Cookie Policy

Last updated: February 2, 2026

1. What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, smartphone, tablet) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and to provide information to website owners.

1.1 How cookies work

When you visit our website, we may place cookies on your device that help us:

• Remember your preferences and settings
• Keep items in your shopping cart
• Understand how you use our website
• Improve your browsing experience
• Show you relevant content and advertisements

1.2 Types of cookies by duration

• Session cookies: These are temporary cookies that expire when you close your browser. They help you navigate our website efficiently.
• Persistent cookies: These remain on your device for a set period (specified in the cookie) or until you manually delete them. They remember your preferences for future visits.

1.3 First-party vs third-party cookies

• First-party cookies: These are set directly by House of Bleyenberg and are only readable by our website.
• Third-party cookies: These are set by external services we use (e.g., analytics providers, payment processors, marketing platforms). These cookies may track your activity across different websites.

2. Why we use cookies

We use cookies for several important reasons:

2.1 Essential website functionality

Some cookies are essential for our webshop to function properly. Without these cookies, services you have requested (such as adding items to your shopping cart or processing your order) cannot be provided.

2.2 Performance and analytics

We use cookies to understand how visitors interact with our website, which pages are most popular, and where improvements can be made. This helps us enhance your shopping experience.

2.3 Personalization

Cookies allow us to remember your preferences (such as language, currency, or previously viewed products) to provide a more personalized experience when you return to our website.

2.4 Marketing and advertising

With your consent, we use cookies to show you relevant advertisements both on our website and on third-party platforms. These cookies also help us measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns.

3. Categories of cookies we use

In compliance with the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and the ePrivacy Directive, we categorize our cookies as follows:

3.1 Strictly necessary cookies ESSENTIAL

These cookies are essential for you to browse our website and use its features. Without these cookies, services you have requested cannot be provided.

Examples of strictly necessary cookies:

• Shopping cart cookies: Remember items you've added to your cart as you browse
• Session cookies: Identify you during a single browsing session
• Security cookies: Authenticate users and prevent fraudulent use of login credentials
• Load balancing cookies: Ensure the website loads properly and distributes traffic evenly
• Cookie consent cookies: Remember your cookie preferences

These cookies do not require your consent under the ePrivacy Directive as they are strictly necessary for the provision of our online shop service.

3.2 Analytics/Performance cookies ANALYTICS

These cookies collect information about how visitors use our website, such as which pages are visited most often and if visitors receive error messages. All information collected by these cookies is aggregated and anonymized.

What we track:

• Pages visited and time spent on each page
• How you arrived at our site (e.g., search engine, direct link, referral)
• Geographic location (country/city level only)
• Device type, browser, and screen resolution
• User journey through the website

Analytics provider we use:

• Google Analytics 4 (GA4): We use Google Analytics with IP anonymization enabled and data sharing with Google disabled. Data retention is set to 26 months. Data is stored on servers within the EU to ensure GDPR compliance.

3.3 Functional cookies FUNCTIONAL

These cookies allow our website to remember choices you make (such as your language preference or the region you are in) and provide enhanced, more personalized features.

Examples include:

• Language preference cookies
• Currency selection
• Previously viewed products
• Video player preferences

3.4 Marketing/Advertising cookies MARKETING

These cookies are used to deliver advertisements that are relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement and help measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.

How marketing cookies work:

• Track your browsing activity across websites
• Build a profile of your interests
• Show you relevant advertisements on our site and third-party websites
• Measure campaign performance and ROI
• Enable retargeting campaigns (showing ads to people who have visited our website)

Third-party marketing platforms we may use:

• Google Ads (remarketing and conversion tracking)
• Facebook Pixel (Meta advertising platform)
• Instagram advertising (Meta platforms)
• Pinterest Tag (Pinterest advertising)

4. Detailed cookie list

A comprehensive list of cookies used on our website can be found here:

 https://house-of-bleyenberg.com/policies/cookie-policy/cookie-active

5. Your cookie choices and how to manage them

You have the right to decide whether to accept or reject cookies. Under the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive, you have the following rights:

5.1 Cookie consent banner

When you first visit our website, you will see a cookie consent banner that complies with 2025/2026 regulations. This banner provides you with clear choices:

• "Accept All" - Accept all cookies including analytics and marketing cookies
• "Reject All" - Reject all non-essential cookies (only strictly necessary cookies will be used)
• "Customize Settings" - Choose which categories of cookies you want to accept or reject

5.2 Changing your cookie preferences

You can change your cookie preferences at any time by:

• Clicking the "Cookie Settings" link in our website footer
• Clicking the cookie icon that appears on the bottom of each page
• Revisiting the cookie consent banner

Your new preferences will take effect immediately, and we will respect your choices going forward.

