This is nearly always the last job when launching your site, you’re suddenly told you need a terms and conditions page. Here are the common questions we’re asked on this topic:
- Do I need one?
- Can’t I borrow some from my mates website?
- Can I use a generic one that came with my template?
- They’re expensive, are they worth paying for?
It’s not an especially vibrant or engaging part of your site, but they are needed and no you can’t just lift them from somewhere else either I’m afraid.
The T&C’s clearly set out the “rules of engagement” you trade by. They tell customers what to expect and confirm what they’ll receive in return (at the most basic level).
Contrary to popular belief there is no such thing as a general “catch all” document you can use as no two businesses are exactly the same. You need terms that are tailored to your business sector and working practices. These need to be written by somebody with the ability to make them legally binding so you’re covered in the event of any trouble.
We’ve recently seen a site that had lifted terms from another site in such a literal way that even the old company name was copied over, obviously these would be useless if they were ever needed.
Our terms and conditions were provided by MJL Law, highly recommended if you’ve suddenly found yourself in need of some legal backup.