Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 5, 2026

1. Controller

The data controller for this website is:
Open Telos GmbH
Grotfeldsweg 55, 47506 Neukirchen-Vluyn, Germany
Commercial Register: Amtsgericht Düsseldorf, HRB 86630
Managing Director (Geschäftsführer): Severin Deutschmann
VAT ID: DE325263947
Email: privacy@smartpetcover.com

2. What Data We Collect

When you use our quote comparison tool, we collect:

• Pet type, breed, and age
• Your US zip code (and derived city/state)
• Name and email address
• Phone number (optional — only if you provide it)

We also automatically collect:

• IP address (stored only as an irreversible hash — we do not retain your full IP address)
• Browser type and user agent string
• Page URL where the form was submitted
• Timestamp of submission
• The exact version of the consent text you agreed to

3. Purpose and Lawful Basis

We process your data for the purpose of connecting you with licensed pet insurance partners who can provide personalized quotes. Our lawful basis is consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR).

You give consent explicitly by checking the consent checkbox and clicking “Get My Quotes” on our comparison form. Consent is voluntary and is not a condition of accessing any content on this website.

We also use analytics (Vercel Analytics) to understand website usage in aggregate. Vercel Analytics is privacy-friendly — it does not use cookies, does not track individual users across sessions, and collects only anonymized pageview data. No consent is required for this processing (legitimate interest, Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).

4. Recipients of Your Data

When our partner network is active, your form data may be shared with licensed insurance agents and companies in the United States for the purpose of providing pet insurance quotes. We will only share your data with partners after you have given explicit consent via our form.

We are currently building our partner network. Until partnerships are active, your data is stored securely and is not shared with any third parties.

We do not sell your personal data to data brokers or unrelated third parties.

5. International Transfers

Your data is processed and stored on servers in the United States (Vercel infrastructure). If you are in the EU/EEA, this constitutes an international transfer. We rely on the EU–US Data Privacy Framework and standard contractual clauses (Art. 46(2)(c) GDPR) as appropriate safeguards.

6. Consent Records

Every form submission is stored with the exact consent text version you agreed to, the timestamp of your consent, and a hashed identifier. If the consent text is updated, a new version is created. Previously collected submissions retain the version that was active at the time of submission.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for up to 24 months from the date of collection, or until you request deletion, whichever comes first. After this period, your data is permanently deleted.

8. Your Rights

Under the GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access (Art. 15) — obtain a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Rectification (Art. 16) — correct inaccurate data
• Erasure (Art. 17) — request deletion of your data (“right to be forgotten”)
• Restriction (Art. 18) — restrict processing of your data
• Data portability (Art. 20) — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Object (Art. 21) — object to processing based on legitimate interest
• Withdraw consent (Art. 7(3)) — withdraw your consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal

To exercise any of these rights, email us at privacy@smartpetcover.com. We will respond within 30 days.

Withdrawal of consent is as easy as giving it: send an email to privacy@smartpetcover.com requesting withdrawal. We will stop processing your data and notify any partners to cease processing within 48 hours.

9. Right to Lodge a Complaint

You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. Since Open Telos GmbH is registered in Germany, the competent authority is:

Die Bundesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit (BfDI)
Graurheindorfer Str. 153, 53117 Bonn, Germany
www.bfdi.bund.de

10. California Residents (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• The right to know what personal information is collected, used, and shared
• The right to request deletion of your personal information
• The right to opt out of the sale of your personal information
• The right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

We do not sell your personal informationas defined by the CCPA. When our partner network is active, sharing your data with insurance partners for the purpose of providing quotes you requested is not considered a “sale” under the CCPA. If this changes, we will update this policy and provide an opt-out mechanism.

To exercise your CCPA rights, email privacy@smartpetcover.com. We will respond within 45 days.

11. Cookies

This website uses only essential, session-based browser storage (sessionStorage) for functional purposes such as remembering whether you have dismissed a notification during your current visit. These are not cookies and are automatically cleared when you close your browser.

Vercel Analytics, our analytics provider, does not use cookies and does not track individual users.

We do not use advertising cookies, tracking pixels, or any third-party cookie-based analytics.

12. Automated Decision-Making

We do not use automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal effects or similarly significantly affects you.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top reflects the most recent revision. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

14. Contact

For privacy-related inquiries:
privacy@smartpetcover.com

For general inquiries:
hello@smartpetcover.com