Privacy notice for website users, customers, prospects, and visitors
Last updated: 30 October 2026
We take the protection of your personal data very seriously. This privacy notice informs you about the processing of personal data. The privacy notice applies to the personal data we collect from you or that you provide to Vaillant Group Belgium NV when you visit our Website (“Website User”), when you use our products and services as a private individual, when you contact us to obtain information or request a quote (by phone, email, or through our Website), and when you enter the premises and/or company buildings of Vaillant Group Belgium NV. A specific or supplementary privacy notice may apply to certain services.
This privacy notice explains what personal data is collected, how it is collected, for what purposes, and on what legal basis. It also describes your rights regarding the processing of your personal data by Vaillant Group Belgium NV.
In addition to this privacy notice, a specific privacy notice also applies to the processing of personal data of our suppliers and professional partners (i.e., business users of Bulex Pro and/or the business services we offer to our partners through that service portal), as well as their employees or representatives.
Controller
The website, with the URL www.bulex.be (“Website”), is owned and operated by Vaillant Group Belgium NV, registered with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises under number 0401.874.760, and with its registered office at Golden Hopestraat 15, 1620 Drogenbos, Belgium (“Vaillant Group Belgium NV”, “we,” “us,” “our”). Vaillant Group Belgium NV acts as the controller for the processing of the personal data described in this privacy notice.
We are a company of the Vaillant Group. The Vaillant Group refers to Vaillant GmbH (Vaillant GmbH, Berghauser Str. 40, 42859 Remscheid, Germany) and the companies affiliated with Vaillant GmbH. The Vaillant Group includes the brands Vaillant, Saunier Duval, awb, Bulex, DemirDöküm, Glowworm, Hermann Saunier Duval, and Protherm. You can find more information about the Vaillant Group here.
When using the Website, personal data may be processed through the use of cookies and similar technologies. More information about the use of these technologies can be found in our Cookie Notice. Registration for and use of the Website are subject to our “Terms of Use”. Please read these documents in conjunction with this privacy notice.
1. Personal data, purposes, and legal bases
Personal data
Vaillant Group Belgium NV collects the following personal data:
| Type of user | Data |
|---|---|
| Website Users | (Electronic) identification data, including IP addresses, browser type and settings, date and time of connection, operating system, and device type; Personal characteristics, such as language; The information you provide in online contact forms; Information about how you use our products, services, and Website, including the web pages you visit and files you download; Information about your interactions with us and other similar information; Location data (for the installer search function on the Website); Technical information, including information about (mobile) communications, information about the device you use to visit our Website, the browser type, the operating system, the IP address, the domain name, the number of times you have visited the Website, the dates on which you visited the Website, and the Internet address from which you accessed our site; Information regarding your consent, including the date and time. |
| Customers and prospects | Identification and contact information, including first and last name, email address, postal address, and phone number; Personal characteristics, such as language and title; The information you provide in online contact forms or other digital or paper (order) forms, or by phone through customer service, including details about your home or product information such as your current appliance, the type of product or service you want, energy needs, the building’s location, the type of order (purchase, repair, maintenance, etc.), any defects, serial number, class, type, and model; File data, including customer number, order number, serial number of the device in question, unit data, location of the device, and data related to service provision, such as information regarding your request or appointment and the fulfilment of orders; Financial details, including your bank account number and payment information; The information you provide in connection with the customer satisfaction survey (if applicable). Where relevant, depending on the product, information about how you use our products and services, including usage statistics; Information about your interactions with us and other similar information, including whether and when our newsletters are opened and what content is read; Recordings of telephone calls with our customer service department, and related data, including the date and time. |
| Visitors entering the site and/or business premises of Vaillant Group Belgium NV | Identification and contact information Camera footage from the Vaillant Group Belgium NV site and buildings. |
Vaillant Group Belgium NV collects this personal data both through the Website - using cookies and similar technologies - and, for example, through digital or paper (order) forms, via email, telephone, text message, social media, professional partners, and third parties, as well as during events or trade shows. As explained below, we may also process certain data from your device if you choose to use this service (see explanation regarding “Connectivity”). For visitors who enter the Vaillant Group Belgium NV site and/or company premises, personal data may be processed via video surveillance.
When we obtain personal data directly from you, you are generally free to choose whether or not to provide Vaillant Group Belgium NV with such personal data, unless there is a legal obligation to do so. If you do not wish to provide your personal data, you may not be able to use the Website, products, or services offered by Vaillant Group Belgium NV; your questions may not be answered; and/or you may not be able to enter into a contract with Vaillant Group Belgium NV.
The specific personal data we collect from you depends on the applicable purposes described below.
