Сookie Policy

Last updated: August 21, 2026

Effective date: January 2026
Last updated: August 2026
Legal entity: FREESTORM LTD
Registered address: Unit 3, Churchfield, Exchange Business Park, T23V027, Cork, Ireland
Contact email: [email protected]
Contact phone: +353 21 2066 112
VAT number: IE9656359L

Related policies:

Privacy Policy

Terms & Conditions

Returns, Refunds, Warranty & Shipping Policy

Cookie Settings:

This Cookie Policy explains how FREESTORM LTD (“FREESTORM”, “we”, “us”, “our”) uses cookies and similar technologies when you visit our website, browse automotive parts, use product search or compatibility tools, request repair services, submit service or quote forms, use account or checkout features, view reviews or embedded content, or manage your preferences.

This Cookie Policy applies to freestorm.ie, freestorm.co.uk, freestorm.eu, their subdomains and any successor websites or customer portals that link to this Policy.

1. What Are Cookies and Similar Technologies?

Cookies are small text files that may be placed on your computer, mobile phone, tablet or other device when you visit a website. They allow the website, or a third-party service used by the website, to recognise your device, remember information about your visit and support website functionality.

In this Policy, “cookies” also includes similar technologies that can store information on, or access information from, your device or browser. These may include:

pixels and tracking tags;
scripts and SDKs;
local storage and session storage;
device identifiers;
server-side identifiers;
fraud-prevention and security signals;
embedded content technologies used by maps, videos, reviews, chat tools or payment providers.

This Policy therefore covers both traditional browser cookies and wider access to, or storage of, information on your device or browser

2. Why We Use Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

to make the website, account area, basket and checkout work correctly;
to remember user choices such as cookie preferences, country, language, currency or selected vehicle context;
to support product search, part-number lookup, fitment or compatibility flows and repair-service journeys;
to keep repair quote forms, diagnostic request forms, upload forms, booking steps and service enquiry flows working correctly;
to secure the website, prevent fraud, protect accounts and support payment authentication;
to measure website performance, traffic sources, page performance, product-search behaviour, checkout funnels and repair-form completion rates;
to understand demand for new, refurbished, remanufactured, exchange and repair-service products;
to measure the effectiveness of calls-to-action, part compatibility pages, quote request forms and repair-service landing pages;
to support marketing, advertising, remarketing, ad attribution and conversion tracking where consent has been given;
to display or support third-party content such as reviews, maps, videos, booking tools, chat tools and payment widgets where used.

3. Types of Cookies We Use

3.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly necessary cookies are required for the website or a service requested by you to function. These may be used for:

session management;
basket and checkout continuity;
account login, authentication and security;
fraud prevention and abuse prevention;
load balancing, server security and website reliability;
card payment, wallet payment and payment authentication flows;
cookie-consent choice storage;
language, country or storefront routing where this is necessary for the website to work correctly;
repair quote, booking, upload or checkout progress during an active session.

Because these cookies are genuinely necessary to provide the website or services you request, they do not normally require consent. If you block strictly necessary cookies, parts of the website may not work correctly.

3.2 Preference / Functional Cookies

Preference or functional cookies help us remember choices you make and provide improved features. These may include:

selected country, language or currency;
saved vehicle, garage or compatibility context where those features are available;
recent product searches, selected filters, selected part categories or repair-service journey progress;
display preferences and account-related settings;
remembering whether you have already seen certain non-essential notices.

Some preference cookies may be necessary where you actively request a feature. Other preference cookies may require consent depending on how the feature is implemented and whether the cookie is essential for the requested service.

3.3 Analytics Cookies

Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors use the website and where we can improve the customer journey. Analytics may be used to measure:

page visits and traffic sources;
product search and part-number search usage;
part-page performance and compatibility-page performance;
add-to-cart, checkout and abandoned-checkout funnels;
repair quote form, upload form, booking or diagnostic request completion and drop-off rates;
country, language and storefront behaviour;
calls-to-action, phone clicks, enquiry buttons and repair-service landing page performance;
demand for specific products, part families and repair-service categories.

Analytics cookies are not strictly necessary. In Ireland and the EU, we will use analytics cookies only where required consent has been given, unless an exemption applies.

3.4 Marketing / Advertising Cookies

Marketing and advertising cookies help us measure campaigns and, where permitted, show relevant advertising. These may be used for:

Google Ads conversion tracking;
ad attribution and campaign measurement;
remarketing and audience building;
measuring repair-service leads generated by ads;
measuring abandoned cart or service-enquiry follow-up journeys where legally permitted;
limiting repeated ads and understanding ad effectiveness;
personalised ads or similar advertising features where enabled and consented to.

