Policy primer Tatiana Marchant

ASOS HOME PAGE: www.asos.com

ASOS is a global online fashion retailer.

With a central base in the UK, it ships to over 190 countries, including Australia

ASOS customers are funky, fashion forward, 16-34 year old men and women with an eye for style and trends..

According to the company profile, ASOS has 13.6 million unique users a month and in September 2011, 6.3 million registered users and 3.1 million active customers (www.asos.com)

Every single registered user would have had to register online to be able to buy ASOS products.

This registration includes ticking a box that says the user has read and understood the ASOS Terms of Service and Privacy Policy... But

how many people actually read these? And what are we agreeing to when we tick that box?

Here is a brief explanation of ASOS Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

ASOS, as on online retailer, requires customers to register their personal details including name, age, address, email address and credit card details if they wish to purchase from www.asos.com.

If a web user/customer cannot provide this information then they cannot purchase goods from the ASOS website

ASOS requires the customer information be accurate so that it can efficiently deliver goods to the customer.

ASOS also requests its BUYING customers be 18 years of age and the holder of a valid credit card. This assumes that its customer are at least of this age although they are targeting teenagers.

This personal information is also used to ‘conduct appropriate anti-fraud checks’ on behalf of the customer. ASOS states that it does not do credit checks on customers but states that customer’s information is available to other companies and affiliates that ASOS works with including courier companies, credit/fraud organisations and market research companies.

Australian customers should also note that their personal information does not stay in Australia but is shared with other companies in other countries for shipping and payment methods.

ASOS does not guarantee the secure transfer to other locations and companies and cannot guarantee privacy as those companies may have their own privacy policies and terms & conditions which the customer would unknowingly be subject to.

ASOS operates a blog that allows users to comment on. These comments are subject to ASOS privacy policy.

Users who contribute to ASOS blogs or Fashion Finder own all their content and can decide how it is shared – via Facebook, Instagram, Google+ and other sites – via their privacy settings

If these privacy setting are set to public then ASOS has ‘non-exclusive, transferrable, sub-licence, royalty-free, worldwide licence ‘ to use that content .

This content can also be shared with affiliated websites and third parties and can include the user’s name and profile picture.

ASOS members contributions to the websiteSource: http://fashionfinder.asos.com/womens-outfits/most-popular

User’s content is also subject to community guidelines which has its own link: http://fashionfinder.asos.com/community-guidelines.aspx

These guidelines include: • treating all members with respect and commenting appropriately •Respecting copyrighted material and not trying to pass off someone else’s work as your own•Not posting inappropriate or offensive content •Not posting slanderous or defamatory content that could be come a matter for the legal courts•All comments should be in English.

Failing to comply to the community guidelines can result in ASOS membership being cancelled and material edited or removed from the website.

Source: http://fashionfinder.asos.com/womens-looks/grunge,-punk,-chic!-109800

Asos.com provides an easy and convenient online shopping experience.

It also caters abundantly well for his target demographic customer –female/male 16-34 year olds with an eye for fashion and trends.

These customers needs to be aware of what they are signing up for when they become an ASOS customer : -

• Your privacy may be compromised if YOU do not take measures to protect it. ASOS does not take measure to protect your privacy.

• Your personal details cannot be guaranteed to be safe and secure as they make their way across the world to suppliers, service providers and third party companies associated with Asos.

• Any content you submit to the Asos website including comments, photos, images, illustrations and videos are subject to community guidelines that can be published and used on other sites without your knowledge or explicit consent..

HAPPY SHOPPING !

Source: http://www.asos.com/au/Women/Sale/Cat/pgehtml.aspx?cid=7046&WT.ac=HP|gen|top|women

ASOS terms and conditions: http://www.asos.com/au/infopages/pgetandc.aspx

ASOS Privacy Policy: http://www.asos.com/au/infopages/pgeprivacy.aspx

ASOS community guidelines: http://fashionfinder.asos.com/community-guidelines.aspx

Images: All fashion photos and screend shots taken from www.asos.com websiteAll illustrations under licence from www.shutterstock.com

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