2. Purposes and legal bases
a) Overview
Your personal data may be used for the purposes described below. For each purpose, the legal basis on which Vaillant Group Belgium NV processes the personal data is specified.
| Purpose | Legal basis | Category of personal data |
|---|---|---|
| Website Users | ||
| To present our Website and provide you with information about our products and services, as well as to offer you the support you request from us, for example via the contact form on this Website. | When we obtain your consent before processing such information, we will rely on that consent as the legal basis for the processing. In other cases, this processing is necessary for our legitimate interest in establishing and maintaining a good business relationship and providing appropriate responses to inquiries. | (Electronic) identification data Technical information Personal characteristics Location data (See “Installer search feature” below the table) The information you provide in online contact forms Information regarding your consent |
| To manage our Website and carry out internal operations, including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, research, statistical, and survey purposes, for example by using cookies or similar technologies. | If required by law, we will ask for your consent before processing your information for this purpose. In other cases, this processing for these purposes is necessary for the legitimate interests of Vaillant Group Belgium NV in managing and carrying out internal operations related to its Website. | (Electronic) identification data Technical information Information about how you use our products, services, and Website Information about your consent Information about your interactions with us Personal characteristics |
| Enabling push notifications about our products and services (See below the table for more information) | We ask for your consent before processing your information for this purpose. | (Electronic) identification data Technical information such as domain name and operating system |
| Use of third-party features and content, including social media and other external providers. This includes, for example, the integration of videos, social media plug-ins, or other embedded content on the Website via cookies or similar technologies. | We ask for your consent before processing your information for this purpose. | (Electronic) identification data Technical information Information about how you use our products, services, and Website Information about your consent Information about your interactions with us |
| Customers and/or prospects | ||
| Providing our products and services: Fulfilling our obligations and enforcing our rights arising from contracts with you, including to deliver the products and services you have ordered, in connection with their delivery, sending notifications regarding payment, as well as for accounting and billing purposes. (See below the table for more information about specific products and services) | When this processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation, we will rely on this legal obligation as the legal basis for such processing. In other cases, when this processing is necessary for the conclusion and/or performance of a contract with you, we will rely on this contract as the legal basis. Where the processing is not necessary for a contract with the data subject, the processing is necessary for the legitimate interest of Vaillant Group Belgium NV in processing personal data within the context of our relationship. | Identification and contact information File data Personal characteristics Financial details The information you provide to us |
| Registration for, and organisation of, events (e.g., informational events, guided tours, trade fairs). | When this processing is necessary for the conclusion and/or performance of a contract, we will rely on this contract as the legal basis. Where processing is not necessary for a contract with the data subject, the processing is necessary for the legitimate interest of Vaillant Group Belgium NV in processing data for the organisation of events. | Identification and contact information File data Personal characteristics Financial details (if applicable) The information you provide to us |
| Product registration to take advantage of special benefits for registered products (via MyBulex Web) | This processing is necessary for the conclusion and/or performance of a contract with you. | Identification and contact information File data Personal characteristics Financial details (if applicable) The information you provide to us (e.g., your installer) Product details such as serial number |
| Customer Management: To provide an optimal customer experience and offer assistance with the use of our products and services, we process certain personal data for the purpose of customer management. | When this processing is necessary for the conclusion and/or performance of a contract, we will rely on this contract as the legal basis. In other cases, we carry out this processing based on our legitimate interest in getting to know our customers and maintaining our relationship with you, with the aim of providing an excellent customer experience. | Identification and contact information File data Personal characteristics The information you provide to us Information about your interactions with us Information you provide in connection with the customer satisfaction survey |
| Responding to and handling questions, requests for advice and quotes, messages, or requests, and providing technical support, whether or not through our customer service department. (See below the table for more information about customer service) | The processing is necessary for our legitimate interest in providing you with support, answering questions or requests, and thereby improving and promoting our products and services. | Identification and contact information File data Personal characteristics Financial details The information you provide to us Information about your interactions with us Any other categories of personal data that are necessary, depending on the content of the question, message, or request (e.g., details about your device, issue, or order; error information; required replacement parts; location of the unit) |
| Monitoring the quality of our services. | This processing is necessary for our legitimate interest in ensuring the quality of our services (pursuant to Article 10/1, §2 of the Act of 30 July 2018). | Recordings of telephone calls and related data File data Identification and contact information (phone number) |
| Evidence of a commercial transaction or other business communication | This processing is necessary for our legitimate interest in documenting commercial transactions and business communications and, where necessary, being able to demonstrate their existence and content (pursuant to Article 10/1, §1 of the Act of 30 July 2018). | Recordings of telephone calls and related data File data Identification and contact information (phone number) |
| Website Users, customers, and prospects | ||
| To improve our Website, products, and services, marketing, or customer relationships and experiences, including through cookies or similar technologies. This also includes sending satisfaction surveys to customers. | If required by law, we will ask for your consent before processing your information for this purpose. In other cases, this processing is necessary for our legitimate interest in improving our products or services and your experience while using the Website, as this helps us maintain our business operations or grow our business. | (Electronic) identification and contact information File data Technical information Information about your interactions with us Information about how you use our products, services, and Website The information you provide to us in connection with the customer satisfaction survey |
