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RE: FN-FORUM: new UK website regulations
date posted 12th January 2007 20:39
Hi,
This article raises a number of interesting questions:
Having done a degree in e-commerce, I can understand the need for some
degree of transparency, as it shows to a potential client that a website
offering a service or product for sale is a legitimate one, and not =
trying
to "pull a fast one". However, if the UK Government seems so intent on
adding as much red tape as possible (I have to admit that I think what =
they
are requiring seems to take things to extreme a little), then what =
happens
with companies who are technically registered overseas, but whom have UK
subsidiaries?=20
Take this as an example - Amazon.co.uk. OK - this is only a quick test, =
and
certainly not scientific. I tried to easily find an address and =
telephone
number for them here in the UK - but this seems impossible. Technically, =
the
copyright is owned by Amazon USA - it seems that nowhere is there an =
address
or VAT number which is easily found (within about 2-3 clicks). Does this
still count for Amazon? What about maintaining that transparency, and
reputation, as one of the biggest e-tailers in the 20th/21st century? =
Just
trying to find an email address was really impossible - you have to =
first
sign in, then wade through a whole mass of screens which build up a =
contact
us form with details, before it is sent off to Amazon UK. Is this still
legitimate?=20
To go back to the original question about designers - what happens if, =
as
Cat says, they do not want to publish their home postal address online, =
if
that is the one which is used for their business? It seems strange =
though
that the UK Government do not require a telephone number to be =
published;
with the huge surge in use of 0870 non-geographical numbers, I would =
have
thought it a requirement that customers have a means to contact a =
company,
should they have a need. Not all of us have email, although yes, I would
guess it is less of a problem than say 5 years ago. I can imagine what =
would
happen if the UK Government were to turn around and say that yes, a
geographical number is required and must be published....me thinks a lot =
of
unhappy service providers, who suddenly find demand for 0845 and 0870
numbers suddenly drop...!
But - on a more serious note: I have always maintained that the use of
e-commerce and the internet is there to break down barriers to sales
worldwide; VAT numbers for a company in a different country become
irrelevant if I were to buy from that company (broadly speaking!). Do =
they
want to encourage global business, or stifle it??
I myself am tempted with going into freelancing within Canada in a few =
years
time (for various reasons), as I hate the UK - do I register myself here =
in
the UK, with a UK VAT number, or go to Canada?
Mmm...
Alex.
P.S. Yes - you could look up whois to get an idea of the registrant. But =
is
this always accurate? What if a design company registered a .co.uk =
domain in
the US, for a UK company? Check out Hostgator - they register your =
domain
for you, but then do not give you any opportunity or means to easily =
change
the registrant's name from them to you, despite advertising otherwise =
(at
least when I was briefly with them for all of a week, before leaving in
serious disgust!)
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL REMOVED] [EMAIL REMOVED] On Behalf Of Cat
Sent: 12 January 2007 17:18
To: FN-FORUM / [EMAIL REMOVED]
Subject: FN-FORUM: new UK website regulations
hi,
with regard to the new website regulations (basically requiring clear
publication of a companies reg no., VAT details etc. on their website),
there is also a requirement as follows:
> The name of the service provider must be given somewhere easily=20
> accessible on the site. This might differ from the trading name and=20
> any such difference should be explained =AD e.g. "XYZ.com is the =
trading=20
> name of XYZ Enterprises Limited.
>=20
> The email address of the service provider must be given. It is not=20
> sufficient to include a 'contact us' form without also providing an =
email
address.
>
> The geographic address of the service provider must be given. A PO Box =
> is unlikely to suffice as a geographic address; but a registered=20
> office address would. If the business is a company, the registered=20
> office address must be included in any event.
( from http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/12/21/new_web_email_regulation =
)
my question is: how does this affect a web designer/developer? do they =
mean
the name of just the hosting company? or does the designer/developers
details also need to be included?
thanks,
cat
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Freelancers, contractors earn more with Prosperity4 Call 0870 870 4414 =
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