Understanding Legal Terms in E-Commerce
It certainly can seem like there are average things and then there are things you don’t want to say “no” to. Things that you try, fall in love with, and keep hoping you’ll get to do in the future or have more of-or even go back in time and get another shot at past chances.
I mention all of this because even beyond the beauty and fashion choices we face, there is legal terminology to be aware of. To be fair, we aren’t always going to know what something means. We may not even know why it matters. But every now and then, it doesn’t hurt to stop and think about something before you sign up for it to happen or you encounter a surprise condition.
How about comprehensive hold harmless release agreements? It is vague enough that the words would mean something quite different in a legal context than they would without context. But they also imply more meaning than what might be first assumed. A hold harmless release agreement may be a way of saying that even though something may go wrong, you won’t sue for damages. But it could also refer to something being present that isn’t causing any negative impact.
On its surface, it doesn’t seem like the kind of thing you’d run into as part of the Amnazone experience. But perhaps that’s where the beauty appointment lessons come into play. We live in a world where we can curate our lives with choices. Sometimes that can be beneficial when so many services and products can end up being a bad fit or even harmful. And in e-commerce, there’s an extra degree of separation.
From an e-commerce point of view, you could be looking at an ordering system that has some terms and conditions included at checkout on the actual invoice. But it could also be something that you have access to by following the link underneath the product you want to order.
In some cases, you may be clicking a box that says you agree to whatever you’re about to read. That can sometimes seem like a lot of legalese-very little of which may relate to the purchase. Other times, it is extremely relevant in regard to where you can use the product or issues with liability.
So sometimes it can seem like there are details that don’t matter. And other times, it can be a situation where you really want to be perfectly clear about what it says. Either way, it is best to simply look over the details so you know exactly what it is you’re getting into.
In this case, I’ll put together a scenario that could happen in the Amnazone experience as a probably example of a likely transaction. Say you are buying a sunscreen for the first time. You are excited to try out this brand of sunscreen for the first time. You have already put together some skincare routine thoughts via some quick research. And during your search, you find that the sunscreen you have your eye on also happens to have a hold-harmless release clause spelled out on the order page. So, just why does the sunscreen have all of these disclaimers? Do you stop to look up what it means to see if maybe you want to change selections?
Well, it seems pretty innocuous. The hold-harmless release agreement basically implies that the company is liable for any damages like if it ends up giving someone a rash. Or if it claims to do something but then doesn’t do anything. In other words, if you try the product out and you didn’t get the results you hoped for, the company doesn’t offer refunds or anything like that.
Okay, so really, this is nothing new. It seems to imply you don’t need to do any individual research on it; all you need to do is read the results to see if you want it for yourself. And everything seems okay.
But I’m going to look at the fine print. I skimmed over the main purchase link and the click-to-agree version and seemed to see that it was basically like the above. And yet…could hold-harmless release agreements actually be something that would ever pop up at all related to a facial cream? It seems unbelievably specific. A skincare product may be easy to understand, but it just might not seem right to have something with that level of legal jargon. This is such a specific way to address liability and legal issues that it seems like a good idea to make sure there aren’t any long lists of conditions or anything.
So before I make my purchase, I search for “hold harmless release agreement” and the name of the brand/maker of the product. For instance, if I’m buying a Lancôme product (a subsidiary of LÓreal), I would look up the product and possibly see if its “hold-harmless” or “release agreement” is mentioned. And without fail, it seems to be alongside its privacy policy and terms and conditions. I find the link and blood pressure app raises and all seems well.
That being said, why exactly would there be hold harmless release agreements on facial creams? I’m sure there actually is something to be said for companies making all types of products aware that they can be held liable for any results. However, when it is something as specifically niche as a skincare product, the idea of this holding true seems like it will be one of those things that looks better on paper than it does in practice.
However, from the limited information offered so far, it seems like a reliable brand I want to buy from. And that makes a big difference.
My first impression isn’t just a company I only respect for their safety protocol. Instead, I can also appreciate that the company came up with an extra layer of legal protection for anyone trying the product. It makes me draw the conclusion that the company looks out for both its own interests and the interests of the buyer. From that perspective, it seems like a good fit.
The bottom line? Informed decisions as a consumer are beneficial in so many ways. And while we find ourselves moving as fast as we can to check off items on our to-do lists, we can’t help but move too quickly into situations where we might end up regretting what we didn’t read. But even if there is no clear danger presented in the terms, it never hurts to take the extra time to read the details; not just to see if something could go wrong but to also appreciate what you’re actually buying.
