How to choose the right terms and conditions for your business
Introduction
Net Lawman have many versions of terms and conditions documents for use as standard “take it or leave it” document for use on your website or sales material. This page is a guide to which document is most suitable and when.
Why a terms and conditions document?
Of course we all know that terms and conditions are essential. They govern the relationship between you and your customer. Much general law applies to the rules when making contracts with businesses and consumers. Further, if you operate via a website or from a distance, there are further regulations you must comply with. Choosing the right document is therefore essential.
How to choose
Start by looking at your customers. The Distance Selling Regulations and other law provide far greater protection to “consumers” than the business buyers. A consumer is anyone who is not buying in the course of a business.
The “consumer” versions provide that the consumer protection law relates only to consumers, so if you sell to both consumers and to businesses, you can use the “consumer” version for all your customers without giving anything away. Alternatively, you could use both versions and code your site so that the version which comes up before a customer is decided automatically from the data you have asked them to enter.
To keep it clear, the consumer versions are named Website terms and conditions: goods to consumers, payment online,Website terms and conditions: goods to consumers no online payment, Website terms and conditions: services to consumers, payment online, and so on, while the business versions are numbered Website terms and conditions: goods to business, payment online, Website terms and conditions: goods to business, no online payment, Website terms and conditions: services to business, payment online, and so on.
If you sell goods from your website, choose Documents Websiteterms and conditions: goods to business, payment online or Website terms and conditions: goods to consumers, payment online. If you do not use a website for actual selling, choose Website terms and conditions: goods to business, no online payment or Website terms and conditions: goods to consumers no online payment.
If you sell services, use our document Website terms and conditions: services to business, payment online.
If you sell a product which is delivered by soft copy download or email (as we do at Net Lawman) use Website terms and conditions: soft copy download to consumers.
If you sell soft copy download goods and also hard goods which require physical delivery, choose Website terms and conditions: goods and soft copy download to consumers, payment online.
Finally, if you would like us to draw a version especially for you, we should be delighted to do so - at a remarkably low price.
If by chance you find some error of law or fact in any Net Lawman information page, do please tell us. We should also welcome your suggestions for new subjects for information pages. These notes:
Do not provide a complete or authoritative statement of the law;
Do not constitute legal advice by Net Lawman;
Do not create a contractual relationship;
Do not form part of any other advice, whether paid or free.
