What are cookies?
A cookie is a small text file which is placed on your computer’s hard drive when you visit some websites.
A cookie has a name and stores a value. For example, one of the cookies we use is called “referrerType” and stores the page you were on when you clicked a link to visit our website – it helps us see where our visitors come from.
Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.
Cookies cannot harm your computer, they are one of the simplest web technologies, used by millions of websites.
Cookies used on this website do not store any personally identifiable information.
Cookie expiration
Cookies will be automatically removed from your computer when they reach their ‘expiration date’. When a cookie is set, it is given an expiration date – this is the date that your browser will automatically remove it from your computer.
When you revisit a website, the expiration date can be updated to maintain the cookie.
Cookies can also be set to delete when you end your ‘session’ on a website by leaving it. With some browsers, these cookies will be removed when you restart your browser (close and open it again) or the next time you restart your computer.
You can manually delete any existing cookies stored on your computer – please refer to the help documentation for your browser of choice for more information on deleting cookies, enabling cookies and disabling cookies.
How we use cookies
Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.
At Absolute we use cookies to gather analytical information on how you use our website – such as which pages you visit. We use this information to help us learn about our users and improve both our website and services.
You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.
You can also remove any cookies from your browser that have been set by the websites you visit, please refer to the help documentation for your browser of choice.
Third party cookies
In addition to our own cookies, we work with carefully-selected third party services that may also set cookies when you visit our website, for example Google Analytics.
All third party cookies adhere to the same standard as our own – importantly, no personally identifiable information is stored in cookies set by third parties.
Third parties that we work with
Google Analytics – We use Google Analytics to help us see how visitors use our website, for example; which pages they look at and how long they spend in each area. No personally identifiable information is stored or tracked – it is all anonymous.
Cookies used by this website
Below is a list of the cookies that this website uses along with an explanation.
Name:
__utma
Example:
217454337.2139013845.1318512106.1337692541.1337760072.99
Explanation:
Set by Google Analytics to help identify a visitor as unique. So if you visit our website more than once.
Expires:
2 years from set/update.
Name:
__utmb
Example:
209716929.11.10.13355
Explanation:
Set by Google Analytics to track your current session.
Expires:
30 minutes from set/update.
Name:
__utmc
Example:
217454337
Explanation:
Set by Google Analytics – not currently in use any more. Historically this cookie used to be used with __utmb to check whether or not to establish a new session for that visitor – whether they were a new visitor or not.
Expires:
End of session.
Name:
__utmz
Example:
217454337.1337692541.98.14.utmcsr=google|utmccn=(organic)|utmcmd=organic|utmctr=(not%20provided)
Explanation:
Set by Google Analytics to store the type of referral for each visitor, such as a direct visitor, referring hyperlink or a website search.
Expires:
6 months from set/update.
For more information on cookies and how to disable them, you can consult the information provided by the Interactive Advertising Bureau at www.allaboutcookies.org. Alternatively, if you’d prefer to talk to us about anything then please get in touch.