writing terms and conditions

[benants]

Hi,

I am currently building a membership site. I need to have a privacy statement and a terms of service page. In general, how do people go about writing these? Is it common practice to use a template or to base it on another website's privacy statement/terms of service? Or do people write them from scratch? - it seems a very long and tedious process!

Thanks in advance!

[Jeremy]

Re: writing terms and conditions

Hey!

Most people write them from scratch so it applies with their site or what ever you are agreeing to. There is sites that you can find that you put in little information and they will generate one for you for free or at a price. I have gone with a site that would generate one for me but I forget the link. Once I find it I will give it to you.

Good luck!

[Vasili]

Re: writing terms and conditions

Most people write them from scratch so it applies with their site or what ever you are agreeing to.

Not Quite...
With the new laws (Patriot Act) and importance put on Privacy and Credit/Financial information, it is extremely important for you to have a proper and cognizant Policy established for your website (required for websites conducting transactions of any manner that are processed and/or deposited in US institutions, or are owned/maintained by a US citizen or corporation) that is in full compliance with the law.

For the most commonly approved updated version of Privacy Policy, visit the BBB Online, and drill in to where they post a sample Policy they require on your site before accepting you..... with minor modifications, yours should reflect this format (and this way it's free - cut and paste!).

For Terms of Service, you should detail every aspect of your relationship with your Members and the manners in which you regulate them, along with prominently explained means of recourse on their behalf.
And, your should probably create a simplified (but detailed) Transaction Policy to describe how you handle, process, and stipulate monies to be transferred.

[Jeremy]

Re: writing terms and conditions

Does that go for Canada too?

[benants]

Re: writing terms and conditions

Hi,

Thanks 4 ur replies.
Does it also apply to england?

[Vasili]

Re: writing terms and conditions

(Brian6110 --UK-- mentioned some kind of "new" policy similar...somewhere in "Commerce" thread....it comes up apparently when setting up a Merchant/Credit Card account....it may be tedious, but well worth the effort to run through all his posts to find it once)
And I have NO idea what the Canadian prerequisites are.....Jeremy: as a webguru, you will need to have this info readily available...

[Jeremy]

Re: writing terms and conditions

Hey!

When registering a .ca domain you have to register your domain with the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA). I have read the rules and I have no seen anything that mentioned something about Policies and such.

Here is the link if you feel like viewing it:

http://www.cira.ca/official-doc/CDRP_Rules_2003-12-04_en_final.html

[Vasili]

Re: writing terms and conditions

Hey, J!
These extensions (.ca --Canadian domains) are unsupportable by American-based IP's like VodaHost, GoDaddy, and some others. Whenever these domains are registered, it is important to really view the terms of use, and to consider the registering IP as a resource......

It may be Canada feels differently about this issue....like I mentioned, I have no personal input in this area!
>> PriceScope.com is a leading Canadian blog that is dedicated to the diamond business (which has TONS of parameters imposed), so it might be interesting how they have approached this, especially with regard to their international audience. <<
I merely offer what I know or have been exposed to for the benefit of my peers....

[george8629]

Re: writing terms and conditions

Can I expand the question?..what about online credit applications....not for the purpose of selling the product online but for prequalifying a prospect before they come to see a car?
pete8629******.com
thnx,george

[Jeremy]

Re: writing terms and conditions

Hey!

As far as I know George, many companies are offering this type of service. All though they usually have a Privacy Policy which probably says that they won't reveal any personal information etc.

So if you do give online credit applications, I suggest you make a Privacy Policy stateing that you won't reveal information that they send you and you won't give their information to third parties etc.

Good luck!

[george8629]

Re: writing terms and conditions

Cool! the more I read/watch and ask...the easier its becoming! Voda and its Family ROCKS...Thanks JEREMY!

[Vasili]

Re: writing terms and conditions

Geroge-
Here is a link to the Privacy Policy of CarFax (who also processes loans - tried to find "mixed offer"): http://www.carfax.com/cfm/ofprivacy.cfm You can probably modify most of the the verbaige to suit your needs, along what is already approved and "stable" in your industry!

**Whichever lending institution you select will have their own proprietary Terms and language, which you will undoubtedly need to duplicate online, so don't fret over what you don't know yet....... (Plan, Model, Modify)

[george8629]

Re: writing terms and conditions

Thanks "V"....I'll check it out....since your a general maybe you can help on this also...I haven't yet published or uploaded my site yet...1st one and trying to get everything together first before beginning the upload...so I'm trying to get formmakerpro going. I've read and followed the instructions very carefully but I keep getting an error that says ROOT_TPL not a directory...sys halted...wringing my hands abit on this...about 81/2 hours over 2days trying to not be "wimpy" and figure it out myself...but I'll sacrifice if it gets me going...any ideas?..CHMOD is set to 755 , the zip file has 405 files in it....I can see the install.php ..even set that to 755...nothing seems to be exceptable to the instructions. any ideas are welcomed.
george