Re: UKNM: Which webtrader scheme

[Steve Johnston]

Okay, I can't resist this thread any longer.


As a former Director of Development at the IMRG ( Interactive Media in

Retail Group http://www.imrg.org/ - all round good egg industry body

promoting standards and all that) I feel suitably qualified to contribute to

this matter.


When you learn that the Which Web Trader scheme was concocted by the

Consumers Association' s Commercial Director (slight paradox that) - a man

whose commercial instincts always struck me to be in direct conflict with

the ethos of the CA  - you might begin to understand why it is failing to

deliver. The Web Trader scheme was created as a revenue generator by an

organisation that previously had spoken wisely if lately and a little

naively on the subject of internet shopping. The CA had little if any

credibility in the issues surrounding e-commerce when they proposed the

scheme, but through sheer weight of the Which? brand and a seeming lack of

real concern about the issues ahead launched it anyway. We told them at the

time we thought it was flawed.


Whilst at the IMRG I wrestled big time with the update to the IMRG's Code of

Practice for E-commerce ( http://www.imrg.org/hallmark/code.htm ) and with

the problems in providing a meaningful frame of reference for online traders

and with the attempt to create a self-funding mechanism for policing it. To

some extent the IMRG both succeeded and failed in this regard. I am very

satisfied that the IMRG Code is a valuable reference, but we failed to find

a way in which the organisation could support a mechanism for policing it to

the satisfaction of the industry, so we didn't go for big, high profile

stuff, and the Code of Practice remains a voluntary scheme. The IMRG

struggles on with these issues and deserves support (well I would say that

wouldn't I).


Whether or not the CA really care about policing is hard to tell, what I do

know is that the webtrader scheme's genesis and the challenges of responding

to complaints and sanctioning offenders will consign it to uselessness. So

avoid at all costs, is my advice.


Cheers,


Steve Johnston

----------------------------------------

stevejohnston [dot] co [dot] uk

t: +44 (0) 7050 6050 33

f: +44 (0) 8707 3455 33

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*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********


On 20/03/00, at 15:09, Ian Fenn  wrote:


>Ian wrote about Which webtrader:

>>And they also make a pretty poor job of leading by example. Upon initial

>>application, you are told it will take 1 month to process, and also told

>>strictly not to contact them during that period.

>>

>>We had to resubmit, due to a couple of non compliances, and we still

>haven't

>>heard back two months later. Now if we offered our customers service like

>>that ....

>

>The situation isn't any better if you contact them as a consumer. They

>continually failed to respond within the time limits they set members to

>achieve and it was only after I emailed the director of the consumer

>association that I finally received a response - and rather worthless it

>was too.

>

>It's annoying as certain ISPs are spreading the myth that a web retailer

>may only be considered reliable if they are a member of the scheme.

>

>I wonder if http://www.trustuk.org.uk/ will be any better?

>

>All the best,

>

>--

>Ian Fenn MA

>Member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals

>http://www.chopstix.net/ - Chinese cooking on the web!



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