Nobody reads terms and conditions: it's official

Many hosting companies say that they offer "Unlimited disk space/bandwidth." Obviously this is impossible, but the people who purchase it believe it. In the Terms Of Service of these companies it clearly states that they have a maximum amount of space that can be used. Business often take advantage of the fact that people do not read the TOS.
 
I will admit, that when i get a screen where i am supposed to agree to the information, i normally just scroll down passed it or skip it and agree. There is always pages on pages of reading.
 
Well, It depends on importance I'd say. If its just a TOS for some software I'd scroll it because I've already paid for it(or not :) ) but if we are talking about hosting services I always read content and payment rules
 
Yes, it is true. No one likes to read long and boring TOS, but there is always a way to encourage clients to read terms and conditions. For example it is possible to hide a discount in TOS. And if a client reads to a definite place in the TOS he will find a promo code which gives some discount.
 
DynaBoot said:
but there is always a way to encourage clients to read terms and conditions. For example it is possible to hide a discount in TOS.
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In the UK you would not be allowed to do this, I tried this when i was first started. As with all our TOS and any changes we make, we ask the local trading Standards to look over them to make sure they comply with current legislation. this was one thing we were told to remove as TOS and just that and you cant hide sales pitches or offers within these.
 
I totally agree with you but the main reason people do not read TOS because its a trusted company or many people read half only 1 or 2% people read completely.
 
Dedicatedslots said:
I totally agree with you but the main reason people do not read TOS because its a trusted company or many people read half only 1 or 2% people read completely.
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but as long as you have a valid and legal TOS to cover all most situations and then a tick box at the order stage where clients have to tick to say they read and understood your TOS before they can complete the order, then in the eyes of the law the client has accepted your TOS. In the UK if you offer monthly hosting then your TOS only last a month, then as they make the following payment, they are automatically accepted the TOS for that month.
 
I skim through them but ya they are too long so I don't read them.
If they were shorting and to the point that would be better.
 
bunnykins said:
I skim through them but ya they are too long so I don't read them.
If they were shorting and to the point that would be better.
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trouble is TOS have to explain in detail all points and need to cover most situations that may arise or a host could leave themselves wide open if issues arise that are not in their TOS
 
bunnykins said:
Ah good point there.
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we had our TOS checked with UK trading standards before we published them to make sure they complied with current legislation and when they arrived back it was like i full rewrite after removing parts, changing parts and adding bits. We even send them an amendments we plan to add, before we add them.
Only last week they contacted us requesting we make a small amendment to one point
 
FE-Michael said:
That is soo true I see this everyday! I know i don't read every tos i see or sign up with but i do skim though it tho.

Great Post!:D
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:thumbup:

I'm another one that doesn't read everyone of those terms and conditions pages. Especially if the tos is 900 billion words long and in small text. :crash:

Chad
 
Yeah, it's evident buyers rarely read the Terms and Conditions or Terms of Service of any product or service purchased online. It's the same when you are signing legal paperwork (sometimes). I see people (and sometimes I am guilty of it) just sign their name at the bottom because you were instructed to do so. You sign your name and date the page, but have you actually read anything in the document that you just signed?
 
In par with the others I do read the terms and agreement as well as privacy rules because If we do not know it then we could violate some rules that could hurt our fine reputation. Although most really find it a hassle to read a very long terms and conditions.
 
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