SAF Consultancy ("we", "our", "us") is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share your personal data when you visit saf-consultancy.com or engage with our services. It is written in compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG / DSGVO).
Data controller
The data controller responsible for your personal data is:
SAF Consultancy
Germany
Note: If you have any questions about how we handle your data, you can contact us at any time using the details above or via the contact form on our Contact page.
Data we collect
When you use our website or contact us, we may collect the following categories of personal data:
| Category | Data collected | How collected |
|---|---|---|
| Identity data | First name, last name | Contact form, email enquiry |
| Contact data | Email address, phone number | Contact form, direct email |
| Business data | Company or organisation name | Contact form |
| Enquiry data | Your message, service interest, budget range | Contact form |
| Technical data | IP address, browser type, pages visited, time on site | Automatically via cookies / analytics |
| Communication data | Emails and messages you send us | Direct correspondence |
We do not collect any special categories of sensitive personal data (such as health data, racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, or religious beliefs).
Why we collect your data
We use your personal data for the following purposes:
- To respond to your enquiries โ when you submit the contact form or email us, we use your details to respond to your message.
- To provide our consultancy services โ if you become a client, we use your data to manage our working relationship and deliver services to you.
- To schedule calls or meetings โ we use contact details to arrange discovery calls and appointments.
- To send you relevant information โ with your consent, we may send you updates, insights, or information about our services.
- To improve our website โ we use technical data to understand how visitors use our site and to fix issues and improve performance.
- To comply with legal obligations โ we may retain certain data to meet our legal and regulatory obligations under German and EU law.
Legal basis for processing
Under the GDPR (Article 6), we process your personal data on the following legal grounds:
- Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) โ to respond to your enquiries, manage client relationships, and operate our business. We have assessed that our legitimate interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.
- Contract performance (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR) โ where we have entered into a contract with you, we process data that is necessary to perform that contract.
- Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR) โ where processing is required to comply with German or EU law (e.g. tax and accounting obligations).
- Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) โ where we send you marketing communications or use non-essential cookies, we rely on your freely given, specific consent which you may withdraw at any time.
You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting us at hello@saf-consultancy.com. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
Retention periods
We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law:
- Contact form enquiries โ retained for 2 years from the date of enquiry, unless a business relationship develops.
- Client data โ retained for the duration of the engagement plus 6 years (in line with German commercial law โ ยง 257 HGB and ยง 147 AO).
- Accounting and financial records โ retained for 10 years as required by German tax law (ยง 147 Abgabenordnung).
- Website analytics data โ retained in aggregated or anonymised form only; identifiable technical data is not retained beyond 26 months.
- Marketing communications โ until you withdraw consent or unsubscribe.
After these periods, your data is securely deleted or anonymised.
Data sharing
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. We may share your data only in the following limited circumstances:
- Service providers โ trusted third-party tools we use to operate our website and business (e.g. email hosting, website analytics, cloud storage). These providers act as data processors and are contractually obliged to protect your data.
- Professional advisers โ lawyers, accountants, or auditors where necessary for legal or financial compliance, under strict confidentiality.
- Legal authorities โ where required by law, court order, or regulatory authority in Germany or the EU.
- Business transfers โ if SAF Consultancy is involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your data may be transferred as part of that transaction. You will be notified in advance.
In all cases, we share only the minimum data necessary and require all third parties to respect the security of your data.
International data transfers
Our primary operations are based in Germany within the European Economic Area (EEA). In some cases, third-party tools we use may process data outside the EEA (for example, in the United States).
Where data is transferred outside the EEA, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including:
- Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission
- Transfers to countries with an EU adequacy decision
- Other legally approved transfer mechanisms under GDPR Chapter V
You may request information about the specific safeguards we rely on for any international transfer by contacting us.
Your rights
Under the GDPR and DSGVO, you have the following rights regarding your personal data. All rights are free of charge and we will respond within one month of receiving your request.
๐ Right of access
You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (Art. 15 GDPR).
โ๏ธ Right to rectification
You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data we hold (Art. 16 GDPR).
๐ Right to erasure
You can request deletion of your data where there is no legal basis for retaining it (Art. 17 GDPR).
โธ Right to restriction
You can ask us to restrict processing of your data in certain circumstances (Art. 18 GDPR).
๐ฆ Right to portability
You can request your data in a structured, machine-readable format (Art. 20 GDPR).
๐ซ Right to object
You can object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing (Art. 21 GDPR).
โฉ๏ธ Right to withdraw consent
Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting prior processing.
โ๏ธ Right to complain
You have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority (see Section 12).
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@saf-consultancy.com. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.
Cookies
Our website uses cookies โ small text files stored on your device โ to make the site work properly and to understand how it is used.
Types of cookies we use
- Essential cookies โ strictly necessary for the website to function. These cannot be disabled. No personal data is collected.
- Analytics cookies โ help us understand visitor behaviour (e.g. pages visited, time spent). Used only with your consent.
- Preference cookies โ remember your settings and choices to improve your experience. Used only with your consent.
Your cookie choices
When you first visit our site, you will see a cookie consent banner. You may accept or decline non-essential cookies at that point. You can change your preferences at any time by clearing your browser cookies and revisiting the site, or by contacting us.
Most browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect how the website functions. For more information about cookies, visit aboutcookies.org.
German law note: In line with the German Telemedia Act (TMG) and the ePrivacy Directive as applied in Germany, we obtain your prior consent before setting any non-essential cookies.
Children's data
Our website and services are directed at business professionals and are not intended for children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 16.
If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a child under 16, please contact us immediately at hello@saf-consultancy.com and we will delete it promptly.
Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.
We encourage you to review this policy periodically. For material changes that significantly affect how we process your data, we will endeavour to notify you directly (e.g. by email or a prominent notice on our website) where we hold your contact details.
Your continued use of our website after any changes to this policy constitutes your acknowledgement of those changes.
Contact & complaints
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or the way we handle your personal data, please contact us:
Within 30 days of receiving your request
Right to complain to a supervisory authority
You have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection supervisory authority. As SAF Consultancy is based in Germany, the primary supervisory authority is:
The Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI)
Graurheindorfer Str. 153, 53117 Bonn, Germany
Website: www.bfdi.bund.de
Email: poststelle@bfdi.bund.de
You also have the right to complain to the supervisory authority in your country of residence or place of work if you are located within the EU/EEA.
Questions about your data?
We're happy to explain how we handle your information. Get in touch and we'll respond within one business day.
Contact us โ