| To send you (personalised) advertising, including newsletters, or commercial information by mail, email, through the Website (including via cookies or similar technologies), via WhatsApp, or through digital advertising platforms. For example, we may notify you when your device needs to be replaced or when replacement parts will no longer be available. If you have provided us with your mobile phone number, we will also communicate with you via text message to send you commercial information. | This processing is necessary for our legitimate interest in promoting our products and services, ensuring that our customers remain informed about our services, and helping us understand your interests, personalize our interactions with you, and develop our business relationship, as this helps us maintain our business operations or grow our business (also known as “soft opt-in”). When we are legally required to obtain your consent before processing your information for this purpose, or for newsletters, we will rely on your consent as the legal basis for the processing. | (Electronic) identification and contact information Technical information Information about your interactions with us File data Personal characteristics The information you provide to us |
| Responding to requests under the GDPR. | This processing is necessary to fulfil our legal obligation under Chapter III of the GDPR. | (Electronic) identification and contact information The information you provide to us File data All other categories of personal data that are necessary, depending on the content of the request |
| Handling and management of complaints and disputes. | The processing is necessary for the legitimate interest of Vaillant Group Belgium NV to defend itself in and out of court. | (Electronic) identification and contact information The information you provide to us File data All other categories of personal data that are necessary, depending on the nature of the complaint or dispute |
| Combating abuse, fraud, and crime. | When we are subject to a legal obligation, the processing is necessary to comply with the legal obligations that apply to us. In the absence of a relevant legal obligation, the processing is necessary for our legitimate interest in addressing abuse, fraud, and crime. | All categories of personal data that are necessary, depending on the nature of the abuse, fraud, or crime. |
| In the context of a business transaction: To evaluate or carry out an acquisition, merger, spin-off, restructuring, reorganisation, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of our assets, whether by way of a transfer of (part of) the business or as part of a bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which personal data in our possession forms part of the transferred assets. | Processing for these purposes is necessary for the legitimate interest of Vaillant Group Belgium NV in carrying out the aforementioned business transactions to implement our business strategies or grow our business. | All categories of personal data that are necessary, depending on the nature of the business transaction. |
| Visitors to the site and the business premises of Vaillant Group Belgium NV | ||
| Theft prevention and protection of the company’s property through video surveillance on the site and in the business premises of Vaillant Group Belgium NV | This processing is necessary for the legitimate interests of Vaillant Group Belgium NV to protect and safeguard the economic, commercial, and financial interests of Vaillant Group Belgium NV, business continuity, the security and confidentiality of customer information and products, and the security of the digital and physical infrastructure. | Camera footage |
If we also use your data for purposes other than those mentioned above, we will inform you of these purposes prior to using your data and (if necessary) request your consent.
b) Explanation of certain features or services
In addition to the overview above, you can find more information below regarding the processing of your personal data when using certain features or services in connection with the aforementioned purposes:
Customer service
We offer various ways to contact our customer service. If you contact us by phone, we will ask you to provide the information necessary to address your inquiry.
If you have provided us with your phone number, mobile phone number, or email address, we will use it to communicate with you regarding your request until it has been resolved. This also includes messages via email or text message to confirm or remind you of appointments.
Installer search feature
We offer you the option to find an installer near you using our installer search function on the Website. Generally, you can use this service simply by manually entering a location. However, you can either enter your exact address manually or enable your browser to share your approximate location (city). Your browser uses various pieces of information to determine your location, specifically your IP address. Details about this can be found in your browser’s privacy notice. Providing an address or location is not required. Based on the information provided, you will receive a list of installers in your region.
Download or order informational materials
As a general rule, you can download information and brochures about products and services directly from the Website without providing any personal data. In certain cases, we offer the option to receive selected informational materials by email or mail. To do so, you provide us with details about the information you need, as well as your name, title, email address, and mailing address. In individual cases, we may request additional information necessary for the respective service.
Newsletter registration
We offer general newsletters or newsletters on specific topics to which you can subscribe. After you subscribe to a newsletter, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription. By confirming, you give us permission to send you regular information about our products and services in the form of a newsletter. You can unsubscribe from a newsletter at any time using the unsubscribe link included in the newsletter for this purpose.
When we send a newsletter, we collect data about the delivery and use of the newsletter to improve our marketing. This also applies if you subscribe to one of our newsletters through third-party offers, e.g., within Google or Facebook services. In these cases, the operators of these platforms may also process your personal data. Their privacy notices apply to such third-party offers.
Receiving push notifications via the browser
We offer the option to receive push notifications about our products and services. To sign up for push notifications, you can consent to receiving them via your browser or device. To provide push notifications, we use a service offered by CleverPush GmbH, Nagelsweg 22, 20097 Hamburg, Germany (“CleverPush”). Registration for push notifications is documented and stored by CleverPush. For this purpose, the time of registration and a push token or device ID are stored. This data is used to document your registration and to enable us to send you the push notifications. You can individually change and adjust the settings and your consent for push notifications in your browser at any time. If you no longer wish to receive push notifications in the future, you can adjust the notifications accordingly in your browser settings. Detailed instructions on how to enable or disable push notifications can be found in your browser’s help menu.
