Cookies Policy
Last updated: 2026-10-01 (version 2026.10.01-uk-7)
Applies to: autoza.co.uk (United Kingdom)
Who operates this site
Legal entity: Mesabook Limited trading as Autoza
Registered address: County Dublin, Ireland
CRO (Companies Registration Office) number: 801808
Contact: info@autoza.co.uk
autoza.co.uk is operated from Ireland by Mesabook Limited trading as Autoza. Although the company is registered in Ireland, this site is directed at users in the United Kingdom and is therefore subject to UK law for cookies and tracking (PECR) and for processing of personal data (UK GDPR).
1. What cookies are
Cookies are small text files placed on your device (computer, tablet, phone) when you visit a website. Similar technologies — including pixels, local storage, session storage and software development kit (SDK) identifiers — work in much the same way and are covered by this policy.
In the UK, the use of cookies and similar technologies is regulated by the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 ("PECR"), as amended. Any personal data that we then process via those cookies is separately regulated by the UK General Data Protection Regulation ("UK GDPR") and the Data Protection Act 2018.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) publishes the UK regulator's guidance on cookies and similar technologies, available at ico.org.uk. This policy is written to be consistent with that guidance.
2. Why we use cookies
We use cookies and similar technologies to:
- Make the website work — keep you signed in, protect sign-in against cross-site request forgery, and get you back to your search results.
- Understand how the website is used — only with your consent, through Google Analytics, when it is switched on.
- Remember things for you on your own device — the vehicles you are comparing and your recent AI searches.
- Stop one visit to an advert or article being counted twice, so dealers see honest view figures.
We do not use advertising, remarketing or social-media tracking cookies or pixels. Google Analytics is only loaded if you opt in through our cookie banner, and you can withdraw that consent as easily as you gave it.
3. What we store on your device
This is the complete list of cookies and browser storage (local storage and session storage) that autoza.co.uk itself sets for visitors, buyers and dealers. Nothing in these tables is sent to an advertising company.
3.1 Strictly necessary (no consent required)
Required for the site to work: signing in, security, remembering your cookie choice and getting you back to your search. PECR Regulation 6(4) exempts these from the consent requirement.
| Name | Stored as | Purpose | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
| __Secure-next-auth.session-token | Cookie (HttpOnly) | Keeps you signed in. Only set once you sign in. | 30 days |
| __Host-next-auth.csrf-token | Cookie (HttpOnly) | Protects the sign-in and sign-out forms against cross-site request forgery. | Until you close your browser |
| __Secure-next-auth.callback-url | Cookie (HttpOnly) | Sends you back to the page you were on after you sign in. | Until you close your browser |
| __Secure-next-auth.state, __Secure-next-auth.pkce.code_verifier | Cookie (HttpOnly) | Only while you sign in with Google: one-time security checks for that sign-in. | 15 minutes |
| autoza-uk-cookie-consent-v1 | Local storage | Remembers your cookie choice so the banner does not appear on every page. | About six months (182 days), then we ask again |
| nextauth.message | Local storage | Keeps signing in and out in step across your open tabs. Holds only the last event and its time. | Until you clear site data |
| autoza_last_search_url, autoza_listing_origin, _sz_* | Session storage | Powers the "back to results" link and puts you back at the same scroll position. | Until you close the tab |
| mark-session | Session storage | Keeps your conversation with Mark, our buyer assistant, together while the tab is open. | Until you close the tab |
| autoza_ai_prefill | Session storage | Carries a "find similar" search into the search box. | Removed as soon as it is used |
| autoza_error_retry_count, autoza_global_error_retry | Session storage | Stops an error page from reloading itself in a loop. | Until you close the tab |
3.2 Features you use
Kept on your device for features you use, so they can do what you asked. You can remove it at any time by clearing this site's data in your browser.
| Name | Stored as | Purpose | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
| autoza_comparison | Local storage | The vehicles you have added to compare (an empty list until you add one). | Until you remove them or clear site data |
| autoza_ai_recent_searches | Local storage | Your last few AI searches, so you can run them again. Kept on your device only. | Until you clear site data |
| recentlyViewed_dismissed | Local storage | Remembers that you closed the "recently viewed" panel. | Until you clear site data |
| aidan_mode, aidan-doc-names, aidan_guide_dismissed, aidan-train-guide-v1, autoza_dealer_onboarding | Local storage | Dealer accounts only: dashboard settings and unfinished onboarding steps. | Until you clear site data |
3.3 Measurement and analytics
To show dealers how many people looked at each advert, your browser tells our own server when you view an advert or tap its phone, WhatsApp or share button, and when you read a blog article. So that one visitor is not counted twice, the server makes a one-way scrambled code from your network (IP) address and keeps that code with the count, not your IP address. For advert views the code is also made from the date, so it changes every day. None of this is linked to your name or account, and dealers see only totals. Inside a browser tab, the markers in the table below also stop one visit being counted twice.
