1. Introduction

We are Ascent B.V., a company registered in the Netherlands with Chamber of Commerce number 92062962. Our office is located at Sophiakade 55, 3061 DK, Rotterdam. Ascent B.V. processes personal data. When you visit our website, subscribe on our website, place an order on our website, sign up for our newsletter, or apply for a position with us, we process your personal data. If you apply for a position with us, we also need to process your personal data. 

We value your privacy and make every effort to protect your personal data. Therefore, we want to inform you clearly about how we process your data, the purpose of the processing, how long we retain your data, and how we protect your personal data. 

We recommend that you carefully read both our Privacy Statement and our General Terms and Conditions before sharing your personal data with us or entering into an agreement with us. If you have any questions after reading this Privacy Statement or our General Terms and Conditions, you can always contact us by emailing info@ascent-store.com. 

In this Privacy Statement, the processing of personal data is discussed. We understand this as follows: 

Personal data:

All information about identifiable natural persons. This includes all data that directly or indirectly provides information about you, such as your name, gender, age, email address, date of birth, and your transaction data. 

Processing of personal data:

All actions we can perform with your personal data, including collecting, using, storing, modifying, forwarding, and (partially) deleting your personal data. 

We would like to point out that we do not intend to collect personal data from individuals under the age of sixteen (16) unless they have obtained consent from their parent(s) or guardian to enter into an agreement with us or visit our website. We try to verify whether someone is older than sixteen (16) or whether parent(s) or guardians have given consent, but because we cannot always verify this, we recommend that parents or guardians be involved in the online activities of their children. 

In principle, we do not process special personal data. These are data that are, by their nature, extra sensitive, such as data concerning race, ethnic origin, political preferences, and genetic data. Therefore, do not provide such data to us. We do not need that information and prefer not to receive it. If you still choose to share it with us, it is your choice. 

This PrivacyStatement applies to all processing of personal data mentioned herein by Ascent, where Ascent is the data controller within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation (hereinafter: GDPR). 

2. Persons

We process personal data of all persons with whom we have a direct or indirect relationship. This includes the following categories:

• Persons who are subscribed to our newsletter;
• Persons who have placed an order on our website;
• Interested parties;
• Persons participating in a survey;
• Persons expressing interest in our products and subscriptions via social media or other means;
• Persons applying for positions with us;

Business relations. 

3. Acquisition

Ascent processes personal data that you have provided to us. You provide personal data, for example, when you create an account, subscribe, place an order on our website, or fill out a survey. Additionally, if you contact us by phone, website, or email, we process certain personal data. Furthermore, you may provide personal data when visiting our website. 

You are never obliged to provide personal data to us. However, if you do not want to provide specific personal data, we may not be able to offer certain services and products to you. When entering personal data, we indicate which data are necessary and which data can be provided optionally. 

There are also personal data that we obtain through cookies and other techniques. For example, we may receive information from third parties, such as Google, about your estimated location. We use this information only to the extent permitted by the legal framework. 

In case of collaboration with a third company or another business activity, we may also process personal data. Data may be used for marketing purposes. This involves supplementing general profile data from third parties so that we can show you targeted content or offers. 

4. Purposes

We process your data for various purposes. The main purposes are described below. Other purposes for processing are closely related to the purposes described below. If
we process data for a purpose that cannot be associated with the purposes below, we will inform you in a timely manner. 

A. Customer relationship and administration

It is necessary for us to be able to maintain contact with you. To optimize this contact, it is desirable that we can analyze customer contact. We also process any complaints in the name to resolve them. 

It is essential for us to determine how our relationship with you has come about and to monitor it. We need to know if you have placed an order on our website, if you are an Interested party, or if you contacted us for another reason. For this purpose, we process your name, address details, email address, phone number (if known to us), gender (if known to us), payment status, payment history, current order, and order history. 

Regarding our business relationships, it is also necessary for us to cultivate both contact and the relationship. For this purpose, we collect and process your name, address details, email address, phone number (if available), payment status, payment history, and both current and past orders. 

B. Customer Satisfaction & Service

We highly prioritize customer satisfaction, and a fundamental aspect of our service involves providing information about perfumes. We advise you on scents that might suit you and that you might like. For preselection, advising, and sharing inspiration, we process your name, gender (if known to us), age group (if known to us), current order, order history and future orders.  

