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Thread: PO Boxes

  1. #51
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    Quote Originally Posted by mizgeorge View Post
    Not having the address published on your website (if you have one) doesn't mean it's not there. As you have to provide it for your domain registration, it's not difficult to look it up if you want to.
    Yup. Domain registration rules allow the hiding of addresses for personal sites, but not for commercial ones.

  2. #52
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    I wrote a pretty lengthy forum post on Etsy regarding the distance selling regulations as so many people are either not aware of them or unwilling to follow the legislation. As a business, you MUST provide your address. You can use a virtual office address if you are concerned about security, although this is pricey and most often cost prohibitive. Either way, it is a legal obligation. Etsy have no powers to enforce this (nor would they even try to) but they do provide UK sellers with the 'seller information' box at the bottom of the policies page to input your details. It is your responsibility to input the details to comply with the regulations. The distance selling regs as a whole are a bit of a minefield but if you want to read some Etsy related info, my forum post is here:

    http://www.etsy.com/teams/7332/etsys...cuss/11139774/

  3. #53
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    Still tap dancing through the minefield...

    If someone buys something on Etsy, then Etsy handles the funds, informs the seller, takes a cut... Surely the contract between consumer & vendor is with Etsy, fulfilled by the individual or business advertising the goods? Similarly, with Ebay you are not required to provide address information up front - although a quick scan of a couple of registered business sellers shows that they do provide their address, but is it universal? I must have a look at some of the Amazon marketplace sellers as well.

    It's a well-meaning piece of legislation. Fails on execution though.

  4. #54
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    Ebay business sellers have to give their addresses if things are on a BIN, I think. At least the UK businesses that I've seen do that.

    I'm less bothered about security to be honest than nosey locals googling my address and discovering I'm a freak As it is there are a number of detailed photos of my house online (I found out about this after one of said neighbours a couple of streets up from me made a big point of telling me that they had googled my street and did I have planning permission for the big velux in my roof?) Not from google street view, as we don't actually have a road you can drive down, but from a local who thought it would be 'nice' to put individual pictures of each house in the street online with comments about them.

    No joke, it's like Deliverance-on Sea here.

  5. #55
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    Quote Originally Posted by ps_bond View Post
    Yup. Domain registration rules allow the hiding of addresses for personal sites, but not for commercial ones.
    oddly enough, my address doesn't show up on the domain registration for some reason, not sure why.

  6. #56
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    Personally, I don't agree with the fact that you have to provide a physical address when this address is actually your home. There should be some sort of considerations made for sole traders/small businesses operating from home. That said, it is a requirement at this time and if a particularly legally savvy buyer was to pull you up on it, well, that's where the problems start. I read through the whole documentation on the distance selling regs, sale of goods act and various EU directives pertaining to online selling in a hope to understand my obligations before I begin selling online again.

    Regarding contracts etc, after discussing this at length with some others on Etsy (plus input from Etsy admins) the contract is between the consumer and the vendor. Etsy acts as a sales venue/marketplace similarly to a traditional marketplace. For example, you buy something from a market trader or brick and mortar shop and it turns out to be faulty. The contract/sale was between you and the market stall owner/store not with the company operating the market or the company leasing the store space. Etsy facilitates the transaction but the contract remains between buyer and seller.

    On eBay, it is the same when it comes to publishing business addresses. All registered business sellers are required by law to add their address and contact details to Buy It Now auction listings. Again, it is not eBay's place to police this they simply provide sellers with the opportunity to do so. It is up to trading standards to talk to anyone failing to do so but to be honest, they probably have bigger fish to fry! However, private sellers don't need to do this and there is a special section within the distance selling regulation guidelines pertaining to auctioned goods designed to protect those who just want to shift a few old DVD's or jumpers. As far a I can remember, only goods bought at a fixed price (buy it now) are covered under the distance selling regulations. Auctions are not included therefore not covered by the legislation. However, items sold as buy it now by private sellers may still be covered by the 7 day cooling off period required under the distance selling regs.

    Don't get me wrong, I think there are way too many hoops to jump through as it is and the whole thing needs simplifying but this is what businesses are expected to do at the current time.

    Also, custom made items are not covered under the distance selling regulations so this may mean that many of the wonderful jewellers on here who do online commissions may not have to jump through quite as many of those aforementioned hoops PayPal also doesn't cover custom made items in their 'buyer protection' policy so if someone tries to file a significantly not as described case or an item not received case, PayPal will side with you providing it was clearly indicated that the item was custom made and the production/lead time clearly outlined. Well, theoretically that is. PayPal is a law unto itself...

  7. #57
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    Quote Originally Posted by medusa View Post
    oddly enough, my address doesn't show up on the domain registration for some reason, not sure why.
    Just for info really, the Whois.com will show any info on any trading business. This is provided at the time of registration.

    Therefore, It is with noting that you can have a website as a business signpost, and not share your info, as long as you are not trading from it.

    I do think it is interesting that as, we never own the web addresses and we hire them out.... as a 'tennant' should we be sharing that info? Just my warped view I guess.
    Last edited by Wallace; 12-01-2013 at 10:51 AM. Reason: Extra letters snuck in....

  8. #58
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wallace View Post
    Just for info really, the Whois.com will show any info on any trading business. This is provided at the time of registration.

    Therefore, It is with noting that you can have a website as a business signpost, and not share your info, as long as you are not trading from it.

    I do think it is interesting that as, we never own the web addresses and we hire them out.... as a 'tennant' should we be sharing that info? Just my warped view I guess.
    I was unclear, what I meant is, if I type my address into google, the info from whois and the other sites similar, doesn't come up with my website. If I type my website in, then my address does show, which I suppose in terms of security at home is not good, but I'm more concerned about it being the other way around and the website showing when my address is typed in.

  9. #59
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    May 2013
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    Salisbury
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    Just a quick thought....while considering DSR's many online companies neglect to consider change of use as well when working from "Home".

    As a general thought, situation crooks will just hop in through a broken window or unlocked door. A "professional" crook will do some trading with you, build up a picture and go for the big win when he knows your movements.

    Hiding your exact location will deter the situation crook (who is unlikely to spend more than 30 seconds trying to get in) but won't protect you from the more determined crook (who are the ones most likely to do harm or use violence)

    The biggest trigger is having a HUGE blue blinking lamp on your redcare alarm system on your front wall, that tells potential robbers you have something worth spending a few thousand on security inside to protect.

    I took the easy way to get information when I ran an engineering shop (we manufactured firearms so security was an issue) I asked a convicted career burglar for the cost of a few beers he was happy to tell me how "he would have done a job"

    best wishes

    Dave

  10. #60
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    Mine fortunately is just a hobby, and the amount that I have in stock at any one time is minimal really. I have a website and as yet nobody has bought from it, just looked, but I wouldnt consider putting my address on it, law or not. I do craft fairs and if anyone buys anything they have a business card with my home phone on but thats all.

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