 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
 |
cent of mail order purchases. Merchants could also mark submission buttons as
‘Submit order’ or ‘Submit offer,’ rather than the ambiguous ‘Yes’ or ‘OK.’
Presentation of terms - In order for standard terms and conditions to be
valid, online merchants need to present them to customers prior to or at the time
of ordering. Currently the most effective method is to create a dialogue box
where customers must scroll down and then click a button signifying that they
have reviewed the terms. In any case, the key concern is that standard terms
should be available and prominent.
Acceptance -
In most cases, digital services will require automated
acceptance and performance, since transfer of the digital information will
commence immediately. However, where possible, such as in the case of
subscription services, merchants should delay acceptance to maximize their
ability to screen customers. In these delayed cases, acceptance would follow
from later notification (probably through e-mail), and thus any confirmation
web page should clearly specify that it is an acknowledgment of the order only
and not an acceptance.
Consideration
-
For most web sites, consideration will not present a
problem. However, providers of digitized services should ensure that prices