Registration for the self-service portal
We offer you the option to use certain services independently via a self-service portal. You can register for this using your home address or your customer number. A prerequisite is that you have already had a service intervention at the unit’s current location or that you have registered your product.
Registration for Connectivity
We offer you the option to register for our “Connectivity” service, which allows you to connect your appliance to our systems so that Vaillant Group Belgium NV can remotely process your appliance’s data to provide you with specific services, such as error code monitoring and preventive maintenance. If you register for the “Connectivity” service, we will process your appliance’s data for the purposes of providing this service.
Sharing of personal data within the Vaillant Group and with third parties
We may disclose your personal data to third parties who reasonably need access to that data for the purpose of fulfilling one or more of the aforementioned purposes. For the purposes mentioned above, your personal data may be shared with:
- Employees of Vaillant Group Belgium NV;
- Entities within the Vaillant Group;
- External service providers we engage in connection with our business activities: IT service providers, security firms, marketing agencies, subcontractors;
- Potential or future buyers of Vaillant Group Belgium NV;
- Law enforcement and government agencies, in accordance with applicable law.
We also share your personal data with specialised professionals, installers, or other third parties when this is necessary to provide certain services or when you have given your consent. This is the case, for example, when you agree to use an installer whom we recommend in a quotation for a heating system. In that case, we forward your request to the selected installer, who will then provide you with a proposal for the system.
Where third parties act as processors, we ensure the necessary contractual safeguards are in place.
In the context of handling complaints and disputes or defending our rights, personal data may be disclosed to our external professional advisors (e.g., attorneys, bailiffs, experts, mediators) and insurers. Such disclosure occurs only to the extent necessary for that purpose.
Data processing by third parties and processing outside the EEA
Please note that some parties receiving your personal data may be located in a country outside the European Economic Area (EEA) whose laws do not provide the same level of data protection. We will ensure that your personal data is only transferred to parties that maintain an adequate level of data protection (for example, when the European Commission has issued an adequacy decision or by incorporating the European Commission’s so-called standard contractual clauses into the agreement with the recipient, subject to an appropriate assessment of the transfer). You may contact us to receive a copy of the appropriate safeguards that apply to the transfer of your personal data.
In particular in connection with the use of analytics tools, tracking and targeting technologies from third-party providers, or the integration of social media services, it is possible that these third-party providers may also process data outside the EEA (for example, in the U.S.).
Your rights
You have various rights regarding the personal data we process. If the relevant conditions of the GDPR are met, you have the right:
- To access your personal data and receive a copy of it, including a copy of the recordings of your phone calls with our customer service department. If necessary, we will anonymise any personal data belonging to third parties;
- To request that we correct your personal data, at any time and free of charge, if you believe it is inaccurate or incomplete;
- To request that we erase your personal data (“right to be forgotten”), for example, if you believe that we have no (or no longer have) a legal basis for processing it. Excluded from erasure are, among other things, those data that Vaillant Group Belgium NV is required to retain;
- To restrict the processing of your personal data, provided that the applicable legal provisions are met;
- Data portability, or the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and to transmit it to another party (to the extent that the processing is based on consent or the performance of a contract);
- To withdraw your consent to the processing of your personal data (to the extent that the processing is based on your consent). However, this withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of the processing of your personal data for the period prior to the withdrawal or processing activities based on another legal basis.
In accordance with the GDPR, you also have the right to object to the processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes or to any processing we carry out based on our legitimate interests.
If you have any questions regarding your data protection rights, or if you wish to exercise one or more of your rights as a data subject, please contact our Data Protection Officer. You may submit your request by email to gdpr@vaillant-group.be or by mail to Vaillant Group Belgium NV - Data Protection, Golden Hopestraat 15, 1620 Drogenbos, Belgium.
You have the right, in accordance with legal provisions, to file a complaint with the competent supervisory authority if you believe that the processing of your personal data violates legal provisions. To this end, you may, in particular, contact the authority in the EU member state of your habitual residence or of the place where the alleged infringement occurred. For Belgium, this is the Data Protection Authority.
Retention of your data
Vaillant Group Belgium NV retains your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described. In determining the retention period, we apply the following criteria: (i) the duration of our relationship with you during which you have access to the Website, unless legal or regulatory obligations prescribe a different retention period; (ii) the duration of any legal obligation applicable to the processing of your personal data, (iii) the applicable warranty period, and (iv) the mandatory or recommended retention period, taking into account applicable statutes of limitations, any dispute, or an investigation by the supervisory authority.
In that regard, personal data of prospects (potential customers) are retained for a period of 1 year following the last contact or, in the absence thereof, from the time of collection of such personal data. However, personal data associated with contractual documents are retained for a period of up to 10 years following the termination of the contract with Vaillant Group Belgium NV, subject to legal exceptions. Unless misuse is detected, camera footage recorded on the premises and in the company buildings of Vaillant Group Belgium NV is retained for thirty days. Telephone recordings made for the purpose of monitoring service quality are deleted within thirty days at the latest. Upon expiration of these periods, the data will be deleted or anonymised.
Subject to change
We reserve the right to amend this privacy notice at any time in accordance with applicable law or changes to the Website, products, or services of Vaillant Group Belgium NV. If Vaillant Group Belgium NV makes material changes to this privacy notice, you will be notified. Please also observe the respective terms of use and general terms and conditions when using our web pages.
Contact
If you have any questions or suggestions regarding data protection, please contact us by email or mail:
Vaillant Group Belgium NV
- By email: gdpr@vaillant-group.be
- By mail: Vaillant Group Belgium NV - Data Protection, Golden Hopestraat 15, 1620 Drogenbos, Belgium.
Privacy notice for professional partners and suppliers
Last updated: 30 October 2026
We take the protection of your personal data very seriously. This privacy notice informs you about the processing of personal data of suppliers and professional partners of Vaillant Group Belgium NV and their employees and representatives.
You are considered a professional partner (“Partner”) when you use our personalised portal Bulex Pro (“Service Portal”) and/or the business services we offer to our Partners via the Service Portal for business purposes. We make the Service Portal available, among others, to our installers and their employees and representatives.
In addition, our general privacy notice for website users, customers (also referred to as “end customers,” including customers of Partners), prospects and visitors applies to you when you visit the publicly accessible sections of our website (www.vaillant.be), access or use the Service Portal, and/or use the business services made available to our Partners through the Service Portal. In each of these cases, you are considered a “website user” for the purposes of the general privacy notice. Please read this specific privacy notice in conjunction with our general privacy notice.
This specific privacy notice explains what (additional) personal data is collected, how it is collected, for what (additional) purposes, and on what legal basis, in addition to what is already described in the general privacy notice for “website users”. It also describes your rights regarding the processing of your personal data by Vaillant Group Belgium NV.
Controller
Vaillant Group Belgium NV, registered with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises under number 0401.874.760, and with its registered office at Golden Hopestraat 15, 1620 Drogenbos, Belgium (“Vaillant Group Belgium NV”, “we”, “us”, “our”) acts as the controller for the processing of the personal data described in this privacy notice.
We are a company of the Vaillant Group. The Vaillant Group refers to Vaillant GmbH (Vaillant GmbH, Berghauser Str. 40, 42859 Remscheid, Germany) and the companies affiliated with Vaillant GmbH. The Vaillant Group includes the brands Vaillant, Saunier Duval, awb, Bulex, DemirDöküm, Glowworm, Hermann Saunier Duval, and Protherm. You can find more information about the Vaillant Group here.
When using the website, including the Service Portal, personal data may be processed through the use of cookies and similar technologies. More information about the use of these technologies can be found in our Cookie Notice. Registration for and use of the website and the Service Portal are subject to our “Terms of Use”. Please read these documents in conjunction with this privacy notice.
Personal data, purposes, and legal bases
1. Personal data
Vaillant Group Belgium NV collects the following personal data:
| Type of client | Data |
|---|---|
| Partners | Identification and contact information, including first and last name, email address, phone number, title/job function (in addition to the Partner’s business information, including tax ID number, commercial register number, bank details, address, landline phone number, and general email address); Login and usage data, including your password and usage data for the Service Portal and our related business services and applications; Personal characteristics, such as language and title; Order details, including the order and customer number (if applicable, for the Partner’s end customers), the type of order and its status, information about the device in question (including the owner’s name and contact information), the problem description, the service location and contact information of the on-site contact person, the desired date, information about any contract, the technician assigned, details regarding the customer service visit (including the work report), and other data related to the service, such as information about requests, appointments, and the fulfilment of orders; The information you provide in online contact forms or other digital or paper (order) forms, or by phone through customer service, including the type of product or service requested, energy needs, the device’s location, the type of order (purchase, repair, maintenance…), any defects, serial number, class, type, model, and the end customer’s phone number (landline or mobile); Project details, including the name of the construction project, project name, customer number, name, address, phone number, fax number, and email address. The installation company’s details include company name, contact name, address, phone number, fax number, and email address, company logo, and technical information about the project; Participation in training courses and events; Loyalty data, including information about purchased and installed devices, management of the rewards account, information about services provided and benefits, and information about purchased and installed devices related to unauthorised, incorrect, or multiple transfers of data for the purpose of obtaining unauthorised benefits; Financial details, including your bank account number and payment information; Information about your interactions with us and other similar information; Recordings of telephone calls with our customer service department, and related data, including the date and time. |
| Suppliers | Identification and contact information, including name, registered office, business registration number, phone number, and email address; Personal characteristics, including language and title; Financial details, including bank account number; The information you provided in our online contact form or other digital or paper (order) forms from Vaillant Group Belgium NV. |
This privacy notice applies only to the extent that the aforementioned data constitutes “personal data” within the meaning of the GDPR (and not exclusively business data). To the extent applicable, for the purposes of this privacy notice, the terms “Partner” or “supplier” also refer to their employees or representatives whose personal data is provided to Vaillant Group Belgium NV.
