Protection of confidential information is not yet assured, nor is the reputation of the marketers with respect to product quality, delivery dates, etc. The Service d'aide au consommateur, a non-profit organization that is completely independent of any vendor or marketer, will develop an accreditation process for marketers, as well as a mediation service to resolve disputes that may arise between marketers and consumers. Marketers who agree to be part of this process will be identified on the Web, and consumers will be able to recognize them. As part of a planned test project,100 consumers and 25 marketers, representative of the range of daily needs of a typical family, will test and fine-tune the process over a period of approximately two years. In terms of the results expected, the Service d'aide aux consommateurs considers that, through their business integrity and respect for confidential information, its accredited marketers will do much to help integrate electronic commerce into the daily life of the average person.
Consumers are reluctant to shop via the Internet.
They worry about their privacy, the safety of their transactions, and how long it will take to settle their disputes. The Smart Communities project offers an ideal testing opportunity, in which all the right conditions can be present. A GIS also means that a great deal of information can be made available to specific users as well as to the population in general. The organization's community-based Board of Directors will have ultimate responsibility for the project's success. The Board will set up working groups to define strategies for each sphere of activity.