In the context of customer satisfaction and improving our business performance, we also work with loyalty and referral programs as well as customer satisfaction surveys. For this purpose, we process your name, address details, email address, gender (if known to us), phone number (if known to us), payment status, payment history, current order, order history, fragrance, any complaints in your name, and the feedback you provide in our customer satisfaction surveys. 

We also find it important for customer satisfaction to analyze which scents are popular among our customers and which scents are missing from our assortment. This way, we can estimate which scents we will manufacture, and we can determine favorite perfumes. For this, we process your current order, order history and future order. 

We want to be able to trace and resolve any shortcomings and problems with your orders as quickly as possible for all our customers and business relations. Any shortcomings in the order are recorded so that we can analyze them and prevent them from happening more frequently in the future. For this, we process your name, address details, email address (in case of shipment with track & trace code), and any complaints (in your name). The same applies in the case of any disputes. In case of technical problems, we use the information needed to identify and resolve the problem, such as name, address details, email, bank details, payment status, payment history, order history, and IP addresses. 

C. Marketing Purposes

We would like to keep you informed about the latest Ascent news, offers, and promotions and share inspiration. To approach you for targeted actions and offers, we analyze your Ascent perfume profile. You may be approached by us through newsletters and promotions. For this, we process your name, email address, email preferences, address details, gender (if known to us), age or age group (if known to us), and other personal preferences or surveys. 

D. Targeted Sampling Campaigns & Reviews

We may ask you to write a review for our products. We collect your email and IP address when you submit a review so that we, along with third-party parties, can verify the authenticity of your review and protect against fake reviews. 

E. Delivery of Orders

If you order on our website, we need to be able to send your order to you. It is therefore necessary for us to have your address details. For this purpose, we process your name, address details, current order, and in the case of a package with a track & trace code, your email address is also processed. 

F. Financial Administration & Accounting Obligation

For the administration and verification of payments, authorizations, and reversals, we need to process personal data. We need to store certain financial personal data for a longer time to comply with our legal obligation. It is necessary to process certain personal data to be able to make the payment. In this context, we process name, contact details, bank details, payment status, order history, and payment history. 

G. Recruitment

If you apply to us, we also need to process personal data, including your name, gender, address details, email address, CV, and cover letter. If you become part of our team, we retain data that is legally obligated for processing, such as name, address, age, bank details, as well as the information in your personnel file such as your employment contract, related documents, leave records, and performance documentation. 

5. Cookies

On our website, we utilize cookies and similar techniques, such as pixels (hereinafter: cookies), both from ourselves and third parties. Cookies are information files that can be automatically stored or read on the device of the website visitor when visiting a website. This occurs through the web browser on the device. 

We, along with third parties use cookies for the following purposes:

• Enabling functionalities of the website (technical and functional cookies)
• Analyzing website usage and, based on analysis, enhancing the website’s user-friendliness
  (analytical cookies)
• Creating a profile of online behavior and displaying personalized advertisements
  (marketing cookies)

Upon your first visit to our website, we present a notification explaining cookies. We will, as necessary, request your consent to use cookies. For an overview of the cookies, please refer to our Cookie Statement. 

6. Legal bases

If we intend to process your personal data, we must have a legal basis under the GDPR. The GDPR recognizes six different legal bases, and we base our processing on four of these, as described below. 

It is also possible that we base the processing of your personal data on two or more of these grounds. 

A. Consent

If consent is given for the processing, you must provide this expressly and in writing. You may withdraw your consent at any time. 

We base our processing for marketing purposes, such as efficient advertising and targeting, on consent. If you do not allow our cookies, we are not allowed to process your personal data needed for efficient advertising and targeting. We will also ask for consent to contact you with newsletters and promotions. You can indicate that you no longer wish to receive this communication. Each newsletter contains an unsubscribe link. 

B. Necessary for the performance of the contract

We process personal data when it is essential for fulfilling our contractual obligations to you. This processing is inherently tied to the agreement and is a natural outcome of our commitment to providing services.  

We base the processing, among other things, on our customer relationship, customer administration, pre-selecting and providing information about perfumes, sending orders on this basis. 

C. Necessaryfor a legal obligation

The processing of personal data may be necessary to comply with a legal obligation. This often involves a minimum retention period for personal data. This is the case, for example, with regard to the processing of financial administration and accounting obligations, sales and purchase administration, and accounts receivable and payable administration.  

