Creating confidence in electronic transactions - Trustmarks

1. Creating confidence in electronic transactions - Trustmarks • Creating trust in e-commerce • Basic aspects regarding Trustmarks • National and Regional Trustmarks schemes • European approach on eConfidence Bogdan Manolea

2. Trust and Electronic Commerce • Slow development of e-commerce in European Union • Strong political imperative to create trust in doing business over the Internet • eEurope - The Lisbon summit - 23-24 March 2000, referred specifically to this subject in its conclusions: "…the Commission and the Council to consider how to promote consumer confidence in electronic commerce ” Bogdan Manolea

3. Methods to create confidence in electronic transactions • Codes of conduct • Trust Seals (Trustmarks) • Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) • Consumer Protections actions • Regulatory Initiatives Bogdan Manolea

4. Trustmark definition • Trustmark: A label or visual representation showing participation in a trustmark scheme. A subscriber to a trustmark scheme can display a trustmark if he meets the trustmark requirements. • Trustmark schemes: Any body providing a trustmark to B2C e-merchants after positive assessment on the basis of own criteria. Bogdan Manolea

5. Trustmark key elements • Aimed at Business to Consumer (B2C) activities • Supplementary to legal obligations • Voluntary participation • Compliance with set of business practices • Provide a high standard of consumer protection • Encourage sales of goods and services on Internet Bogdan Manolea

6. Examples of Trustmark schemes requirements • Plain and intelligible language • Commercial communications and fair marketing practices • Addressing children • Pre-contractual information • Confirmation process Bogdan Manolea

7. Examples of Trustmark schemes requirements (2) • Contractual performance • Payment and Security issues • Data protection aspects • Internal complaints management • Dispute settlement for consumer complaints Bogdan Manolea

8. National Trustmarks Initiatives • TrustUK – Great Britain - www.trustuk.org.uk • L@belsite – France - www.labelsite.org • Trusted Shops - German initiative - www.trustedshops.de • BBB Online – US - www.bbbonline.org • Japan DMA – Japan - www.jadma.org Bogdan Manolea

9. Regional Trustmarks Initiatives • North America – BBB Online • Asia – Asia Trustmark Alliance • Europe • Trusted Shops • OnlineConfidence • Global Trustmark Alliance- GTA Bogdan Manolea

10. European eConfidence Initiatives – Eurochambers integrated approach • European Code of Conduct (concluded in cooperation with European Federation of Direct Marketing Associations) • European Label based on its code of conduct and dispute settlement methods • European Online Dispute Resolution System – OnlineConfidence – www.onlineconfidence.org Bogdan Manolea

11. European Approach - eConfidence project Mr Erkki Liikanen - Brussels, 18 February 2003 • eConfidence is a package of measures, which includes the promotion of high standards of good business practices (e.g. codes of conduct, trust-marks, complaint settlement procedures), and affordable access to third-party alternative dispute resolution (ADR) systems. • The promotion by the Commission of high standards of good business practices such as codes of conduct and trustmarks is an example of our desire to support self-regulatory initiatives. Bogdan Manolea

12. European Approach - eConfidence project • Online eConfidence Forum has been set up by the European Commission - http://econfidence.jrc.it/ • An eConfidence group for discussions about trustmark requirements at European level was created • An agreement has been agreed between European employers organisation UNICE and the European Consumer BEUC on a European Framework for e-commerce trustmark schemes at the end of 2001 Bogdan Manolea

13. European Approach - eConfidence project – next steps • The European Commission will issue a recommendation to improve confidence in e-commerce in the first half of this year • Trustmarks can play an important part in this process. However, the huge number of trustmark schemes currently operating is counterproductive. To combat this, the Commission will lay down a set of standardised trustmark criteria and create a better understanding of the 'trustmark concept‘, based on the agreement between UNICE and BEUC. Bogdan Manolea

14. European Approach - eConfidence project – next steps An international congress on the “ Trustmarks in ecommerce” will be held in Luxembourg 17 – 19 September 2003 http://www.e-trustmarks.lu Bogdan Manolea

15. Thank you ! Bogdan Manolea bogdan@internews.org www.riti-internews.ro