{"id":203159,"date":"2021-03-04T13:38:10","date_gmt":"2021-03-04T00:38:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/?p=203159"},"modified":"2026-01-07T15:57:44","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T02:57:44","slug":"selling-trading-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/e-commerce\/selling-trading-online\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are My Legal Obligations When Trading Online?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">More and more people are choosing to operate their businesses online, as there are many benefits to e-commerce. You can work from anywhere, and you have the potential to reach a broad customer base. But, online businesses still have to follow the same laws that physical businesses do. There are also laws specific to operating online that would be relevant to your online business. Having robust terms and conditions and other legal documents for your online business is imperative for avoiding liability. This article will cover some of the law that applies to your online business so that you are aware of your legal obligations and avoid liability.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Consumer Law<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Anyone that is \u2018in trade\u2019 has <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/regulatory-and-compliance\/consumer-guarantees-act\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">legal obligations<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to the consumers that they sell to. You are in trade when you:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">regularly sell goods or services;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">create products for the express purpose of selling them; or<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">regularly buy products with the intention of reselling them.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you only sell products occasionally, like selling old clothes on TradeMe or having a garage sale, you are not in trade.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You should clearly display somewhere on your website that you are in trade. This ensures that customers know that consumer laws apply to their transactions and contracts with your business. If you do not, you could open yourself up to legal penalties.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are two key areas of consumer protection law that you should know about as a business in trade. These are the:<\/span><\/p>\n<table class=\" lv-table lv-table--style-1\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 288px\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/regulatory-and-compliance\/what-is-the-fair-trading-act-in-new-zealand\/\"><b>Fair Trading Act<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 290px\">\n<p><b>Consumer Guarantees Act<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 288px\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You have an obligation to:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">clearly and accurately represent the good or service you provide;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">only make claims about your business that you can back up with facts or evidence;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">sell in good faith and not engage in any unfair sales tactics, such as bait advertising or harassment;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">follow the safety standards for specific products, like children\u2019s toys; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">disclose important information about your products, such as care labelling and country of origin.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 290px\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Your products must:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">be fit for purpose and have acceptable quality;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">match the description you give;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">match any photos or demonstrations that you provide;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">be sold at a reasonable price; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">be sold legally.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Your services must be:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">fit for their intended purpose;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">carried out with appropriate and reasonable care and skill;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">priced reasonably; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">finished within a reasonable time frame.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If a customer finds a reasonable fault with a good or service you provide, such as a damaged product, then you need to give them a remedy.<\/span><\/p>\n    <div class=\"my-7 lg:my-10 border-y-2 border-gray-100 py-7 lg:py-10 flex flex-col sm:flex-row items-start gap-10\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"w-52 mx-auto my-0! rounded\" src=\"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/02\/21064805\/online-business-nz.jpg\" alt=\"Front page of publication\"\n                 loading=\"lazy\" width=\"208\" height=\"298\">\n                <section>\n            <div class=\"text-2xl font-bold\">Guide to Starting an Online Business in New Zealand<\/div>\n            <div class=\"body-text\">\n                <p>This guide will help you learn how to launch your new online business.<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n            \n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/go.legalvision.com.au\/online-business-nz-guide.html\" class=\" block px-5 py-3.5 max-w-fit bg-orange button__hover transition rounded text-white font-bold text-lg no-underline uppercase leading-tight text-center\" target=\"\" rel=\"\">Download Now<\/a>        <\/section>\n    <\/div>\n\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Privacy<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If your business deals with a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/data-privacy-it\/personal-information-nz\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">customer\u2019s personal information<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, you must take steps to protect that personal information. Personal information is data that identifies a person, which includes:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">full names;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">IP addresses;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">email addresses;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">physical addresses;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">photos; or<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">payment information.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Privacy issues are becoming a more significant concern for consumers online, so make sure that you have relevant cybersecurity measures in place to protect your customers\u2019 information. Set this out in a privacy policy, so that you can clearly display your methods for keeping up with your privacy obligations as a business. This also lets customers know that you care about protecting their privacy rights.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"box box--info box--icon\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If your business deals with credit card transactions online, make sure you have a secure payment processing system that is PCI DSS compliant. This standard aims to prevent credit card fraud.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<a href=\"#content-next\"\n   class=\"block p-4 mt-10 text-xl font-bold text-center text-white no-underline bg-gray-800 rounded-t-xl\">\n    Continue reading this article below the form\n    <i class=\"text-xl fa-regular fa-arrow-down\"><\/i>\n<\/a>\n<div class=\"px-6 pt-10 pb-12 mb-10 text-center bg-gray-100 rounded-b-xl sm:px-12 test\">\n    <div class=\"mb-8 text-2xl font-bold text-orange\">\n        Need legal advice?\n        <br>\n        <span class=\"text-lg not-prose\">\n                            Call <a href=\"tel:+64800005570\" class=\"not-prose\">0800 005 570<\/a> for urgent assistance.\n                <br>\n                Otherwise, complete this form, and we will contact you within one business day.\n                    <\/span>\n    <\/div>\n\n    \n\n<div class=\"not-prose flex justify-center text-left gform_input_bg_white    \">\n    <script>\nvar 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You can take steps to protect that intellectual property, which may be a good idea for your business.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"box box--info box--icon\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For example, say you find that someone else is using the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/e-commerce\/how-to-resolve-a-domain-name-dispute-in-new-zealand\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">domain name<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> you intended for your business\u2019 website. If you can prove you have the intellectual property rights to use that name, this will favour you greatly.