Marketing cookies and advertising tags are not strictly necessary. We will only use them where consent has been given, where required by law.

3.5 Third-Party Cookies and Trackers

Some cookies and similar technologies may be set by third parties whose tools are used on our website. These may include:

Google services, including Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager, Google Ads, Google conversion tags and Google remarketing tags;
payment providers such as Stripe and payment wallet providers such as Apple Pay and Google Pay;
review platforms or review widgets, including Google reviews, Trustpilot or similar review tools where used;
WordPress, ecommerce, security, form, booking, review or consent-management plugins;
embedded maps, videos, chat widgets, booking widgets, call-tracking tools or finance/payment widgets where used;
hosting, security, fraud-prevention and website-performance providers.

Third-party providers may use cookies under their own policies. Where third-party cookies or trackers are not strictly necessary, we will load them only after the required consent has been given, or we will display a placeholder asking you to accept the relevant cookie category.

4. Automotive and Repair-Service Cookie Purposes

Because FREESTORM supplies and repairs automotive hydraulic & electronic components, some cookies and similar technologies may support specific automotive journeys, including:

saving selected country, language, currency or storefront;
saving vehicle context, garage context or compatibility selections where those features are available;
supporting product search, part-number lookup and fitment or compatibility flows;
measuring the effectiveness of part-search, compatibility pages and repair-service journeys;
supporting basket, checkout, core return, exchange and account flows;
analysing demand for new, refurbished, remanufactured and repair-service products;
supporting repair quote forms, diagnostic request forms, upload forms, service-centre selection, callback forms and booking journeys;
measuring completion or drop-off in repair-service forms where analytics consent has been given;
attributing repair-service leads to advertising campaigns only where marketing consent has been given.

We do not intend to use VIN, detailed diagnostic reports, uploaded technical evidence, repair notes or fault-code details for personalised advertising unless this is expressly disclosed and legally permitted. Such information is handled under our Privacy Policy and is used mainly for compatibility, repair, diagnostic, warranty, support, fraud-prevention and legal/compliance purposes.

5. Legal Basis for Cookie Use

Cookie rules and data protection rules work together. Under Irish e-Privacy rules, consent is normally required before a website stores information on, or accesses information from, a user’s device, unless the cookie or similar technology is strictly necessary to provide a service specifically requested by the user.

For GDPR purposes, where cookies or similar technologies involve personal data, we may rely on one or more of the following lawful bases depending on the context:

performance of a contract or steps taken before entering into a contract, for example checkout, account functions, repair requests and compatibility support;
legitimate interests, for example website security, fraud prevention, basic service operation and internal business protection;
legal obligation, for example consent records, accounting, fraud prevention or compliance records where applicable;
consent, for example analytics, marketing, advertising, remarketing and certain optional preference or embedded-content cookies.

Strictly necessary cookies are used because they are required for the website or requested service to work. Preferences, analytics, marketing and advertising cookies are used only where the required consent has been given, unless a legal exemption applies.

6. Detailed Cookie and Tracker Table

The table below describes the main cookies and trackers we expect to use. The exact cookies may change depending on the website features, WordPress plugins, consent-management platform, payment flow and third-party tools enabled at the time of your visit. Once our consent manager is live, the Cookie Settings panel should display the most current cookie list, including exact names, providers, purposes and durations detected on the website.