Vaillant Group Belgium NV collects this personal data via the Service Portal and, for example, via digital or paper (order) forms, via email, telephone, text message, social media, partners, and third parties, as well as during events or trade shows.
When we obtain personal data directly from you, you are generally free to choose whether or not to provide Vaillant Group Belgium NV with such personal data, unless there is a legal obligation to do so. If you do not wish to provide your personal data, you may not be able to use the website (including the Service Portal) or the products or business services offered by Vaillant Group Belgium NV, your questions may not be answered, and/or you may not be able to enter into a contract with Vaillant Group Belgium NV.
The specific personal data we collect from you depends on the applicable purposes described below.
2. Purposes and legal bases
a) Overview
Your personal data may be used for the purposes described below. For each purpose, the legal basis on which Vaillant Group Belgium NV processes the personal data is specified.
| Purpose | Legal basis | Category of personal data |
|---|---|---|
| Partners | ||
| Providing our products and services: Fulfilling our obligations and enforcing our rights arising from contracts with you, including to deliver the products and services you have ordered, in connection with their delivery, sending notifications regarding payment, as well as for accounting and billing purposes. (See below the table for more information about specific products and services) | When this processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation, we will rely on this legal obligation as the legal basis for such processing. In other cases, when this processing is necessary for the conclusion and/or performance of a contract with you, we will rely on this contract as the legal basis. Where the processing is not necessary for a contract with the data subject, the processing is necessary for the legitimate interest of Vaillant Group Belgium NV in processing personal data in the context of our contract with the company to which you are affiliated. | Identification and contact information Login and usage data Personal characteristics Order details The information you provide to us Project details Loyalty data Financial details Information about your interactions with us |
| Registration for, and organisation of, events (e.g., informational events, tours, trade shows) or training sessions. | When this processing is necessary for the conclusion and/or performance of a contract with you, we will rely on this contract as the legal basis. Where that is not the case, the processing is necessary for the legitimate interest of Vaillant Group Belgium NV in processing data for the organisation of events or training sessions and/or in connection with our agreement with the company to which you are affiliated. | Identification and contact information Personal characteristics Order details The information you provide to us Participation in training courses and events; Financial details Information about your interactions with us |
| Administration of the loyalty programme for Partners, in which Partners may optionally participate to receive certain benefits. | When this processing is necessary for the conclusion and/or performance of a contract with you, we will rely on this contract as the legal basis. Where that is not the case, the processing is necessary for the legitimate interest of Vaillant Group Belgium NV in offering such benefits to its Partners (where applicable, based on the so-called “soft opt-in”) and/or within the framework of our agreement with the company to which you are affiliated. | Identification and contact information Login and usage data Personal characteristics Order details The information you provide to us Project details Participation in training courses and events Loyalty data Financial details Information about your interactions with us |
| Partner Management: To maintain an optimal business relationship with our Partners and support them in using our products and services, we process certain personal data for the purpose of Partner management. | When this processing is necessary for the conclusion and/or performance of a contract with you, we will rely on this contract as the legal basis. In other cases, we carry out this processing based on our legitimate interest in getting to know our Partners and maintaining our relationship with you, with a view to providing an excellent Partner experience. Where that is not the case, the processing is necessary for the legitimate interest of Vaillant Group Belgium NV to process data within the framework of our agreement with the company to which you are affiliated and/or to know our Partners and maintain our relationship with them. | Identification and contact information Login and usage data Personal characteristics Order details The information you provide to us Project details Participation in training courses and events Loyalty data Financial details Information about your interactions with us |
| Responding to and handling questions, requests for advice and quotes, messages, or requests; accepting orders; and providing technical support, whether or not through our customer service department. (See below the table for more information about customer service) | The processing is necessary for our legitimate interest in providing you with support, responding to your questions or requests, and thereby improving and promoting our products and services. | Identification and contact information Login and usage data Personal characteristics Order details and Project details The information you provide to us All categories of personal data that are necessary, depending on the content of the question, message, or request |
| Monitoring the quality of our services. | This processing is necessary for our legitimate interest in ensuring the quality of our services (pursuant to Article 10/1, § 2 of the Act of 30 July 2018). | Recordings of telephone calls and related data Identification and contact information Order details The information you provide to us |
| Evidence of a commercial transaction or other business communication | This processing is necessary for our legitimate interest in documenting commercial transactions and business communications and, where necessary, being able to demonstrate their existence and content (pursuant to Article 10/1, § 1 of the Act of 30 July 2018). | Recordings of telephone calls and related data Identification and contact information Order details The information you provide to us |
| For further details, please refer to the general privacy notice applicable to, among others, website users, which also applies to Partners (see purposes applicable to “website users”). | ||
| Suppliers | ||
