What are cookies?
Cookies are tiny text files stored on your computer when you visit certain web pages.
A cookie is sent to your computer the first time you visit a site. The next time you visit that site, your computer recognises it and tells the website you've returned. The site then 'knows' that you have been there before.
Cookies aren't programs and they can't harm your computer. Typically, they only contain two pieces of information: a site name and unique user ID. You can read them using the Notebook program on your own computer.
What do cookies actually do?
Cookies make the interaction between users and websites smoother.
Websites use cookies mainly because they make the browsing experience more efficient. Without cookies, it would be very difficult for a website to allow a visitor to fill up a shopping cart or to remember your preferences or registration details for a future visits.
Websites also use cookies to collect demographic information about their users, understand their users' web surfing habits and which products or services they are interested in.
Cookies on Confused.com
At Confused.com we use cookies to remember you when you return to our site, and to measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns and our website.
You can use Confused.com without enabling cookies, but as some of our cookies enable the website to work better you might find that you have problems logging in and using the site if you disable cookies. You also won't be able to see some of our content.
Our cookies don't store sensitive or personally identifiable information such as your name, address or credit card details: they simply hold the 'key' that, once you're signed in, is associated with this information. We do use encrypted information gathered from them to help improve your experience of the site. For example, they help us to identify and resolve errors, or to determine relevant related content to show you when you're researching on the site.
Below is a list of the main cookies we use, and what we use them for.
Essential cookies
These are cookies that are enabled for all our customers to ensure that our website works properly.
| Cookie name |
Cookie policy |
| ASP.NET_SessionId, ASPXAUTH, FedAuth, FedAuth1 |
These cookies allow our web servers to respond to your actions on the website such as logging in or running a car insurance quote. The website wouldn't work for you without them. |
| Remember-me |
This cookie allows us to remember your preferences. For example, saving you the trouble of typing in your username every time you access the site. |
| Google Analytics (any cookie beginning with _utm and AMP) |
These cookies allow us to collect anonymous information about how visitors are using our website including where they drop-off and which device/browser they came from. |
| Google Analytics(Demographics and Interest Reporting) |
This cookie allows us to use anonymous data from Google's interest based advertising or third party audience data, including demographic information about our visitors including gender, age group and interests. |
| SessionCam |
Confused.com use SessionCam to analyse how users interact with our website and the content found within it. Mouse movements, mouse clicks, page scrolling and text entered into search boxes and website forms may be recorded for statistical reporting purposes and to improve site usability. The information collected does not include bank details or any sensitive personal data. The data compiled is for internal use only. |
| Adalyser |
This helps us know if our TV marketing is effective. |
Visual Website Optimiser (_vis)
Sharethis
|
These cookies allow us to serve and test different versions of web pages to different users and tracks user behaviours from these tests. Confused.com also use Visual Website Optimiser to analyse how users interact with our website and the content found within it. Mouse movements, mouse clicks, page scrolling and text entered into search boxes and website forms may be recorded for statistical reporting purposes and to improve site usability. |
| Google AdWords, DoubleClick, Bing Ads, OMG, Affiliate Window, Marin, Yahoo |
These third party cookies show us how you found our website and which website you came from. This helps us know which of our online marketing channels is most effective. They also allow us to reward some external websites for directing you to us. |
X-UniqueCustomerSessionID
X-UniqueCustomerCookieID |
These cookies allow us to see that two separate visits to Confused.com were made by the same person. |
| Qualaroo |
We use this to gather feedback from our website’s users. This data feeds into our internal customer satisfaction programme, which helps us improve our products and services for the benefit of our customers. |
Non-essential cookies
We use these cookies for online marketing purposes, the website works without them but we can't improve our online marketing effectiveness without them. These cookies can be disabled if you don't want to use them.
| Cookie name |
Cookie policy |
| AdWords Retargeting |
These third party cookies let us serve personalised adverts to you when you're browsing other websites e.g. reminding you to return to complete your quote. You can control advert personalisation on Google and partner websites here: https://adssettings.google.com/. |
| DoubleClick Retargeting |
These third party cookies let us serve personalised adverts to you when you're browsing other websites e.g. reminding you to return to complete your quote. You can control advert personalisation on Google and partner websites here: https://adssettings.google.com/. |
| Facebook Retargeting |
These third party cookies let us serve personalised adverts to you when you're browsing Facebook e.g. reminding you to return to complete your quote. You can control advert personalisation on Facebook here: https://en-gb.facebook.com/ads/settings. |
Confused.com social and 'share' tools
If you share Confused.com content with friends through social networks - such as Facebook and Twitter - you may be sent cookies from these websites. We don't control the setting of these cookies, so we suggest you check the third party websites for more information about their cookies and how to manage them.
If you don't want to use Cookies
You can use Confused.com without enabling cookies, but you might find that you have problems logging in and using the site, as some of our cookies enable the website to work better.
If you'd prefer to restrict, block or delete cookies from Confused.com, or any other website, you can use your browser to do this. Each browser is different, so check the 'Help' menu of your particular browser (or your mobile phone's handset manual) to learn how to change your cookie preferences.
You can see of all the companies that are using advertising personalisation cookies in your browser, and individually turn them off, by visiting http://www.youronlinechoices.com/uk/your-ad-choices
Further information
If you'd like to learn more about cookies in general and how to manage them, visit aboutcookies.org.uk