Why all the cloak and dagger?

[Gary Smith]

My current 'pet hate' is websites that don't provide a real person's name, an address (or even city/state/country) and in some cases no point of contact at all (except maybe via a 'domain privacy' email address).

For me it is really off putting and makes me immediately wonder whether the site/business is legitimate and just as importantly - whether the site owner is ashamed of the product(s) they are selling. If a website owner feels that they have to hide all of their contact details then I start to wonder what they have to hide. On all of my websites I provide my name, address and a contact point (either an email or my helpdesk).

I can't think of any good reason why a business owner would want to hide their details. I don't think 'privacy' is a legitimate reason - and I'm sure anyone who has run an offline business would agree. The mere thought of trying to hide your contact details or your name ... well it wouldn't be possible even if you wanted to. Offline business are governed by business and taxation laws and hiding your identity is severely frowned upon!

Anyway, I guess what I'm saying is that I can understand that we all may have been a bit paranoid when the big ol' internet was young but these days I think our customers should be allowed to know who we are and as time goes by I think more and more potential customers will be looking for the re-assurance that the site they are purchasing from has some real people behind it.

[Steven Fullman]

Thanks, Gary.

Name/Address/Telephone Number/Twitter ID/Facebook Handle/Skype No./Public Email/Support Email...will be given.

I'm totally with you. If you're giving the impression you can't be contacted EASILY...you're giving the impression you're a probable fraudster.

Steve

[GuerrillaIM]

I have been about to buy something on an ecommerce site then i check out the contact page and there is no address or telephone number. As soon as I see this I become concerned about what could happen if my order doesnt turn up or somehting is wrong with it. I usually go and pay a few quid more from a site that looks like it can handle customer service better.

[awesometbn]

Gary I see where you are coming from. Those kind of "blank" websites annoy me too. As a matter of habit I like to know where the website is based, such as the city and state, because I want to relate to it on some personal level. I would not feel comfortable doing business with a website or making a purchase unless I knew a little bit more detail that can be verified.

Having said that, I see no problem with an entrepreneur who creates a business entity, and simply promotes the contact details of that business. Do I really need to know the home address of the CEO at my bank? No, I just need to know where the bank branch is located. Same thing for the website. Too many people are doing their home business, online money making ideas, as a sole proprietor. That's without regard to identity theft, personal liability, and the list goes on. A little bit of business planning and promoting a consistent marketing image would make me, as a consumer of their product, much more at ease and comfortable.