Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, how and why we use them on the Joyce Doss | Life Unscripted™ website (“we,” “us,” or “our”), and your choices regarding their use. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring compliance with applicable laws, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). By using our website, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this policy. For further details on how we handle personal information, please see our Privacy Policy.

Section 1: What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that a website stores on your computer or mobile device when you visit the site. They allow the website to recognize your device on subsequent visits and can store information about your preferences or past actions. In practice, cookies help things run smoothly – for example, they can keep you logged in, remember items in your shopping cart, or collect anonymous data about how people use the site. Cookies may be set by our website (first-party cookies) or by third-party services that we use (third-party cookies). Similar technologies like pixels, web beacons, and local storage operate in a comparable way to cookies by placing small files on your device for tracking or functionality purposes.

Why do we use cookies? We use cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience on our site, to make sure the site functions properly, and to help us understand how visitors engage with our content. Some cookies are essential to enable core site features, while others help us personalize content, analyze traffic, or serve relevant advertisements. In all cases, we aim to use cookies in a privacy-respectful manner and only as permitted by law and your preferences.

Section 2: Types of Cookies We Use

We use the following categories of cookies on Joyce Doss | Life Unscripted™:

Strictly Necessary Cookies: These cookies are essential for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually set in response to actions you take, such as logging in, navigating the site, or filling in forms. For example, if you add items to a shopping cart or sign into a member area, strictly necessary cookies enable those features. Without these cookies, certain services you request (like checkout or security features) cannot be provided. These cookies do not store personally identifiable information and are only used for basic site functionality. (Examples: session cookies that keep you logged in or remember items in your WooCommerce shopping cart.)
Functional Cookies: These cookies enable enhanced functionality and personalization on our site. They may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we’ve added to our pages (for instance, our email sign-up forms or social media integrations). Functional cookies remember the choices you make to give you better, more tailored features. For example, if we deploy a MailerLite pop-up newsletter form, a cookie may be used to remember if you’ve already seen or submitted the form so that it doesn’t keep showing to you repeatedly. Likewise, functional cookies might recall your site preferences (such as language or font size) or provide features like live chat support. If you disable these cookies, some or all of these services may not function properly.
Analytics/Performance Cookies: These cookies help us understand how visitors use our website so we can improve it over time. They allow us to count visits and traffic sources, see which pages are popular, or observe how users navigate through the site. We use Google Analytics (a web analytics service provided by Google) for this purpose. Google Analytics cookies (e.g., the “_ga” cookie) collect information such as your IP address, device type, and browsing behavior on our site; however, this information is aggregated and anonymized – we cannot directly identify you from it. The data helps us compile reports and statistics on site usage (for example, which blog posts are most read) so we can enhance content and user experience. These analytics cookies are not essential and will only be set with your consent. If you opt out of analytics cookies, we will not gather this analytical information about your site visit, and it will not affect your ability to use the website.
Advertising & Marketing Cookies: These cookies are used to deliver advertisements, to make them more relevant to you, and to track the effectiveness of ad campaigns. They may be set through our site by advertising partners or affiliate marketing networks. For example, we participate in affiliate programs, such as Amazon Associates or others, which means if you click on an affiliate product link on our site and make a purchase, a cookie may be placed on your browser by the retailer or affiliate network to track that transaction and credit our referral. Similarly, we display advertisements via Google AdSense, which uses cookies (like the Google DoubleClick cookie) to show you targeted ads based on your interests and to prevent you from seeing the same ad too many times. These advertising cookies work by uniquely identifying your browser and device. The information collected may include online identifiers and browsing activity, which could be considered “personal information” or even a “sale” of information under laws like the CCPA when shared with third-party ad partners. We will only use advertising and affiliate cookies with your consent. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising, and our affiliate program tracking may not function, but you will still be able to use the site. For more details on how Google uses data from AdSense cookies, you can review Google’s Privacy Policy. (Examples: cookies that remember you visited our site so you might see our ads on other sites or cookies that let an affiliate program know that you came from our site.)

