If you run an online business, you need to protect it with proper, enforceable policies (Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions, Refund Policy, Disclaimers, etc.). Let’s assume you’ve already taken this crucial step.
Another critical piece regarding your policies is communicating them, whether it’s updating the policies on your website, sending email notifications, providing in-app notifications, or sending a notice in the mail. Let’s assume you’ve also taken this step.
Despite checking both boxes, it may not always suffice. Think about your own behaviors regarding policies from a customer point of view.
Do you read policies end-to-end or at all? When an email arrives with a policy update, do you read the email, or do you simply delete it? If you see a policy notification in the app you’re using, do you review it, or do you simply dismiss it? If you get a policy update in the mail, do you read it, or does it go straight to your recycle bin?
Although you’ve done your best to follow best practices, your business still has a potential policy problem. Customers are unlikely to read your policies, and even if they do, they may choose to ignore them when it suits their needs.
Let’s look at some example scenarios where, despite doing all the right things, business owners still need further protection.
Litigation Scenarios
Scenario 1: Terms of Service Policy
- You have a terms of service policy, and you’re doing all the right things regarding prominently linking to said policy, keeping it updated in all the places, and sending proper notifications.
- Your customer signs up for one of your services and, at checkout, agrees to your terms, which state that you provide no warranty for said service.
- After spending the equivalent of $3,000 in labor while providing the service, the customer refuses to pay due to an unfortunate circumstance that was outside of your control that could have been prevented had the customer provided some missing key information.
- You inform your customer that your terms do not provide a warranty, but they insist your policy says something different today than what it said back when they made their purchase.
- Despite assuring the customer that isn’t the case, they still refuse to pay and are threatening litigation due to their project being delayed and other hardships, should you continue pursuing payment.
- You hold your ground and stand by your policies.
- The customer decides to initiate litigation.
Scenario 2: Refund Policy
- You have a refund policy, and you’re doing all the right things regarding prominently linking to said policy, keeping it updated in all the places, and sending proper notifications.
- Your customer buys one of your products or signs up for one of your services and, at checkout, agrees to your terms.
- Some time passes, and for whatever reason, your customer would like a refund, but the period for requesting a refund has elapsed.
- You inform your customer, but they insist your refund policy says something different today than what it said back when they made their purchase.
- Despite assuring the customer that isn’t the case, they suggest they’ll pursue a chargeback and threaten to tarnish your reputation by submitting a bad review, contacting governing bodies that oversee company behavior, etc.
- You hold your ground and stand by your policies.
- The customer not only decides to follow through on their initial threats but also initiates litigation.
Litigation Prevention
When the initial letter from the customer’s attorney lands on your desk, from either of the example scenarios outlined above, imagine responding with verification from an independent 3rd party (Policy Proof) that your policies were what you stated them to be when the customer accepted your terms.
Policy Revision Validation
We monitor policies specified by our customers, and when a change is detected, we take a snapshot (i.e., capture the revision), add a timestamp, and apply our verified seal.
Should our customers ever need to show proof of their policies at a given point in time, they can quickly and easily access their policies through their Policy Proof dashboard.
Policy revision validation can help prevent litigation, saving business owners significant legal fees, reputation damage, and other negatives associated with legal proceedings.
Further protect your business with policy revision validation. Get started today.
