RE: contact details on websites

Hi all
There appears to be an EU Directive for businesses to provide contact details. I had wondered why this was not dealt with in WAI - but apparently ecommerce exists in a different universe to eAccessibility. I came across this problem while doing a survey for  ANEC and suggested  to them that this needed to be 'joined up' somehow - it would solve the problem that we are addressing currently. 
This may be a good moment to raise the question again with WAI.
I checked on Google while we were talking and it seems each  EU country should have a response to the directive. My little survey of SME's in 2007 was frustrated by a lack of contact details - although it seemed better in Italy where they also have to include their VAT (tax) number. The EU directive link in the UK is
The Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002 <http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2002/20022013.htm> 
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2002/20022013.htm
 
There are a lot of words in the regulations but the Critical part is:

General information to be provided by a person providing an information society service
     6.  - (1) A person providing an information society service shall make available to the recipient of the service and any relevant enforcement authority, in a form and manner which is easily, directly and permanently accessible, the following information - 



 (a) the name of the service provider;
 
 (b) the geographic address at which the service provider is established;
 
 (c) the details of the service provider, including his electronic mail address, which make it possible to contact him rapidly and communicate with him in a direct and effective manner;
 
 (d) where the service provider is registered in a trade or similar register available to the public, details of the register in which the service provider is entered and his registration number, or equivalent means of identification in that register;

 My Google search picked up some debate on c) the meaning of 'rapidly' in law - and does this require businesses to have a human on the telephone 24/7? and also exactly what sort of 'details'!

  See you again soon

 Suzette

Received on Wednesday, 11 February 2009 16:52:07 UTC