You can object at any time: choose “Reject all” (or save the banner with Analytics unticked), or use a browser that sends Global Privacy Control. Your pages then stop sending these counts and stop writing the markers. If you message a dealer about an advert, we still record that a conversation was started on it, without any code from your device or network. Google Analytics is separate: it only loads if you choose “Accept all” or tick Analytics in the banner.
| Name | Stored as | Purpose | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
| az_visitor | Local storage | No longer used. An earlier version of our advert pages kept a random number here, not linked to your name or account. Nothing writes it now and nothing sends it (the text above this table explains how views are counted instead). Any copy still on your device is deleted the next time you open an advert, whatever you choose in the cookie banner. | Deleted the next time you open an advert (until then, until you clear site data) |
| az_seen_<listing>, bv:<article> | Session storage | Stops a single visit to an advert or article being counted twice. Holds no identifier. Neither is written once you choose "Reject all" or your browser sends Global Privacy Control. | Until you close the tab |
| _ga, _ga_<ID> | Cookie (Google Analytics 4) | Only if you accept analytics cookies: distinguishes visitors and sessions in aggregate statistics. Google Analytics is not switched on at present; if we switch it on it will still load only after you opt in. | 2 years |
3.4 Marketing and advertising
None. autoza.co.uk does not load the Meta (Facebook) pixel, Google Ads or any other advertising, remarketing or social-media tracking cookie or pixel. If that ever changes we will update this policy first and ask for your consent before anything is set.
4. Your choices
4.1 The on-site cookie banner
When you first visit autoza.co.uk you'll see a cookie banner that lets you accept or reject analytics cookies — the only optional category we have. “Reject all” is on the first screen, next to “Accept all”. You can change your mind at any time by selecting “Cookie settings” in the footer, which clears your choice and shows the banner again. Your choice lasts about six months; after that we ask again.
4.2 Browser controls
You can also block or delete cookies directly in your browser. Most browsers let you reject third-party cookies, clear cookies on exit, or block specific sites:
- Google Chrome — Clear, allow and manage cookies
- Mozilla Firefox — Cookies and site data
- Safari — Manage cookies and website data
- Microsoft Edge — Delete cookies
Blocking strictly-necessary cookies will stop you signing in and may break other parts of the site. Blocking optional cookies has no effect on core features.
4.3 Opting out of third-party trackers
- Google Analytics: Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on and My Ad Centre.
- Industry-wide: Your Online Choices (UK).
4.4 Do Not Track (DNT) and Global Privacy Control (GPC)
If your browser sends the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal, we treat it as an objection to our own view counting, the same as “Reject all”: your pages do not send us your advert views, taps or blog reads and write no markers (see 3.3). Google Analytics never loads unless you opt in through the banner, and we use no advertising cookies at all. We do not read the “Do Not Track” header.
5. Third-party cookies and processors
A few services we rely on can set their own cookies, but only in the situations described below. Each acts as an independent controller for the data its cookies collect, and its own cookie and privacy policies apply in addition to ours:
Google Analytics 4 (only if you accept analytics cookies)
Not switched on at present. If we switch it on, it loads only after you opt in. See Google cookies policy.
Google sign-in (only if you choose it)
If you sign in with Google, Google may set its own cookies on its own sign-in pages under its privacy policy.
YouTube and Vimeo video players (dealer pages with a video)
Where a dealer has added a YouTube or Vimeo video to their profile or an advert, the player is supplied by YouTube (Google) or Vimeo, which may set their own cookies when it loads. See the Google cookies policy and the Vimeo cookie policy.
6. Changes to this policy
We may update this Cookies Policy from time to time — for example, when we add a new analytics provider, change a retention period, or respond to updated ICO guidance. The "Last updated" date and version at the top of this page will always reflect the most recent change. Material changes affecting non-essential cookies will trigger a fresh consent prompt the next time you visit, and your choice expires after about six months in any case.
7. Contact and complaints
Questions about this policy, your cookie choices, or how we process personal data via cookies:
- Email: info@autoza.co.uk
- Postal address: Mesabook Limited trading as Autoza, County Dublin, Ireland (CRO 801808).
If you're not happy with how we handle your cookies or personal data, you have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The ICO is the supervisory authority for UK GDPR and PECR:
- Online: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint
- Helpline: 0303 123 1113
- Post: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF, United Kingdom
You can raise a complaint with the ICO without going through us first, but we'd appreciate the chance to look into it for you — email info@autoza.co.uk and we'll respond within 30 days.