We all have a habit of clicking “I agree” and often we click without reading the terms. While many agreements are long, these virtual agreements contain rights, obligations, and limitations. By clicking “I accept,” you have created a contract. During the online ordering process, you regularly press the agreement button with which you create a new contract. While we easily create contracts online, there may be some uncertainty about the most basic condition of the contract: the identity of the party with which you contracted.
Before you hire a service provider or order goods online, you need to know who you’re dealing with. It’s a simple concept. Because of the convenience of shopping online, people often make deals without knowing the person or company on the other side of the computer screen.
The Internet has long been known as the “great equalizer.” A tech-savvy web developer can create a website for small businesses that will compete with a large corporation’s website. A professional, reliable website may indicate stability and an excellent business, but it can also be a start-up organization with little money. Explore the business, in addition to visiting and browsing their websites.
When ordering a product:
-Check the seller’s ratings, if any.
-Order with a credit card because a credit card company can help you get your money back for your order.
– We do not recommend using a debit card for online purchases.
– Consider using a single credit card with a very low limit for all online purchases.
– Visit consumer websites such as ripoffreport to find out what others think of this seller.
If you are thinking of outsourcing services or ordering goods of considerable value, performing a basic comprehensive check will not take long and is a better alternative than trying to find someone after he owes you money or you have a defective product. For example, you want to hire a web designer to create a website for your business. Steps to find a developer include:
Find a web developer online
-Ask other business owners for advice
– Interview someone you met at a networking event
-Traditional media advertising
It is likely that developers will come to your office to make their presentation or even run their services online through a webinar or web meeting. Chances are you’ll never visit their office. If your new website is not acceptable, or is the website not filled after payment or deposit, do you have the information you need to refund or take legal action if necessary? Before deciding whether to cooperate with a private individual or company, consider the following:
– Make sure you confirm the physical address of a person or company. A person usually needs a physical address to file a claim. Even if the address doesn’t look like a mailbox, you can display it online with any of the map tools, such as Google Maps or Mapquest. One of our customers discovered that the service provider’s address was actually a UPS store. Unsurprisingly, the address stopped accepting mail because the service provider didn’t pay the UPS Store bill! We knew it was a UPS store because we looked at it via Google Maps and saw a mall instead of a home office. There are many other ways to use the Internet to verify an address, including address lists and tax returns. If you only have one address mailbox, you will need to do more background checks.
– For businesses: Contact the Arizona Corporation Commission to check the status and validity of the business, as well as check contact information. It also includes the address of the company’s head office and its address.
– Some companies have a state license, such as a contractor, electrician, plumber or handyman. Contact the Arizona Contractors Registrar at to get state licensing information to make sure the company has a license. You can also find out if complaints have been filed against the company.