European ODR platform

[redbird]

A client of mine informed me of the following today. It was news to me anyone else heard about it?

Changes to regulation for all businesses that trade online
From Monday 15 February, all businesses which trade online must provide a link to the Online Dispute Resolution website by law. All online traders should also already have a contact email address on their website. An online contact form that does not show the email address is not sufficient

See...

https://www.businesscompanion.info/en/quick-guides/business-information-other/alternative-dispute-resolution#Onlinedisputeresolution

 

[UncleBob]

Changes to regulation for all businesses that trade online

i don't get how you have come to that interpretation, from the same site :

Is ADR compulsory?

There is no general rule in law that says that ADR must be used to resolve a dispute. However, there are cases where ADR is compulsory on at least one of the parties (in consumer disputes this is the trader). Even where ADR is voluntary, there are often strong incentives to use it.

In consumer disputes, ADR is compulsory in a number of business sectors. For example, for most financial services consumers can insist that their complaint be decided by the Financial Ombudsman Service.

there are certain laws in place already for specific countries and online businesses, but this one does not sound like it is a new law which all businesses must adhere to; rather an option for dispute resolution.

 

[redbird]

i don't get how you have come to that interpretation, from the same site :


I was quoting from an email a client sent me, which was from fsb.org.uk



The main part is

"....Where a trader does business online, whether through a website or other electronic means, it must provide a link to the ODR platform website (once it is online). In addition, all online traders must state their email address on their website (a online contact form that does not show the email address is not sufficient to meet this requirement)....."

 

[UncleBob]

I was quoting from an email a client sent me, which was from fsb.org.uk



The main part is

"....Where a trader does business online, whether through a website or other electronic means, it must provide a link to the ODR platform website (once it is online). In addition, all online traders must state their email address on their website (a online contact form that does not show the email address is not sufficient to meet this requirement)....."

it's cheeky wording, that - it means they must do that if they are a member of the system, which not all businesses have to be.

as far as i know the only legal requirement for businesses in the UK is to have their Company Number, business address and contact details on the site. other than certain sectors (mostly financial) having to have obligatory links and contact info (ombudsman, etc), there's no law in the UK that says a plumber, builder, painter, etc has to have an online dispute resolution system in place.

 

[redbird]

It is all very confusing...... but what you say makes more sense to me than being compulsory