Cookie / tracker name	Provider	Category	Purpose	Typical duration	First / third party	Consent required?
session cookie / PHPSESSID or similar	FREESTORM / hosting / WordPress	Strictly necessary	Maintains a secure website session and basic site functionality.	Session	First-party	No
cookie_consent / consent manager cookie	Consent-management provider / FREESTORM	Strictly necessary	Stores your cookie choices and consent status.	6-12 months, depending on CMP setup	First-party	No
wordpress_test_cookie	WordPress	Strictly necessary	Checks whether cookies are enabled for login or account/admin functions.	Session	First-party	No, where needed for login/account function
wordpress_logged_in_* / wordpress_sec_*	WordPress	Strictly necessary	Supports account login, authentication and security.	Session to up to 14 days, depending on login settings	First-party	No
wp_woocommerce_session_*	WordPress / WooCommerce or ecommerce plugin	Strictly necessary	Stores a unique session reference so basket and checkout can work.	Usually up to 2 days, depending on plugin settings	First-party	No
woocommerce_cart_hash / woocommerce_items_in_cart	WordPress / WooCommerce or ecommerce plugin	Strictly necessary	Helps detect basket changes and maintain cart contents during checkout.	Session	First-party	No
payment session / checkout token	FREESTORM / Stripe / payment provider	Strictly necessary	Supports secure card checkout, payment authentication, wallet payment and fraud prevention.	Session to payment-provider controlled period	First and/or third party	No, where necessary for payment requested by you
Stripe cookies / local storage, e.g. payment and fraud-prevention identifiers	Stripe	Strictly necessary / payment security	Enables secure card payment, fraud prevention, transaction verification and payment-service reliability.	Session to provider-controlled period	Third-party or provider-hosted	No, where necessary for payment requested by you
Apple Pay / Google Pay payment signals	Apple / Google / Stripe	Strictly necessary / payment security	Supports wallet payment, device authentication and secure payment completion where selected by the user.	Provider-controlled	Third-party or device-level	No, where necessary for payment requested by you
locale_pref / country_pref / currency_pref	FREESTORM / website plugin	Preference	Stores selected country, language, currency or storefront preference.	6-12 months	First-party	Depends on setup
saved_vehicle / vehicle_context / garage preference	FREESTORM / website plugin	Preference / functional	Stores selected vehicle or garage context for compatibility, product search or saved-vehicle journey where available.	Session to 6 months, or account-based where saved by user	First-party	Depends on setup
repair_form_progress / quote_form_session	FREESTORM / form or booking plugin	Strictly necessary / preference	Keeps repair quote, upload, booking or diagnostic request progress during a form journey.	Session to 30 days, depending on setup	First-party	Depends on whether progress is essential or optional
_ga	Google Analytics 4	Analytics	Distinguishes visitors and helps measure website usage, traffic sources and customer journeys.	Up to 2 years by default, subject to browser limits and configuration	First-party	Yes
_ga_<container-id>	Google Analytics 4	Analytics	Persists session state for analytics reporting.	Up to 2 years by default, subject to browser limits and configuration	First-party	Yes
Google Tag Manager container	Google	Tag management	Manages deployment of analytics, advertising and other tags. Tags loaded through GTM may set their own cookies.	No standalone user cookie expected; depends on deployed tags	Third-party script / first-party effects	Consent required for non-essential tags loaded through it
Google Search Console verification tag	Google	Technical / SEO verification	Verifies website ownership or supports SEO monitoring. It does not normally set visitor tracking cookies on our site.	Not applicable unless a cookie-based verification method is used	N/A	Usually no
_gcl_au / _gcl_aw / related Google conversion cookies	Google Ads / Google tag	Marketing / advertising	Measures ad clicks, conversion paths, repair-service leads, purchases or other conversions.	Often up to 90 days, depending on configuration and provider settings	First-party and/or third-party	Yes
Google advertising cookies, e.g. IDE, NID or similar where applicable	Google / DoubleClick	Marketing / advertising	Supports ad measurement, remarketing, frequency capping and personalised ads where enabled.	Provider-controlled; often session to several months	Third-party	Yes
Review widget cookies	Google Reviews / Trustpilot / website review provider	Functional / analytics / marketing	Displays reviews, measures review-widget interactions and may help prevent abuse or duplicate submissions.	Provider-controlled	Third-party or first-party plugin	Yes unless strictly necessary for a user-requested review feature
Embedded video cookies	YouTube / Vimeo or similar	Functional / analytics / marketing	Plays embedded videos and may measure viewing or interaction.	Provider-controlled	Third-party	Yes before loading non-essential embeds
Embedded map cookies	Google Maps or similar	Functional / analytics / marketing	Displays maps, directions or location features.	Provider-controlled	Third-party	Yes before loading non-essential embeds
Live chat / callback / support widget cookies	Chat or support provider, where used	Functional / analytics	Maintains chat session, support enquiry continuity and callback interaction history.	Session to 12 months, depending on provider	Third-party or first-party plugin	Depends on setup and user action
Call-tracking or campaign attribution cookie	Call-tracking / marketing provider, where used	Analytics / marketing	Measures phone-call leads, campaign source and repair-service enquiry attribution.	Provider-controlled; often 30-180 days	First and/or third party	Yes
Security / firewall cookies	Hosting, CDN, WordPress security or fraud-prevention provider	Strictly necessary / security	Protects the website against abuse, spam, bots, unauthorised access and malicious traffic.	Session to several months, depending on provider	First and/or third party	No, where genuinely necessary for security

7. Google Tools We Use

We use Google tools for measurement, tag management, search visibility and advertising. These may include Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager, Google Search Console, Google Ads, Google conversion tracking and Google remarketing features.

