1. Who we are
This Cookie Policy explains how CertaVent ("CertaVent", "we", "us", "our") uses cookies and similar technologies on certavent.com and any related subdomains and progressive web app (PWA) install (together, the "Site"). CertaVent is presently operated by Sebastian Dettlaff trading as CertaVent ("the Operator"), of Argyle Road 34A, West Sussex, Bognor Regis, PO21 1EB, United Kingdom. You can reach us at research@certavent.com.
This policy should be read alongside our Terms and Conditions and our Privacy Policy.
2. What this policy covers
CertaVent is at an early stage: the Site currently consists of informational pages, a blog about air duct cleaning and TR19 compliance, and an early-access or waitlist form. This policy covers the cookies and similar technologies used on the Site today. Once the CertaVent platform itself goes live for duct cleaning companies (account login, report and certificate generation, billing), we will update this policy to add the additional strictly necessary cookies that a logged-in service requires (for example, session and authentication cookies, and cookies set by our payment provider).
3. What are cookies and similar technologies
Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They let a site recognise your device and remember information about your visit. "Similar technologies" covers things that work in a comparable way, including:
- Local storage and session storage, used by many modern web apps (including PWAs) to remember settings on your device.
- Service workers and app cache, which allow a PWA like CertaVent to work offline and load quickly, and which may store some data on your device once you install the app.
- Pixels, tags and SDKs used by analytics or advertising providers.
For simplicity, this policy refers to all of these collectively as "cookies."
4. The legal basis for our use of cookies
Because CertaVent is a UK-based project intended to expand into the EU, we've written this policy to meet both frameworks:
- United Kingdom — the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations ("PECR") require your consent before we can store or access non-essential cookies on your device, and the UK GDPR sets the standard for what counts as valid consent. The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 narrowed the list of cookies that are exempt from consent (broadly: cookies that are strictly necessary for something you've actively asked for, first-party statistical/analytics cookies used solely to improve the service, and basic appearance/preference cookies) — anything outside that narrow exemption still needs your opt-in.
- European Union — the ePrivacy Directive (as implemented in national law) requires consent for storing or accessing information on your device unless it is strictly necessary, and the EU GDPR governs any related processing of personal data.
In short: cookies that are essential to make the Site work don't need your consent. Everything else — in particular Google Analytics — only runs after you actively opt in.
5. Cookies and similar technologies we use
| Category | Purpose | Examples on this Site | Consent required? | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strictly necessary | Needed for the Site and cookie banner itself to function — e.g. remembering your cookie choice, basic security and load-balancing. | Cookie-consent preference cookie; hosting/security cookies set by our infrastructure provider | No — these are exempt, but we still disclose them here for transparency | Session up to 12 months |
| Analytics — Vercel Web Analytics / Speed Insights | Aggregated, anonymised statistics on page views and site performance to help us improve the Site. Vercel's Web Analytics does not use cookies: visitors are identified only by a short-lived hash that is discarded after 24 hours, and no data that could identify you individually or track you across other sites is collected. | No cookies set; script runs on-page | Not required for the cookieless analytics itself, but disclosed here for transparency | Not stored beyond 24 hours |
| Analytics — Google Analytics | Understanding how visitors find and use the Site (pages viewed, traffic sources, approximate location, device type) so we can improve content and the eventual product. | _ga, _ga_*, _gid (Google LLC) | Yes — only loads after you click "Accept" or enable this category | Up to 14 months (Google default) |
| Functionality / preference | Remembering simple choices such as light/dark theme or language, where offered. | e.g. theme-preference (first-party) | Generally exempt under UK guidance if genuinely limited to appearance; treated as consent-based for EU visitors to stay on the safe side | Up to 12 months |
| Marketing / advertising | We do not currently run advertising or retargeting cookies (e.g. social-media pixels). This row is a placeholder for if that changes — we will update this table and re-request consent before adding any. | None at present | Would require consent | N/A |
If you install CertaVent as a PWA on your device, the app's service worker caches certain files locally so the app loads quickly and can show basic content offline. This is a strictly necessary technology for the app to function and is not used to track you.
6. Managing your cookie choices
When you first visit the Site, a cookie banner lets you Accept all, Reject all, or open Customize to choose individual categories — all options are given equal visual prominence, and non-essential cookies (including Google Analytics) are blocked until you actively consent. You can change your mind at any time using the cookie preferences controls on the Site, which reopen the same choices. Rejecting or withdrawing consent doesn't affect the strictly necessary cookies needed to run the Site, and it's just as easy to withdraw consent as it was to give it.
You can also control or delete cookies through your browser settings — most browsers let you see what cookies are stored and delete them individually or entirely, and you can generally set your browser to block third-party cookies. Because blocking all cookies may affect how some websites function, check your browser's help pages (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, and mobile browser equivalents) for instructions specific to your device. If you installed CertaVent as a PWA, clearing the app's storage or uninstalling it from your device will remove any locally cached data.
We do not currently respond to browser "Do Not Track" signals, as there is no consistent industry standard for how sites should interpret them; instead, we rely on the consent choices you make in our cookie banner.
7. Third-party cookies and international data transfers
Where we use Google Analytics, Google LLC acts as an independent controller for some of the data it collects and may process it outside the UK/EEA, including in the United States. Where this happens, Google relies on its Standard Contractual Clauses and other safeguards as described in Google's Privacy Policy and How Google uses cookies. We encourage you to review Google's own documentation for full detail on what it collects. Vercel's Web Analytics and Speed Insights are designed to be cookieless and do not transfer personal identifiers in the way Google Analytics does — see Vercel's privacy and compliance documentation for more detail.
8. Children
The Site is intended for a business and professional audience (duct cleaning companies and related trades) and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect data from children through cookies on this Site.
9. Changes to this policy
We may update this Cookie Policy as the Site and the CertaVent platform evolve — in particular once we launch business accounts and add new categories of essential cookies. We'll update the "Last updated" date above and, where changes are significant, provide a more prominent notice or re-request your consent.
10. Contact us
Questions about this Cookie Policy or our use of cookies can be sent to research@certavent.com. If you're in the UK and remain unhappy with how we've handled your query, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). If you're in the EU, you may complain to your local data protection authority.