15 June 2010
Under current UK legislation, companies and charities should display certain information on their website. This is all a bit tedious, but it is important to comply with the current legal requirements. To make your life easier we have taken the time to set out the basics.

Under current UK legislation, companies and charities should display certain information on their website. This is all a bit tedious, but it is important to comply with the current legal requirements. To make your life easier we have taken the time to set out the basics.

What information should be shown?

Name of the company or charity.

Registered address.

The part of the UK in which the company or charity is registered.

Registered number.

Service providers

If you provide online services then there are some additional requirements. You must display:

VAT number, if registered for VAT.

Geographic address where the provider is situated.

E-mail address.

Regulated professions

Websites for those in a registered profession (such as solicitors or doctors) must also show the following information for each individual professional who is listed on the site:

Details of any professional body or similar institution with which he is registered.

Professional title and the place where that title was awarded.

A reference (ideally through a hyperlink) to the professional rules applicable to the service provider.

E-commerce sites

There are a number of additional requirements for the provision of information when concluding contracts online. To ensure these are all covered, e-commerce sites should display a page of ‘terms and conditions’ available to all users. These should be laid out clearly and written in plain English. To safeguard your interests, these should be reviewed by a lawyer.

Distance Selling Regulations

E-commerce providers should make themselves aware of the Distance Selling Regulations. Among other things, these regulations require e-commerce websites to provide the following information:

The main characteristics of the goods or services offered on the website.

The price of the goods or services, including all taxes.

The cost of delivery of the goods or services.

Payment and delivery information.

A notice that the consumer has the right to cancel the contract without cause during a seven-day cooling off period, other than in exceptional cases.

The minimum duration of any permanent or recurrent contract.

If you have any doubts about legal requirements, you should really speak to a lawyer. However, if you have any general questions about setting out information clearly on your website and creating a smooth user experience then get in touch with White Fuse Media.