D. Necessary for a legitimate interest

The processing of personal data is also permitted if it is necessary for the protection of our interests. We always weigh our interests against your interests, rights, and freedoms before choosing to base our processing on a legitimate interest. For example, we consider whether we can achieve the same goal in another way without needing your data. 

We base the processing of our analyses and forecasts on the legitimate interest basis. Regarding the processing for customer satisfaction, we base it on both our legitimate interest and the necessity for the performance of the agreement we have entered with you. 

In the context of employee recruitment, we process personal data such as your name, email address, phone number, CV, and any motivation letter also based on our legitimate interest. 

7. DataSharing 

A. Ascent

Within Ascent, employees have access to your personal data only to the extent necessary for them to perform their duties. All employees are bound by strict confidentiality obligations, ensuring the privacy and security of your information. Personal data may be shared, exchanged, and combined within Ascent for the purposes outlined in this Privacy Statement. 

B. Third Parties

We refrain from sharing your personal data with third parties unless it is necessary to achieve specific processing purposes. 

As the data controller, we may employ processors who process personal data on our behalf. These processors are carefully selected and bound by all agreements required to ensure your privacy. We determine the purpose and means of processing, retaining ultimate control. The processor handles your personal data based on our instructions and security standards. 

Data is only transferred to countries outside the EU to the extent processors are engaged in processing personal data outside the EU. It is also possible that our processors may engage (sub)processors located outside the EU. In such cases, we ensure that these data are protected in an equivalent manner as in the EU. 

8. Retention of Your Personal Data

Personal data is retained during the execution of the agreement. Afterward, the data is kept for as long as is reasonable with regard to the processing purpose for which the data was processed. Where possible, data is pseudonymized or anonymized. 

9. Security of Your Personal Data

We employ rigorous organizational and technical security measures to safeguard your personal data effectively. All personal data provided to us is treated confidentially, aiming to prevent unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or any other unauthorized adjustments to your personal data. 

10. Your Rights

We have the right to process your personal data based on the aforementioned legal bases. However, you also have several rights regarding the processing of your personal data. Note that these rights are subject to conditions. For questions or complaints about the processing of your personal data, you can contact us at info@ascent-store.com. 

A. Right to Clear Information

You have the right to know which personal data we process, why we do this, and how. Through this Privacy Statement, we endeavor to provide you with comprehensive and transparent information. 

B. Right to Access and Rectification

If you are interested in accessing the data we process about you, you can request access to your personal data. We are obliged to comply with this request. If you believe that your data has been processed incorrectly or incompletely, you can request rectification, whether through supplementation or modification. 

C. Right to Erasure of Your Data

You have the right to request us to delete all data we have processed about you. We are not always required to comply with this request, as it may occur that we need to retain certain personal data based on a legal obligation. 

D. Right to Restriction

You can request a temporary restriction on the processing of your personal data. This may occur if the processed data is inaccurate, the processing is deemed unlawful, it is no longer necessary, or you object to our processing of your personal data. 

E. Right to Data Portability

You have the right to request us to obtain or transfer all personal data we have processed about you in a structured and readable format or to transfer it to another party. Transferring to a third party is only possible to the extent technically feasible. 

F. Right to Object to Processing

In certain cases, you have the right to object to the processing of your personal data. Primarily, you can object to direct marketing, such as advertising based on a legitimate interest, for which you have not given consent. You can also object to the use of your personal data due to specific personal circumstances. This applies only if personal data is processed based on a legitimate interest. If there are no compelling grounds for justifying the processing, we must stop processing your personal data. 

G. Right Not to Be Subject to Automated Decision-Making

You have the right not to be subject to automated decision-making and may not be subject to fully automated decisions. These are decisions that can significantly affect or have legal consequences for the data subject without human intervention.  

H. Complaints and Appeals to Rights

If you have a complaint about our processing of your personal data or if you want to invoke any of the above rights, we are committed to resolving the issue with you. Within one month of receiving your request, we will inform you whether we can comply with your request. This period may be extended by two months for complex requests. Please note that, to confirm your identity, we may request specific
information, preventing fraud and abuse. If we cannot reach an agreement, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Dutch Data Protection Authority at any time. 

11. Changes

We reserve the right to change this Privacy Statement at any time. If any changes may be relevant to you, we will inform you in a timely manner. 

Version

December 2023