Please note that third-party services (like Google or affiliate networks) may also set their own cookies as part of their integration on our site. We do not have direct control over third-party cookies, but we still ensure our consent management covers them. We have agreements in place with such providers where required, and we encourage you to read their privacy policies for information on their cookie practices.

Section 3: Cookie Consent and Your Choices

Consent on first visit: In line with GDPR and best practices, non-essential cookies (such as analytics, advertising, and functional cookies not strictly necessary for the site to operate) will not be set on your device unless and until you actively consent to them. When you first visit our site (or if you visit after clearing cookies), you will see a cookie consent banner. This banner informs you about our use of cookies and gives you the option to accept or reject different categories of cookies. We respect your right to privacy and allow you to choose which types of cookies you want to allow (except those that are strictly necessary for the website’s operation). In practice, this means you can opt-in to all cookie categories, decline all non-necessary cookies, or customize your preferences via the “Settings” or “Preferences” option on the banner.

What our cookie banner does: Our cookie consent banner is designed to be clear and user-friendly. It typically includes an “Accept All” button (granting full consent), an option to “Reject” or refuse non-essential cookies, and a “Customize Settings” or similar button that lets you select which categories of cookies to permit. It also provides a link to this Cookie Policy for more detailed information, ensuring you have all the facts to make an informed decision. Until you make a choice, we will not set non-essential cookies on your browser. If you choose to decline certain cookie categories, we will honor that choice – for instance, if you decline analytics cookies, Google Analytics will remain disabled during your visit.

Remembering your preferences: Once you set your cookie preferences on our banner, we will remember your choices for future visits by placing a small preference cookie on your device. This cookie only records your consent choices (yes or no for each category) and contains no personal data beyond that. It has a limited lifespan. Please be aware that if you clear or delete all cookies in your browser, you will need to set your preferences again, as we will no longer have a record of your prior consent. Likewise, if you visit our site from a different device or browser, our banner will appear again because your preferences won’t carry over across devices (each device/browser stores its cookies).

Changing your settings: You can update your cookie preferences on our site at any time. For example, if you initially accepted certain cookies but later change your mind, you can revisit the cookie settings. We provide a “Cookie Settings” link (often located in the website footer or in this policy) that opens the preferences manager. From there, you can adjust which categories of cookies are active and which are disabled in accordance with your wishes. Any changes you make will be saved and honored in the same manner as when you first set them.

Effect of disabling cookies: If you choose to reject or disable certain cookies (whether via our banner or your browser settings), please note that some functionality of the website might be affected. For instance, disabling strictly necessary or functional cookies could prevent parts of the site from working properly – you might not be able to log in, add items to the cart, or have your preferences remembered, etc. Disabling analytics or advertising cookies will not affect core site usage, but it will limit our ability to tailor the experience or content for you (and you’ll see generic content or ads instead of personalized ones). We will never prevent you from accessing our site if you choose to block cookies, but we want you to be aware of these potential impacts on your experience.

Section 4: Managing Cookies Via Your Browser

In addition to using our on-site preference tools, you have the ability to control and delete cookies directly through your web browser. Most modern browsers provide options to block or delete cookies – either all cookies or cookies from specific sites. You can usually find these controls under the “Settings” or “Preferences” menu of your browser, often in a section titled “Privacy” or “Security.” For example, you can configure your browser to notify you when a cookie is being set, to refuse all third-party cookies, or to remove cookies upon closing the browser. If you only want to reject advertising or third-party cookies, you can typically adjust settings for that as well.

Here are some links for managing cookies in popular browsers for your convenience:

Google Chrome: Instructions for clearing or managing cookies are available on Google’s support site.
Mozilla Firefox: See Mozilla’s guide on cookie settings.
Safari (Apple): Apple’s support site provides steps to block cookies in Safari.
Microsoft Edge/Internet Explorer: Microsoft offers instructions for adjusting cookie settings in their browsers.

