Privacy

This privacy notice informs you about the processing of personal data when you use GearGauge (geargauge.net), in accordance with Articles 13 and 14 of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

1. Controller

The controller responsible for data processing on this website is the operator named in the imprint:

Jan Knipper
Körtestr. 21, 10967 Berlin
info@geargauge.net

2. Scope of processing

GearGauge is a product comparison site for technical gear (specifications, retailer prices, and comparison pages). We process only the data needed to operate, secure, and improve the service, measure on-site usage, and record affiliate outbound clicks.

3. Categories of data

• Server access logs: IP address, date/time, requested URL, HTTP status, referrer (if sent), user agent, and similar technical metadata.
• Usage events: when you open pages or use search, we store the event type (e.g. product view, category view, search), page path, language, referrer (if sent), search query text, and related product/category/comparison identifiers. We do not store your IP address in this table.
• Affiliate click telemetry (when you use a Buy / outbound link): product or offer identifier, retailer name, timestamp, referrer, and user agent. We do not require an account.
• Optional price alerts: if you sign up on a product page, we store your email address, the product, your target price, and your language preference.
• Product images on our pages are often loaded directly from manufacturer or retailer servers when you view a page. That transmits your IP address to those hosts; we use Referrer-Policy settings to avoid sending the page URL where possible.
• Hosting and infrastructure logs created by our hosting and database providers while delivering the site.

4. Purposes and legal bases

• Access logs: operate and secure the website, detect abuse, diagnose faults (Art. 6 (1)(f) GDPR — legitimate interests in integrity and availability of the service).
• Usage events: understand which pages, searches, and comparisons are used and improve the service (Art. 6 (1)(f) GDPR — legitimate interests in operating and improving a comparison site).
• Affiliate click records: measure which offers users open and fulfil affiliate programme reporting (Art. 6 (1)(f) GDPR — legitimate interests in operating an affiliate-funded comparison service). Contractual necessity towards affiliate networks may also apply (Art. 6 (1)(b) GDPR) where relevant.
• Price alerts: send you an email when a tracked in-stock price reaches your target, at your request when you submit the form (Art. 6 (1)(b) GDPR). We do not use alert emails for marketing or newsletters.
• Hosting: make the website available (Art. 6 (1)(f) GDPR).

5. Cookies and similar technologies

GearGauge pages do not set advertising or analytics cookies. We do not embed Awin or Amazon tracking pixels on our pages. Essential delivery uses ordinary HTTP requests. If we later introduce non-essential cookies or local storage (for example preference storage), we will ask for consent where required by § 25 TDDDG / GDPR.

Embedded YouTube videos on product pages load only after you click “load video”; until then no connection to YouTube/Google is made. After you choose to play a video, YouTube (via youtube-nocookie.com) may set cookies under Google’s policy. Retailer and affiliate network cookies are set only after you leave GearGauge and land on their sites.

Product images from manufacturer or retailer hosts load automatically when a page is shown (unlike YouTube). We set Referrer-Policy and referrerpolicy="no-referrer" on images where possible to limit data sent to those hosts.

6. Recipients

Processors and recipients may include: our hosting / infrastructure providers (EU or adequately protected countries), database and cache operators used to run the site, mailbox.org (MailboxOrg GmbH, Germany) as email service provider for price-alert delivery, and—when you follow an affiliate link—retailers and affiliate networks such as Amazon Associates and Awin, who process data under their own privacy notices.

7. International transfers

If a recipient processes data outside the EEA (for example some CDN or retailer services), transfers rely on an adequacy decision or appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses (Art. 46 GDPR).

8. Retention

Access logs are retained only as long as needed for security and operations (typically up to 30–90 days, unless a longer period is required to investigate an incident). Usage event records are kept for up to 24 months, then deleted. Affiliate click records are retained as long as needed for programme reporting, accounting, and fraud prevention (typically up to 24 months), then deleted or anonymised. Price alert data (email, target price, product) is deleted after we send a matching alert or within 90 days of sign-up, whichever comes first.

9. Your rights

You have the right to access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability, and to object to processing based on legitimate interests (Arts. 15–21 GDPR). You may lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. For Berlin, Germany, this is typically the Berliner Beauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit; you may also contact the authority in your EU member state of residence.

To exercise your rights or object to usage analytics, click telemetry, or logging where applicable, contact us using the email in the imprint. Please describe your request clearly so we can verify and respond.

10. Automated decisions

We do not use personal data for automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects (Art. 22 GDPR).

11. Children

The site is aimed at adults interested in technical products. We do not knowingly collect data from children.

12. Changes

We may update this notice when the service or legal requirements change. The current version is always published on this page.

13. Contact

For privacy requests, use the contact details in the imprint. info@geargauge.net