Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer, smartphone or other device when you visit our webshop. Cookies help us to function, analyze and personalize the webshop. In addition, we may use cookies for security purposes and to prevent and combat abuse and fraud of our services.

We use so-called first-party cookies (cookies set by us) and third-party cookies (set by third parties).

The Guitar Company also uses techniques similar to cookies, such as JavaScript, web beacons, link-tracking and fingerprinting. JavaScripts and web beacons are standard Internet techniques that, along with cookies, allow a system to collect information (JavaScripts), store it in small, simple text files (cookies) and then send it (web beacons). With link tracking, certain elements (so-called tags) are added to a URL so that we can recognize you when you click through from our emails to the web shop. With fingerprinting, a "fingerprint" is created from a combination of technical data, such as the operating system, browser version and screen resolution. We use this fingerprint to secure the Website and your account. This allows improper traffic (from bots, for example) to be blocked. Hereafter, cookies and similar techniques will be collectively referred to as "Cookies".

We give you the choice to accept or reject Cookies. In addition, you can also adjust your web browser settings to refuse Cookies. As a result, our web shop may no longer function fully.

The information collected through Cookies may contain personal data. The processing of this personal data is in that case subject to the Privacy Policy of The Guitar Company: www.theguitarcompany.nl/privacybeleid

The Guitar Company uses the following types of Cookies:

• Functional cookies. These are Cookies that are necessary to provide the services you have requested, for example to remember what you have placed in the shopping cart, to ensure that you do not have to log in again and again, and to load the web shop evenly.
• Analytical cookies (first and third party). These include Cookies that analyze and map the use of the webshop, such as the number of visitors and pages viewed, so that we can improve the quality and/or effectiveness of the webshop. These Cookies have only a minor impact on your privacy. This category also includes affiliate Cookies that track which ad leads to the purchase of a certain product, so that the person who has shown this ad (the affiliate) can receive a reward from the advertiser. The statistics and other reports cannot be traced back to individual persons.
• Tracking Cookies (first and third-party). These are Cookies that are used to record your browsing behavior so that we (or third parties) can make you targeted offers and show you content that is relevant to you. We do this not only through the webshop, but also through advertisements that are shown. If tracking Cookies are not used, this does not mean that you will no longer see advertisements. In that case, the ads are just no longer tailored to your personal preferences and interests.

Use of the above Cookies allows us to perform analytics and allows us and third parties to tailor ads and other content to your interests. The Guitar Company works with various service providers for this purpose, including analytics system providers and various types of ad networks, as further explained below.

Each ad network provider is responsible for its own part of the processing as a data controller. The Guitar Company and the ad network provider may also be jointly responsible for certain parts of data processing. If this applies, you will be further informed about this below. Where joint responsibility exists, you can exercise your rights with either party.

Google Analytics
By using the aforementioned analytical cookies, The Guitar Company can measure how the shop is used and how a user found the shop using a web analysis system, such as Google Analytics. The web analysis system stores, among other things, the following data:

• The IP address minus the last block/octet (number after the last dot); - Technical characteristics such as the browser (the computer program used to view Internet pages) and the operating system you are using; - From which page you arrived at the webshop ("Referrer URL"); - The pages you visit on the webshop; - Which functionalities you use on the webshop; and - When and how long you visit the webshop.

Using this data, visitor behavior is analyzed at an aggregate level in order to improve the quality and/or effectiveness of the web shop for visitors and to better match visitors' preferences.

The Guitar Company uses a functionality for Google Analytics that does not store your full IP address and does not allow Google to process this data for its own purposes. Google does not share anonymous data with third parties. Google may store data on servers outside the European Economic Area ("EEA"), such as the United States. More information on data protection in connection with Google Analytics can be found in the Google Analytics Help (https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=nl) and in Google's Privacy Policy (https://policies.google.com/privacy). Google Analytics is provided by Google Ireland Ltd, having its registered office at Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.

Google Analytics Remarketing
If you have given your consent, the above data may also be used to show targeted ads to "target groups" ("Google Analytics Remarketing"). Target groups are compiled based on user behavior, for example, "individuals interested in luxury sunglasses." A target group consists of a list of cookie IDs or ad IDs representing a group of users. It does not contain directly identifying information such as your name or email address.

Google makes available a Google Analytics opt-out add-on that, once downloaded and installed, disables measurement by Google Analytics on all websites a user visits. More information can be found at the following link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=nl.

Google Tag Manager
The Guitar Company uses Google Tag Manager to assign and manage so-called tags to (parts of) the webshop. With these tags we can better analyze your use of our webshop. This data is then used for other Google services like Google Analytics and Google Marketing Platform. Google Tag Manager itself does not collect any personal data.

Google Tag Manager is provided by Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, 4 Barrow St, Dublin, D04 E5W5, Ireland. More information on data protection can be found in the Google Tag Manager Help: https://support.google.com/tagmanager/?hl=nl#topic=3441530 and in Google's Privacy Policy (https://policies.google.com/privacy).

