Cookies Policy
This Cookies Policy explains how Charter Machinery, part of Charter Commercial Group, uses cookies and similar technologies on chartermachinery.co.uk.
It should be read alongside our Privacy Policy.
1. What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They are commonly used to make websites work, remember preferences, protect forms from abuse, understand how visitors use a website, and improve the user experience.
Similar technologies include local storage, session storage, pixels, scripts, tags and device or browser signals. In this policy, we use the term “cookies” to refer to cookies and similar technologies.
2. How we use cookies and similar technologies
Charter Machinery uses a limited number of cookies and similar technologies.
We use them for the following purposes:
- To make the website work properly
- To remember your machine unit preference, such as Imperial or Metric
- To protect enquiry and valuation forms from spam and automated submissions
- To support future logged-in functionality, if introduced
- To understand how visitors use the website, where analytics cookies have been accepted
We do not currently use marketing cookies, advertising pixels, Meta Pixel, behavioural advertising cookies or third-party retargeting cookies.
3. Cookie categories
We group cookies and similar technologies into the following categories.
Strictly necessary cookies
These are needed for the website to work securely and properly. They may include cookies used for form security, bot protection, page delivery, session management or logged-in functionality.
You cannot switch these off through our cookie banner because the website cannot operate properly without them.
Functional cookies and local storage
These remember choices you make, such as your preferred measurement unit on machine pages.
These are used to improve the browsing experience and are not used for advertising.
Analytics cookies
These help us understand how visitors use the website, such as which pages are viewed, which traffic sources visitors come from, and how users move through the site.
Analytics cookies are not strictly necessary. We will only set Google Analytics cookies where you have given consent through our cookie banner.
4. Cookies and similar technologies we use
| Item | Type | Set by | Purpose | Lawful category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
cm.machine.unit-system | Local storage, browser only, never sent to server | First-party, our code | Remembers Imperial/Metric preference on machine detail pages | Strictly functional |
Cloudflare Turnstile cookies, for example cf_clearance | Third-party cookie | Cloudflare | Bot protection on forms | Strictly necessary, PECR exemption |
| Auth0 session cookies, when active | First-party cookie | Auth0 | User session if and when logged-in surfaces ship | Strictly necessary |
_ga, _ga_<MEASUREMENT_ID>, _gid, planned | First-party cookies set by GA4 script | Google Analytics | Site analytics, including distinguishing users, measuring sessions and tracking funnels | Requires explicit consent under PECR |
5. Google Analytics, planned
We plan to use Google Analytics 4 to measure basic website usage.
This may include:
- Page views
- Referrer information
- Approximate location
- Device and browser type
- Broad engagement events
- Anonymised user-journey events
- Traffic source information
We do not intend to send directly identifying form fields to Google Analytics. This means we should not send names, email addresses, phone numbers, free-text enquiry messages or uploaded valuation content to Google Analytics.
Google Analytics should be configured so that:
- IP handling is privacy-protective
- No e-commerce tracking is used unless the policy is updated
- No user-ID tracking is used
- No advertising features are enabled unless the cookie banner and policy are updated
- Analytics cookies are not set until the visitor has accepted analytics cookies
Google Analytics cookies are optional and will only be used if you consent.
6. Cookie consent banner
When analytics cookies are active, we will show a cookie banner before setting analytics cookies.
The banner should provide, at minimum:
- A clear Accept analytics cookies option
- A clear Reject non-essential cookies option
- A link to this Cookies Policy
- A way to change your choice later
Our recommended banner structure is:
- Necessary cookies: always on
- Analytics cookies: optional
We may also use a more granular banner that allows visitors to manage cookie categories individually.
If you reject analytics cookies, the website should still work normally.
7. How to change or withdraw your cookie consent
You can change or withdraw your cookie consent at any time.
Once implemented, the website should provide a cookie settings link, usually in the footer, labelled something like:
- Cookie settings
- or Manage cookies
You can use that link to:
- Accept analytics cookies
- Reject analytics cookies
- Change your previous choice
- Withdraw consent you previously gave
Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of any processing that took place before consent was withdrawn.
You can also delete cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to block, delete or manage cookies. The exact steps depend on your browser.
8. Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control signals
Some browsers and extensions send privacy signals such as Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control.
Where technically possible, we will treat a recognised Global Privacy Control or Do Not Track signal as a preference not to use optional analytics cookies.
If there is a conflict between a browser signal and a cookie choice made on the website, we will aim to respect the most recent clear privacy choice made by the current user.
9. Cookie expiry periods
Cookies and similar technologies may remain on your device for different periods.
| Cookie or technology | Typical expiry |
|---|---|
cm.machine.unit-system | Until you clear local storage or change browser settings |
| Cloudflare Turnstile cookies | Set by Cloudflare and may vary depending on security checks |
| Auth0 session cookies, when active | Usually session-based or limited-duration authentication cookies |
_ga, planned | Up to 2 years by default |
_ga_<MEASUREMENT_ID>, planned | Up to 2 years by default |
_gid, planned if used | Usually around 24 hours |
We recommend shortening Google Analytics cookie expiry where practical, for example to 13 months or less, to reduce unnecessary long-term tracking while still retaining useful site measurement.
10. Third parties involved in cookies and similar technologies
We may use the following providers in connection with cookies or similar technologies.
| Provider | Purpose | Data they may receive |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare | Bot protection and form security | IP address, user-agent, browser and device signals, anti-bot challenge data |
| Google LLC, Google Analytics 4, planned | First-party measurement of site usage | IP address handling, browser and device information, page interactions, traffic source data and broad location data |
| Auth0, when active | Session and login management | Session identifiers and authentication-related data |
| Netlify | Website hosting and request handling | IP address, request metadata and standard hosting logs |
11. International transfers
Some providers involved in cookies and similar technologies are based outside the United Kingdom or may process data outside the United Kingdom.
Where data is transferred internationally, we rely on appropriate safeguards where required. These may include:
- UK adequacy regulations
- Standard contractual clauses
- The UK International Data Transfer Addendum
- Provider data processing terms
- Other safeguards permitted under UK data protection law
Google LLC is US-headquartered. Where Google Analytics is used, international transfers may be covered by Google's data processing terms and appropriate transfer safeguards, such as standard contractual clauses and the UK addendum or equivalent mechanisms.
Cloudflare is also US-headquartered and may process technical security data internationally under its data processing terms and transfer safeguards.
12. Managing cookies in your browser
You can control cookies through your browser settings.
Depending on your browser, you may be able to:
- Block all cookies
- Delete existing cookies
- Block third-party cookies
- Clear local storage
- Set cookie preferences for specific websites
- Receive warnings before cookies are stored
Blocking some cookies may affect how parts of the website work, especially form protection, security checks, login functionality if introduced, and saved preferences.
13. Changes to this Cookies Policy
We may update this Cookies Policy from time to time.
The latest version will be published on this page with an updated “last updated” date.
14. Contact us
If you have any questions about this Cookies Policy or how we use cookies and similar technologies, contact us at:
or by post at:
Charter Commercial Group, Bromsgrove, United Kingdom