E-Terms, a leading provider of tailored Terms and Conditions, provides advice on what you should  include.

If you’re about to build a new website then it’s important that you understand and comply with the regulations that apply to operating online.  This article is designed for individuals or companies with customers in the EU or UK.    All UK based companies need to consider the following regulations :

1. The Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002
2. The Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003.
3. Distance Selling Regulations
4. Provision of Services Regulations

E-Commerce Definition:  E-Commerce refers to the buying and selling of goods and services via the internet.  The trader and the customer are not face to face and the transaction is conducted remotely.

There are 3 sets of EU/UK regulations that apply to most e-commerce websites operating in the EU:

1.)   The Electronic Commerce Regulations came into force in August 2002.  These apply to any business that:sell goods or services to businesses on the internet or by email,

2.)   Distance Selling Regulations 2000. If you operate a business-to-consumer website, you will need to comply with these regulations.  They are designed to protect customers who are not physically present with the seller at the time of a purchase.

3.)   Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, Dec 2003.  These regulations cover, amongst other things, email marketing and implementation of cookies on a website.

Depending on your business, there may be other regional laws or regulations that you need to comply with. For example, those offering or advertising financial services in the UK will need to operate within the rules of the FSA.  If your website sells medicine, alcohol, or other restricted products then there are further rules you should consider.  We recommend you seek the advice of a lawyer.

Different regulations apply to you depending on what your website is selling (goods or services) and who you are selling to (consumers or businesses).

The best way to comply with EU law is to ensure your website has a good set of terms and conditions, and privacy policy statements tailored for your business.

You can either pay a solicitor or lawyer hundreds of dollars / euro’s / pounds to create these legal documents, or you can use the services of www.e-terms.co.uk to create custom made terms and conditions .

The two biggest issues affecting e-commerce websites is ensuring compliance with anti-spam directives and distance selling regulations.   The company www.e-terms.co.uk provides a free e-book guide to these and many more regulations.

E-Terms.co.uk have just released an updated FREE guide to ‘ Website Law ‘ for companies selling goods or services online in the EU.  Is it worth reading?  Find out more now.

If you’re about to launch (or already own) a website then it’s important that you understand and comply with the local regulations that apply to online trading in the EU.  There are a number of regulations that should be considered:

• The Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002
• The Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003
• Distance Selling Regulations
• Provision of Services Regulations.

According to the E-Terms team, different sections of the regulations apply to different websites .  For example, a company that is selling services to consumers may have different regulations to those selling  products to businesses .  They also point out that in addition to the main regulations there are as many as 10 EU and UK regulations that may need to be considered.

To comply with EU regulations there are some steps which should be applied to all websites, usually within a Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy documents:

• Ensure you include the company name, a geographic address and an email address where people can contact you
• Ensure that you include clear pricing information on individual product pages and during the checkout phase.
• Indicate whether your prices include local taxes and delivery charges
• If import or customs duty is payable, clearly state whether you or (usually) the customer is responsible.
• Allow customers to go back and correct mistakes in their order before the order is placed
• Acknowledge all orders with a receipt without undue delay.
• If collecting a persons email address, you are encouraged to make it an ‘Opt-in’ rather than ‘Opt-out’ selection.
• Ensure all emails include reference to a method for people to opt-out or unsubscribe from a mailing list.
• Customers in the UK have a cooling off period of seven working days in which to cancel a contract, starting from when the goods are received.

There are some exceptions to the cooling off period, and these are explained in the free guide.

The 14 page free guide is jargon-free. It contains valuable website checklists for your business. You’ll be guided through consumer law with step-by-step guides on which part of your websites are affected by the distance selling rules.

Click here for the free E-Terms guide: Distance Selling Regulations

E-Terms.co.uk, the leading UK provider of tailored terms and conditions for websites have released a free guide to EU and UK regulations affecting website owners.

The new 14 page introduction to E-Commerce websites, consumer rights and the law provides an overview of the 3 regulations that affect most website owners, including the Distance Selling Regulations Act.

The guide is jargon-free. It contains valuable website checklists for your business. You’ll be guided through consumer law with step-by-step guides on which part of your websites are affected by the distance selling rules.

Click here for your free guide to Distance Selling Regulations

The e-book has been reviewed by our legal advisers and is an excellent guide for new and existing businesses.