Cookies

Information about our Use of Cookies

A cookie is a small file, typically of letters and numbers, downloaded to a device when you access a website.  They are useful because they allow a website to recognise a user’s device. and are then sent back to the originating website on each subsequent visit.

Our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our website.  Some are essential, while others you can opt out of or block.  However, opting out or blocking some cookies may affect the functionality of the website.  

There will also be other third party cookies that we have no control over, which record your visit to our website, the pages you have visited and the links you have followed. These include: 

  • Cookies placed by your selected browser application in conjunction with your access of this, and any other, website during your current browser session
  • Cookies placed by a search engine that you are utilising during the same current browser session
  • Cookies placed by a social media site that you are logged-in to during the same current browser session.  

To find out more about the third party cookies placed on your device under those three criteria, you will need to consult the manufacturer’s privacy policies for the browser application you select, such as Explorer, Firefox, Safari or Chrome, the search engine application you utilise, such as Google or Bing, or your preferred social media site such as Facebook, TwitterInstagram or Google-Plus.

In addition, where external links are provided to other websites to provide additional information, those websites, if accessed, may use additional cookies.  External links are always opened in a separate browser window or tab to enable the user to establish settings or view policies prior to deciding whether to continue using the external website.

How to control cookies

The simplest way to avoid the use of cookies is to open a 'private browsing' / 'incognito' session, which allows you to browse a website without storing local data.  Alternatively you can control cookies which are set during your use of a website by changing your browser settings to do any of the following:

  • Allow all cookies at all times
  • Clear all cookies when you close a browser session
  • Block third-party cookies at all times
  • Block all cookies at all times
  • Delete all cookies stored on your device

Specific instructions on how to manage cookies are included in the help section of your selected browser.  The following links provide further details of settings for the most commonly-used Browser products:

On Personal Computer devices:

Internet Explorer

Safari

Chrome

Firefox

Opera

On Mobile Phone devices:

Apple iOS Safari

Android Chrome

Some pages may not work if you completely disable cookies, but many third party cookies can be safely blocked.  You may also install add-ons and plug-ins to extend browser functionality, details of which will be available from your selected browser manufacturer.    

Why and how we use cookies

There are broadly four reasons why a cookie might be stored on your device when visiting the website.  Our website may, from time to time, use any of the following types of cookies:

Strictly-necessary cookies: These are cookies that are required for the operation of the website, including session cookies created by our webservers, security plugins, etc. They include, for example, cookies that enable you to log into secure areas of the website, use a shopping cart or make use of e-billing services.   The strictly-necessary cookies we use are:

Name

Data stored

Purpose

Expires

CraftSessionID

csrf

A random unique number or string of letters and numbers

A session cookie is required to follow your progress through the website. It is essential to ensure that any information you enter or routes you take are remembered by the website. Without this cookie, every page you visited would treat you as a completely new visitor. This cookie does not identify you personally and is not linked to any other information we store about you

The cookie is deleted when you close your web browser


Analytical/performance cookies:
These cookies collect data about your use of the website which is then anonymised and amalgamated with that of other visitors so we can better understand how people use our website.  This helps us to improve the way our website works, for example, by ensuring that users are finding what they are looking for easily. The tool we use is Google Analytics, which utilises the following analytical/performance cookies:

Name

Data stored

Purpose

Expires

_ga

_gali

_gat

_gid

_gtag

_UA

__utma

__utmb

__utmc 

__utmt 

__utmv

__utmz

A random unique number or string of letters and numbers

The data collected by Google Analytics is used to determine which domain to measure, distinguish unique users, throttle the request rate, determine the start and end of a session, remember the number and time of previous visits, remember traffic source information  and remember the value of visitor-level custom variables. This information is combined with data from thousands of other users to create an overall picture of website use, and is never identified individually or personally and is not linked to any other information we store about you.  Information about your use of our website, including your IP address, may be transmitted to Google and stored on servers in the United States.

Most expire between a day and up to two years after your last visit to the website. Others are deleted within 30 minutes of the moment you close your browser

__adiCookieCheck

A random unique number or string of letters and numbers

Used to generate statistical data on what pages the user has visited and how often a product click leads either to a purchase or other actions on the website.

The cookie is deleted when you close your web browser


Functionality cookies:
These remember your preferences and make the site easier for you to use. 

Name

Data stored

Purpose

Expires

Local storage

Text strings

This is not a cookie but an area created on your device by some browsers to store information such as user preferences and/or consent on loading specific features. This consent is requested the first time the user loads a page which uses a relevant feature

Never, but content can be deleted using browser settings


Targeting cookies:
Cookies that are placed by third party services we make use of to enhance the information we present online, such as Maps and/or Videos. You can find more information about the individual Targeting cookies we use and the purposes for which we use them in the table below:

Name

Data stored

Purpose

Expires

GPS IDE

NID PREF YSC test_cookie VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE

Unique identifiers, as well as login information that may relate to a Google account

Google set a number of cookies on any page that has one of their products embedded, such as Google Maps or YouTube Videos. These may also be set from different Google domains, including google.com, doubleclick.net, or googleadservices.com. We have no control over the cookies set by Google, which include pieces of information to measure the number and behaviour of Google product users, plus information that links your visits to our website with your Google account if you are signed in to one

Most expire two years after last visit to a page containing a Youtube video, although some expire sooner

apexchat_agent_alias_id

apexchat_chat_id

apexchat_chat_state

apexchat_has_windowed_chat_started

apexchat_invitation_closed

apexchat_invitation_shown

apexchat_operator_id

apexchat_profile_id

apexchat_server_chatid

apexchat_chat_sound_enabled

apexchat_visitor_id

apexchat_visitor_history

__cfduid

messageSound

newchat

unique identifiers related to use of the on-line chat functionality on this website

Digitalnrglivechat set a number of cookies on a website that has one of their products embedded, such as apexchat, a live chat tool through which you can ask us questions in real time about products and services and get an immediate response online.  We have no control over the cookies set by Digitalnrglivechat, which are used to collect a geographic location, streamline the experience and provide additional real-time analytics about a chat session.   You can choose to share your name and/or email address with Digitalnrglivechat, and anything you input is stored by Digitalnrglivechat on their servers for reference should you revisit in future. 

Some expire up to ten years after your last visit to the website. Others are deleted the moment you close your browser

CookieConsent

unique identifier

Cookiebot set a number of cookies on a website that has one of their products embedded, such as Cookie Generation, Cookie Consent, etc. They store the cookie consent state for the current domain on the device and/or browser being utilised.  We have no control over the cookies set by Cookiebot.

One Year

adiV adiVi adiLP adiS

adiErr

unique identifiers

Part of ResponseTap phone call analytics tool, used to understand the customer interaction between the website and telephoning the company and to help demonstrate this journey to help improve customer experience.

Most expire up to one year after your last visit to the website. Others are deleted within 30 minutes of the moment you close your browser

fr

Encrypted Facebook ID and Browser ID that may relate to a Facebook account

Facebook set cookies that link your visits to our website with your Facebook account if you are signed in to one when you visit.

Three months

.ASPXAUTH

jnAccel

QIC_AuthToken

__RequestVerificationToken

unique identifiers

Cookies activated when a credit enquiry is made through creditindicator.co.uk. We have no control over the cookies set by 

creditindicator.co.uk, which include pieces of information to link your visits to our website with your creditindicator.co.uk account if you are signed in to one

Some expire up to two years after your last visit to the website. Others are deleted the moment you close your browser


This Policy completely revised and reissued on 24
th May 2018