Last updated: 31 August 2026
This policy explains what personal information Independent Machine Works collects when you use
independentmachineworks.com, why we collect it,
who else can receive it, and the choices you have. It also lists every cookie and tracking
technology on the site, and how to switch them on or off at any time.
We have written this in plain English on purpose. If anything here is unclear, email
Jeremy@IndependentMachineWorks.com and we
will explain it.
1. Information we collect
Information you give us. When you fill in the inquiry form on our site, or email
or call us, we collect what you choose to tell us: your name, email address, phone number, and
whatever you write in your message. We only ask for what we need in order to reply or to quote for
the work you are asking about. Please do not send sensitive information such as financial account
details or government ID numbers through a website form.
We do not track you. This site runs no analytics and no advertising. We do not
measure which pages you read, we do not build a profile of your visit, we do not record your session
or screen, we do not capture what you type before you submit a form, and we do not use any service
that tries to work out which company you are browsing from. Nobody is paid to watch you here.
Information from working with us. If you become a customer, we hold the contact,
job and billing information needed to carry out the work and to invoice you. That information is
covered by this policy too.
2. Why we use it
- To answer your inquiry and to quote for the work you have asked about.
- To carry out work you have ordered, and to invoice you for it.
- To keep the site secure and to stop spam and abuse.
- To meet our legal, tax and accounting obligations.
We identify the purpose before or at the time we collect the information. In some cases the
purpose is obvious and your consent is implied — for example when you give us your details as part
of requesting a quote.
3. Consent, and how we handle tracking
This is the part most website policies get wrong, so we want to be plain about it.
There is no analytics or advertising on this site to consent to. Most cookie
policies exist to explain a long list of tracking tools. We do not have one. The only third-party
content on this site is the Google map showing where our shop is, and Google sets its own cookies as
soon as that map loads.
So the map is held back until you agree. When you first arrive, the map is
replaced with a placeholder and a button. Nothing is sent to Google until you choose to load it.
This applies to every visitor, wherever you are, not only to visitors from places where the law
demands it. A banner that appears while content loads behind it is worth nothing, and we have
deliberately not built one of those.
You can change your mind at any time. A Manage cookies button sits in
the bottom-left corner of every page. Open it to turn categories on or off, or to withdraw consent
entirely. Withdrawing is exactly as easy as giving it.
We keep a record of your choice. When you decide, we store the date and time,
which categories you agreed to, which version of this policy was in force, and the page you were on.
That record is tied to a random reference generated in your browser. It contains no name, no
email address and no IP address, and we cannot use it to work out who you are. We keep it
so we can show, if we are ever asked, that consent was properly obtained.
Your choice is remembered in a cookie called gi_consent for 12 months, after which we
ask again. Clearing your browser cookies clears it too, and the banner will reappear.
4. Who else can receive it
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for advertising.
No advertising company receives anything about your visit, because there is no advertising technology
on this site.
One company can receive information about your visit, and only if you agree:
Google, which provides the map showing our location. If you load the map, Google
receives your IP address and can set its own cookies in your browser. If you do not consent to
Marketing cookies, the map never loads and Google receives nothing.
Separately, we use trusted suppliers who handle information strictly on our behalf and on our
instructions: our website host, our email provider and our accounting system. They are not permitted
to use your information for their own purposes. We can tell you who they are on request.
We may also disclose information where the law requires or permits it, or to establish or defend
our legal rights.
5. How long we keep it
- Inquiries that do not become work: up to 24 months, then deleted.
- Customer records: for the life of the job, then for as long as tax and
accounting rules require, currently seven years. - Consent records: at least 24 months from the date of the decision.
6. Your choices and your rights
Whether or not any particular privacy law applies to a business our size, we will honor these
requests from anyone who asks. You can ask us to:
- tell you what personal information we hold about you, and give you a copy;
- correct anything that is wrong or out of date;
- delete information we no longer have a good reason to keep;
- stop contacting you.
Email Jeremy@IndependentMachineWorks.com.
We will respond within 45 days, at no charge. We may need to confirm who you are first. In limited
cases the law allows us to withhold information — for example where releasing it would reveal
information about someone else — and if that happens we will tell you why.
You can also change your cookie choices at any time with the Manage cookies button, and
control cookies through your browser settings (see Part 2).
7. How we protect it
Personal information is protected by safeguards appropriate to how sensitive it is. The site runs
over an encrypted connection, access to our systems is limited to people who need it, and we take
all reasonable precautions against loss, misuse and unauthorized access. No website can promise
perfect security, and if something goes wrong that affects you, we will tell you promptly.
8. Children
Our site and services are aimed at businesses and are not directed at children. We do not
knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If you believe a child has given us
information, email us and we will delete it.
9. Other websites
Our site links to other websites that this policy does not cover. Once you leave our site this
policy stops applying and we are not responsible for how those sites handle your information. We
suggest you read their privacy statements.
10. Changes to this policy
If we change this policy we will update the date at the top. If a change affects how we use your
information, or adds a tracker of any kind, we will ask for your cookie choices again rather than
relying on consent you gave to an older version.
11. How to contact us
Questions, requests or complaints about this policy or our privacy practices:
Jeremy@IndependentMachineWorks.com or
(863) 701-2291. Our shop is at 2810 Parkway Street, Lakeland,
Florida.
Part 2 — Cookies and similar technologies
What these are
A cookie is a small file stored on your device when you visit a website. Other technologies do the
same job: tracking pixels, which are invisible images that report back that a page was loaded;
scripts that store data in your browser; and embedded content such as videos and maps that set their
own cookies the moment they load. Where this policy says “cookies”, it means all of these.
The three categories
The banner groups everything into three categories. The first is always on, because the site
cannot work without it. The other two are off until you turn them on. On this site the Statistics
category is empty, and we have left it visible so that you can see that it is empty.
Strictly necessary — always on
Needed for the site to work, to keep it secure, and to remember your cookie choice. These are not
used for tracking or advertising and cannot be switched off.
| What | Provided by | What it does | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
| gi_consent | Independent Machine Works | Remembers your cookie choices so we do not ask again on every page. | 12 months |
| WordPress session and security cookies | Independent Machine Works | Keep forms secure against tampering, and keep you signed in if you have an account with us. | Session to 12 months |
Statistics — none
We run no analytics on this site. There is nothing in this category, and nothing to agree to. If
that ever changes, this policy will be updated and you will be asked again.
Marketing — off until you agree
We run no advertising and no advertising pixels. This category covers only embedded content that
would otherwise set its own cookies as soon as a page loads.
| What | Provided by | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Embedded map | Shows an interactive map of our location. Google sets its own cookies when the map loads, so we hold it back and show a click-to-load placeholder until you agree. |
Changing your choices
Use the Manage cookies button at the bottom-left of any page. The change takes effect
immediately.
You can also control cookies through your browser settings, which let you block cookies, delete
the ones already stored, or warn you before one is set. Most browsers accept cookies by default.
Remember that browser settings apply to every site you visit, not only ours, and that blocking the
strictly necessary cookies will stop parts of our site working — including our contact form, and our
ability to remember that you asked us not to track you.
Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control
We hold the map back until you consent, so every visitor starts out opted out by default. That is
a stronger protection than a Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control browser signal would give you
here, and it applies whether or not your browser sends one.