Cookie Policy
OVERVIEW
By using this website and our mobile applications and mobile websites (where applicable) (“the Platforms”) you agree and consent that we and third parties can store and access cookies, IP addresses and use other tracking technology methods to enable Platform functionality, collect aggregated data about website usage, improve your online experience and manage and tailor our advertising and service communications with you. There are means of disabling cookies as set out below if you choose to do so, however this may affect your use of our Platforms. See below for more information about what cookies are, the tracking technology we use, and how we use them.
WHAT IS A COOKIE?
A cookie is a small file that is placed and stored on your browser or device by a platform. Cookies allow a website owner to distinguish the activities carried out from your device from other users of that website. Each website can send its own cookie to your browser or device if your browser’s preferences allow it, but (to protect your privacy) your browser only permits a website to access the cookies it has already sent to you, not the cookies sent to you by other websites.
HOW DO WE USE COOKIES AND OUR TYPES OF COOKIES?
Our Platforms use different types of cookies. Session cookies exist just for your session on our Platform and persistent cookies exist for a period of time after your visit. First party cookies are cookies set by our Platforms and third-party cookies are set by third party platforms. We utilise both session and persistent cookies, and first and third-party cookies.
We also use cookies for different purposes. For example, we use some cookies to provide a seamless service when you complete a purchase, or where you don’t complete a purchase (so we can inform you of this and provide assistance) and other cookies to improve our use of advertising to make it relevant to you. To assist you, we’ve provided a more detailed explanation of the types of cookies we use below categorised by the purpose of the cookies.
Functional Cookies – these are cookies that are essential for the operation of our Platforms. They include, for example, cookies that enable you to log into secure areas of our websites, place an order, progress or complete a purchase or make use of other online services we provide. If you disable these cookies, then you may not be able to use our Platforms fully or at all.
Analytical/performance cookies – these allow us to count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around our Platforms. We aggregate this data and analyse it to improve the way our Platforms work and the user experience, for example, by improving the Platform’s layout. We use trusted third-party analytics providers’ tools to enable this analysis. A description of the use of this information is set out in the “Aggregate data, data analytics and social media functionality” section of our Privacy Policy.
Cookies for enhancing your experience – these are used to recognise you when you return to our Platforms. This enables us to personalise our content for you, greet you by name, provide your log-in details if you are registered and remember your preferences (for example, your choice of language or region) and to identify to us where you don’t complete a purchase (so we can inform you of this and provide assistance).
Advertising cookies – these cookies record your visit to our websites, the pages you have visited and actions you have taken. We will use this information to make our advertising displayed on other platforms (by third party advertising providers) more relevant to you. We may share this information with third parties for this purpose, for example we may serve you a related advert based on your browsing history with our Platforms.
We also use third party cookie providers to assist us in providing you with a better service and to help us analyse our customers’ behaviour. Third parties we engage have the obligations set out in the “Working with other service providers ” section of our Privacy Policy.
Local Storage Objects – we may use Flash Local Storage Objects (“Flash LSOs”) to store your Platform preferences and to personalize your visit. Flash LSOs are different from browser cookies because of the amount and type of data stored. Typically, you cannot control, delete, or disable the acceptance of Flash LSOs through your web browser. For more information on Flash LSOs, or to learn how to manage your settings for Flash LSOs, go to the Adobe Flash Player Help Page, choose “Global Storage Settings Panel” and follow the instructions. To see the Flash LSOs currently on your computer, choose “Website Storage Settings Panel” and follow the instructions to review and, if you choose, to delete any specific Flash LSO.
HOW CAN I REJECT COOKIES AND/OR DELETE EXISTING COOKIES?
Modern browsers allow you to change your cookie settings. You can set your browsers or devices to accept all cookies, to notify you when a cookie is issued, or not to receive cookies at any time. The last of these means that certain personalised features cannot then be provided to you and accordingly you may not be able to take full advantage of all of the website’s features. Each browser is different, so check the ‘help’, ‘options’ or ‘preferences’ menu of your browser to learn how to change your cookie preferences.
You can also visit http://www.aboutcookies.org, which contains comprehensive information on how to do this on a wide variety of browsers. This site includes details on how to delete cookies from your computer as well as more general information about cookies.
We do not recommend turning cookies off when visiting our websites as this could disadvantage you as certain parts or functions of our websites do not work properly. Please also note that if you delete your cookies we may no longer automatically recognise that you have agreed to our Privacy Policy, Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies Policy and website terms and conditions and may ask for confirmation of this along with your language and country preferences.
In relation to advertising cookies, if you are in the EU you can use the http://youronlinechoices.eu website which allows you to set which advertising cookie providers you accept, and which you do not.
OTHER TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES
We use clear image files, pixel tags and other similar technology embedded within emails we send to you and on our Platforms. These files are tiny graphics with a unique identifier, similar in function to cookies. In contrast to cookies, which are stored on your computer’s hard drive, clear images are embedded invisibly on web pages or in emails. We may use clear images (a.k.a. web beacons, web bugs or pixel tags), in connection with the Platforms to, among other things, track the activities of Platform visitors, help us manage content, and compile statistics about usage of the Platforms. We and our third-party service providers also use clear images in HTML e-mails to our customers, to help us track e-mail response rates, identify when our e-mails are viewed, and track whether our e-mails are forwarded.
FOR US USERS – ONLINE BEHAVIOURAL ADVERTISING
You may opt-out of many third-party ad networks, including those operated by members of the Network Advertising Initiative (“NAI”) and the Digital Advertising Alliance (“DAA”). For more information and available choices for third-party ad networks operated by NAI and DAA members, please visit their respective websites: www.networkadvertising.org/optout_nonppii.asp (NAI) and www.aboutads.info/choices (DAA). Opting out of these networks does not otherwise limit the collection of Personal or General Information described elsewhere in this Policy. Understand that even after opting out you will still see online ads. Opting out only means that network members from whose ad networks you have opted out will no longer deliver targeted content to you. You may continue to see interest-based advertisements from other parties from whom you have not opted out, or from companies that have not adopted the self-regulatory standards for Online Behavioural Advertising that we follow. You will also continue to receive generic ads that are not targeted based on your visits to multiple websites.
FOR EU USERS – USE OF GOOGLE ANALYTICS
This site uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses cookies, which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyse how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. In case of activation of the IP anonymisation, Google will truncate/anonymised the last octet of the IP address for Member States of the European Union as well as for other parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases, the full IP address is sent to and shortened by Google servers in the USA. On behalf of the website provider Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage to the website provider. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser. However, please note that if you do this, you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. Furthermore you can prevent Google’s collection and use of data (cookies and IP address) by downloading and installing the browser plug-in available under https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en-GB#… You can refuse the use of Google Analytics by clicking on the following link. An opt-out cookie will be set on the computer, which prevents the future collection of your data when visiting this website: Disable Google Analytics Further information concerning the terms and conditions of use and data privacy can be found at http://www.google.com/analytics/terms/gb.html or at https://www.google.de/intl/en_uk/policies . Please note that on this website, Google Analytics code is supplemented by “gat._anonymize();” to ensure an anonymised collection of IP addresses (so called IP-masking).
