Cookies Policy

About Cookies

A cookie is a small file, typically of letters and numbers, downloaded onto a device (such as a PC) when the user accesses certain websites. They are widely used to make websites work, or run more efficiently, as well as provide information to the website owner.

This version of our Cookie Policy is live from April 2022.

Please note that cookies can’t harm your computer and the cookies we use do not hold any personally identifiable data unless you provide your permission. Whilst some cookies are necessary, others allow us to enhance your experience, personalise content and advertisements (across your devices), and provide insights into how the site is being used.

We have relationships with carefully-selected and monitored suppliers who may also set cookies during your visit to provide additional products and services. If you’d like to opt-out, please go to the Network Advertising Initiative website (please note that by clicking this link, a new window will open and Volkswagen Financial Services is not responsible for the content of external websites).

For our sites to operate correctly, you need to have cookies enabled. If you decide not to enable cookies, you can still browse the site but many key features will not be available. Most web browsers have cookies enabled, but if you wish to turn them off please use your browser’s Help function.

At any time you can change your web browser settings to reject or delete cookies that have already been saved on your computer. This can be done by using the ‘Delete History’ options found in the menu bar within your web browser. However, this will prevent some parts of the website from working correctly on your computer.

For specific information about how cookies are handled on your own PC or Internet-enabled device, or how you control the use of cookies, you will need to consult the user guides or instructions held within your PC device operating instructions. Alternatively, you can visit the user help instructions held within your specific Internet browser software itself.

When you accessed this website, you were presented with a message that notified you of our use of cookies. We had to use a cookie to present you with that notice.

We will only store or read cookies on your device for non-essential cookies and process associated personal data (or allow our third party services providers and partners to do so) if you have given, and not withdrawn, your consent. In accordance with data protection laws, we do not request your consent to use essential cookies as they are necessary to ensure this website works properly.

We request this using the cookie tool that appears when you visit any page of this website. If you consented to our use of functional and performance cookies, those cookies will be placed on your device as described in this Cookie Policy in order to enhance your user experience whilst on the website.

If you refuse or withdraw consent to the use of any non-essential-cookies or associated personal data, then the corresponding functionality or features of this website may not work properly, or at all. Your use of the core functions and features of this website will not be affected.

If you disable essential cookies (or all cookies) using your web browser settings, one or more core functions and features of this website, including those intended to ensure your visit is safe and secure, will not work properly, or at all.

For more information, you can visit www.allaboutcookies.org which fully details how they operate. This is a fully independent consumer help website.

Marketing and personalisation:

Third-party vendors

We use third-party cookies to serve you with advertisements that we believe are relevant to you and your interests. You may see these advertisements on our site and on other sites that you visit on any of your devices where you’ve accepted marketing cookies. Please note that if you disable these, you will still see adverts but they won’t be specifically tailored to you and your interests.

The third-party vendors, including Google, LinkedIn and Twitter, whose services we use – will place cookies on web browsers in order to serve ads based on past visits to our website. This allows us to tailor our marketing messages and continue to market our services to those who have shown interest in our service. We are not collecting any identifiable information through the use of Google or any other third party marketing service.

To opt out of third-party vendors’ use of cookies, you can visit The Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page: http://optout.networkadvertising.org.

Customer Engagement Platform

In addition to these third-party vendors, we operate a Customer Engagement Platform (“CEP”) which uses personal and/or cookie data for profiling purposes to help identify you, so that we can show you targeted and personalised marketing content, both on our website, applications, via email (where you have consented to marketing) and in other contexts, such as on other websites or through other marketing channels.

Types of cookies

Essential cookies

These enable core functionality. Our website cannot function properly without these cookies, and they can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences (please note if disabled, our website may not work or show correctly on your device). They are typically used:

  • To ensure that the website functions correctly
  • To help record some user choices, e.g., completing form fields
  • To identify a user after they have logged in
  • For security reasons

The parties who set cookies are:

Cookies / PartiesDurationPurpose
VWFSUp to 6 monthsRemember user settings and choices on the website, such as whether they have viewed particular notices and preferences they have made.
CIVIC6 monthsRecord the user’s choices regarding cookie consent.

Performance cookies

These collect information that is used in aggregate form, and they allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and see how visitors move around the site when they’re using it. This helps us improve our website, for example, by making sure users find the information required more efficiently. This site uses Google Analytics and Adobe reporting software. Google’s own privacy policy can be found here: https://policies.google.com/privacy, and Adobe’s privacy policy can be found here: https://www.adobe.com/uk/privacy/experience-cloud.html.

The cookies do not store any Personally Identifiable Information.

Cookies / PartiesDurationPurpose
Adobe2 yearsIdentify the user on the site and allow monitoring of website usage.
Google Analytics1 minute – 2 yearsIdentify the user on the site and record activities such as what pages they viewed. No data about the individual is recorded.
Google Tag ManagerSessionTo manage tags and snippets of code shown on pages.
HotJar30 minutesThis allows us to record user activity to allow page optimisation.
Lead Forensics10 yearsThis cookie stores information about preferences to provide offers that are targeted to individual interests.
PardotUp to 10 yearsTo understand the website’s activities and usage and to offer a personalised experience. It may also be used to remember preferences when a user returns to the website.

Targeting cookies

These cookies record your visit to our website, the pages you have visited and the links you have clicked on. We will use this information to make our website and the advertising displayed on it more relevant to your interests. We may also share this information with third parties for this purpose.

Cookies / PartiesDurationPurpose
LinkedIn / LinkedIn AdsUp to 2 yearsThese are used to track and measure the effectiveness of advertising on LinkedIn.
Twitter2 yearsThese are set to allow Twitter integration and sharing capabilities, allowing Twitter to identify and track user activity.
Google Ads / Adsense3 monthsThese are used to track and measure the effectiveness of advertising and other services on Google.