Cookie Policy

About this Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy explains how Steel Traders (Midlands) Limited uses cookies and similar technologies on its website.

Our details are:

Steel Traders (Midlands) Limited
Company number: 12414423
13 Vansittart Estate
Windsor
Berkshire
SL4 1SE
United Kingdom
Telephone: 0333 577 6681
Email: [email protected]
Website: steeltraders.co.uk

This Cookie Policy should be read together with our Privacy Notice.

What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on a computer, mobile phone, tablet or other device when a website is visited.

Cookies and similar technologies can be used to:

• make a website function;
• maintain website security;
• remember visitor choices;
• operate online forms;
• understand how a website is used;
• measure website performance;
• identify technical problems; and
• improve website content and usability.

Similar technologies may include:

• scripts;
• tags;
• pixels;
• local storage;
• browser identifiers; and
• other technologies that store information on, or access information from, a visitor’s device.

The same consent rules may apply to these technologies even where they are not technically described as cookies.

First-party and third-party cookies

First-party cookies

First-party cookies are placed on your device by the Steel Traders website.

They may be used to:

• operate the website;
• remember cookie choices;
• maintain website security;
• support website forms; or
• measure website usage.

Third-party cookies

Relevant enquiry, quotation and customer information may also be entered into customer relationship management, order management, accounting or other business systems where these are used by Steel Traders.

How and why we use personal information

Responding to enquiries

Third-party cookies are placed by an external service used on the website.

Depending on the services enabled, third-party providers may include:

• Google;
• website security providers;
• consent-management providers;
• embedded map or media providers; and
• other approved technology providers.

Third-party providers may process information under their own privacy terms as well as under contractual arrangements with Steel Traders or its service providers.

When we need consent

We do not need consent for a technology that is genuinely necessary to:

• operate the website;
• provide a service requested by the visitor;
• maintain website or form security; or
• remember a visitor’s cookie choice.

Our lawful bases are:

• taking steps before entering into a contract;
• performing a contract;
• complying with legal obligations; and
• our legitimate interests in administering orders, supporting customers and operating our business.

Where a technology is not strictly necessary and you provide consent.

Consent must involve a clear and positive choice.

Continuing to browse the website without selecting an option will not be treated as consent.

You can:

• accept all optional technologies;
• reject all non-essential technologies; or
• choose individual categories.

Rejecting non-essential technologies will be presented as clearly and accessibly as accepting them.

Categories of technologies we use

Strictly necessary technologies

Strictly necessary technologies are required for the website to operate securely or provide a function requested by the visitor.

They may be used to:

• operate essential website functions;
• manage website security;
• prevent spam or malicious activity;
• submit an enquiry form;
• balance website traffic;
• maintain a secure session; and
• remember cookie-consent choices.

These technologies cannot normally be disabled through our cookie-control panel because the website may not operate correctly without them.

A security or anti-spam technology will only be treated as strictly necessary where it is genuinely required to secure the website or process the requested form submission.

Analytics and performance technologies

Analytics technologies help us understand how visitors find and use the website.

They may collect information including:

• pages visited;
• the date and time of visits;
• website referral source;
• search or campaign source;
• interactions with website content;
• approximate geographic information;
• browser and device category;
• operating system;
• session information;
• website errors; and
• general navigation patterns.

We use this information to:

• understand website usage;
• measure website performance;
• identify technical issues;
• assess the performance of website content;
• measure search visibility; and
• improve website structure, content and usability.

Unless a specific legal exception has been reviewed and documented, analytics technologies will be treated as optional and will require consent.

Analytics technologies will therefore be disabled by default.

Functional technologies

Functional technologies support optional website features and enhanced functionality.

These may be used for:

• embedded maps;
• externally hosted videos;
• document viewers;
• accessibility or display preferences; and
• other optional website services.

Where these technologies store or access information that is not strictly necessary, they will remain blocked until functional consent is provided.

A visitor who does not enable functional technologies may see a placeholder instead of the relevant map, video or external feature.

Advertising and targeting technologies

At the date of this policy, Steel Traders does not intend to use the website for behavioural advertising, remarketing or cross-site tracking.

Advertising and targeting technologies should remain disabled unless Steel Traders specifically approves their introduction.

• Where such technologies are introduced, they will:
• be disabled by default;
• require consent;
• be clearly described in the Cookie Settings panel; and
• be added to this policy and the live cookie register.

Website enquiry information will not be used to add people to a general marketing list solely because they have submitted an enquiry.

Google Analytics 4

With your consent, we use Google Analytics 4 to understand how visitors find and use our website.

Google Analytics may process information including:

• pages visited;
• date and time of visits;
• referral source;
• website interactions;
• approximate geographic information;
• browser and device category;
• operating system;
• session information; and
• online and cookie identifiers.

Google Analytics is classified as an Analytics and Performance service.

It should not place analytics cookies unless you:

• select Accept All; or
• enable Analytics and Performance within Cookie Settings.

Authorised Steel Traders personnel and Thrive Online Group UK may access Google Analytics reports to measure, manage and improve website performance.

The principal Google Analytics cookies expected to be used are:
_ga

Provider: Google Analytics
Category: Analytics and Performance
Purpose: Used to distinguish website users.
Default duration: Up to two years
Status: Disabled until analytics consent is provided
_ga_<measurement-ID>
Provider: Google Analytics
Category: Analytics and Performance
Purpose: Used to maintain information about a website session.
Default duration: Up to two years
Status: Disabled until analytics consent is provided

The exact measurement identifier will be recorded in the live Cookie Settings panel after Google Analytics has been installed.

