This is intended as a quick guide to legal requirements for your website
Please consult Trading Standards or a solicitor to be certain of your legal obligations.
Legal Requirements for stationery and emails
Since 1st January 2007 all limited companies and limited partnerships have been required to supply the following information on business stationery:
- Place of registration
- Registration number
- Registered office address
Business stationery includes:
- Letterheads, order forms, invoices, delivery notes, credit notes etc
- Email footers
- Websites
UK E-commerce Regulations
These regulations apply not only to online shops, but to almost all websites since they apply to business which:
-
sell goods or services to businesses or consumers on the internet, or by email or Standard
Messaging Service (SMS) ie text messages - advertise on the internet, or by email or SMS
- convey or store electronic content for customers, or provide access to a communications network
.
Companies are obliged to include on their website:
- The company name
- Geographic address (A PO Box is unlikely to suffice as a geographic address; but your registered office address would be fine.)
- Email address (If your website has a 'contact us' form you must also show an email address)
- Telephone number as a point of contact
- The name of the company from whom the customer is buying.
(This might differ from the trading name and such differences should be explained where appropriate e.g. "ABC.com is the trading name of ABC Enterprises Limited.") - If the business is a limited company, the registered office, place of registration and registration number must be included.
- If the business is a member of a trade or professional association, membership details, including any registration number, should be provided.
- If the business has a VAT number, it should be stated – even if the website is not being used for e-commerce transactions.
NB: Any prices on the website must be clear and unambiguous and you must state whether prices are inclusive of tax and delivery costs.
Customers should be able to print a copy of your terms and conditions.
Recommended reading: Business Link supplies ' Tips for complying with the E-commerce Regulations'.
How Does This Affect My Website?
The specified information listed above must appear on a suitable page of the website, such as ‘Legal info’ or ‘About Us’ or 'Contact Us' . It does not have to appear on every page.
If you are collecting information about visitors to your site [email, address, telephone etc] you must comply to Data Protection Act 1988.
Read a summary of data protection requirements.
E-commerce websites must also comply with Distance Selling Regulations
Read tips on distance selling regulations here.
Sources & More Info:
http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/promotional/busStationery.shtml
http://www.out-law.com/page-7594
The Companies (Registrar, Languages and Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2006
