carsales Cookie Policy

This policy sets out how carsales.com.au Pty Ltd (carsales) and most group companies within the carsales network use cookies. carsales’ overseas businesses have their own privacy policies.

What are cookies and how are they used?

A cookie is data sent from a website and stored on the user’s computer by the user’s web browser. The cookie is stored for a period of time.

The carsales Network uses cookies for the following purposes:

  1. Functional - to perform helpful functions on the carsales Network, for example remembering your postcode so that you can see “distance from me” information.
  2. Authentication - to allow carsales to “remember” that you logged in as a member and provide you with member-only functions.
  3. Analytical - to allow carsales to analyse user behavior on an aggregate and anonymized level so that we can improve the site. We store information such as IP address and device ID for our internal business insights.
  4. Advertising - to allow carsales and third party advertisers to track your browsing behaviour across the site and serve advertising based on that behaviour.
  5. Marketing- to allow carsales to adjust its marketing strategies to user interests and to report on the success of campaigns.

Interest-based advertising

Interest based advertising means using behavioural information about a person online to show them advertising more likely to be of interest to them. It doesn’t mean that you receive more advertising- just that what you see is more likely to be appropriate. For example, if you are browsing SUVs with cookies enabled, we may serve you with an SUV advert where you would have seen a small car advert.

The information carsales collects via cookies may be linked to other information carsales and its Network companies hold about a user, compiling a complete profile about carsales users’ browsing, purchasing and other activities. This data may be used by carsales to provide personalised offers, marketing and advertising- including advertising across devices linked to the same IP address, or by third parties. Data may be shared with advertisers for these purposes.

We partner with third parties that collect information across various channels, including offline and online, for the purpose of delivering more relevant advertising to you. Our partners use this information to recognise you across different channels and platforms over time for advertising, analytics, attribution, and reporting purposes. For example, our partners may deliver an ad to you in your web browser based on a purchase you made in a physical retail store. Cookie data and other data may be sold, licensed or otherwise provided to third parties via advertising exchanges or other data sharing platforms for this purpose.

Your cookie options

You can change your cookie preferences for all websites by changing your browser settings. Most browsers automatically accept cookies so you may need to actively delete or block the cookies; www.allaboutcookies.org provides instructions. If you reject the use of cookies, some carsales Network functions may not work properly. If you continue to use the carsales Network without deleting or rejecting cookies, you agree that we can place these cookies on your device.

If you don’t want to block all cookies, you can opt out of most personalised online advertising via http://www.aboutads.info/choices and http://networkadvertising.org/.  These opt outs are device-specific, so remember to do it from all of your devices.  These methods also rely on the use of “opt out” cookies themselves- so remember that if you reset your cookies or use a browser such as Safari which blocks third party cookies, your opt out preferences can’t be “seen”.

None of the actions above will prevent contextual advertising- this is the serving of adverts which best suit the context of the type of website you are visiting e.g. if you click on an editorial piece reviewing SUVs, you are more likely to see SUV adverts on that page.

The actions above also do not prevent the use of advertising-specific device identifiers (for Android devices) and Advertising Identifiers (for Apple devices). For information about how to reset these identifiers, and other usage information, please contact your device manufacturer.

Third party cookie providers

carsales uses a number of third party service providers.  This section provides specific information relating to the main providers, the function of these cookies, and where you can learn more:

Third party cookie

What is collected?

How does carsales use this?

More info / opt out?

Microsoft Advertising Platform / DoubleClick / Floodlight

Records user activity on the carsales Network.

Used to target advertising, for reporting on campaign performance, and to avoid repeating ads.

Information: https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/topic/third-party-cookie-inventory

Opt out: link.

HotJar Ltd

Records visitor activities, device and browser information and other user experience metrics. Unless HotJar specifically indicates that it collects your personal information, e.g. for on-site surveys, HotJar does not collect any personally identifiable or credit card information.

Used for analysing usability of the carsales Network and associated purposes.

More info: Privacy Policy

Opt out: link.

Google Analytics

Records visitor behaviour on carsales Network.

Used to make improvements to sites. 

Also used together with third party cookies and personal information you may have already provided (or we have received from a third party with your consent) in order to personalise advertising on and off the carsales Network.

Opt out of Google Analytics’ cookies here

The Google Analytics Advertising Features used by carsales are called Remarketing with Google Analytics, Google Display Network Impression Reporting and Google Analytics Demographics and Interest Reporting. 

Google Optimize

Records visitor behaviour on carsales Network.

Used to test and improve website content.

Opt out here

Nielsen / NetRatings

Records internet usage across carsales Network.

Nielsen proprietary measurement software allows you to contribute to market research, like Digital Content Ratings.

