Introduction
This Cookie Policy explains how Alpha One Plus utilises cookies across our website. The policy will outline what information Alpha One Plus collects through the use of cookies and how that information is used.
What are cookies?
Cookies are small pieces of information, generally consisting of just letters and numbers, that web servers pass to a user’s device when they visit internet sites. Software on the user’s device (such as a web browser) can store cookies and send them back to the website the next time they visit. Cookies work to make your experience browsing a website as smooth as possible and they remember your preferences, so you don’t have to insert your details continuously.
Session and Persistent Cookies
Session cookies are cookies which expire at the end of a browser session. When the browser closes, the cookie is permanently lost from this point. Session cookies allow websites to recognise and link actions of a user during browsing sessions. Persistent cookies are stored on a user’s device between sessions. They can allow the preferences of actions of the user across a site (or across different websites) to be remembered. These cookies will stay on your device until they reach their expiry date, or until you delete them.
First and Third-Party Cookies
There are different types of cookies. Some cookies come directly from the website and others come from third parties which place cookies on the website. Whether a cookie is ‘first’ or ‘third’ party refers to the website or domain placing the cookie. First-party cookies are set directly by the website you are visiting. Third-party cookies are set by a domain other than the one you are visiting. This typically occurs when the website incorporates elements from other sites, such as images, social media plugins or advertising. When the browser or other software fetches these elements from the other sites, they can set cookies as well.
Cookies used by Alpha One Plus
We use four variants of cookies in order to accommodate different types of functionality and to capture varying types of information.
Strictly Necessary Cookies (also known as “essential cookies”) are required in order to allow users to experience he full functionality of the website. These offer the ability for a user to access secure areas of the site, and enable content based on the device being used. Without these cookies certain sections of the website would be unable to function.
Functionality cookies allow the website to remember the choices made by the user, and provide enhanced, more personal features. Functionality cookies remember the changes that a user has made to text size, fonts and other customizable user preferences that have been set. The information collected by functionality cookies can be anonymized and they therefore can’t track your browsing activity on other websites.
Performance cookies collect information about how visitors use the website. Examples of this include collecting information on what webpages are most frequently visited, or what error messages are being encountered by users. These cookies don’t collect information that could identify an individual user, the information they collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. Performance cookies will only be used to improve the performance and functionality of the website.
Google Analytics cookies enable Google to determine whether a user is a return visitor to the site, and also track the various webpages visited by the user during a session. Neither Google associate or Alpha One Plus user’s IP address with information that could identify them. For further information relating to Google Analytic cookies, please see Google’s Privacy Policy. A user may opt out of Google Analytics cookies by installing Google’s opt-out browser add-on.
Cookie Expiry
As with all data held by Alpha One Plus, cookies are held in accordance with the Data Protection Act and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018. The expiration date for the Company’s persistent cookies is 2 years and will automatically be deleted when they reach their expiry date. Session cookies expire once the browsing session has been terminated by the user. Cookies can also be deleted by the user. This can be completed through the browser itself – usually within the settings and history section of the browser. Please see the individual browsers help for instructions on how to do this.
Disabling Cookies
Cookies can be disabled by adjusting the settings on your browser. Please refer to your individual browsers help for information on how to do this. However, disabling cookies may affect the functionality of the website, and any other website you attempt to visit. This will also result in disabling certain features of sections of the website and is therefore not recommended.