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Take care when using other people\u2019s intellectual property. If you do not have their permission to use their logo or business name, you will find yourself in legal trouble.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Record Keeping<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Like a brick-and-mortar store, you have certain <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/business-sale-and-purchase\/business-record-keeping\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">record-keeping obligations<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> attached to your business. If your business is audited or receives some other kind of investigation and your records are not up to date and kept in good condition, you could face legal penalties.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"box box--info box--icon\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For your online business, it may be convenient to keep your records in a cloud-based service. Just make sure you have reliable backups if something goes wrong.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tax Obligations<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You also have tax obligations, just like any other business. Make sure you register for GST if you:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">generate an annual turnover of over $60,000; or<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">include GST in your pricing.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You have to fill out your own tax returns, which will be much easier if you keep good records of your business dealings. The way you structure your business will affect what taxes you have to worry about, so if you are unsure, make sure to get legal or accounting help.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Key Takeaways<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-sheets-root=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Even though your business is online, you still have to follow the same laws any physical business would. Make sure you take steps to comply with your obligations, and note that this may function differently because you are operating online. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-sheets-root=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you would like more information or help with your online business\u2019s legal obligations, <\/span>LegalVision provides ongoing legal support for all businesses through our fixed-fee legal membership. Our experienced lawyers help businesses across industries manage contracts, employment law, disputes, intellectual property, and more, with unlimited access to specialist lawyers for a fixed monthly fee. To learn more about LegalVision\u2019s legal membership, call <a href=\"tel:+64800005570\" class=\"AVANSERnumber dynamic-number\">0800 005 570<\/a> or <a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/membership\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">visit our membership page<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1614817789094\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Will my online business have the same obligations as a physical business?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Your online business still trades and sells goods or services, so you will be liable under the same laws any physical business would. You may also have some extra obligations unique to operating online.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1614817778675\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Is it easier to run an online business?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">It is true that some aspects of running a business online are more convenient. You do not have to worry about finding commercial property or deal with running a physical store. Whether it is easier to run an online business versus a physical business depends on the context and your unique situation.\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1614817769861\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What are my consumer law obligations as a business?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">If you are regularly selling goods or services to consumers, then you have certain legal obligations attached to that practice. You have an obligation to make sure your products work and are fit for purpose, and that you sell honestly and do not misrepresent any aspects of your business.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1614817764234\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Do I need to keep records if my business is online?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">All businesses need to keep records of their dealings, even if that business solely operates online. Organising your documents and keeping track of your business information means that you can avoid legal penalties later if you are audited. A cloud-based service can help, and make sure you back up important documents.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n<div class=\"not-prose m-feedback-prompt\">\n    <!-- Thumbs up\/down bar -->\n    <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__main\">\n        <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__title\">Was this article helpful?<\/div>\n        <div>\n            <!--span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button--text\">Thanks!<\/span-->\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button m-feedback-prompt__button--yes\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:yes\" aria-label=\"Agree\">\n                <i class=\"fa-regular fa-thumbs-up fa-3x\"><\/i>\n            <\/button>\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button m-feedback-prompt__button--no\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:no\" aria-label=\"Disagree\">\n                <i class=\"fa-regular fa-thumbs-down fa-3x\"><\/i>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Feedback form -->\n    <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form\">\n        <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--thanks \">\n            <div>Thanks!<\/div>\n            <p>\n                We appreciate your feedback \u2013 your submission has been successfully received.            <\/p>\n        <\/div>\n        <form id=\"contact-form\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--form\" action=\"\" method=\"post\">\n            <input type=\"hidden\" id=\"authenticity_token\" name=\"authenticity_token\" value=\"90c4126e1b\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wp_http_referer\" value=\"\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203159\" \/>            <input value=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/e-commerce\/selling-trading-online\/\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"currenturl\"\n                   id=\"currenturl\">\n            <input value=\"What Are My Legal Obligations When Trading Online?\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"currenttitle\"\n                   id=\"currenttitle\">\n            <label>\n                <!-- display on thumbs-up -->\n                <span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__feedback m-feedback-prompt__feedback--yes\">\n                    Can you tell us <span class=\"font-semibold\">why<\/span> you found it helpful?\n                <\/span>\n\n                <!-- display on thumbs-down -->\n                <span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__feedback m-feedback-prompt__feedback--no text-lg\">\n                    How can we better improve this article?\n                <\/span>\n                <textarea name=\"feedbackmessage\" id=\"feedbackmessage\" required><\/textarea>\n            <\/label>\n\n            <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--error\" id=\"form-submit-error\"><\/div>\n            <button id=\"submit-contact-form-button\" type=\"submit\" name=\"commit\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--submit\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:submit\">\n                Submit            <\/button>\n        <\/form>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>More and more people are choosing to operate their businesses online, as there are many benefits to e-commerce. You can work from anywhere, and you have the potential to reach a broad customer base. But, online businesses still have to follow the same laws that physical businesses do. There are also laws specific to operating<a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/e-commerce\/selling-trading-online\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"sr-only\">&#8220;What Are My Legal Obligations When Trading Online?&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13236,"featured_media":215630,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"1205,1176,218875,219097,153,1153","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[25,51,74,560,574],"class_list":["post-203159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-e-commerce","tag-small-business","tag-intellectual-property","tag-online-business","tag-record-keeping","tag-consumer-law"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Legal Obligations When Trading Online? | LegalVision<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you wish to sell products online, you need to understand the legal requirements. 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