Any claim you make on your website about your business, or the service you provide, will form part of the contract between you and the consumer unless you expressly say otherwise.
On 1st October this year consumer rights law is changing to give even more protection for consumers. Among the changes is one that looks simple enough at first sight, but in fact it's likely to have a profound effect on anyone who provides services to consumers, and has a website.
This means that if you make a statement about your service on your website, that statement becomes part of the contract with the consumer and the consumer can make a claim against you if the statement is incorrect.
So for example if you say you are the best value hairdresser this side of London that has to be true, or you'll be refunding the consumer much of the price she has paid. Or if you say your new air source heat pumps can both heat and provide hot water for a family house and save you money, then the facts had better stack up.
In effect, the terms and conditions of your business won't be just the rather boring set of "ts and cs” at the bottom of your webpage but every word on your webpages as well.
On 1st October this year consumer rights law is changing to give even more protection for consumers. Among the changes is one that looks simple enough at first sight, but in fact it's likely to have a profound effect on anyone who provides services to consumers, and has a website.
This means that if you make a statement about your service on your website, that statement becomes part of the contract with the consumer and the consumer can make a claim against you if the statement is incorrect.
So for example if you say you are the best value hairdresser this side of London that has to be true, or you'll be refunding the consumer much of the price she has paid. Or if you say your new air source heat pumps can both heat and provide hot water for a family house and save you money, then the facts had better stack up.
In effect, the terms and conditions of your business won't be just the rather boring set of "ts and cs” at the bottom of your webpage but every word on your webpages as well.
With these changes on the way it makes sense to check your website for potential legal banana skins.
