Last updated: June 2024
Spare and Strike ("we", "us", "our", spareandstrike.com) uses a small number of cookies and browser storage technologies to run our site, remember your preferences, and understand how our bowling reviews and guides are used. This page explains what these technologies are, which ones we use, and how you can control them.
What Are Cookies and Local Storage?
Cookies are small text files that a website asks your browser to store on your device. Local storage (specifically, HTML5 localStorage) is a similar browser-based technology that allows a site to save small pieces of information directly in your browser, without that data being sent back and forth with every page request the way a traditional cookie is. We use both types of technology on Spare and Strike, as described below.
The Cookie Consent Banner
When you first visit Spare and Strike, you will see a consent banner asking whether you accept or decline non-essential cookies, including analytics cookies. Your choice is saved using your browser's localStorage so that we can remember your preference and avoid showing you the banner on every visit.
- What is stored: a single value indicating whether you clicked "Accept" or "Decline".
- Where it is stored: in your browser's localStorage, on your own device. This information is not automatically transmitted to our servers.
- Why we store it: to respect your choice and to determine whether analytics cookies should load on subsequent page views.
- How long it lasts: until you clear your browser storage or manually reset it, as localStorage does not expire automatically like a traditional cookie.
Strictly Necessary Storage
Some storage is essential for the site to function properly and does not require your consent. This includes the localStorage entry used to remember your cookie banner choice itself, and any session-related settings needed to display the site correctly, such as layout preferences for comparison tables used in our bowling ball and bowling alley reviews.
Analytics Cookies
If — and only if — you click "Accept" on our cookie consent banner, we load analytics cookies to help us understand how visitors use Spare and Strike. These cookies tell us which reviews are popular, how people navigate between articles, and whether our site is loading and performing well. If you click "Decline", these analytics scripts and cookies are not loaded at all.
- Analytics cookies may record information such as pages visited, time spent on the site, approximate location (derived from IP address), device and browser type, and how you arrived at our site (for example, via search engine or a link from another website).
- This information is aggregated and used to improve our bowling reviews, guides, and overall site experience. It is not used to personally identify you.
- Analytics cookies are only set after you have given consent via the banner. No analytics cookie is placed on your device if you have declined or have not yet responded to the banner.
Third-Party Cookies
Our analytics provider(s) may set their own cookies on your device once you have accepted our cookie banner. These third parties operate independently and have their own privacy and cookie policies governing how they handle data collected through their cookies. We encourage you to review the policies of any analytics or measurement services referenced in our Privacy Policy for further detail on their specific data practices.
We do not use third-party advertising cookies, retargeting pixels, or cross-site tracking cookies on Spare and Strike.
How to Withdraw or Change Your Consent
Because your cookie choice is stored in your browser's localStorage rather than through a centralized account system, the simplest way to withdraw or change your consent is to clear your browser's site data for spareandstrike.com. This will remove the stored consent value and cause the cookie banner to appear again on your next visit, allowing you to make a new choice.
General steps to clear cookies and site data (exact steps vary by browser):
- Open your browser settings or preferences menu.
- Locate the section for "Privacy", "Site Settings", or "Cookies and Site Data".
- Search for or select spareandstrike.com from the list of sites.
- Choose the option to clear, remove, or delete cookies and stored data for that site.
- Reload spareandstrike.com — the consent banner should reappear, allowing you to accept or decline again.
Alternatively, most browsers allow you to clear all local storage and cookies at once through a general "Clear browsing data" option, though this will affect your stored preferences on other websites as well, not just ours.
Browser-Level Cookie Controls
In addition to clearing stored data, you can configure your browser to block or limit cookies more broadly. Most browsers allow you to block all cookies, block third-party cookies only, or receive a notification each time a cookie is set. Please note that blocking all cookies and storage may affect the functionality of our consent banner and other features of the site.
Do Not Track Signals
Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" setting. There is currently no uniform industry standard for how websites should respond to this signal, so Spare and Strike does not currently alter its behavior in response to Do Not Track browser signals. Your cookie consent choice made through our banner remains the primary way to control analytics cookies on our site.
Changes to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the cookies and storage technologies we use, or for legal and regulatory reasons. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date at the top.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Cookie Policy or how Spare and Strike uses cookies and local storage, please get in touch through the contact details provided on our Contact page. We are happy to help clarify how our site handles your data.