Tools to Protect your e-Business from Liability

E-commerce companies are perfect for those looking to start a e-Business and have the flexibility of working from home. They do, unfortunately, come with some of their complications. Like when you are moving products through multiple states, from one side of the country to another, or if you need to account for international laws as well because you serve customers overseas as well. There’s also personal information collected when you handle customer orders, you’ll need to be careful with it as well. This may seem overwhelming, but it’s mostly covered by four simple documents that you can host on your site, and we’ll discuss those documents below.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Disclaimer

There are no federal guidelines for what an e-commerce business’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) disclaimer needs to state to protect them from any liability. They are important in making your website as accessible as it can be to as many possible customers and shielding your business from liability. While you’ll still need to take the time to do this – at least having a disclaimer shows that you are making an effort and that you are working to have those accommodations in place for those in need of them. Hopefully, there will be more federal guidelines on this in the future.

Privacy Policies for a e-Business

Everybody has seen a box to agree to a privacy policy or signed to agree with one. A privacy policy is how a business collects, shares, sells, or otherwise uses the data it collects from the users who get on its website. Privacy policies are required by the law, and without one your business is vulnerable to lawsuits and fines. All of that can add up pretty quickly if you have a large user base or popular products. These laws can be pretty complicated and are oftentimes even more difficult for online companies. They have to follow laws from all of their users’ jurisdictions, so many e-commerce businesses are looking at national, if not international laws while drafting these policies. Due to this, it may be best for you to receive the help of our legal experts during this process.

Terms of Use

A business’s Terms of Use are legally binding terms and rules for being given access to your website. If your users don’t follow the rules you’ve set you can ban them or otherwise block them from accessing your website. This can help if you have problem-starters in your fan base that are chasing away potential business because of their behavior. It also lowers the risks the business may face if that bad behavior crosses the line into breaking the law.

Terms of Service

These are similar to your website’s terms of use, the terms of service allow you to stop providing those products, services, or other content to those deviant users that are violating their end of the agreement. This should also express to your customers what to expect from your company in exchange for their money. This is typically where shipping policies, satisfaction guarantees, and other policies may be listed. It should also mention the return, exchange, or refund options that you offer.

We offer assistance in creating these documents, customized for your e-commerce business’s needs. For more information contact us at Dowd Law for business and legal advice.