Cookie policy

This policy is effective from 01 January 2020

1.    What are cookies and why we use them?

First, let’s start with what cookies are not. Cookies are not viruses; they cannot do anything on their own (i.e.,self-execute or self-replicate) so they cannot be harmful in themselves!

Cookies are small text files that are dropped onto your device when you visit a website and are designed to hold data that helps to improve your experience of using a website, for instance by enabling its specific features and functionality, by recognising the device and distinguish you from other users when you make are turn visit in order to provide a more personalised experience.  

We use cookies to ensure our website runs as it should and to improve our website in order to give you a better user experience. For instance, by allowing you to navigate between pages and storing information about your preferences so as to personalise your return visits to our site.

2.    Cookies and personal information

Some cookies that we use at The Big Exchange will collect personal data about you. Our website transfers cookies to the hard drive or mobile device you are using to store this information and keep a track of it. This might sound a bit intrusive, but to reassure you: although cookies can identify the device you are using, this is to make your experience of our website as easy as possible, and cookies alone do not identify you personally! Any personal data that is collected will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

3.    Types of cookies we use

The cookies that we use fall into the following categories:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are essential for the running of our website. They allow you to easily access and navigate through our site and use the relevant features.

Functionality Cookies

These cookies can be very useful to you and help to deliver a more personalised experience! They are used to remember your preferences and choices, such as changes you've made to text size or fonts, your username and password so that these preferences can be remembered to provide a customised interface and you can easily log into your account on future visits.

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PerformanceCookies

These cookies collect information about how visitors use our website, for example, which pages visitors visit most often, and help us to make improvements to our site. Performance cookies do not collect information that identifies a visitor, all information collected is aggregated and anonymous.  

Targeting/ Advertising Cookies

We use these cookies to deliver marketing that is relevant to you based on your preferences and browser history which may be displayed on our or  others' websites. We may also use these cookies to analyse how successful our marketing has been by using data analytics to track user clicks and engagement with the content produced.

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All cookies listed above can also be first or third party cookies and persistent or session cookies:

First or Third Party Cookies‍

First party cookies are set and collected by us whilst third party cookies are set and collected by external companies who help us deliver our services. For instance, cookies set and collected by companies assisting us with data analytics, in order to improve users experience and functionality of our website.

Persistent or Session Cookies‍

Persistent cookies are set up with an explicit expiry date so that they will live on your device for a set amount of time before being deleted. I know this sounds scary, but these cookies are really useful, for example one of the functions they provide is allowing you to remain logged in so that it is easier and quicker to access our website! Session cookies on the other hand are only stored temporarily during a browsing session and are deleted from your device when you close the browser. These cookies are mainly used for ensuring that our website functions efficiently, e.g., for ensuring that our web pages load quickly!

4.    Your consent & choices about cookies

When you first visit our website, you will be presented with a pop-up screen informing you of our use of cookies and asking you to provide your consent for such use.

The pop-up screen may not reappear for all your subsequent visits to our website, but if you wish, you can withdraw your consent at any time by changing the cookie settings in your browser to block/reject certain cookies or to delete existing ones. You can find out further information on how to change cookie settings at: www.allaboutcookies.org  

However, please note that by blocking or removing cookies used on our website you may not be able to take full advantage of our website and its features!

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