This privacy policy applies to the use of this website (including data obtained through this website) only. If you sign up to join the Mercedes Emission Claim, a separate client privacy policy will apply and be provided to you with our engagement letter.

Website Privacy Policy

Hausfeld is committed to protecting the privacy of our website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains the data which we may collect when you use our website, what we will do with it and the measures which we will use to protect its security. We will hold and process the data in accordance with the terms of the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 as amended or updated from time to time (“Data Protection Laws”).

• Hausfeld & Co LLP (“Hausfeld”) is the data controller of the personal data collected from you through this website and will be responsible for determining the extent and means of any processing of that data. Hausfeld is registered with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office under Registration Number Z1953172
• This site is maintained and operated by Angeion Group International (“Angeion”) who provide services to Hausfeld and process personal data as data processor for and on behalf of Hausfeld.  Angeion is registered with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office under Registration Number ZA754759

Data collected via our website and its use

In using our website or corresponding with us via our contact email address, you consent to our collection, use, disclosure and international transfer of any personal information which you choose to provide on the terms of this Privacy Policy.  

Registration of interest – When you register your interest in joining the claim/receiving further updates, you will be asked to provide certain personal information, such as your name, telephone number, email address and vehicle registration number.  We will only use this information to contact you regarding the Mercedes Emissions Claim and to check whether your vehicle is eligible to be included in the claim where you provide the registration number to us. We will not use it for any other purpose other than to fulfil legal or regulatory obligations if necessary. 

Identity check for registration – If you choose to join the claim, as part of the engagement process Angeion will use the details which you provide to us to carry out a search with a Credit Reference Agency through Onfido Limited for the purposes of verifying your identity to comply with regulatory requirements.  To do so the Credit Reference Agency and/or Onfido Limited may check the details you supply against any particulars on any database (public or otherwise) to which they have access.  A record of the search will be retained by the Credit Reference Agency. This check will show as an ‘identity search’ on your credit file – this is not the same as a credit check and has no negative impact on your credit file. If you have any questions regarding the electronic verification process, please email us at mercedesemissionsclaim@hausfeld.com.

Website analytics – You are not required to provide any personal information when you browse our website unless you choose to contact us and voluntarily provide information to us, however certain data may automatically be provided about your use of the website. This may include your computer’s browser type, operating system and IP address, as well as the date and time of your visit, geographical location and information about your navigation and use of the website and pattern and length of use and any referral source. This data is aggregated and anonymised so that it will not contain any personal data from which any individual can be identified. This information will be used by Hausfeld and Angeion for evaluation of site use, assessment and improvement of site performance and improvement of the functionality and will not be used for any other purpose. We may share this information with third parties appointed to assist us in the maintenance, operation and analysis of the use of the website.  For further information about how we use Cookies and the choices you may have, please see our Cookies Policy.

How we will hold your data

The information you provide will be held securely by Hausfeld, Angeion and/or other appointed data processors using appropriate security systems to protect the confidentiality and integrity of your information from unauthorised access and disclosure.

All information you provide to us via the registration page will be held in the Amazon Web Services environment within the Republic of Ireland or elsewhere in the European Union  and only processed in accordance with the Data Protection Laws and as set out in this privacy notice.

Although we do our best to ensure the security of your personal data and to use only reputable service providers, unfortunately no information system can be 100% secure and we cannot guarantee the absolute security of your information. In particular, we will not be responsible for the security of any information which you transmit to us over networks that we do not control including the internet and wireless networks. We have in place procedures to deal with any suspected personal data breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a breach where we are legally required to do so. 

If you use a link on our website to visit another website, your privacy will not be protected in accordance with this policy.  You will need to check that website’s own privacy statement.  We make no representation as to the accuracy or any other aspect of information contained in other websites.  Although we look to include only quality, safe and relevant external links, users are advised to adopt a policy of caution before clicking any external web links. 

Sharing your data with third parties

It may be necessary to securely transfer your information to third party data processors to perform certain functions.  We may share your personal data:

• with our employees, partners and consultants and with other Hausfeld entities (whose details can be found in our Legal Notice) on a confidential basis where required for internal administration, compliance and other business purposes;
• with third party providers for the purposes of assessing your vehicle’s eligibility to participate in the claim;
• with third party providers who host the services on which our data is stored, our IT consultants and other suppliers of business and administrative services;
• with third party providers for the purposes of money laundering and other compliance and reference checks and other fraud and crime prevention purposes; and
• with our insurers and professional advisors as is necessary for the purposes of obtaining and maintaining insurance cover, obtaining professional advice, managing legal disputes and maintaining accounts records and financial audits.

Any information which we share with third-party providers will be pursuant to contractual arrangements which we put in place which require that the data is processed only in accordance with our instructions for specified purposes and applicable law or pursuant to any approved sub-processing agreement.

As Hausfeld operates globally, we may transfer your personal data abroad for storage or processing where required, including in any of the countries in which Hausfeld and its affiliates or contractors have offices.   If data is transferred outside of the European Economic Area (“EEA”), we will ensure a data protection level equivalent to the minimum level within the EEA including entering into the EU Standard Contractual Clauses or by other similar protective measures.

Hausfeld also reserves the right to disclose any information which it holds where necessary: a) to appropriate courts, law enforcement authorities, governmental or regulatory authorities, if required to do so by law or regulation or by any governmental or law enforcement agency; and b) in order to protect the vital interests of the data subject or of any other individual. 

How long we will retain personal data

Where you provide your email address to contact you about the claim, we will retain this until the conclusion of the claim or when you notify us that you no longer wish to hear from us.   We will retain data where it may be required for Hausfeld to assert or defend any legal claims or to comply with our legal obligations, regulatory requirements and reporting obligations. We may also hold data in backup systems which are put in place to maintain the integrity of our IT systems for the minimum retention periods. 

Your rights: to review, update, restrict the use of, and/or request erasure of your personal data

If you no longer wish to receive communications from us regarding the claim, you can let us know by sending us an email to MercedesEmissionsClaim@hausfeld.com. 

Hausfeld has a legal obligation to ensure that any information which you provide remains accurate and up to date and we would ask that you contact us to update or correct your information if it changes or if you believe that any information that we have collected about you is inaccurate.  You have a right at any time:

• to request details of any categories of personal data which we hold about you, the purposes for which we process the data and any third parties with whom it is shared. Provided the rights and freedoms of others are not affected we will supply you with a copy of the data;
• to ask us to update or correct any personal information which we hold, object to or ask us to restrict the processing of that personal data for particular purposes. You may withdraw any consent you have previously given to us at any stage by notifying us by email to MercedesEmissionsClaim@hausfeld.com or using the other contact details below;
• where the personal data is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, you may have the right to request that it be erased but this may be overridden where the data is necessary for other purposes including compliance with a legal obligation or in connection with potential legal claims;
• to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office who can be contacted avia their website https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/ or by telephone on 0303 123 1113.

If you wish to exercise any of your rights in relation to your personal data, please contact us by email or post using the contact details below. 

Changes to this privacy policy

We may revise and update this Privacy Policy from time to time in order to reflect any changes to the way in which we process your personal data, changes in applicable legal requirements or guidance.  Please review this page periodically to ensure that you are aware of any change to its terms.

How to contact us

If you require any further information or would like to contact us with any queries or comments, please contact us using the contact details set out below. 

By email to dataprivacy@hausfeld.com or by post to the Data Manager, Hausfeld & Co. LLP, 12 Gough Square, London, EC4A3DW