Cookie policy
Version of 7 October 2026
This Policy explains which cookies and similar technologies the website www.bigsmoke.kz (the «Website»), owned by IE «VR46», uses, what they are for, how long they are kept and how you can control them. In this Policy, «we», «us» and «our» mean IE «VR46».
1. What cookies are
Cookies are small text files stored on your computer, smartphone or other device when you visit a website. They let the site recognise your device as you move between pages and when you come back, remember your settings and make certain functions work.
Cookies set by the Website itself are called first-party cookies. Cookies set by a connected third-party service are called third-party cookies. The provider of a third-party service may recognise your device not only on our Website but also on other sites that use its technology.
2. Categories of cookies we use
Cookies on the Website fall into four categories. Essential and functional cookies are always on — without them the site, or a function you have chosen, does not work. Analytics cookies are optional and set only with your consent; you can enable or disable them in settings. Advertising cookies are not used.
| Category | Status | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | Always on | Running the site: age confirmation, cart, signing in, language and currency |
| Functional | Always on | Embedded features you open yourself — for example, the map on the Contact page |
| Analytics | Off until you consent | Anonymised statistics on traffic and use of the site |
| Advertising | Not used | — |
3. Essential cookies
These cookies are set by the Website itself. They are not used for advertising and are not passed to third parties. You can only block them in your browser settings, but then the site will not be able to remember your age confirmation, your cart or that you are signed in.
| Name | Purpose | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|
| BIGSMOKE_CONSENT | Remembers your analytics cookie choice | 1 year |
| BIGSMOKE_AGE_OK | Remembers that you confirmed you are 21 or over, so the question does not appear on every page | 1 year, or until the browser is closed — your choice in the confirmation window |
| BIGSMOKE_DOB | Stores the month and year of birth you entered, to show photos of age-restricted products; the day of birth is not stored | 1 year |
| BIGSMOKE_CART | Stores the cart contents if you are not signed in | 1 year |
| BIGSMOKE_WISHLIST | Stores your wishlist if you are not signed in | 1 year |
| NEXT_LOCALE | Remembers the language you chose for the site | 1 year |
| NEXT_CURRENCY | Remembers the currency you chose for prices | 1 year |
| BIGSMOKE_ACCESS | Confirms that you are signed in to your account | about 15 minutes, renewed automatically |
| BIGSMOKE_REFRESH | Keeps you signed in without entering your password again | 7 days |
BIGSMOKE_CART, BIGSMOKE_WISHLIST, BIGSMOKE_ACCESS and BIGSMOKE_REFRESH cannot be read by scripts on the page and are sent only over a secure connection.
4. Functional cookies
The Contact page embeds a Google Maps map provided by Google LLC. When the map loads, Google may set its own cookies and receive technical information about your device: IP address, browser type and language. The map loads only on that page.
How this data is processed is determined by Google: Google Privacy Policy.
5. Analytics cookies
The Website uses Google Analytics 4 (Google LLC), loaded only after you allow analytics cookies in Cookie settings. Before consent no requests are sent to Google Analytics. Yandex Metrica is not connected. Advertising cookies are not used.
Analytics measures visits, product actions and contact requests. For an order only an anonymous identifier, amount and currency are sent; order contents and customer details are not sent.
With your consent, these services collect:
- pages viewed, where you came to the site from, how long the visit lasted and how many pages were viewed;
- actions on key elements of the site: adding a product to the cart or wishlist, going to checkout, submitting an order, pressing the WhatsApp and «Book a tasting» buttons, using search and catalogue filters;
- device type, browser, operating system, screen resolution and language;
- approximate location — at city level, determined from the IP address.
We do not pass your name, phone number, e-mail address, delivery address or order contents to analytics services, and we do not use recording of visitors' actions on the page (Webvisor and similar features). Google Analytics 4 does not store IP addresses: the address is used when the data is received to determine approximate location and is then discarded. The data is processed on Google servers, which may be located outside the Republic of Kazakhstan.
| Name | Service | Purpose | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics | Distinguishes one visitor from another | 2 years |
| _ga_<ID> | Google Analytics | Keeps the state of the current session | 2 years |
More about how Google process data:
6. Advertising cookies
We do not use cookies on the Website to show targeted advertising and do not allow third parties to set cookies through the Website for that purpose. Advertising of tobacco products is prohibited in the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Website does not show it.
If this changes, we will update this Policy, and advertising cookies will be switched on only with your separate consent.
7. How to control cookies
The «Cookie settings» window. On your first visit to the Website a window will appear where you can allow all optional cookies, allow only selected categories, or refuse them. Until you make a choice, optional cookies are not set. You can change your decision at any time using the «Cookie settings» link at the bottom of every page; your previous settings will be shown in the window.
Browser settings. Any browser lets you view and delete stored cookies and block them for particular sites or altogether. If you block essential cookies, the Website will not be able to remember your age confirmation, cart and sign-in.
Google tools. Regardless of the settings on our site, you can stop these services from collecting statistics on all sites:
8. Personal data
We aim to collect information through cookies in a way that does not by itself identify you. Where information obtained through cookies is personal data, it is processed in accordance with the Privacy Policy and the Consent to the collection and processing of personal data.
9. Changes to this Policy
We update this Policy when the cookies or connected services we use change. The current version is always published on this page; the date of the version is given at the top of the document.
10. Contacts
Questions about this Policy and the use of cookies can be sent to IE «VR46»:
Individual entrepreneur: Rustem Nurlanovich Mukhtarov
IIN: 910605300019
Address: 21 Al-Farabi Avenue, non-residential premises 1177, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan, 050013 (A15E2X1)
E-mail: contact@bigsmoke.kz
Phone: +7 778 888 78 81
Support phone: +7 778 888 68 81
This is a translation. In the event of any discrepancy, the Russian version prevails.