[NA] Terms of Sale, Warranty Details, et al

[AggieMike88]

TL;DR --- Can a business have on their printed invoice something like, "For complete terms of sale, warranty details, etc, see CompanyURL.com/terms_of_sale_page", and that becomes an extension or replacement to what would be printed on the face or reverse of the invoice? Also those same terms are enforceable per common business practices and applicable state law.


I need to revise, edit, expand, change the terms of sale, warranty details, and more for my business. As we stand now, to cram EVERYthing onto the invoice that covers all the product types, types of sale, types of customer, etc., I have to run it as 8-point type and it still fills up the entire reverse side of the invoice. It literally a wall of text that would out do one of @denverpilot's 3:48am contributions to this board.

Due to the wide variety of product types, their own complexities, the terms of the sale and warranty will vary. Engines are done one way, electronics another, and A/C compressors can be their own form of crazy. I also want to make it easier for the customer to learn how our warranties work, and what is needed to make a claim, and how we go about processing the claim (low dollar stuff, simple, but the more expensive and complicated products, we get more in depth)

This information also needs to be published to my website as our offsite B2B and B2C business expands.

It would be a simple thing to change my invoice forms loaded into the printer to have "You must know this" items on the face, then the top bullet points on the reverse, and both sides have a line saying, "Full details that apply and are enforceable for this sale can be found at ________.com/terms_of_sale"

But before I spend buckets of time doing this, I need to know if when I need to use that to show a customer that "the line in the sand" is there and why they are not going to get a refund, or provide a customer information on what the warranty is, how they need to validate, and how they go about making a claim, this is legal within Texas.

 

[sferguson524]

What about an electronic invoice being emailed to them with your terms outlined in it?

 

[Ravioli]

Mike - in short, yes.

I often hear interesting explanations of UCC, ISO, and SOX requirements in this area. Usually traceable back to the same fossil that uses a typewriter on pre-printed forms who Faxes, makes a copy for a physical file cabinet, and then MAILS the original with an envelope and stamp.

You'll want to have confirmation that the terms were sent and received via email when the customer is set up. I ask companies to enter the date of the confirmation in the customer record. Then if you change your terms you can send a mass emailing with the new terms and update the dates they've accepted. The URL on your trade documents is then a reminder of what they've agreeed to.

Works for recurring customers. You'll need to modify a bit if you're mostly 'One-time Customers' and/or heavy over the counter sales.

 

[Dana]

If I was the customer I'd be nervous. A paper copy is something I could keep. If it's online, what's to keep the seller from changing the terms on the website after the sale?

 

[Craig]

Mike: use something like a macro that only prints the warranty info for what is purchased on the invoice. If you invoice an engine, then only that warranty info gets attached and printed.

 

[SoonerAviator]

If I was the customer I'd be nervous. A paper copy is something I could keep. If it's online, what's to keep the seller from changing the terms on the website after the sale?

Well, I would imagine a customer could simply print it if they really wanted it. Also, I'm sure that it wouldn't be too difficult to prove that a version had been changed on the web if a legal-entanglement were to occur. There are cached website pages viewable through the normal avenues.

 

[AggieMike88]

What about an electronic invoice being emailed to them with your terms outlined in it?

This is a good idea, and is something that my Yard system is capable of to a limited sense.

However, nearly 80% of my business is delivery to commercial shops and other salvage yards... And all of them work off of paper, so they are expecting paper. And my system currently doesn't have a mobile solution that would permit a Square style transaction that acknowledges delivery, collects payment, and then emails a "paid in full" copy that is tied into the home side database.

 

[AggieMike88]

Mike - in short, yes.

I often hear interesting explanations of UCC, ISO, and SOX requirements in this area. Usually traceable back to the same fossil that uses a typewriter on pre-printed forms who Faxes, makes a copy for a physical file cabinet, and then MAILS the original with an envelope and stamp.

Boy does this describe a significant quantity of the yards I trade with. Parts quality is good, so is service and price. But they are still using Okidata dot matrix printers to generate the invoice on a 3-part form. I get the top or bottom copy when the part is delivered, and then the middle one in my statement envelope at the first of the month. Which means they likely are retaining that third one in a file cabinet with the others they have generated over the years.

You'll want to have confirmation that the terms were sent and received via email when the customer is set up. I ask companies to enter the date of the confirmation in the customer record. Then if you change your terms you can send a mass emailing with the new terms and update the dates they've accepted. The URL on your trade documents is then a reminder of what they've agreed to.

Works for recurring customers. You'll need to modify a bit if you're mostly 'One-time Customers' and/or heavy over the counter sales.

I see what you're saying about recurring customers. And could work once I gather company emails I don't have. There are a few additional wrinkles to iron out though, especially since the folks who I need to hold accountable to these online sales terms are the minions within the company who likely didn't (and may never) get the email I sent to the overlord owner or bookkeeper. I might set up a time for us two to meet and let me pick your brain on these details.


What are your thoughts for the local/regional/out-of-state retail "One-Times" that I never meet in person and OTC's that do come by in person?

 

[paflyer]

Use a bigger piece of paper.

Or, simplify your business practices. How about a "no questions asked" refund policy up to xx days? Can you say "competitive edge"? I knew you could!

 

[AggieMike88]

Mike: use something like a macro that only prints the warranty info for what is purchased on the invoice. If you invoice an engine, then only that warranty info gets attached and printed.

While I can do a business specific one like you suggest (that's covered in the Preferences and Settings area of the system), I'm not able to do it for part specific in an automated fashion.

I can (and do) have the ability the double-click a "pre-created insert" before the invoice is finaled and printed. And a few are part specific. But the amount of space on the invoice isn't enough to cover the entire 8-point type on a full page of information with red circles and lines and a paragraph on the front of each one to be used as evidence against the customer.

So I can do a short part-specific thing, but I'm wanting to noodle out a way to direct the customer's attention to web page to get the deeper details they need to be made aware of.

 

[AggieMike88]

Use a bigger piece of paper.

That might become dangerous! They say "Nature fills a vacuum" and I'll just get a wordsmith itch I have to fullfill. Then I'll be into an 8.5x14 piece of paper and 8 point type.

Or, simplify your business practices. How about a "no questions asked" refund policy up to xx days? Can you say "competitive edge"? I knew you could!

NQA is actually there already. And you're correct that it improves the perception of better service over my competition.