The law on cookies changed in May 2011. Under the revised regulations, the requirement is not just to provide clear information about the cookies but also to obtain consent from users or subscribers to store a cookie on their device. It has been designed to protect online privacy by making consumers aware of how personal information about them is collected by websites and enabling them to choose whether or not they want it to happen. Please read on for more information.

1.1 What is a cookie?

A cookie is a small piece of data that is sent from our webserver to your browser, which is saved on the hard drive of your computer, smartphone or other devices (“your device”).
A cookie cannot:

• read data off your hard disk or read cookie files created by other sites;
• damage your system;
• run programmes on your computer; or
• deliver viruses.

You can change your browser settings to refuse cookies or alert you when a cookie is being sent at any time. If you do choose not to accept cookies, some features of the Site may not work as intended (e.g. services accessed while logged in, customised areas of the Site). We do not use cookies to identify you personally, except when you opt to use the ‘Remember me’ facility when logging in.

There are two broad classes of cookie: session and permanent.

Session cookies
These are used to keep track of information needed by a user and their browser on their journey through a website. Session cookies have a short lifetime and expire within a few minutes of the user leaving the site. Occasionally we will use 30 Day cookies which are similar to Session cookies but last a bit longer. They remember basic data to help improve the service you receive from us (for example, remembering vehicles that you have viewed in the last 30 days).

Permanent Cookies
These are stored on your computer and are not deleted when the browser is closed. This is so they can retain your preferences for a particular website, allowing those preferences to be used in future browsing sessions.

Permanent cookies can be used to analyse users' surfing behaviour within the Site, so that we can improve our services and allows us to prioritise our enhancements to the Site.

1.2 We use cookies to:

• remember that you have used the Site before; this means we can identify the number of unique visitors we receive to different parts of the Site. This allows us to make sure we have enough capacity for the number of users that we get and make sure that the Site runs fast enough;
• customise elements of the layout and/or content of the pages of the Site for you;
• collect statistical information about how you use the Site so that we can improve the Site;
• gather information about the pages on the Site that you visit, and also other information about other websites that you visit, so as to place you in a "market segment";
• and enable basic web traffic analysis using Google Analytics.

When you access the Site you will receive a message advising you that if you continue to use the Site, you are consenting to cookies being placed on your device in order to maximise your experience on the Site and allow us to make improvements. Removing some of our cookies may seriously disrupt your use of the Site. You can always come back to this Privacy Policy at any time to find out how to change your preferences. You will find a link to this policy at the bottom of all of our web pages.

Information is collected by reference to the IP address that you are using and includes information about the county and city you are in, together with the name of your internet service provider. The information is sometimes used to place interest-based advertisements on the Site which it is believed will be relevant to your market segment. For more information about this type of interest based advertising, and about how to turn this feature off please visit www.youronlinechoices.com/uk/.

Most web browsers automatically accept cookies but, if you prefer, you can change your browser to prevent that or to notify you each time a cookie is set. Visiting www.allaboutcookies.org will provide information on settings within your browser as well as other useful information on cookies. Please note however, that by blocking or deleting cookies used on the Site you may not be able to take full advantage of the Site if you do so.

1.3 How do I disable cookies?

You can change your browser settings to refuse cookies or alert you when a cookie is being sent at any time.

Further guidance on how to control and delete cookies can be found at http://www.allaboutcookies.org. Please note that removing some of our cookies may seriously disrupt your use of the Site and some features may not work as intended.

1.4 What about Hyperlinks?

The Site may sometimes contain hyperlinks to websites owned and operated by third parties. These third party websites have their own privacy policies, including cookies and we urge you to review them. They will govern the use of any personal information you submit or which is collected by cookies whilst visiting these websites. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the privacy practices of such third party websites and your use of such third party websites is at your own risk.

1.5 Who do I contact about Cookies?

If you have any questions about our use of Cookies, please contact us at info@coxauto.co.uk.