Please refer to your browser’s help documentation for the most up-to-date information on controlling cookies, as the specific steps may vary by version and device. Keep in mind that if you choose to block cookies at the browser level, strictly necessary cookies (which are needed for our site to function) might also be blocked, potentially impairing certain features. You will also need to adjust settings on each browser or device you use if you want to disable or limit cookies universally. For more general information about cookies and how to manage or delete them, you can visit educational resources like AllAboutCookies.org or AboutCookies.org.

Section 5: GDPR Compliance

We take European Union privacy laws seriously. If you are a visitor from the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or other regions with similar regulations, rest assured that:

Consent for non-essential cookies: We will only use non-essential cookies (analytics, advertising, etc.) on the basis of your consent. In other words, unless a cookie is strictly necessary for our service, we won’t deploy it until you have opted in via the cookie banner. This approach aligns with the EU ePrivacy Directive and GDPR requirements that require prior, informed consent for placing cookies that are not strictly necessary for the provision of an explicitly requested service. You have the right to refuse consent without detriment, and we will honor your choice.
Legal basis: For strictly necessary cookies, our legal basis for processing is our legitimate interest in operating an effective website and providing you the services you request (which we believe is not overridden by your privacy rights). For all other cookies, our legal basis is consent. Where we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawing consent will stop future placement of those cookies, but it does not retroactively remove cookies already set – you may need to manually clear those via your browser if desired.
Transparency: We strive to be transparent about our cookies. This policy outlines the categories of cookies in use, their purposes, and examples of the data they handle. If any cookies collect personal data (for instance, an advertising cookie that captures an online identifier), those data are handled according to our Privacy Policy and in compliance with GDPR principles. Personal data collected via cookies (like an IP address via Google Analytics) are typically pseudonymized and not used by us to identify you as an individual.
Data transfers: Some of our third-party partners (like Google or MailerLite) may process cookie data on servers outside the EEA (for example, in the United States). Whenever personal data is transferred out of the EEA, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place (such as Standard Contractual Clauses or reliance on frameworks deemed adequate). Google Analytics, for instance, has measures to safeguard European data, and we have configured it in compliance with guidelines (e.g., IP anonymization where applicable).
Data retention: Cookies have varying lifespans. Some last only for your session (until you close your browser), while others may persist for a set period (e.g., a few days, months, or years). We have provided examples of durations (e.g., Google Analytics cookies typically last up to 2 years unless deleted). We regularly review the cookies in use and their durations to ensure we are not retaining data longer than necessary. You can always delete cookies from your browser to remove data sooner. We will also periodically ask you to reconfirm your cookie consent (for instance, if there are significant changes to our cookies or after a certain time has elapsed, as required by law or best practice).
Your rights: Under GDPR, you have several rights regarding your personal data. While most cookie information we collect is not highly personal, if any cookie data is identified or linkable to you, it could be considered personal data. In such cases, you have the right to access the data, request correction or deletion, restrict or object to processing, and data portability, as applicable. This includes the right to object to profiling or automated decision-making if we were to do so with cookie data (we do not engage in decisions that produce legal effects based solely on cookie profiling). To exercise any of your data rights, please contact us (see the Contact Us section below). We may refer you to our Privacy Policy for comprehensive details and may need to verify your identity for such requests.

