Privacy Policy

PERSONAL DATA PROCESSING PRINCIPLES (GDPR)

The operator of the online store/website Vet Choice s.r.o., with its registered office at Nad Podbabskou Skalou 350/17, Lysolaje, 165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic, Identification No.: 21803021 / Tax Identification No.: CZ21803021, registered in the Commercial Register maintained by the Municipal Court in Prague (hereinafter referred to as the "Controller" or "Operator"), hereby informs its customers and website visitors about the method and scope of personal data processing in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (hereinafter referred to as "GDPR").

1. Basic Terms

Data Subject: The natural person to whom personal data relates (here, mainly the buyer, website visitor).

Personal Data Controller: The entity that determines the purposes and means of personal data processing (here, Vet Choice s.r.o.).

Personal Data Processor: The entity that processes personal data on behalf of the Controller (e.g., accounting company, courier service).

2. Consent to Personal Data Processing

The Data Subject agrees to the processing of personal data by the Controller to the extent specified below. The operator of the website www.vet-choice.com is responsible for processing personal data in accordance with the GDPR.

3. Processed Personal Data

The Operator processes the following categories of personal data:

Identification and Contact Data: Name, surname, address (street and house number, postal code, city), email address (info@vet-choice.com), telephone contact.

Payment Data: Data related to payments (e.g., bank account number – in case of refunds, etc.).

Website Behavior Data: Information about interactions with websites, IP address, browser type, operating system, visited pages, and time spent on them.

Order Data: Order history, complaints, invoicing.

Cookies: Further information about cookies can be found below in a separate section.

4. Purpose of Personal Data Processing

Your personal data is processed for the following purposes:

Performance of the Contract (Purchase Agreement): Processing orders, contacting the customer regarding the order, issuing tax documents, recording complaints, ensuring payment and delivery processes, mutual correspondence (electronic, physical).

Fulfillment of Legal Obligation: Maintaining accounting records, GDPR agenda, fulfilling obligations arising from tax and other legal regulations.

Handling Inquiries and Communication: Processing inquiries, suggestions, and complaints sent via the contact form or email.

Providing Current Information (Direct Marketing): Sending information about news, promotions, and special offers from the e-shop (newsletters). This processing takes place based on your consent, or in the case of existing customers, based on legitimate interest.

Facilitating the Purchase Process and Customer Account Management: When registering a customer account on www.vet-choice.com for more convenient shopping and access to order history.

Improving Services and Website: Analyzing user behavior to optimize the website and product offerings.

5. Personal Data Retention Period

Personal data is retained only for the period strictly necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected, and in accordance with applicable legal regulations. After this period, personal data is securely disposed of.

Performance of the Contract: Data is retained for the period necessary to perform the contract and for the duration of warranty and complaint periods (e.g., 2 years for asserting rights from defective performance, or according to the extended warranty period).

Fulfillment of Legal Obligation: Data is retained for the period required by applicable legal regulations, typically 10 years from the end of the relevant accounting period (e.g., Accounting Act, tax regulations).

Handling Inquiries: We retain data for the period necessary to process and handle the inquiry, but for a maximum of 1 year from the close of communication, unless another legal or contractual relationship arises.

Providing Current Information (Newsletters): Until the Data Subject revokes consent. If the customer withdraws consent, the data for this purpose must be immediately deleted, unless it is necessary to retain it for another legal purpose.

Simplification of the Purchase Process (Customer Account): For the duration of the customer account. If the customer requests account cancellation, the data must be deleted within 30 days of the request being processed, with the exception of data that must be retained for fulfilling legal obligations.

6. Legal Basis for Personal Data Processing

The processing of your personal data takes place on the basis of one of the following legal titles:

Performance of a Contract: Processing is necessary for the performance of a purchase agreement concluded between the Controller and the Data Subject (order processing, goods delivery, communication related to the order).

Legal Obligation: Processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the Controller is subject (e.g., maintaining accounting records, tax regulations, GDPR obligations).

Legitimate Interest: 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. Legitimate interests may include:

• Ensuring communication with customers and handling their inquiries.

• Direct marketing (sending commercial communications to existing customers regarding similar products or services they have purchased, in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR). You always have the option to unsubscribe.
  Consent of the Data Subject: If processing is not based on the performance of a contract, legal obligation, or legitimate interest, your explicit consent is required. This applies especially to direct marketing purposes (sending newsletters), if there is no legitimate interest, or for certain types of cookies. You can withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the unsubscribe button in each newsletter or by sending a request to the email info@vet-choice.com. The withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent granted before its withdrawal.

7. Recipients and Processors of Personal Data

The Controller does not transfer your personal data to any third parties, with the exception of the following categories of recipients and processors, with whom it has concluded appropriate personal data processing agreements that ensure the protection of your data:

• Internal employees of Vet Choice s.r.o.: Those who need access to data to fulfill their work duties (e.g., order dispatch, customer support).

• IT service providers: Companies ensuring the technical operation of the online store/website, server and database management.

• Accounting company: For fulfilling legal obligations in the area of accounting and taxes.

• Courier and shipping companies: For goods delivery (e.g., Czech Post, PPL, Zásilkovna, etc.).

• Payment gateway providers: For processing online payments (e.g., ThePay, GoPay, ComGate, etc.).

• Analytical and marketing tools: Companies such as Google (Google Analytics, Google Ads) for traffic analysis and targeted advertising, but always with regard to your cookie consent settings.

• State authorities and institutions: If required by legal regulations (e.g., courts, law enforcement agencies).
  We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal data to other third parties beyond what is stated above, except where we have your consent or are required to do so by law.

