IT chiefs urged to check sales processes as OFT turnsspotlight on distance selling.

In October 2003, the Great Britain Office of Fair Trading (OFT) published a consultation paper aimed at the information technology (IT) sector explaining the legal obligations for businesses selling goods or services to people at a distance, whether over the Internet, by phone, or fax. The paper aims to encourage companies that are not meeting minimum legal requirements to change their ways. As the OFT has the power to publicly require sales processes to be changed and can impose fines on companies which fail to comply, businesses are advised to ensure their systems meet these detailed requirements.