Section 6: CCPA Compliance (California Residents)

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (as amended by the CPRA) provides you with specific rights regarding your personal information, and we are dedicated to upholding those rights in the context of cookies and online tracking:

Personal Information & Cookies: Under the CCPA, information collected via cookies and other trackers (such as an IP address, browsing history, or unique IDs) can be considered personal information if it can be linked to you or your household. This means our use of cookies falls under CCPA’s transparency and disclosure obligations. In this Cookie Policy and our Privacy Policy, we disclose the categories of personal information collected via cookies (for example: identifiers, internet or electronic network activity information, geolocation data if applicable, etc.), the purposes (analytics, advertising, etc.), and the categories of third parties with whom we share that information.
Right to Opt-Out of Sale/Share: The CCPA gives you the right to opt out of the sale of your personal information. Some data collected by advertising cookies on our site (e.g., information shared with Google for personalized ads) may be considered a “sale” or “sharing” of personal information under CCPA’s broad definitions because it involves disclosing information to third parties for marketing/advertising purposes. We do not sell your personal information for money; however, the use of third-party advertising and analytics cookies could be interpreted as a “sale” or “share” of data (since we receive the service of analytics or ad revenue in return). To accommodate CCPA, we provide a “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” option. This is available via a link on our website (usually in the footer) or through our cookie banner settings. If you activate this option, we will disable third-party advertising cookies and any other cookies that might entail selling/sharing your data. You can also send us an opt-out request via email or through the contact methods below, and we will honor it. Once opted out, we will (to the extent technically feasible) stop the flow of personal data from our site to advertising/marketing third parties. Please note that if you opt out of sale via the cookie banner by rejecting advertising cookies, that preference is stored via a cookie on your browser (so if you clear cookies, you may need to opt-out again).
Right to Know and Delete: You have the right to request that we disclose what personal information we have collected about you, including information collected via cookies, and the right to request deletion of personal information (with certain exceptions). Most information collected through cookies is pseudonymous (not directly identified with your name) and used for aggregated analytics or ad targeting. If you request to know or delete your data, we will include cookie-collected data to the extent it is considered personal information and is reasonably accessible and identifiable to you. For example, we can tell you the categories of third parties (like Google or affiliate networks) that received browsing information, or we can delete identifiers or reset advertising IDs under our control. To exercise these rights, please contact us (see Contact Us below). We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights.
Authorized Agents and Minors: If you use an authorized agent to submit a CCPA request, we may require proof of the agent’s authorization and your identity. Our site is not intended for children under 16, and we do not knowingly allow tracking cookies to collect data from such users. If we learn that a minor under 16 has interacted with our cookie-based services, we will process consents appropriately (CCPA requires opt-in consent for the sale of data for consumers aged 13-16 and parental consent for those under 13).
Global Privacy Control (GPC): We honor browser-based opt-out signals such as the Global Privacy Control if we detect them. If your browser is configured with GPC (or a similar signal) to indicate “Do Not Sell/Share,” our site will treat that as a valid opt-out request under CCPA and will automatically disable third-party cookies that would be considered a sale of personal info.

For more detailed information about our privacy practices and your rights, please refer to our Privacy Policy. California residents can also find additional disclosures in the “CCPA Notice” section of that policy (if provided).

Section 7: Changes to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. When we make changes, we will revise the “Effective Date” at the top of this policy. If the changes are significant, we may provide a more prominent notice (such as a website banner or a notification via email, if appropriate). We encourage you to review this Cookie Policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies and protect your privacy. Your continued use of our website after any updates constitutes your acknowledgment of the revised policy.

Section 8: Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Cookie Policy or our use of cookies and similar technologies, please don’t hesitate to reach out:

Email: [email protected] (or the appropriate contact email for Joyce Doss | Life Unscripted™)
Contact Form: You can send us a message through our Contact Us page on the website.
Postal Mail: Joyce Doss | Life Unscripted™, [Mailing Address, City, State, ZIP] (if applicable).

We will do our best to respond promptly to your inquiries and to assist you in exercising any of your rights. Your trust is important to us, and we are committed to safeguarding your privacy while providing a positive and transparent experience on our site.

By using our site, you agree to the placement of cookies as described in this policy (to the extent you have consented via our banner). Thank you for taking the time to read our Cookie Policy. Enjoy your time on Life Unscripted™!