Cookie Policy
Last updated: 10 September 2026
1. About this policy
This Cookie Policy explains how Local Car Buyer, trading as Sell My Car Essex and Sell My Car Essex Marketplace uses cookies and similar technologies on the Sell My Car Essex Marketplace website.
Cookies are small text files stored on your device. Similar technologies include pixels, tags and local storage. They help us operate the website, protect accounts, remember choices and, where you consent, measure advertising.
2. Strictly necessary cookies
We use strictly necessary cookies and similar technologies to:
- keep you signed in;
- maintain website and account sessions;
- protect forms, accounts and the Marketplace from fraud, bots and malicious activity;
- remember your cookie choices; and
- provide functions you request.
These technologies are required for the website to operate securely and do not require consent. You can block them through your browser, but parts of the website may stop working correctly.
3. Google reCAPTCHA
We use Google reCAPTCHA on selected forms and sign-in functions to help distinguish genuine users from automated or abusive activity.
reCAPTCHA may process your IP address, browser and device information, mouse movements, interaction data and security signals. It may set or read cookies or similar identifiers. We use it for website and account security. Google processes information under its own privacy terms and may process information outside the United Kingdom.
4. Wordfence
We use Wordfence to protect the website against malicious traffic, unauthorised access and security threats.
Wordfence may set necessary security cookies and record IP addresses, browser information, requested pages, login attempts and detected security events. We use this information to prevent, detect and investigate attacks and misuse.
5. Optional advertising cookies
We use Facebook Pixel (Meta Pixel) only after you have given consent. It helps us measure advertising, understand whether an advert led to a visit or action, and improve campaign relevance.
Meta may combine information collected on our website with information held through its own services. Meta may also process information outside the United Kingdom under its own privacy policy.
We do not place optional advertising cookies before you consent.
6. Cookie table
Cookie names can vary where a service adds an account or property identifier. The table below covers the cookies and similar technologies we expect to use.
| Cookie or technology | Provider | Purpose | Category | Usual duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
wordpress_logged_in_*, wordpress_sec_* and related WordPress session cookies | Sell My Car Essex Marketplace / WordPress | Authentication, login security and account sessions | Strictly necessary | Session or up to 14 days where “remember me” is selected |
Session and form-security cookies, which may include PHPSESSID or equivalent | Sell My Car Essex Marketplace | Maintain a requested session and protect forms | Strictly necessary | Session |
smce_consent (cookie-preference cookie) | Sell My Car Essex Marketplace / consent tool | Remember whether optional cookies were accepted or rejected | Strictly necessary | Up to 12 months |
__stripe_mid, __stripe_sid | Stripe | Payment and identity-verification security and fraud prevention | Strictly necessary | Up to 12 months |
woocommerce_cart_hash, woocommerce_items_in_cart, wp_woocommerce_session_* | WooCommerce | Operates the fee checkout for dealers | Strictly necessary | Session or up to 2 days |
smce_handoff_token | Sell My Car Essex Marketplace | Carries your vehicle details from the main site so the listing form is pre-filled | Strictly necessary | 1 hour |
_GRECAPTCHA and related reCAPTCHA storage | Bot detection, fraud prevention and form security | Strictly necessary | Up to 6 months | |
wfwaf-authcookie_* and related security identifiers or logs | Wordfence | Firewall operation, login protection and detection of malicious activity | Strictly necessary | Session or the configured security period |
_fbp, _fbc and Meta Pixel identifiers | Meta | Advertising measurement, attribution and campaign reporting | Advertising | Up to 3 months |
The exact cookies present may depend on the page you visit, whether you sign in and the choices you make. We may update this table when our website or suppliers change.
The cookies currently detected on this website are listed below.
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Category | Lasts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| wordpress_logged_in_*, wordpress_sec_* | This site | Keeps you signed in | Necessary | Session, or 14 days with "Remember me" |
| wp-settings-*, wp-settings-time-* | This site | Your dashboard display preferences | Necessary | 1 year |
| PHPSESSID | This site | Temporary session while you use forms | Necessary | Session |
| smce_consent, wp_consent_* | This site | Remembers your cookie choices | Necessary | 12 months |
| wfwaf-authcookie-* | Wordfence | Security: tells the firewall you are signed in | Necessary | 12 hours |
| _GRECAPTCHA | Google reCAPTCHA | Security: tells human visitors from bots on our forms | Necessary | 6 months |
| _fbp | Facebook (Meta) | Measures whether our adverts bring people to the marketplace | Marketing | 3 months |
| _fbc | Facebook (Meta) | Records that you arrived from a Facebook advert | Marketing | 3 months |
| Stripe | Stripe | Fraud prevention for card payments | Necessary | 1 year |
| Hotjar | Hotjar | Records how visitors use pages (heatmaps) | Analytics | Up to 1 year |
| Google Analytics | Google Analytics | Counts visits and pages viewed so we can improve the site | Analytics | 2 years |
| WordPress | This site | Keeps you signed in and remembers dashboard settings | Necessary | Session / 1 year |
Change your choices at any time: Cookie settings.
7. Managing or withdrawing consent
When you first visit the website, you can accept or reject optional cookies through the cookie banner.
You can change your choice or withdraw consent at any time by opening Cookie settings. Withdrawing consent does not affect processing that took place before withdrawal. You may also delete cookies through your browser settings.
Blocking all cookies may prevent account login, forms and other requested functions from working correctly.
8. Personal information
Where cookie or security information can identify you, we handle it as personal information. More information about our lawful bases, suppliers, international transfers, retention and your rights is available in our Privacy Policy.
9. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy when our website, technology, suppliers or legal obligations change. The latest version will be published on this page with the updated date shown at the top.
10. Contact us
Questions about cookies or privacy should be sent to:
Local Car Buyer, trading as Sell My Car Essex and Sell My Car Essex Marketplace
Suite 2 Regency House, Station Road, Harold Wood, Romford, Essex, RM3 0BP
Email: marketplace@sellmycaressex.co.uk
Telephone: 01245 922 095