8. Transfer of Personal Data to Third Countries

When using certain services (e.g., Google Analytics, Google Ads), personal data may be transferred to third countries outside the European Union (especially to the USA). In such cases, the Controller ensures that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect personal data in accordance with the GDPR, such as standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission or other mechanisms recognized by the GDPR.

9. Embedded Content from Other Websites

Articles on this website may contain embedded content (e.g., videos from YouTube, images from Instagram, articles from external sources, etc.). Embedded content from other websites is treated in the same way as if the visitor had visited the external website directly. These external websites may collect your personal data, use cookies, embed third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with the embedded content, even if you have an account on that website and are logged in. We recommend familiarizing yourself with their privacy policies.

10. Data Subject Rights

As a Data Subject, you have the following rights regarding the processing of your personal data, which are governed by Chapter 3 of the GDPR:

Right of Access to Personal Data: You have the right to obtain confirmation as to whether or not personal data concerning you are being processed, and to obtain a copy of such data.

Right to Rectification: You have the right to request that the Controller rectify inaccurate personal data concerning you without undue delay, or to have incomplete personal data completed.

Right to Erasure ("Right to Be Forgotten"): You have the right to request that the Controller erase personal data concerning you without undue delay if one of the grounds specified in the GDPR applies (e.g., the data is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, you withdraw consent and there is no other legal basis for processing, you object to the processing and there are no overriding legitimate grounds for the processing).

Right to Restriction of Processing: You have the right to request that the Controller restrict the processing of your personal data if you contest the accuracy of the personal data, the processing is unlawful, the Controller no longer needs the personal data for the purposes of the processing but you require them for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims, or you have objected to processing.

Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive the personal data concerning you, which you have provided to the Controller, in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and have the right to transmit those data to another controller without hindrance from the Controller, where the processing is based on consent or on a contract and is carried out by automated means.

Right to Object: You have the right to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, at any time to processing of personal data concerning you which is based on the legitimate interest of the Controller (including profiling). In the case of an objection to processing for direct marketing purposes, the personal data shall no longer be processed for such purposes.

Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. The withdrawal of consent shall not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

Right to Lodge a Complaint with a Supervisory Authority: You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if you believe that the processing of your personal data infringes the GDPR. The supervisory authority in the Czech Republic is the Office for Personal Data Protection (www.uoou.cz).

To exercise your rights, you can contact us at the email address info@vet-choice.com or in writing at the company's registered office. The Data Subject is obliged to provide truthful and up-to-date personal data.

11. Security of Personal Data

The Controller has implemented and maintains appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect personal data from unauthorized or unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction, or damage. These measures include, for example, data encryption, secure servers, restricted access to data, employee training, and regular audits.

12. What are Cookies

To ensure the proper functioning of this website and to improve your user experience, we sometimes store small data files called cookies on your device. This is a common practice for most websites.

12.1. Basic Information About Cookies

A cookie file is a small text file that websites store on your computer or mobile device when you browse them. This file allows the website to retain information about your activities and preferences (such as login name, language, font size, and other display settings) for a certain period, so you don't have to re-enter them on your next visit to the site.

This website uses cookies to remember user preferences, to better tailor advertisements to visitors' interests, and to ensure the necessary functionality of the website.

You can control or delete cookies as you wish – for details, see, for example, aboutcookies.org. You can delete all cookies stored on your computer, and most browsers can be set to prevent them from being stored. However, if you do this, you may have to manually adjust some settings each time you visit the site, and some services and features may not work.

The use of cookies can be set through your internet browser. Most browsers automatically accept cookies by default.

12.2. Types of Cookies Used on Our Website

Necessary (Technical) Cookies: These cookies are essential for the proper functioning of the website and enable basic functions such as page navigation, access to secure areas of the website, and the use of the shopping cart. Without these cookies, the website would not be able to function correctly. We do not need your consent to store them.

If you write a comment or send a message via the contact form on our website, you may agree to save your name, email address, and website in cookies. This is for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when writing another comment. These cookies are valid for one year.

If you have an account on our website and log in, we will store temporary cookies to determine if your browser accepts cookies. These cookies contain no personal data and are deleted when you close your browser.

When you log in, we will set up several cookies to save your login details and display settings. Login cookies are valid for two days, and display settings cookies for one year. If you select "remember me," your login will be valid for two weeks. After logging out of your account, the login cookies are deleted.

Analytical/Statistical Cookies: These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously. They enable us to improve the website's functionality and offer more relevant content. We need your consent to collect these cookies.

Google Analytics: For the purpose of obtaining statistical information about website traffic and user behavior. The retention period is governed by your browser settings or until they are deleted. Operated by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.

Marketing/Advertising Cookies: These cookies are used to track visitors across websites to display relevant and engaging advertisements for individual users. We need your consent to store them.

Google Ads: For identification within the Google advertising network and for remarketing. The retention period is a maximum of 540 days. Operated by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.

12.3. Managing and Setting Cookies

The collection of data for targeted advertising and analytics is activated based on your consent, which you grant via the cookie banner when you first visit our website. You can change all cookie settings at any time using the "Open cookie settings" button or directly in your internet browser settings.

Cookies are part of the processing of your personal data. More information about your rights can be found in the "Data Subject Rights" section above.

13. Final Provisions

These Personal Data Processing Principles are valid and effective from March 1, 2025. The Controller reserves the right to update these Principles at any time. The current version will always be available on the website www.vet-choice.com.

For Vet-Choice

Vet Choice s.r.o.

Nad Podbabskou Skalou 350/17

Lysolaje

165 00 Prague 6

Czech Republic

Identification No.: 21803021

Tax Identification No.: CZ21803021

Email: info@vet-choice.com

Web: www.vet-choice.com