Cookie durations may be shortened by browser restrictions or website configuration.

Google Tag Manager

Google Tag Manager may be used to manage approved website measurement and analytics tags.

Google Tag Manager does not determine whether a technology is permitted to activate. It must be configured so that each tag follows the visitor’s cookie choices.

The use of Google Tag Manager must not allow Google Analytics or another non-essential technology to activate before the required consent has been provided.

Google Search Console

We use Google Search Console to understand how the website performs within Google Search.

This may include aggregated information concerning:

• search queries;
• search impressions;
• clicks;
• average search position;
• indexed pages;
• website errors;
• device categories; and
• general geographic categories.

Google Search Console does not ordinarily place a tracking cookie on the device of a Steel Traders website visitor merely because Steel Traders uses the service.

It is therefore not normally included as a cookie within the live cookie register.

Semrush

Steel Traders and Thrive Online Group UK use Semrush for search-engine optimisation and website-performance monitoring.

Semrush may be used for:

• website technical audits;
• keyword and search-position monitoring;
• search-visibility reporting;
• backlink analysis;
• competitor and market analysis;
• content-performance analysis; and
• SEO reporting.

Semrush may also be connected to authorised Google Analytics or Google Search Console accounts so that relevant performance information can be viewed within a single reporting environment.

Standard Semrush website crawling, Site Audit and Position Tracking do not ordinarily require a Semrush cookie to be placed on the device of a Steel Traders website visitor.

Semrush should not therefore be listed as a cookie provider merely because Steel Traders or Thrive uses a Semrush account.

Should a future Semrush script, tag, pixel or other visitor-level technology be installed directly on the website, it must be reviewed and added to the consent controls and live cookie register before activation.

Thrive Online Group UK

Thriveonline UK Ltd, trading as Thrive Online Group UK, is Steel Traders’ appointed digital agency.

Authorised agency personnel may access:

• Google Analytics;
• Google Search Console;
• Google Tag Manager;
• Semrush;
• the website administration system;
• the consent-management system; and
• website performance reports.

This access is used to maintain the website, manage analytics, monitor search performance and provide reporting and improvement services to Steel Traders.

Thrive does not place a separate cookie on a visitor’s device merely because it has access to these platforms.

Any technology installed by or through Thrive must be included in the website’s consent review and cookie register where applicable.

The live cookie register

The most current list of technologies used on the website will be available through the Cookie Settings control.

The live Cookie Settings panel should identify:

• the cookie or technology name;
• its provider;
• its category;
• its purpose;
• whether it is first-party or third-party; and
• its expiry or retention period.

The live register should include:

1. the cookie used by the selected consent-management platform to remember visitor choices;
2. the relevant Google Analytics cookies;
3. any security or anti-spam cookies;
4. any functional cookies used by embedded maps or media; and
5. any other technology identified through a live website scan.

Because website technologies can change following plugin, code or service updates, the live Cookie Settings panel is intended to provide the most current technical information.

How we obtain and record consent

When you first visit the website, you will be given clear options to:

• accept all optional technologies;
• reject all non-essential technologies; or
• choose individual categories.

Optional categories will be disabled by default.

No non-essential cookie, script, tag or other technology requiring consent should be activated before you make your choice.

We may retain a record of:

• your selected categories;
• the date and time of the choice;
• the version of the consent wording presented; and
• a pseudonymous consent identifier.

This allows us to respect your preference and demonstrate that an appropriate choice was provided.

Changing or withdrawing consent

You can change or withdraw your cookie choices at any time by selecting the Cookie Settings link displayed in the website footer.

Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing that occurred before consent was withdrawn.

When you disable an optional category, future use of technologies within that category should stop.

Changing your preference may not automatically delete information already processed or held by an external provider.

How long cookie choices remain valid

There is no single fixed period that applies to every cookie choice.

We may ask you to confirm your choices again where:

• the existing consent record expires;
• the website’s technologies or purposes materially change;
• a new provider is introduced;
• legal or regulatory requirements change; or
• we cannot determine your previous choice.

We will not repeatedly ask you to change a refusal simply because you have chosen not to accept optional technologies.

Browser controls

Most internet browsers allow visitors to view, block or delete cookies.

Browser controls operate separately from the Cookie Settings provided on this website.

Blocking all cookies through your browser may affect:

• essential website functions;
• enquiry forms;
• security controls; and
• saved preferences.

Personal information collected through cookies

Cookie identifiers, IP addresses, device information and website-usage information may constitute personal information.

Where this applies, the information will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Notice and applicable UK data protection law.

Website analytics

Google Analytics user-level and event-level information will normally be configured for a retention period of no more than 14 months.

Aggregated or anonymised website reports that no longer relate to an identifiable visitor may be retained for longer for historical comparison and business analysis.

Changes to this Cookie Policy

We may update this policy where:

• the website changes;
• new technologies are introduced;
• providers are added or removed;
• the purpose of a technology changes;
• a website scan identifies a new cookie; or
• legal or regulatory requirements change.

The latest version will be published on the website with its revision date.

Contact Us

Questions about our use of cookies and website technologies can be sent to:
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0333 577 6681
Post:
Steel Traders (Midlands) Limited
13 Vansittart Estate
Windsor
Berkshire
SL4 1SE
United Kingdom