| Supplier Management: Management of contacts, requests/quotes, placed orders, and payments to suppliers. | This processing is necessary for the conclusion and/or performance of the contract with you. In other cases, this processing is necessary for the legitimate interest of Vaillant Group Belgium NV in processing personal data in connection with our contracts with the company to which you are affiliated. | Identification and contact information Personal characteristics Financial details The information you provide to us |
| Handling and management of complaints and disputes | The processing is necessary for the legitimate interest of Vaillant Group Belgium NV to defend itself in and out of court. | Identification and contact information The information you provide to us All other categories of personal data that are necessary, depending on the nature of the complaint or dispute |
| Combating abuse, fraud, and crime. | When we are subject to a legal obligation, the processing is necessary to comply with the legal obligations applicable to us. In the absence of a relevant legal obligation, the processing is necessary for our legitimate interest in addressing abuse, fraud, and crime. | All categories of personal data that are necessary, depending on the nature of the abuse, fraud, or crime. |
| Responding to requests under the GDPR. | This processing is necessary to fulfil our legal obligation under Chapter III of the GDPR. | Identification and contact information The information you provide to us All other categories of personal data that are necessary, depending on the content of the request |
| In connection with a business transaction: To evaluate or carry out an acquisition, merger, spin-off, restructuring, reorganisation, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of our assets, whether by way of a transfer of (part of) the business or as part of a bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which personal data in our possession forms part of the transferred assets. | Processing for these purposes is necessary for the legitimate interest of Vaillant Group Belgium NV in carrying out the aforementioned business transactions to implement our business strategies or grow our business. | All categories of personal data that are necessary, depending on the nature of the business transaction. |
Furthermore, if we use your data for purposes other than those mentioned above, we will inform you of these purposes prior to using your data and (if necessary) request your consent.
b) Explanation of certain features or services for Partners
In addition to the overview above, you can find more information below regarding the processing of your personal data when using certain features or services in connection with the aforementioned purposes:
Customer service
We offer various ways to contact our customer service. If you contact us by phone, we will ask you to provide the information necessary to address your inquiry.
If you have provided us with your phone number, mobile phone number, or email address, we will use this information to communicate with you regarding your request until the order is completed. This also includes messages via email or text message to confirm or remind you of appointments.
Listing in the installer search function
We offer our Partners the opportunity to be listed as a contact in the installer search function on our website for interested end customers (potential customers). When searching, the interested party will see various installers in their area. Please note that you should only enter contact information for your company that you agree to have published as part of the installer search. As part of the installer search, your address will also be displayed to the interested party on Google Maps.
Newsletter registration
We offer general newsletters or newsletters on specific topics that Partners can subscribe to. You can unsubscribe from any newsletter you’ve subscribed to at any time via the Service Portal. If you wish to unsubscribe from a newsletter, you can also use the unsubscribe link included in the newsletter.
When we send a newsletter, we may also collect data regarding the delivery and use of the newsletter. To this end, the newsletters contain links to image files stored on our web servers. When you open a newsletter, your email program downloads these image files from our web server. This allows us to determine whether and when our newsletters were opened and which content was read. We use the information collected in this way to make your use of the newsletters more engaging, to monitor the delivery of newsletters, and for statistical purposes.
Registration for the Service Portal
The Service Portal is provided for general information and as a personalised web service for Partners. The Partner must register themselves and their employees/representatives for this purpose.
Within the Service Portal, we provide various tools and applications that support you, among other things, in consultations with end customers and in the planning and preparation of quotes. These include tools for recording and processing project data, such as Quick Design Heat Pumps (Minitools), the hydraulic database, the online parts catalogue, the ERP Labeling Tool, tools for yield calculation, and BIM files.
Mobile apps for Partners
We provide our Partners with various mobile apps, which are available as web applications or for devices running Android or iOS via Google Play or the Apple App Store. These include:
• MiGo Xpert App
• SpareCHECK App
• Spare Parts Catalogue Web App
• iHelp
• iScan
Use of the apps is only possible after prior registration as a Partner. We manage the login credentials (username, password) for the apps. The privacy notice associated with each app applies to the use of the apps and can be viewed within the respective app.
For Google Play and the App Store, the providers’ privacy notices apply. Google Play is offered in Europe by Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland (“Google”). Information about Google’s privacy notice can be found at https://policies.google.com/privacy. The App Store is provided by Apple Inc., One Apple Park Way, Cupertino, California, 95014, United States (“Apple”). Information about Apple’s privacy notice can be found at https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/ (the relevant language version can be accessed via the country selection).
Training for employees/representatives and e-learning offerings
We offer our Partners and their employees/representatives a variety of training opportunities. Through the Service Portal, we also provide e-learning modules on our products and services, as well as other relevant topics. To this end, we may use a service provider’s technical platform through which the course content is made available. For certain services, we offer a qualifying form of e-learning in which successful completion of the course leads to certification. In these cases, we record successful completion of the e-learning based on answers to questions or the completion of assignments.
