Cookies

Advisory Insurance Brokers Limited (‘Towergate’) along with its subsidiary companies uses cookies on its websites to provide you with the best experience when browsing our content.

What are cookies?

Cookies are text files containing small amounts of information which are stored on your device when you visit a website. Cookies are read by the originating website on each subsequent visit, or by another website that recognises the cookie.

The purpose of cookies is to make websites work most effectively for you as the user, by allowing website functionality and providing information to the website’s owners. Examples of website cookie use include:

Keeping items in a shopping basket when you are browsing an online store
Storing logins for your online account details
Storing website information preferences (e.g. your location)

What types of cookies are there?

Cookies can be broken down into two main types: first-party and third-party.

A cookie is first-party if set by the website (domain) being visited.
A cookie is classed as third-party if it is issued by a different website (domain) to that being visited.

Each cookie will be either a persistent cookie or a session cookie.

Persistent cookies remain on a user’s device for the period of time specified in the cookie (which may be after the browser has been closed).
Session cookies allow website operators to link the actions of a user during a browser session. A browser session starts when a user opens the browser window and finishes when they close the browser window. Once you close the browser, all session cookies are deleted.

Cookies can also be broken down into categories, according to their purpose. The cookies that are used on Towergate websites are based on the International Chamber of Commerce guide for cookie categories:

Category 1: Strictly necessary cookies - These cookies enable services you have specifically asked for.
Category 2: Functionality cookies - These cookies remember choices you make to improve your experience.
Category 3: Performance cookies - These cookies collect anonymous information on the pages visited
Category 4: Targeting cookies or advertising cookies - These cookies collect information about your browsing habits in order to make advertising relevant to you and your interests.
Category 5: Other

Cookies used on towergateinsurance.co.uk, by category

Why should I use cookies?

When you visit a Towergate website, we download a “cookie” to your computer. A cookie identifies your computer (by what is known as an IP address) to our server.

We use cookies to improve your browsing experience on Towergate websites. They allow you to browse our webpages and use all functionality, and see content that is more relevant to you. It also helps present the content most appropriately for the type of device you are using.

Cookies on Towergate websites collect information about how you are accessing and browsing them, such as the device and browser you are using and the IP address your device is accessing the internet from. The cookie enables us to retain your profile as you navigate our website, and prevents the need to re-collect information about you or your desired purchases.

Disabling session cookies will affect the performance and functionality of the website and disabling other cookies may also have an adverse impact on functionality.

What third-party cookies do you use?

If you use social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google+ and Instagram these websites will use cookies to let you login to your account and share content from our websites with other users of the channels. We also use third-party cookies from third parties including Bing, DoubleClick, Google Analytics, Compliance, LivePerson, Feefo, Hotjar, Visual Website Optimiser, Silverpop and Google Lead Services.

These cookies do not allow us access to your accounts or provide us with any confidential information relating to your accounts. They do allow us to provide you with appropriate marketing ads via these social media channels.

Anonymous and pseudonymous cookie data

Most data stored by cookies placed by Towergate websites is anonymous, but there may be some occasions when, in order to provide the best website functionality, information is recorded in cookies that relate to you. This ‘pseudonymous’ information, however, is stored separately and securely on our systems, so that the data cannot be attributed to you.

We believe in protecting the personal information that you provide us with: see our fair processing notice for more information.

How do I accept cookies?

When you first visit one of our websites, you will see a message saying that we use cookies to improve your experience and some have already been set. This setting is designed to provide the best performance and functionality of our websites, in order to offer the best experience to you as the user.

If you are happy with this, you can select ‘Accept all’ cookies or alternatively you can choose your own cookie preference from the options presented for all except strictly necessary cookies.

If you change your mind at any point, you can reselect your cookie preferences by clicking on the link labelled ‘Cookie settings’ which appears at the bottom of each website page.

How do I manage cookies?

If you do not wish to have cookies stored when you visit Towergate’s websites, you can adjust the settings of the browser you are setting.

Please note, however, that if you turn off your cookies it may make browsing Towergate’s websites much slower, and will affect performance and functionality. In particular, you will not be able to purchase products or request quotes online as the functionality for these require cookies that fall under the ‘strictly necessary’ cookies.

Guides on how to manage cookies for common browsers are linked below: