Cookie policy
Last updated September 2026
The short version
We use one optional kind of cookie: Google Ads cookies, which measure which of our adverts bring sellers to us. They are only set if you click Accept on our cookie banner, and we do not use them to show you adverts elsewhere. Everything else we store is strictly necessary for the website to work, and is listed below.
What we store
| Name | Type | What it does | How long | Your consent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sbt_consent | Cookie | Remembers whether you accepted or rejected advertising cookies, so we do not ask on every page. | 6 months, then we ask again | Not needed (strictly necessary) |
| tco_admin_session | Cookie | Keeps our staff signed in to the admin area. It is never set for sellers. | 8 hours, or until they sign out | Not needed (strictly necessary) |
| tco-sell-draft-v1 | Local storage | Saves your unfinished sell form on your own device, so you do not lose your work. It never contains your photographs, and it is never sent to us until you submit. | Until you submit, choose “Start fresh”, or clear your browser data | Not needed (strictly necessary) |
| _gcl_au and other _gcl_ cookies | Cookie (Google Ads) | Lets Google Ads tell us when someone who clicked one of our adverts goes on to send us the sell form, so we know which adverts work. | Up to 90 days | Only if you accept |
When we ask for your consent
UK law (the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations) requires consent before a website stores information on your device, except where the storage is strictly necessary for a service you have asked for. The consent cookie, the staff sign-in cookie and the saved form draft are strictly necessary, so they do not need your consent.
Google Ads cookies are not strictly necessary, so we ask first. Our banner gives Accept and Reject equal weight, and nothing from Google loads until you accept. If you reject, or ignore the banner, no Google Ads cookies are set.
What Google receives
If you accept, our pages load Google's tag. Google then receives information about your visit, such as the pages you view and whether you send us the sell form, along with technical details such as your IP address and browser. We never send Google your name, email address, bank details or submission reference, and the tag never runs on the private offer pages we email to sellers. Google may also use this information for its own purposes, as its privacy policy explains, and may set or read its own cookies on its own websites for the same measurement.
Changing your mind
- Use Cookie settings at the bottom of any page to accept or reject at any time. If you withdraw consent, we delete the Google Ads cookies on our site and stop loading Google's tag.
- On the sell form, choose Start fresh to delete your saved draft straight away.
- You can also delete or block cookies and site data in your browser settings. The sell form still works, but it will not remember your progress, and we will ask about advertising cookies again.
Questions
Email support@shellbarktrading.com. Our privacy policy explains how we handle personal data more generally.