In France, all websites that are selling online, must indicate the legal notices below. All failure to one of this obligation could be punished with up to a one-year prison sentence, and up to a 75000€ fine for a natural person, and a 375000€ fine for a legal entity.
Compulsory Legal Notices
According to your legal structure:
- For a self-employed: Name, Firstname, Home.
- For a company : Business name, legal structure, headquarters or address of the structure (not a P.O box), capital stock, email address and phone number.
- For a business activity : Registration number to the official business authority (RCS in France).
- For a craft activity : Registration as such (Répertoire des Métiers in France)
- In case of business activity: individual tax id number, intra-Community VAT number.
- For a regulated profession: references to the professional ruled applied
Also the information below will be needed:
- name and address of the authority who delivered the authorization to practice the activity
- Name of the person responsible for publishing it.
- web host data : name, business name, address and phone number.
- for a trade website, General Terms and Conditions : prices (in euro and with tax), delivery time and cost, means of payment, after sales services, right of withdrawal, offer duration, cost of communication.
- simplified number from the CNIL , when you collect data on customers (not compulsory but advised).
In case of doubts, please ask advice to a lawyer.
Cookies management
If you are using cookies on your website you should :
- Inform visitors of your website their goal
- Get their consent
- Provide them a way to refuse it
The consent period validity must be of 13 months maximum.
Most CMS (PrestaShop, Woocommerce) include cookies, we then recommend you to inform yourself if you are using this type of solution.
Mediator appointment
From January 1st, 2016 all merchants must legally provide a mediation device, for free to their customers.
The mediation allows, in case of litigation, to involve a named third person (a mediator) in order to find an amicable solution and to avoid a legal action.
The access to a mediator is free for the customer, the procedure is realized at the merchant's expense.
The merchant must then indicate the mediator(s) contact details on his website, on his General Terms and Conditions, and his quotes, purchase orders, invoices...
Please find more information on:
Out of court procedures for consumers
Dispute resolution body