Privacy Regulations and Data Protection

 

Who we are?

“Open Balkan Market” Ltd. collects and processes the personal data of its customers in compliance with its legal and contractual rights and obligations, and in full accordance with Law No. 9887, dated 10.3.2008, “On the protection of personal data” (amended). Our website address is www.openbalkanmarket.com.

What personal data do we collect and why do we collect it?

When you use our website, “Open Balkan Market” may directly collect personal data through the completion of online request forms directed towards “Open Balkan Market”. This data is recorded in our systems or those of our authorized service providers. Providing this data is voluntary. “Open Balkan Market” assures data subjects that their data is collected and processed solely for the purposes of fulfilling contractual and informative relationships.

By using the portal and/or giving consent for registration/contact, data subjects give their consent for further processing and guarantee that the personal data provided is accurate, truthful, and up-to-date. Furthermore, the data subject is responsible for updating the registered data to ensure the information is constantly accurate and complete.

 

What personal data we collect and why we collect it?

Comments

When visitors leave comments on the site, we collect the data shown in the comments form, as well as the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help with spam detection.

If you use a Gravatar, an anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: Gravatar Privacy Policy. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.

Our system employs automated spam detection services which may send some of your comment-related data to be verified and checked for spam content.

Media

If you upload images to the website, be cautious about uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included, as visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the site. We strongly recommend checking images for sensitive information before uploading them to maintain your privacy.

Contact forms

We have various contact forms on our site that may ask for your name, email, and other personal details for correspondence purposes. This data is stored securely and is not used for marketing purposes unless explicitly permitted by the user.

 

Cookies

We use cookies to ensure the best experience on our site. If you continue browsing our site without changing the settings, we assume you are happy to accept cookies from our site.

What are cookies?

Cookies are small encoded text files that are placed on your computer or other devices that use this website. The website uses cookies to collect information about you.

Why are cookies used?

We use cookies for the following reasons:

  • For marketing reasons, to display personalized banners.
  • To identify and monitor your navigation on our website and to record online purchases. This helps us identify any issues and improve our customers’ journey.
  • Allows us to gather information about our website’s use and combine it with information about your purchases, helping us improve and develop the products and services we offer.
  • To ensure that selected items are placed in your shopping cart and your purchase is processed correctly.
  • At no point do our cookies, or third-party cookies, record your personal payment data.
Different types of cookies

We’ve classified our cookies into two different types; direct cookies and third-party cookies. Direct ones are set by Open Balkan Market to provide you with a complete and functional shopping experience on our website. Third-party cookies are set by our business partners like Social Media, Analytics, and Adobe, which we use to display videos and gather statistics.

Analytics

“Open Balkan Market” Ltd. utilizes various analytics tools to better understand our users’ interaction with the site. This helps us to improve user experience, design, and content delivery. All user data collected for analytics is anonymized and cannot be used to personally identify an individual.

Who do we share your data with

Personal data, collected and stored in the “Open Balkan Market” Ltd. databases, will be processed by employees and/or collaborators of the data controller or those persons responsible for processing. This data will not be transferred or communicated to third parties, except in cases where consent has been given or when this information is requested by competent authorities under the law.

How long we retain your data?

For users that register on our website, the personal information they provide in their user profile is stored for as long as the account remains active. Users can view, edit, or delete their personal information at any time. Website administrators can also see and edit that information.

When visitors leave comments on the site, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognize and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.

Additionally, for non-registered users, we may retain other forms of data, such as IP addresses or browsing history, for shorter durations depending on the purpose of collection and the requirements of relevant regulations.

It’s important to note that certain legal obligations might require us to retain data for specific periods, even after account deactivation or request for deletion.

What rights do you have over your data?

Data subjects have the right to request access to their data and to request that this data be corrected or updated in accordance with the requirements of Articles 13 and 18 of Law No. 9887, dated 10.3.2008, “On the protection of personal data”. 

Where do we send your data?

Visitor comments and some other forms of user data may be checked through an automated spam detection service, which may involve sending the data to third-party providers specializing in spam detection. While these systems operate primarily for security and quality assurance purposes, they may operate from different jurisdictions, and hence, user data might be transferred across borders. We work diligently to ensure that all third-party providers we collaborate with maintain stringent data protection standards.

Your contact information

While specific details have not been provided, generally, when users submit their contact information through our platform, it is used for the purposes for which it was collected – be it for newsletters, service updates, or direct communication. We store this data securely and ensure that it is not used for unsolicited marketing purposes unless the user has explicitly given permission. Moreover, we do not share, sell, or distribute contact information without the explicit consent of our users or unless required by law.

 

Additional information

How we protect your data?

“Open Balkan Market” guarantees that it has taken all physical, technical, and operational measures to preserve confidentiality and to protect against loss, destruction, damage, or unauthorized distribution, in accordance with the requirements of Law No. 9887, dated 10.3.2008, “On the protection of personal data” (amended).

What data breach procedures do we have in place?

In the event of a data breach, “Open Balkan Market” Ltd. has established a robust procedure to address and mitigate the risks associated. These steps include:

  • Immediate identification and containment of the breach to prevent further unauthorized access or data leakage.
  • Notifying the relevant data protection authorities within 72 hours of identifying the breach, in line with GDPR requirements.
  • Conducting a thorough investigation to determine the cause and extent of the breach.
  • Communicating with affected individuals, advising them on steps they can take to protect themselves.
  • Evaluating and improving our security measures to prevent future breaches.
What third parties do we receive data from?

“Open Balkan Market” Ltd. collaborates with several third-party entities to enhance the services we offer. Some third parties may include:

  • Analytics providers for understanding user behavior on our platform.
  • Marketing partners for targeted advertising and promotions.
  • Payment gateways for transaction processing.
  • Survey platforms for collecting feedback. Please note that all third-party providers are vetted to ensure they comply with our strict data privacy standards.
What automated decision-making and/or profiling do we do with user data?

At “Open Balkan Market” Ltd., we employ automated decision-making processes to provide personalized shopping experiences. These processes might include:

  • Recommending products based on browsing and purchase history.
  • Analyzing shopping patterns to offer promotions or discounts.
  • Filtering reviews or feedback for relevance. However, no automated decisions that would have legal or similarly significant effects on our users are made without human intervention.

 

Industry regulatory disclosure requirements

While “Open Balkan Market” Ltd. adheres to all industry and data protection regulations, specific disclosure requirements may vary based on the industry sector and jurisdiction. As of now, there are no additional industry-specific disclosure requirements that apply to our operations beyond what has been stated in our privacy policy. Users are encouraged to reach out with specific queries or concerns.