Written by Fernando Maciá
Confianza Online is an Spanish association created in 2003 by Autocontrol and Adigital whose purpose is to give confidence to users when they make purchases on the Internet or browse websites.
To this end, a seal is used that is displayed on those websites that have been evaluated and have passed an analysis of more than 30 points. These points have to do with compliance with applicable laws on the Internet and with the association’s own code of ethics containing a decalogue of good practices that complements the laws in force. All individuals or companies that have a web page for institutional, corporate or commercial use may apply for the seal.
The seal can be displayed by websites that have been evaluated and have passed an analysis of more than 30 points.
According to the association, the advantages for members are several, among which are:
- The only seal with official recognition.
- Improves natural positioning in search engines.
- According to a study, it can increase conversion by more than 15%.
- The seals generate confidence in the users.
- Distinguishes the company as committed to good Internet practices.
An additional service available to members is the management of out-of-court claims. It is a system that allows to mediate and arbitrate between the consumer and the company, without any cost for the user. The average time to manage these claims is about 12 calendar days and more than 70% of the cases processed are resolved amicably between the parties, so a priori it seems a very useful service for both the user and the entity that obtains the seal.
The costs to obtain the identification depend on the annual turnover of the organization owning the Web, being currently the minimum annual fee less than 400€ + VAT. In addition, this fee includes a maximum number of claims to be handled by the association in a year, with an additional amount to be paid for claims exceeding the established limit. This limit will also depend on turnover.
The code of ethics that must be complied with by the Websites that obtain the seal was presented in November 2002 and came into force in January 2003. It has been modified in 2005, 2009, 2011, 2011, 2013 and 2015 to bring it up to current standards and will continue to do so to ensure that sites displaying in seal comply with the good practices proposed by the association.
The code consists of a set of standards divided into 4 main areas:
- Protection of personal data.
- Electronic contracting with consumers (E-Commerce).
- Digital Advertising.
- Protection of minors and adolescents.
For consumers, the seal identifies websites that have accepted commitments to Internet ethics and the rules of the association’s code of ethics. In addition, the user has the possibility of initiating a complaint free of charge and conveniently, via the Internet, for disputes that could not be resolved through customer service.
