Privacy Policy (EU – GDPR)

01Who this notice covers

This notice explains how personal data is used in connection with the 5 Gen website, business enquiries, quotations, accounts, orders, support and marketing. Our products are offered to business customers. Personal information about a sole trader or an identifiable employee, director or other business contact is still personal data.

It covers information you provide, information generated when you use the website and relevant information supplied by your organisation or another authorised business contact. Where another person provides your details, we use them for the relevant business purpose and provide the required privacy information within the applicable time limit.

02Who is responsible for your data

The following organisations jointly determine the purposes and means of the processing described in this notice and act as joint controllers for that processing:

Connect operates the platform and hosts the website data on its server in Frankfurt, Germany. The manufacturer receives enquiries and order information automatically and accesses relevant data from China. The Connect team and the manufacturer coordinate responses to privacy enquiries through the contact below.

03Information we process

• Identity and business contact details: name, business role, organisation, business e-mail, telephone number and relevant business or delivery addresses.
• Account information: registration details, account identifiers, authentication information, account preferences and relevant account activity.
• Enquiries and communications: project requirements, product selections, quantities, quotation discussions, messages, attachments and support correspondence.
• Transactions: quotation and order references, invoicing details, payment status or transfer references, shipment details and related commercial records. Payment for equipment is by bank transfer; this notice does not describe a card-payment service.
• Website and security information: IP address, browser and device information, access times, interactions, technical logs and information used to detect misuse or automated submissions.
• Marketing and preference information: subscription details, chosen communication channels, consent and withdrawal records, objections and, where optional tracking is enabled with the required consent, online identifiers and advertising or analytics interactions.

Please provide only information relevant to your request. Do not include sensitive personal information or confidential information about other people in an enquiry unless it is necessary and you are authorised to provide it.

04Why we use data and the legal bases

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider the purpose, necessity and effect on your rights. You can ask for more information and object as explained below. A legal basis for using personal data does not by itself provide a mechanism for an international transfer.

Information marked as required in a form or necessary to administer an order must be provided for that purpose. If it is missing, we may be unable to respond, create the requested account, prepare a quotation or process the order. Optional marketing and tracking choices are separate.

05Who can receive your information

Relevant data is available to authorised members of the Connect team and the manufacturer in China. Information may also be shared, to the extent necessary, with the following recipients or categories:

• Hosting, infrastructure, maintenance, e-mail and other technical service providers supporting the platform.
• Delivery, logistics, banking and professional service providers involved in an order, payment, shipment, accounting or legal matter.
• Google for the Google Analytics, Google Ads and reCAPTCHA services used on the website; Meta for Meta Pixel; LinkedIn for advertising or tracking; and WhatsApp when that communication channel is used. The particular service and its configuration determine what information is received.
• Authorities, courts or other recipients where disclosure is legally required or necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

A provider may act as a processor under instructions or as a controller for its own processing, depending on the service and applicable arrangement. Data sharing is limited to the relevant purpose. These categories do not mean that every recipient receives every item of your data.

06Hosting and access outside the EEA

The website data is hosted on Connect's server in Frankfurt, Germany. Hosting in Germany does not mean that all access or processing remains in Germany: the manufacturer in China receives enquiry and order information automatically and can access relevant data from China.

Some technology or communications providers may also process data outside the European Economic Area. You can contact us for information about the recipients, countries and safeguards relevant to the processing of your data.

Where Chapter V of the GDPR applies, a transfer requires an applicable adequacy decision or another lawful transfer mechanism and any additional measures required in the circumstances. A commercial agreement or confidentiality clause alone is not sufficient to establish that these requirements have been met.

07Marketing, cookies and advertising

Newsletter messages, promotional calls and WhatsApp marketing are based on the separate consent you give for those purposes and channels. You may withdraw that consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of earlier processing. Use an unsubscribe option where available or e-mail info@5-gen.com with the channel you wish to stop.

You also have an unconditional right to object to processing for direct marketing, including related profiling. After an objection, we must stop using your personal data for that purpose. Necessary order or service correspondence is separate from promotional communication.

Cookies and similar technologies can support essential website functions and, where enabled with the required consent, analytics or advertising. Rejecting optional tracking must not be treated as agreement to it. Google Analytics, Google Ads, Meta Pixel and LinkedIn tools can use online identifiers and interaction information to measure activity or create advertising audiences.

Google reCAPTCHA is used to help protect forms from automated abuse. Its operation can involve browser, device and interaction data being made available to Google. The processing can include international access by the service provider.

See the Cookie Policy for information about cookies and available choices.

08How long information is kept

Personal data is kept for no longer than necessary for the purpose for which it is processed, including applicable statutory retention and the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims. The following criteria determine the period:

• Enquiries and quotations: the time needed to handle the request, follow up an active project and deal with related questions or claims. An enquiry that does not lead to an order is assessed separately from a completed transaction.
• Accounts: the duration of the account and business relationship, followed by any period needed for outstanding orders, security, statutory duties or legal claims. Account closure does not necessarily require immediate deletion of records kept for a separate lawful purpose.
• Orders, invoices and payment records: the relevant accounting, tax and other statutory periods, together with any necessary legal-claim period.
• Marketing data: while the relevant consent remains valid and the data is needed for that purpose. Following withdrawal or objection, a limited suppression record may be retained where necessary to respect your choice and demonstrate compliance.
• Consent records, security logs and technical data: the period needed to demonstrate valid choices, maintain security, investigate incidents and meet applicable obligations. Retention depends on the purpose and the service's settings.

Where information must be retained for a separate lawful purpose, it is not to be reused for an unrelated purpose merely because it remains in storage. You can ask about the retention criteria applicable to your data.

09Your privacy rights

Subject to the conditions and exceptions in the GDPR, you may have the following rights:

We must respond without undue delay and normally within one month of receiving a request. Where legally justified by complexity or the number of requests, the period may be extended by up to two further months; you must be informed within the first month of the extension and its reasons. Requests are normally free, subject to the GDPR's limited exceptions.

10Complaints and contact

You can contact either controller using info@5-gen.com. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a competent data protection supervisory authority, in particular in the EU Member State of your habitual residence, place of work or the alleged infringement.

The Croatian supervisory authority is the Croatian Personal Data Protection Agency, AZOP. Information and complaint channels are available at azop.hr. You do not have to contact us before exercising your right to complain.

11Security and automated processing

The GDPR requires appropriate technical and organisational measures taking account of the processing and its risks. Access must be limited to authorised persons and relevant service providers for the purposes described in this notice. No website or communication method can be described as entirely risk-free.

Automation is used for analytics, advertising and forwarding enquiries. It is not used to make decisions about you based solely on automated processing that produce legal or similarly significant effects, such as automatically refusing an order or deciding credit or deferred-payment eligibility. Advertising tools may still group users or infer interests from their interactions, subject to the applicable choices and legal requirements.

12Changes to this notice

We may update this notice when our processing or applicable requirements change. We will communicate material changes as required by law and obtain new consent where necessary. This notice was prepared on 26.10.2026.