Displaying credit card thumbnails

[grantglendinnin]

Go to their site, if you can buy their product for yourself (ie. invoice you at your home, not at the office or what-have-you) and deliver it to a residential address, then yes, they are most certainly in breach of the UK laws. Either point it out to them, or inform the OFT. Whether or not they will do anything is another story, they've never once followed up on a couple of cases I have informed them of, which included hard evidence (ie. a letter) of price fixing.

Some will say if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Don't. Do everything they don't do - give your potential customers a reason why you shine above the rest

Oh - and if you're worried about posting URL's, I wouldn't bother worrying. If they can't abide by the laws set out to protect you, me and the other ~60m of Brits, I doubt they have any morals either.

[Chunkford]

Sorry Paul, I should have said the same style of switch. I'm not using smoke and mirrors at all, I'm just working out the best way to compete with our main competitor.

Wasn't implying you are using smoke and mirrors

The best way to compete is to do it your own way.
I see plenty of people over worrying about competitors, and if your not too careful you can get obsessed.

As for getting the customers, if you give them all the information upfront they will make the decision themselves, sometimes with a little incentive too

[Nick C]

They were valid points Paul and I should have added a wink smiley to show I took your comment in good faith. As this is my first foray into on-line selling, I'm just keen to get it bang on first time, if possible.

[carbontwelve]

Under UK law you must display your prices including VAT unless otherwise stated, or of course if you're a trade-only retailer, then you can do whatever you like.

--Edit--

Wrong This was true until the early 2000's. You can now only show prices including VAT unless you are trade-only.

This is a bit like the showing products in pounds and KG in England, even now when I go down my local market a lot of the retailers show only prices per pound and no-body has complained, nor have the local authorities (a few of whom I have seen shop there) are too bothered because it is British tradition. Now when it comes to prices inc and exc vat I suppose the same applies so long as you make it clear, it is hard to be trade-only on the internet because any consumer can log on and purchase things but that doesn't mean you cant show prices without vat so long as its clearly marked... only difference is you shouldnt

Think of your market, if you are selling prodominantly to trade then show prices exc vat with notice otherwise you may loose customers whom quickly glance at the price and see it as costing too much - remember those vat registered dont "pay" vat (its a technicality), while on the flip side if your selling prodominantly to individuals whom glance at the vat free price and think they have caught a bargin to only find out at the shopping cart that their bargain just gained 15% then they are likely to look elsewhere - not because it will be cheaper elsewhere but because phycologically they feel duped.

Please excuse my spelling, dyslexia provails.