Google Marketing Platform
The Guitar Company uses the Google Marketing Platform to optimize its marketing activities and advertise on Google's search engine platform and advertising network. Google (Doubleclick) cookies and the Google Floodlight tag are used to make ads more relevant, track conversions and assess the effectiveness of campaigns. To do this, these Cookies collect data on how you use our webshop, such as which products you have viewed or added to your shopping basket. Google also uses a Cookie to keep track of which ads have been shown to you and can thus prevent them from being shown more than once.

The Google Marketing Platform is provided by Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, 4 Barrow St, Dublin, D04 E5W5, Ireland. More information on data protection in the context of advertising through Google can be found here: https://www.google.com/policies/technologies/ads/ and in Google's Privacy Policy (https://policies.google.com/privacy). Google may store data on servers outside the EEA. You can opt out of the use of Cookies by the Google Marketing Platform at: https://www.google.com/settings/ads/onweb#display_optout.

Google Ads - Conversion Measurement and Remarketing
Using Google Ads Conversion Measurement, conversions from Google Ads ads are tracked. With this we ensure that involved parties receive adequate compensation after a Google Ads ad is clicked on, causing a user to go to the webshop. By using Google Ads Remarketing from Google, visitors to our webshop who have previously shown interest in our products can also receive targeted ads on the Google search platform and the Google advertising network. These Cookies collect data on how our webshop is used, for example which products are viewed or added to a shopping basket. Using these Cookies, the effectiveness of an advertising campaign is also evaluated.

Google Ads is a service of Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland. Learn more about Google Ads Conversion Measurement at the following link: https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/1722022?hl=nl and about Google Ads Remarketing at the following link: https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/1752338?hl=nl. More information about data protection in the context of advertising through Google can be found here: https://www.google.com/policies/technologies/ads/ and in Google's Privacy Policy (https://policies.google.com/privacy). Google may store data on servers outside the EEA. You can opt out of the use of Google Cookies for personalized advertising via the following link: http://www.google.com/settings/ads.

Facebook Ads
We use Facebook Ads to show ads to social media users on Facebook and Instagram. As part of Facebook Collaborative Ads, we may also collaborate with different brands to show product ads on Facebook. Using the pixel and Cookies from Facebook, information is collected about how our web shop is used, for example which products are viewed or added to a shopping cart. We, or the brands we work with, can use this information to show visitors to our webshop who have previously shown interest in our products targeted ads on Facebook that are tailored to personal interests. This pixel also tracks users' behavior after seeing or clicking on a Facebook ad. In this way, Facebook evaluates the effectiveness of ads. Facebook may also apply additional data collected by Facebook itself to The Guitar Company so that we can show more targeted ads that are actually relevant to a specific group of Facebook users (so-called Custom Audiences). We do not receive this information from Facebook. Facebook shares anonymous reporting statistics of the ads with us so that we can see how effective an ad campaign is.

The Guitar Company, Facebook and the brands with which The Guitar Company partners to display ads are jointly responsible for displaying Facebook ads and related reporting statistics. Learn more about joint processing responsibility with Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/legal/controller_addendum Also read more about the use of joint ads with brands at the following link: https://nl-nl.facebook.com/business/m/collaborative-ads and about how our partners handle personal data in their privacy statements: https://www.esteelauder.nl/nl/nl/privacy, https://privacy.loreal.com/NL/ and https://www.pvh.com/privacy-policy.

Facebook Ads is provided by Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, having its registered office at 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2 Ireland. Facebook is responsible for its own part of the processing as a data controller, including transfers to third countries. Facebook may store data on Facebook servers outside the EEA and use data for its own purposes, in accordance with Facebook's Data Policy. Learn more about how Facebook handles your data in Facebook's Data Policy: https://nl-nl.facebook.com/privacy/explanation and Facebook's Cookie Policy: https://www.facebook.com/policies/cookies/. More information on how Facebook processes your data when you use Instagram can be found here: https://nl-nl.facebook.com/help/instagram/519522125107875.

You can opt out of Facebook's personalized ads at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/adpreferences/ad_settings.

Facebook Page Statistics

Via the links at the bottom of our webshop, it is also possible to visit our pages on Facebook and Instagram (hereinafter "Facebook Company Pages"). We maintain the Facebook Company Pages in order to communicate with Facebook and Instagram users and inform them about our services there. Facebook records usage behavior via Cookies each time we interact on the Facebook Company Pages or other Facebook or Instagram websites. As administrator of the Facebook Company pages, The Guitar Company may view anonymous statistics about the interests and demographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender and region) of visitors to these pages.

The Guitar Company is jointly responsible with Facebook for the processing of personal data of visitors to the Facebook Company pages. Read more about this joint responsibility at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/page_controller_addendum

You can read more about how Facebook handles personal data in Facebook's Data Policy: https://nl-nl.facebook.com/privacy/explanation and Facebook's Cookie Policy:https://www.facebook.com/policies/cookies/. More information on how Facebook processes data when you use Instagram can be found here: https://nl-nl.facebook.com/help/instagram/519522125107875.

The information collected or otherwise read by Cookies may contain personal data, such as your IP address. If so, the processing of this personal data is also subject to The Guitar Company's Privacy Policy.