1. WHAT IS A COOKIE?

A cookie is a small file stored on your computer or mobile device after visiting a website which is then accessed and used for certain purposes.  Cookies are commonly used to record some aspects of your visit to a site such as choices you have made and to help websites ‘remember’ you.  More information on cookies and their use can be found at
https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/online/cookies/

2. WHY AND HOW DO WE USE COOKIES?

We use cookies to help us provide you with the best experience when you visit our site. We also use cookies to allow us to remember customers’ preferences and understand what they like to look at, so that we can improve the service we offer. By using cookies, we can make it easier for you to do many things such as accessing customer only areas of our site or applying for and receiving quotes for products and services. Cookies can also allow us to tailor the content of our website so we can show you services we think you may be interested in. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.

We do not store any personal or financial information in the cookies; they are designed only to collect information of an anonymous nature. The cookies we use cannot read or search your computer, smartphone or web-enabled device to obtain information about you, or read any material kept on your hard drive.

3. WHAT COOKIES ARE SET WHEN I VISIT THIS SITE?

We use the following cookies:

  • Strictly necessary cookies. These cookies are essential for the operation of our website and online tools or services. They include, for example, cookies that enable you to log into private areas of our website.
  • Analytical/performance cookies. These cookies allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it. These cookies don’t collect information that identifies a visitor. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. This helps us to improve the way our website works, for example, by ensuring that users are finding what they are looking for easily.
  • Functionality cookies. These are used to recognise you when you return to our website. This enables us to personalise our content for you and remember your preferences, for example your user name, language or text size.  The information these cookies collect may be anonymised and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.
  • Targeting cookies. These cookies record your visit to our website, the pages you have visited and the links you have followed. We will use this information to make our website more relevant to your interests.

The following are further details of the individual cookies that might be set by us when you visit our site, together with an explanation of their purpose.

Type Cookie Cookie Name Purpose  Expiry
Strictly necessary PHP session cookie PHPSESSID This cookie enables us to check whether you are a logged in user to our site, in order to make your browsing experience more convenient. This cookie is deleted when you close your browser.
Analytical/

performance

Google Analytics _ga

_gat

_gid

These cookies are part of Google Analytics and allow us to measure information about how visitors use our site. This includes identifying each unique user to our site and details of each page visited. _gat is used to limit the collection of analytics data on high traffic sites.

For further information, please read Google’s overview of privacy and safeguarding data.

2 years

10 minutes

1 day

Analytical/

performance

Session Management JSESSIONID This cookie provides a means for monitoring the browsing session of a user, and the performance of web and mobile applications. This cookie is deleted when you close your browser.
Analytical/

performance

SRC src This cookie is another analytical/tracking cookie, used to track page hits. 30 days
Analytical/

performance

Hotjar hjClosedSurveyInvites

hjDonePolls

hjMinimizedPolls

hjDoneTestersWidgets

hjMinimizedTestersWidgets

hjIncludedInSample

hjShownFeedbackMessage

These cookies are part of Hotjar and allow us to measure information about how visitors use our site. This includes identifying each unique user to our site and details of each page visited. They are used to limit the collection of analytics data on high traffic sites. They are also used for monitoring the browsing session of a user, and the performance of web applications. For further information, please see https://www.hotjar.com/legal/policies/cookie-information. One year
Functionality Jotfor theme

guest

userReferer

These are third party cookies set by JofForm, which we use for form filling on our site, such as aspects of the Customer Zone. For example, they assist with auto-fill features for forms, store your logged-in status so that you can edit these forms, and view submissions on the forms. 31 days
Functionality Jotform _cfduid This is a security cookie set by JotForm to assist with form filling. It is used to override any security restrictions based on IP address so that JotForm files can still be sent to your browser, even if you are on a compromised network that is otherwise blocked by JotForm. 365 days
Targeting/

Advertising

Doubleclick (Google) _drt_

id

Doubleclick is Google’s real time bidding advertising exchange. The Doubleclick cookies target specific advertising to potential customers and gathers information about how or if you are interacting with these ads. 4 months

2 years

 

Please note that third parties (including, for example, advertising networks and providers of external services like web traffic analysis services) may also use cookies on this site, over which we have no control but are very commonly found on many websites. These cookies are likely to be analytical/performance cookies or targeting cookies (for example, Google’s advertising services).

If you follow a link from our website to another website, please be aware that the other website will have their own privacy and cookie policy. We recommend that you read their policies as we are not responsible or liable for what happens at their site.

4. HOW DO I CHANGE MY COOKIE PREFERENCES?

You can alter how cookies are stored on your machine via your web browser settings. You can set your browser to block or disable cookies, but doing so may impact the quality of your browsing experience and limit you from accessing areas of our website where cookies are required for pages to load tailored information, (such as aspects of the Customer Zone).

To change your cookie preferences click the ‘settings’ or ‘tools’ button on your browser or you can find out more at www.allaboutcookies.org or www.aboutcookies.org. To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites, please visit https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

5. UPDATES TO OUR COOKIES AND POLICY

We may periodically update the cookies we use and our cookie policy, and you should revisit this page if you wish to keep yourself informed.

© Verastar Limited 26 June 2020.