Privacy policy

Last updated: July 7, 2025

friendsofv GmbH operates this shop and website, including all related information, content, features, tools, products, and services, in order to provide you as a customer with a personalized shopping experience (the “Services”). The friendsofv online shop is based on Shopify.

This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and share personal data when you visit, use, or make a purchase or other transaction through the Services, or otherwise communicate with us. If there is a conflict between our Terms and Conditions and this Privacy Policy, this Privacy Policy will take precedence with respect to the collection, processing, and sharing of your personal data.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By accessing or using any of the Services, you confirm that you have read and agree to the collection, use, and sharing of your data as described in this Privacy Policy.

What personal data do we collect or process?
When we use the term “personal data,” we refer to information that identifies you or another person, or that can be directly linked to you. Personal data does not include information collected anonymously or anonymized in such a way that identification or assignment to you is no longer possible.

Depending on how you interact with the Services, where you live, and as permitted or required by applicable law, we may collect or process the following categories of personal data, including inferences drawn from such personal data:

  • Contact details including name, mailing address, billing address, shipping address, phone number, and email address.
  • Financial information including credit or debit card and financial account numbers, payment card details, financial account information, transaction details, payment method, payment confirmation, and other payment records.
  • Account information including username, password, security questions, configurations, and settings.
  • Transaction information including items you view, add to your cart, add to your wishlist, purchase, return, exchange, or cancel, as well as your past transactions.
  • Communications with us including information you provide when contacting us, for example, when submitting a customer support request.
  • Device information including details about your device, browser, or network connection, IP address, and other unique identifiers.
  • Usage information including details about how and when you interact with the Services, visit the website, or browse the platform.

Sources of personal data
We may collect personal data from the following sources:

  • Directly from you: We collect data when you create an account, access or use the Services, communicate with us, or otherwise provide us with personal data.
  • Automatically through the Services: We collect data from your device or when you use our products or Services or visit our website, including through the use of cookies and similar technologies.
  • From our service providers: We collect data when service providers enable certain technologies and collect or process personal data on our behalf.
  • From our partners and other third parties.

How do we use your personal data?
Depending on how you interact with us or which Services you use, we may use personal data for the following purposes:

  • Providing, customizing, and improving the Services: We use your personal data to deliver the Services. This includes fulfilling our contract with you, processing your payments, completing your orders, and storing your configurations.
  • Marketing and advertising: We use your personal data for marketing and advertising purposes. For example, sending you promotional messages via email, SMS, or mail, and showing you relevant online advertising about our products or services.
  • Security and fraud prevention: We use your personal data to authenticate your account, ensure a secure shopping experience, and detect potential fraudulent or unlawful activities.
  • Communication with you: We use your personal data to provide customer support, respond to your inquiries, and maintain our business relationship with you.
  • Legal purposes: We use your personal data to comply with applicable laws or respond to lawful processes, including requests from law enforcement or regulatory authorities.

How do we share personal data?
Under certain circumstances, we may share your personal data with third parties for legitimate purposes as described in this Privacy Policy. These circumstances may include:

  • Service providers and other third parties who perform services on our behalf (e.g., IT management, payment processing, data analytics, customer support, cloud storage, fulfillment, and shipping).
  • Business and marketing partners who provide marketing services to you and display advertisements.
  • Third parties when you request or consent to certain information being shared, for example, to deliver products to you.
  • Our affiliates or otherwise within our corporate group.
  • In connection with a business transaction such as a merger or bankruptcy, or to comply with applicable legal obligations.

Relationship with Shopify
The Services are hosted by Shopify. Shopify collects and processes personal data regarding your access and use of the Services. To protect and improve our business, we use advanced Shopify features that include data from your interactions. Shopify is responsible for processing your personal data. For more information, see the Shopify Consumer Privacy Policy. You can exercise your rights through the Shopify Privacy Portal.

Third-party websites and links
The Services may include links to third-party websites or platforms. If you follow these links, you should review their privacy and security policies. We are not responsible for the privacy or security practices of such websites.

Children’s data
The Services are not intended for children. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you are the parent or guardian of a child who has provided us with data, you may contact us to request its deletion.

Security and data retention
No security measure is perfect. We cannot guarantee “perfect security.” Information you send to us may be exposed to risks during transmission. The duration of data retention depends on several factors, such as whether we need the data to manage your account or comply with legal obligations.

Your rights and choices
Depending on where you live, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data. These rights are not absolute and only apply under certain circumstances.

  • Right of access: The right to request a copy of the data we hold about you.
  • Right to deletion: The right to request the deletion of your data.
  • Right to rectification: The right to request correction of inaccurate data.
  • Right to data portability: The right to receive a copy of your data and request its transfer to third parties.
  • Managing communication preferences: You may opt out of receiving marketing emails at any time.

If you are based in the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area, you also have the following rights:

  • Right to object and restrict processing: The right to request that we stop or limit the processing of your data.
  • Withdrawal of consent: The right to withdraw your consent to data processing.

You may exercise these rights by contacting us. We may need to verify your identity before we can process your request.

Complaints
If you have complaints about the processing of your data, please contact us. You may have the right to appeal our decision or lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority. A list of authorities in the European Economic Area is available here.

International transfers
We may transfer, store, and process your personal data outside your country of residence. For transfers outside the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, we rely on recognized transfer mechanisms such as the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses.

Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will publish the revised version on this website and update the date of the “Last updated” section.

Contact
If you have questions or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us by email at info@friendsofv.com or by post at Karl-Bekehrty-Straße 170, Vienna, 1140, AT. For purposes of applicable data protection laws, we are the data controller of your personal data.