Internet Shopping Problems

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=185 BGCOLOR="#003333" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="171d4c00dduajq.jpg"> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="17" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="9"><B>       </B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="17" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="17"><B>   </B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="17" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="17"><B>       </B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="17" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="9"></div> <div> <A HREF="id29_m.htm#one_of_the_fastest_if_not_the_fastest" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="Internet Shopping Problems"><B>Some Solutions to Web Shopping & Purchase Problems</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id29_m.htm#note__in_an_effort_to_keep_the_law" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="Internet Shopping Problems"><B>California's "Uniform Electronic Transactions Act</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id29_m.htm#the_guidelines_for_consumer_protection" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="Internet Shopping Problems"><B>The Guidelines for Consumer Protection in the Context of Electronic Commerce</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id29_m.htm#american_bar_association_says_on_the" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="Internet Shopping Problems"><B>safeshopping.org</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Law Offices of Mathews Bergen Grier"><B>Home</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="mailto:mbglaw@cts.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:mbglaw@cts.com"><B><IMG SRC="01573ce0.jpg" border=0 width="115" height="206" ALT="E-mail MATHEWS BERGEN & GRIER" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=60 BGCOLOR="#FFFBF0" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Internet Shopping Problems</I></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=420 width="100%" colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#FFFBF0" TEXT="#080000"> <div>  <A NAME="one_of_the_fastest_if_not_the_fastest"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> One of the fastest, if not the fastest, areas of commerce is the Internet. So, what do you do if you have a problem with a purchase made over the "web". Here are some of our initial (see <A HREF="#note__in_an_effort_to_keep_the_law" TITLE="Internet Shopping Problems">Note, below</A>) thoughts:</div> <bR> <div> The Federal Trade Commission Mail or Telephone Order Rule covers goods ordered by mail, telephone, computer, and fax machine. Here's some advice: </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The FTC Cooling-Off Rule gives you <B>three days to cancel</B> purchases of $25 or more that are made in your home or at a location that is not the permanent place of business or local address of the seller. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">If you receive an item in the mail you did not order, federal law states you can <B>consider the item as a gift</B>. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">If you have a problem with a company, try to resolve it with the company before contacting a third party. Make sure you <B>act quickly</B>. Some companies may not accept responsibility if you fail to complain within a certain period of time. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Send the company a <B>letter of complaint</B>. A letter puts your complaint on record and lets the company know you are serious about the dispute. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Source:</B> Federal Trade Commission. To contact the nearest office:</div> <bR> <div> FTC Regional Office</div> <div> 100 N. Central Expressway, Suite 500</div> <div> Dallas, Texas 75201</div> <div> (214) 767-5501</div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Consider making all purchases with <B>credit a card</B>. Your card company often offers extended warranties and will assist you with disputes and may even credit your account with the full amount of the purchase price, under appropriate circumstances.</div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="note__in_an_effort_to_keep_the_law"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>NOTE: </B><B> </B>In an effort to keep the law abreast of the ever-changing dynamics of business, California has become the first state in the Nation to enact the “Uniform Electronic Transactions Act.” Effective January 1, 2000, this act recognizes electronically created contracts, sometimes called “e-contracts” which can be created by electronic means (sometimes, unintentionally) as binding agreements.</div> <bR> <div> This new law has far-reaching effects. Record retention, the method of notarization and how documents like affidavits and declarations can be created, all have dramatic changes. Now, real property documents may be recorded in a county recorder's office electronically.</div> <bR> <div> Such fundamental change may take several years to have a recognizable effect. The infrastructure (such as software and hardware at the county recorder's offices designed to accept the filing of electronic documents) to implement such e-commerce for the most part does not exist yet. Nevertheless, this new act promises to stir much reaction and will cause intense debate as to how it effects commercial transactions, real property sales, estate probate or trust transfers and even trade secrets. It is likely that litigation will flourish because, under the new law, with notable exceptions, a written contract may be created by an exchange of e-mail.  Thus, traditional signatures no longer may be required. On the consumer side, many of the “click on” agreements available over the Internet now will make for binding contracts. On the commercial side, hard copies of purchase orders or similar types of notices may no longer be required. The cumbersome, age-old practice of notarized signatures may be accomplished by an electronic signature which is then electronically notarized.  </div> <bR> <div> Traditionally, real property transactions would not be done over the Internet. Now, it is very possible that an agreement to sell land (of other agreements we lawyers traditionally think of as being “within the statute of frauds”) may be accomplished through a simple Emil or exchange of similar electronic documentation.</div> <bR> <div> Although California is the first state in the United States to enact this “uniform” act, many other states are expected to follow suit next year and, indeed, the US Congress is working on similar legislation on the federal side.  [As you know already, the Internal Revenue Service accepts electronically filed tax returns which are still subject to “the penalty of perjury.”]</div> <bR> <div> What lurks out there for everyone is tremendous change. We at Mathews Bergen & Grier believe that electronic commerce, including that controlled by the “Uniform Electronic Transactions Act” is a so-called “paradigm shift.” It will impact all our lives in that it will speed transactions, make the flow of goods and services more convenient and speedy and it will almost certainly increase problems (and litigation) the extent of which at this point cannot  be imagined.</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="the_guidelines_for_consumer_protection"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="http://www.oecd.org/dsti/sti/it/consumer/prod/guidelines.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.oecd.org/dsti/sti/it/consumer">The Guidelines for Consumer Protection in the Context of Electronic Commerce</A>, approved on 9 December 1999 by the OECD’s Council, are designed to help ensure that consumers are no less protected when shopping online than they are when they buy from their local store or order from a catalogue. By setting out the core characteristics of effective consumer protection for online business-to-consumer transactions, the Guidelines are intended to help eliminate some of the uncertainties that both consumers and businesses encounter when buying and selling online.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Finally, you should check out what the <A HREF="http://www.safeshopping.org/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.safeshopping.org/">American Bar Association</A> says on the subject at their site.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  <A NAME="american_bar_association_says_on_the"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.safeshopping.org/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.safeshopping.org/"><IMG SRC="0bc64820.png" border=0 width="100" height="130" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>