Internet browser; see corresponding instructions).
  • Disable the use of cookies on your device. In this case, the navigation can become impaired. Certain functions require cookies (so it is possible, for example, that your operating system is not recognized or the expected language is not displayed). The website operator does not accept any responsibility for inconveniences due to possible malfunctions of the services should the necessary cookies be unavailable.
  • Set your browser so that you are asked for consent before the installation of new cookies on your device.

The type of cookie management depends on your browser. More instructions for use can be found here:

Server log files

For technical reasons the following details will be sent to us or our web space provider from your browser. (Browser including version, operating system, website with the link to our site, pages visited, date and time of access and IP address) These anonymous data are stored separately from personal data and cannot be traced back to a specific person. They will be used to generate statistical evaluations.

Newsletter

You have the option of subscribing to our newsletter via the website. To do so, you will need to give us your email address and a statement that you agree to receive this newsletter. We use this newsletter to provide you with regular updates about our latest offers. We apply a double opt-in procedure to check whether you have really subscribed to the newsletter. Upon subscription, our system stores the IP address and date of the subscription, so that we can meet our duty of information in the event of abuse. All collected data will be used exclusively for sending the newsletter. The form of address, name and language have the purpose of personalising and localising our newsletter. You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time via the relevant link in each issue or by sending us an email. We will then immediately delete any of your data associated with the sending of our newsletter.

Web analysis

Our website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. Cookies are used for this purpose, making it possible to analyse the way in which users use our website. The resulting data are sent to a Google Analytics server in the USA and are stored there. You can prevent this by setting your browser so that no cookies are stored. We have concluded a contract data processing agreement with this service provider. We use Google Analytics with the IP anonymisation function, which truncates and anonymises your IP address. Our relationship with this web analysis company is based on an adequacy decision by the European Commission, known as a Privacy Shield in the case of Google. Data processing is carried out as stipulated by the Section 96 (3), and the GDPR, Article 6 (1a) (consent) and/or Article 6 (1f) (legitimate interests). The matter that concerns us with regard to the GDPR (legitimate interests) is the improvement of our website and its contents. User data are stored for a period of 26 months. If you wish to opt out of Google Analytics, Google provides a Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en

Remarketing

Our website uses the remarketing functions of Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. This enables us to provide visitors to our websites with targeted, personalised and interest-related advertising. The adverts are shown on the basis of a cookie-generated analysis which reflects previous usage and surfing patterns. No personal data are saved. For this purpose, a cookie is stored that collects anonymised data reflecting the interests of users and customising the advertising accordingly. You can permanently refuse the use of cookies for retargeting purposes by disabling all interest-based Google advertising via this link: https://www.google.com/settings/ads/onweb/

Facebook Pixel

With your consent, we use Facebook’s visitor action pixel, operated by Facebook Inc., 1601 S. California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA (“Facebook”), on our website. It enables us to track user activity after they have viewed or clicked on a Facebook advert. This allows us to track the effectiveness of Facebook advertising for statistical and market research purposes. The data collected in this way are anonymous, that is, we cannot see the personal data of individual users. However, these data are stored and processed by Facebook, and we will inform you about this according to our current knowledge. Facebook may combine such data with your Facebook account and use them for its own advertising purposes, in accordance with Facebook’s data privacy policy https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/. This can enable Facebook and its partner companies to display adverts both on and outside of Facebook. Facebook can also save a cookie to your computer for such purposes.

Facebook

Our website uses several plug-ins provided by Facebook – Facebook Inc., 1601 S. California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. You will recognise such a plug-in by the blue ‘F’ for Facebook or the word ‘Facebook’ displayed on it. When you visit our website, this plug-in establishes a connection to Facebook servers and sends data. The information you view is sent by the servers directly to your browser and is displayed there, while the information about your visit to our website is also sent to Facebook. When you are logged onto Facebook, the information that is sent in this way can be directly matched up with your account. Whenever you interact with a plug-in function – e.g. when you click the ‘Like’ button – your browser sends this information directly to Facebook, where it is then stored. Subsequent further processing of this information is within Facebook’s responsibility, and you will find the relevant terms and setting options in the Facebook data privacy statement. If you want to prevent your personal data from being transmitted to Facebook, make sure you log out of Facebook before visiting our website.

Data saved when booking online

Please note that in order to conduct an online booking and so that we can then manage the contract within the online booking system, we store the visitor’s cookies and IP data as well as the data of the relevant connection owner provided when booking online. In addition, we store all the booking data required for contract management. The data you have provided are necessary for contractual performance and/or for the implementation of pre-contractual activities. Unless we have these data, we cannot conclude the contract with you. Data will not be transmitted to third parties, with the exception of the relevant channel manager, hotel programme and/or the transmission of credit card details to the processing bank or payment service to collect payment for the online booking, and also with the exception of our accountants for the fulfilment of our tax obligations. If the online booking is cancelled without being concluded, the data we have stored will be erased. If an online booking is carried out successfully, all the data arising from the contractual relationship will be stored until the expiry of the retention period under tax law (7 years). Data processing is carried out on the basis of the Section 96 (3), and the GDPR, Article 6 (1a) (consent) and/or Article 6 (1b) (processing necessary for the performance of a contract).

Google Maps

Our website uses the functions of the map provider Google Maps, a division of Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. Google Maps places a cookie on your computer in order to collect and process user settings and data. If you wish to prevent the transmission of data to Google, you need to disable the JavaScript function in your browser. However, this limits the usability of Google Maps. Click here for the Google Terms of Service: https://policies.google.com/terms

GoogleFonts

Our website uses certain fonts from the Google Fonts Service, a division of Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. We need this service in order to display the font we have used. The font is called up from the Google server and then loaded into the browser cache. When downloading the font, your IP address and details of the website you visit are sent to Google. Click here for further details. Google Fonts: https://developers.google.com/fonts/faq Google Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy

YouTube videos

Our website uses the functions of the video portal YouTube, a division of Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. Whenever a webpage with a YouTube video is accessed, a link to the YouTube (Google) servers is created. The minimum data sent to Google is your IP address. To prevent personal data from being sent to Google, you will need to log out of your Google account before visiting our website. Further details can be found in the YouTube Privacy Guidelines: https://www.youtube.com/t/privacy_guidelines

Privacy statement for the use of Twitter

Twitter functions are integrated into our web pages. These functions are offered by Twitter Inc., 795 Folsom Street, Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA. By using Twitter and the Retweet feature, websites you visit are linked to your Twitter account and shared with other users. This data is also transmitted to Twitter. Please note that we as website providers have no knowledge of the content of the transmitted data or their use by Twitter. For details, please see Twitter’s privacy policy at https://twitter.com/en/privacy. You can change your privacy settings on Twitter in the account settings at twitter.com/account/settings

Information on Online Dispute Resolution

The EU Commission offers the option of online dispute resolution via a platform it runs (the so-called ODR Platform). The ODR platform can be used for out-of-court settlement of disputes over online purchase contracts and service contracts. The platform is available via the following external link: http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/.

Updates to this Data Privacy Policy

We regularly update this Data Privacy Policy. Should you have any questions on our Data Privacy Policy, please contact the following person:

Contact for data privacy issues:

BOTANIC SANCTUARY ANTWERP . 2000 Antwerpen . Belgium
info@botanicantwerp.com
T +32 3 269 00 00