Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy explains how The Metavision Multimedia Limited, a company registered in England and Wales (trading as Labrats) uses cookies and similar technologies on labrats.uk. It should be read alongside our Privacy Policy.

1. What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files that a website places on your device when you visit. They let the site remember information about your visit, such as your basket or your preferences. Similar technologies include local storage and session storage; references to "cookies" in this policy cover all of them.

2. The categories we use

Strictly necessary

These cookies are essential for the site to work and cannot be turned off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions you take, such as logging in, adding items to your basket or proceeding to checkout. The site will not function correctly without them.

On this site: your basket (kept in your browser's local storage) and Stripe's secure checkout, which runs on Stripe's own pages when you pay.

Functional

These remember small choices you make on the site. They are kept in your browser's local or session storage, are not sent to us and are not used to track you.

Examples: whether the theme music is on or off and where it had got to, and whether you have closed the audio log for this visit.

Analytics cookies

We use Google Analytics 4, provided by Google, to understand how visitors use labrats.uk: which pages are viewed and which products are looked at, added to the basket and bought. Google Analytics is only loaded, and its cookies (_ga and _ga_XSQX10PWDY) are only set, if you choose Accept on our cookie banner. If you choose Reject, or don't choose, nothing is loaded from Google.

You can change your mind at any time: the "Cookie settings" link at the bottom of every page reopens the banner. If you switch from Accept to Reject, we stop sending data to Google straight away and delete the Google Analytics cookies from your browser. Your choice itself is kept in your browser's local storage under the key labrats-consent; it is not sent to us.

Google's advertising features stay off. We tell Google that advertising storage, ad user data and ad personalisation are all denied, and we don't use Analytics data for advertising.

If you accepted, then when you pay for an order our server sends Google Analytics your anonymous Analytics identifiers (the random client and session IDs Google Analytics created in your browser) together with the order: its value, shipping, tax, currency, the items bought and our order reference. We never send Google your name, email address, postal address or payment details.

Marketing

We do not use marketing or advertising cookies, and we do not run advertising trackers. If that ever changes, we will update this policy and ask for your consent before anything is set.

3. Third-party services that may set cookies

• Stripe — fraud prevention and secure payment processing during checkout.
• Google Analytics — only if you accept analytics cookies (see "Analytics cookies" above).
• YouTube — we don't embed YouTube videos on this site, so nothing is loaded from YouTube while you browse. Our "Watch" links open YouTube in a new tab, where YouTube may set cookies under its own policy.

These third parties are independent controllers for the data they collect via their own cookies. Their cookie practices are governed by their own policies.

4. How long cookies stay on your device

• Session storage is deleted automatically when you close the browser tab.
• Local storage (your basket, theme-music setting and your cookie choice, labrats-consent) stays in your browser until you clear it; the basket is emptied when you complete an order.
• Google Analytics cookies (_ga and _ga_XSQX10PWDY), only set if you accept, last up to 2 years unless you clear them. Choosing Reject in "Cookie settings" deletes them.

5. Managing your preferences

When you first visit, a banner asks whether you accept Google Analytics cookies. Accept and Reject are equal choices, and nothing non-essential is set unless you accept. You can change your choice at any time with the "Cookie settings" link at the bottom of every page.

You can also block or delete cookies and site data through your browser settings. The "Help" menu in your browser explains how — for example:

• Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
• Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
• Safari: Settings → Privacy → Manage Website Data
• Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Manage and delete cookies

Blocking strictly necessary cookies will break parts of the site, including the basket and checkout.

6. Do Not Track

Some browsers send a "Do Not Track" signal. We don't rely on it: Google Analytics only runs if you accept it on our cookie banner, and you can switch it off at any time via "Cookie settings".

7. Changes to this policy

If we add new tools that set cookies, or change how we use existing ones, we will update this page and, where required, re-prompt you for consent.

8. Contact

Questions about this Cookie Policy: contact@themetavision.co.uk.