To ensure that vehicle orders, financial, insurance and support services as well as servicing are all handled properly and quickly, AUDI AG and Audi partners make use of electronic data processing (EDP).
The German Data Protection Act (BDSG) essentially governs how your personal data that are disclosed to the Audi partner, AUDI AG and the Audi Bank are processed. Accordingly, data may be collected, processed, transmitted and used (hereinafter: the use of data) if permitted by the BDSG or another statutory provision or if the person in question has given his or her consent. The BDSG permits the use of data in particular when this is needed to fulfil a contract agreed with you.
For certain purposes, which go above and beyond the actual contractual and support relationship, your specific contract or the reply coupons used in advertising campaigns run by Audi partners, AUDI AG and the Audi Bank incorporate a declaration of consent under data protection law.
If, once the contract in question has been concluded, this declaration of consent is cancelled, in whole or in part, or if it is revoked at a later point in time, Audi partners, AUDI AG and the Audi Bank shall be obliged to use your data solely to the extent permissible by law.
You will find further details on the collection, storage, transmission and use of your customer data below:
- Data collection and storage at Audi partners
The Audi partner will store any data required for ordering your new car or for rendering financial, insurance and support services as well as for servicing. Such data will initially include information in purchase, leasing, service, financing and insurance contracts. Moreover, data relating to processing transactions, such as the customer number and purchase price, shall be maintained, and records of vehicle-specific data and services rendered as part of vehicle servicing shall be collected and processed.
Providing you have given your consent thereto, data required to perform customer support, to conduct customer surveys and to tailor customer information exactly to your individual demands, as described at points 6.3 to 6.5 of this Code of Practice, will also be collected and stored by the Audi partner.
- Data storage at AUDI AG
AUDI AG will store data which it receives from the Audi partner as part of purchase, leasing, service, financing and insurance contracts.
Furthermore, data from AUDI AG's customers and prospects who contact AUDI AG via its website or the central Audi customer support centre will be stored.
Data storage will equally include data that has been collected in the course of AUDI AG's marketing activities.
- Possible data storage at Audi Bank
Providing you give your consent thereto, the Audi Bank may store data transmitted by the Audi partner relating to offers of financial or insurance services.
The companies concerned are:
AUDI AG, D-85045 Ingolstadt, Germany
Audi Bank (a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Bank GmbH, Gifhorner Strasse 57, D-38112 Braunschweig, Germany)- Data transmission between the Audi partner, AUDI AG and Audi Bank
To ensure that the Audi partner and AUDI AG have an up-to-date record and so that such records can be amended where appropriate, any data collected will be exchanged.
Providing you have given your consent thereto, such data may, in addition, be sent to the Audi Bank.
- Use of data by the Audi partner
Any data collected and stored in relation to your person may be used by the Audi partner in question, for which use the Audi partner is directly responsible, in order to render services and process the contract, offer customer support, conduct customer surveys and tailor customer information exactly to your individual needs (in this respect, please refer to points 6.1 to 6.5 of this Code of Practice).
- Use of data by AUDI AG
6.1 Rendering services
AUDI AG will use the customer data sent by the respective Audi partner so that it can render ordered services properly and quickly (e.g. new cars, financial and insurance services).
6.2 Contractual processing
Once services have been rendered in accordance with point 6.1 of this code of practice and/or so as to comply with legal and contractual obligations in line with point 2 of this code of practice, AUDI AG will use the customer data sent by the Audi partner or collected by AUDI AG itself (e.g. as part of the warranty or guarantee). AUDI AG may, furthermore, ask you to take part in market research.
6.3 Customer care
Providing you have given your consent thereto, customer data will also be used by AUDI AG to ensure that you receive comprehensive customer care. This care will not cost you anything and it covers the following services in particular:
AUDI AG's central Customer Care Centre is at your disposal. During normal service hours, you can contact highly trained professionals there, who will deal with and handle your concerns. The use of existing information will make it unnecessary to ask you for your data once more. In this way, your requests can be handled more quickly and in a more individualised manner.
If your car breaks down or you are involved in an accident, Audi's emergency service is there for you around the clock. In emergencies, the use of your existing data may save precious time and so offer you straightforward and rapid assistance.
If you have concluded a leasing or financing agreement for your Audi car, you will be sent a letter well in advance of your agreement's expiry. The letter will tell you that your contract is soon to expire and will provide you with details of new Audi models. Of course, the current delivery periods will be taken into consideration here. As part of our basic support, this service ensures that you can order and/or finance your desired follow up car well in advance.
6.4 Customer surveys
Market research results form an important source of information for the constant improvement and refinement of products and services.
Providing you have given your consent thereto, your customer data sent by the Audi partner can therefore be used by AUDI AG or the service providers acting on AUDI AG's behalf so as to conduct customer surveys.
6.5 Customer information tailored exactly to your needs
Providing you have given your consent thereto, data relating to customer information tailored exactly to your individual needs – if applicable together with other personal data given by you to the Audi partner and AUDI AG – will be pooled and stored in a database, where your data will be automatically evaluated in order to compare the resultant personal customer profile with individual product and service offerings. You can then receive appropriate customised information (e.g. offers on new products and services).
- Use of data by the Audi Bank
Providing you have given your consent thereto, the Audi Bank may use the customer data received from Audi partners for the purpose of compiling vehicle-related offers for financial and insurance services.
- No forwarding of data beyond the scope defined above
Your personal data will not be transmitted unless covered by any of the instances mentioned above.
- Revocation of the declaration of consent under data protection law
You may revoke your declaration of consent under data protection law at any time, in whole or in part (cf. No. 1, Section 2, No. 3, No. 4, Nos. 6.3-6.5 and No. 7).
- Right to demand information
In accordance with the German Data Protection Act, you have the right to demand information regarding your personal data stored in the customer databases held by the Audi partner, AUDI AG and the Audi Bank.
If you have any queries about this information, require further explanations or wish to obtain information on the data stored at the Audi partner, AUDI AG and the Audi Bank, or if you wish such data to be corrected, blocked or deleted, please contact
AUDI AG, Customer Support Centre, D-85045 Ingolstadt, Germany.
Date: December 2007