Sharing personal data within the Vaillant Group and with third parties
We may disclose your personal data to third parties who reasonably need access to that data for the purpose of fulfilling one or more of the aforementioned purposes. For the purposes mentioned above, your personal data may be shared with:
- Employees of Vaillant Group Belgium NV;
- Entities within the Vaillant Group;
- External service providers we engage in connection with our business activities: IT service providers, security firms, marketing agencies, subcontractors;
- Google Maps (for the installer search function)
- External e-learning platforms (for Partners)
- Potential or future buyers of Vaillant Group Belgium NV;
- Law enforcement and government agencies, in accordance with applicable law.
We also share your personal data with end customers or other third parties when this is necessary to provide certain services or when you have given your consent.
Where third parties act as processors, we ensure the necessary contractual safeguards are in place.
In the context of handling complaints and disputes or defending our rights, personal data may be disclosed to our external professional advisors (e.g., attorneys, bailiffs, experts, mediators) and insurers. Such disclosure occurs only to the extent necessary for that purpose.
Data processing by third parties and processing outside the EEA
Please note that some parties receiving your personal data may be located in a country outside the European Economic Area (EEA) whose laws do not provide the same level of data protection. We will ensure that your personal data is only transferred to parties that maintain an adequate level of data protection (for example, when the European Commission has issued an adequacy decision or by incorporating the European Commission’s so-called standard contractual clauses into the agreement with the recipient, subject to an appropriate assessment of the transfer). You may contact us to receive a copy of the appropriate safeguards that apply to the transfer of your personal data.
Your rights
You have various rights regarding the personal data we process. If the relevant conditions of the GDPR are met, you have the right:
- To access your personal data and receive a copy, including a copy of the recordings of your phone calls with our customer service department. If necessary, we will anonymise any personal data belonging to third parties;
- To request that we correct your personal data, at any time and free of charge, if you believe it is inaccurate or incomplete;
- To request that we erase your personal data (“right to be forgotten”), for example, if you believe that we have no (or no longer have) a legal basis for processing it. Excluded from erasure are, among other things, those data that Vaillant Group Belgium NV is required to retain;
- To restrict the processing of your personal data, provided that the applicable legal provisions are met;
- Data portability, or the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and to transmit it to another party (to the extent that the processing is based on consent or the performance of a contract);
- To withdraw your consent to the processing of your personal data (to the extent that the processing is based on your consent). However, this withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of the processing of your personal data for the period prior to the withdrawal or processing activities based on another legal basis.
In accordance with the GDPR, you also have the right to object to the processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes or to any processing we carry out based on our legitimate interests.
If you have any questions regarding your data protection rights, or if you wish to exercise one or more of your rights as a data subject, please contact our Data Protection Officer. You may submit your request by email to gdpr@vaillant-group.be or by mail to Vaillant Group Belgium NV - Data Protection, Golden Hopestraat 15, 1620 Drogenbos, Belgium.
You have the right, in accordance with legal provisions, to file a complaint with the competent supervisory authority if you believe that the processing of your personal data violates legal provisions. To this end, you may, in particular, contact the authority in the EU member state of your habitual residence or of the place where the alleged infringement occurred. For Belgium, this is the Data Protection Authority.
Retention of your data
Vaillant Group Belgium NV retains your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described. When determining the retention period, we apply the following criteria: (i) the duration of our relationship with you during which you have access to the Service Portal and/or other business services, unless legal or regulatory obligations prescribe a different retention period; (ii) the duration of any legal obligation applicable to the processing of your personal data, (iii) the applicable warranty period for the products you have ordered or for the company with which you are affiliated, and (iv) the mandatory or recommended retention period, taking into account applicable statutes of limitations, a dispute, or an investigation by the supervisory authority.
In that regard, Service Portal (Bulex Pro) accounts and the associated personal data will be deleted or anonymised no later than one month after the Partner (i) is no longer economically active (e.g., in the event of bankruptcy or cessation of business), (ii) has a new VAT number (in which case a new account is created), or (iii) has requested the closure of the account, subject to legal exceptions (e.g., regarding invoicing and accounting). However, personal data associated with contractual documents will be retained for a period of up to 10 years after the termination of the contract with Vaillant Group Belgium NV, subject to legal exceptions. Telephone recordings made for the purpose of monitoring service quality and as evidence of a commercial transaction or other business communication will be deleted within thirty days at the latest. Upon expiration of these periods, the data will be deleted or anonymised.
Subject to change
We reserve the right to amend this privacy notice at any time in accordance with applicable law or changes to the website, products, or services of Vaillant Group Belgium NV. If Vaillant Group Belgium NV makes material changes to this privacy notice, you will be notified. Please also observe the respective terms of use and general terms and conditions when using our web pages.
Contact
If you have any questions or suggestions regarding data protection, please contact us by email or mail:
Vaillant Group Belgium NV
- By email: gdpr@vaillant-group.be
- By mail: Vaillant Group Belgium NV - Data Protection, Golden Hopestraat 15, 1620 Drogenbos, Belgium.