What is a cookie?

A cookie is a small text file that stores Internet settings. Almost every website uses cookie technology. The cookie is downloaded by your Internet browser the first time you visit a website. The next time you visit this website from the same device, the cookie and the information in it are either sent back to the originating website (first-party cookies) or to another website to which it belongs (third-party cookies). By that, the website can detect that it has already been opened using this browser, and in some cases it will then vary the content it shows.

Some cookies are extremely useful because they can improve your user experience when you return to a website you have already visited. This assumes that you are using the same device and the same browser as before; if so, cookies will remember your preferences, will know how you use the website, and will adapt the content you are shown so that it is more relevant to your personal interests and needs.

Your cookie settings on this website.

Cookies on this website that do not require approval.

Cookies that are essential, also known as ‘strictly necessary’ cookies, enable features without which you would not be able to use the website as intended. These cookies are used exclusively by Control Freq and are therefore known as first-party cookies. They are only saved on your computer while you are actually browsing the website. An example of why strictly necessary cookies are used is so that when you login to your account you will view any information you had left on a previous visit for example items in the basket.

Another example of what these cookies do is facilitate a switch from http to https when you change pages, so that the security of data transmitted is maintained. Furthermore, a cookie of this kind is used to store your decision about the use of cookies on our website. Your consent is not required for the use of strictly necessary cookies.

Strictly necessary cookies cannot be disabled using the features of this website.

Categories of cookies.

Based on what function cookies have and the purpose for which cookies are used, there are four categories of cookie: strictly necessary cookies, performance cookies, functional cookies and marketing cookies.

Strictly necessary cookies
Are essential in order to enable you to move around the website and use its features. Without these cookies, some services cannot be provided – for example, remembering previous actions (e.g. item in basket or quotes) when navigating back to a page in the same session.

Performance cookies
Gather information about how a website is used – for example, which pages a visitor opens most often, and whether the user receives error messages from some pages. These cookies do not save information that would allow the user to be identified. The collected information is aggregated, and therefore anonymous. These cookies are used exclusively to improve the performance of the website, and with it the user experience.

Functional cookies
Enable a website to save information which has already been entered (such as user names, languages choices, and your location), so that it can offer you improved and more personalised functions. For example, a website can offer you local, price-relevant tax information if it uses a cookie to remember the region in which you are currently located. Functional cookies are also used to enable features you request such as playing videos. These cookies collect anonymous information and cannot track your movements on other websites.

Marketing cookies
Are used to deliver adverts and other communications more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement and to help measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. They remember whether you have visited a website or not, and this information can be shared with other organisations such as advertisers. Cookies for improving group targeting and advertising will often be linked to site functionality provided by other organisations.

Your cookie settings on this website.

You can completely disable cookies in your browser at any time.

It is important to note that if you change your settings and block certain cookies, you will not be able to take full advantage of some features of our site, and we might not be able to provide some features you have previously chosen to use.