5.3 Browser cookie settings

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can set your browser to:

• Block all cookies
• Block third-party cookies only
• Delete cookies when you close your browser
• Notify you when a website tries to set a cookie

How to manage cookies in different browsers:

• Google Chrome: Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data
• Firefox: Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
• Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Cookies and website data
• Microsoft Edge: Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Cookies and site data

For more detailed instructions, visit your browser's help page or visit www.allaboutcookies.org

5.4 Global Privacy Control (GPC)

We honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals sent by your browser. If your browser sends a GPC signal, we will automatically respect your preference to opt out of non-essential cookies and data sharing.

5.5 Do Not Track (DNT)

Our website responds to Do Not Track signals. When we detect a DNT signal from your browser, we will not place non-essential cookies without your explicit consent.

6. Legal basis for cookie use

Our use of cookies is based on applicable EU privacy laws, including:

6.1 GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)

Under Article 6(1) GDPR, we process personal data collected through cookies based on:

• Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f)): For strictly necessary cookies that are essential for website functionality
• Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)): For all non-essential cookies (analytics, functional, marketing)
• Performance of a contract (Art. 6(1)(b)): For cookies necessary to fulfill your order

6.2 ePrivacy Directive (2002/58/EC)

The ePrivacy Directive (also known as the "Cookie Law") requires us to:

• Obtain prior consent before placing non-essential cookies on your device
• Provide clear and comprehensive information about cookies
• Make consent as easy to withdraw as to give
• Not make access to our website conditional on accepting cookies (no "cookie walls")

6.3 Consent requirements (2025/2026 standards)

Valid consent under GDPR must be:

• Freely given: Not bundled with other terms; reject must be as easy as accept
• Specific: Separate consent for different cookie categories
• Informed: Clear information about what you're consenting to
• Unambiguous: Requires a clear affirmative action (clicking a button)
• Withdrawable: You can withdraw consent as easily as you gave it

7. Third-party cookies and data sharing

Some cookies on our website are set by third-party services that we use. When you consent to these cookies, you are also consenting to these third parties collecting and processing your data according to their own privacy policies.

7.1 Third-party service providers

7.2 International data transfers

Some of our third-party providers are based outside the European Economic Area (EEA). When we transfer personal data outside the EEA, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including:

• Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs): EU-approved contracts that ensure GDPR-level protection
• EU-US Data Privacy Framework: For transfers to certified US companies
• Adequacy decisions: For countries deemed to provide adequate protection by the European Commission

7.3 Opting out of third-party advertising

You can opt out of interest-based advertising from participating companies through:

• European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance (EDAA): www.youronlinechoices.eu
• Google Ads Settings: adssettings.google.com
• Facebook Ad Preferences: www.facebook.com/ads/preferences

8. Cookie retention periods

We retain cookies for different periods depending on their purpose:

• Session cookies: Deleted when you close your browser
• Shopping cart cookies: 14 days
• Analytics cookies: Up to 26 months
• Marketing cookies: 3-13 months (varies by provider)
• Consent cookies: 12 months (after which you'll be re-prompted)

9. Your privacy rights

Under the GDPR, you have the following rights regarding data collected through cookies:

• Right to access: Request a copy of the data we've collected about you
• Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate data
• Right to erasure: Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to restrict processing: Limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability: Receive your data in a portable format
• Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw cookie consent at any time

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@house-of-bleyenberg.com

10. Children's privacy

Our website is not intended for children under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children through cookies. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately at privacy@house-of-bleyenberg.com

11. Updates to this Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, legislation, our business operations, or cookie practices. When we make significant changes, we will:

• Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy
• Notify you via email if you have subscribed to our newsletter
• Display a prominent notice on our website
• Re-prompt you for consent if we add new cookie categories or purposes

We recommend checking this policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies.

12. Regulatory compliance and enforcement

Our cookie practices comply with:

• EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - Regulation (EU) 2016/679
• ePrivacy Directive - Directive 2002/58/EC (as amended by Directive 2009/136/EC)
• National implementations of the ePrivacy Directive in Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany
• 2025/2026 enforcement guidelines from EU Data Protection Authorities

12.1 Supervisory authorities

If you believe our cookie practices violate your privacy rights, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your national data protection authority:

13. Technical cookie implementation

For transparency, here's how our cookie consent system works technically:

13.1 Cookie blocking

• All non-essential cookies are blocked by default until you provide consent
• We use a Consent Management Platform (CMP) that prevents scripts from firing before consent
• Only strictly necessary cookies are loaded on first visit

13.2 Consent recording

We maintain detailed records of your consent choices, including:

• Date and time of consent
• Which cookie categories you accepted/rejected
• Version of the cookie policy you consented to
• Method of consent (banner, settings page, etc.)

These records are kept for compliance purposes and can be provided to you upon request.

14. Contact us about cookies

If you have any questions about our use of cookies, please contact us:

15. Additional resources

For more information about cookies and privacy, visit:

• About cookies: www.allaboutcookies.org
• EU GDPR: www.gdpr.eu
• ePrivacy Directive: gdpr-info.eu/eprivacy-directive
• Your Online Choices (EDAA): www.youronlinechoices.eu