Web analytics tools to measure and analyse internet usage across carsales Network.

More info: http://www.nielsen.com/digitalprivacy.

Opt out: here.

Crazy Egg

Records visitor behaviour.

Allows us to fine-tune the design of our web pages.

https://www.crazyegg.com/privacy

Google Ads

Records visitor behaviour after clicking a Google ad.

Allows us to understand success of advertising.  Allows targeted adverts to be delivered across other Google partner websites.

Opt out: https://support.google.com/ads/answer/2662922?hl=en

LiveRamp

LiveRamp uses personal data in its databases to link an ID to information it collects such as IP address, device ID and browser or operating system information.

LiveRamp cookies are used to recognize an individual so that relevant ads and email marketing can be delivered to the intended recipient.

Information here (including opt out): https://liveramp.com/privacy/service-privacy-policy/

If you don’t want carsales to share your personal information to LiveRamp, tell us here.

Salesforce DMP (Krux)

Records user activity on the carsales Network e.g. your search terms may be linked to your Device ID.

Identifies audiences based upon their activity on carsales Network (e.g. looking at SUVs).  Can be used to target advertising to groups on or off the carsales Network.

Find out more or opt out: https://www.salesforce.com/products/marketing-cloud/sfmc/salesforce-dmp-consumer-choice/

AppNexus

Records user activity on the carsales Network.

Used to target advertising based on relevancy to the user both on and off the carsales Network.

Find out more: https://www.appnexus.com/cookie-policy

Opt out: https://www.appnexus.com/platform-privacy-policy#choices

Google Marketing Platform / DoubleClick / Floodlight

Records user activity on the carsales Network.

Used to target advertising, for reporting on campaign performance, and to avoid repeating ads.

Information: https://support.google.com/searchads/answer/2839090

Opt out: https://support.google.com/ads/answer/2662922?hl=en

Bing Ads

Records user actions on the carsales Network once ads are clicked.

Allows analysis of Bing Ad campaign performance. 

https://account.microsoft.com/privacy/ad-settings

Facebook

Records user actions on the carsales Network.

Enables the serving of relevant adverts when you are on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/help/568137493302217

Reddit

Records user actions on the carsales Network.

Enables the serving of relevant adverts and for reporting on campaign performance.

More info: Privacy Policy

Survey Monkey

Records log on, user preferences and actions.

Authentication and functional e.g. preventing users taking survey multiple times.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/legal/privacy-policy/?ut_source=footer

Vision Critical (surveys)

Records log on, user preferences and actions.

Authentication and functional e.g. preventing users taking survey multiple times.

http://webhelp.vccommunities.com/enus/index.html#Cookies%20and%20tracking%20pixels

Qualtrics

Records survey information as specified here: https://www.qualtrics.com/support/survey-platform/getting-started/browser-cookies/

These cookies help keep track of survey sessions so that they aren’t repeated, or to maintain the session.

https://www.qualtrics.com/privacy-statement/
You are not able to disable cookies for Qualtrics surveys, however you can choose not to participate in surveys.

Barilliance

Records visitor activities including browsing and user email addresses.

Barilliance cookies are used to identify when a user abandons a shopping cart, so that cart abandonment emails can be sent.

More info:
Privacy Policy.

ZenDesk (Zopim)

Records user information entered into the Live Chat window.

Used to generate and improve the Live Chat window.

More info:
Zendesk Privacy Policy
Zendesk Cookie Policy

LiveHelpNow

Records user information entered into the Live Chat window.

Used to generate and improve the Live Chat window.

More info:
Privacy Policy.

Yahoo Dot Tag

Records visitor behaviour after clicking a Yahoo ad.

Allows us to understand success of advertising. Allows targeted adverts to be delivered across other Yahoo partner websites.

More info:
Privacy Policy.

Opt out: https://www.verizonmedia.com/policies/xw/en/verizonmedia/privacy/optout/index.html

Critio OneTag (flashtalking)

Records user actions on the carsales Network.

More info:
Privacy Policy.

Opt out of interest-based advertising: here.

Webtrends

Records visitor activities including page views, browser and device information.

More info:
Privacy Policy.

Youtube (via Google Doubleclick)

Records user activity on the carsales Network.

Used by YouTube to test and improve video content.

More info:
Privacy Policy.

Yahoo Web Analytics

Records visitor behaviour on carsales Network.

Used to make improvements to sites and to personalise advertising on and off the carsales Network.

More info:
Privacy Policy.

TikTok Pixel

Records user actions on the carsales Network.

Used to provide measurement services and/or for targeted advertising.

More info:
TikTok Cookies Policy | TikTok

Version 1.3 (August 2025)