Google Analytics 4 may use first-party cookies such as _ga and _ga_<container-id> to distinguish users and sessions and help us understand website performance and customer journeys.
Google Tag Manager is used to manage tags. The tags deployed through Google Tag Manager, such as analytics or advertising tags, may set or read cookies depending on your consent choices.
Google Ads and Google conversion tags may use cookies or similar identifiers to measure ad clicks, purchases, quote requests, repair-service leads and other conversions.
Google Search Console is mainly used for website verification and search-performance monitoring and does not normally set visitor-facing tracking cookies on our website.

8. Payments, Stripe, Apple Pay and Google Pay

We use Stripe as a payment provider and may offer card payments, Google Pay, Apple Pay or other payment methods displayed at checkout. Payment providers may use cookies, local storage, device-level signals and fraud-prevention identifiers to:

enable secure checkout and payment-session continuity;
authenticate payment methods;
prevent fraud, abuse, unauthorised transactions and chargebacks;
verify transactions and comply with payment-network or legal requirements;
remember limited payment-related settings where permitted by the provider.

Payment cookies and similar technologies that are necessary to complete a payment requested by you are treated as strictly necessary. Optional analytics or marketing technologies connected with payment journeys will only be used where required consent has been given.

9. Reviews, Embedded Content and Third-Party Widgets

Our website may include customer reviews, review widgets, videos, maps, booking tools, chat tools, payment widgets, finance widgets or similar embedded content. These third-party features may use their own cookies and similar technologies.

Where practical, non-essential embedded content should be blocked until the relevant consent has been given. For example, the website may show a placeholder such as: “To view this content, please accept functional/marketing cookies.”

If you interact with embedded third-party content, that third party may process information about your device, browser, IP address and interaction with the content under its own privacy or cookie policy.

10. How Long Cookies Are Stored

Cookie storage periods vary depending on the purpose, provider and browser settings. In general:

session cookies expire when you close your browser or shortly after your session ends;
strictly necessary cookies usually last only for the session or for the short period needed to provide security, checkout, account or consent functionality;
cookie-consent choices are usually stored for 6-12 months so that we can remember your preference;
preference cookies may last from the session to around 6-12 months, depending on the feature;
analytics cookies, including common GA4 cookies, may last up to 2 years by default, subject to our configuration and browser restrictions;
advertising and conversion cookies may last from a few days to several months, depending on the provider and campaign settings;
payment and fraud-prevention cookies may last for the period set by the payment provider where needed for security, authentication and fraud prevention.

Browser restrictions, private browsing modes, device settings or manual deletion may shorten these periods. The Cookie Settings panel should show the most current available durations for cookies detected on the website.

11. How You Can Manage Cookies

You can manage cookies in several ways:

use our cookie banner when you first visit the website;
select “Accept all”, “Reject all” or customise cookie categories where available;
use the “Cookie Settings” link or button to change or withdraw consent later;
change browser settings to block, delete or restrict cookies;
use device-level or platform-level privacy settings where relevant, including settings for mobile advertising IDs or wallet/payment tools;
manage Google ad personalisation through Google’s own account and ad settings where relevant.

Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn. If you reject or disable cookies, strictly necessary cookies may still be used, and some website features may not work correctly.

12. Browser Controls

Most browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can usually configure your browser to block cookies, delete existing cookies, alert you before cookies are stored, or block third-party cookies. Browser controls may affect the functionality of our website, including account login, basket, checkout, repair request forms, payment flows and saved preferences.

13. Server Logs and Security Technologies

In addition to cookies, our website and service providers may use server logs and security technologies to maintain website reliability and protect against fraud, abuse, spam, bots, unauthorised access and malicious traffic. These technologies may process IP address, device and browser information, timestamps, pages requested, security events and similar technical data. Where these technologies are strictly necessary for security and website operation, they may be used without cookie consent.

14. Changes to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, regulatory guidance, website functionality, cookie categories, providers, consent-management tools, analytics tools, payment tools, marketing tools or embedded third-party content.

The updated version will be posted on this page. The “Last updated” date at the top of this Policy will show when it was last changed. Where changes are material, we may highlight them through the website, cookie banner, consent-management platform or other appropriate notice.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Cookie Policy or how cookies and similar technologies are used on our website, please contact us:

FREESTORM LTD
Unit 3, Churchfield, Exchange Business Park, T23V027, Cork, Ireland
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +353 21 2066 112