Selling web design services overseas

[Nathanael Jones]

Hi guys, I'm looking for a little advice today!

I'm a freelance web designer based in Ireland with the vast majority or my clients (Usually small businesses and tradesmen) based in the UK and Ireland. I've recently started to get enquiries from outside the EU and was wondering if there any legalities I need to be aware of when selling web design services to clients in America for example?

 

[faradaykeynes]

not as such, go banana

 

[The Resolver]

You need to, firstly,ensure the working relationship is governed by YOUR terms and conditions and by Irish law and that recourse is limited to the courts of Ireland. If you did not ensure this to be the case it could become quite costly to pursue a bad debtor or defend a claim against you.

You also need to clarify that you do not have knowledge of US law affecting website content (as opposed to the various EU regulations) so you do not warrant your output to so comply and indeed require an indemnity (and an effective one!) against any breaches resulting from the client's requirements.

The payment process also needs looking at. Bear in mind that if you do not set up either pre-payment or an escrow payment (whereby a third party holds the funds until completion - with terms to identify when to be released) then pursuing for bad debt could be much more difficult.
This makes an agreement within the terms to resolve disputes by ODR (Online Dipsute Resolution) vital.

I can supply appropriate t&cs tailored from my templates and advise on an appropriate ODR (through my US company's work- see sig) .

 

[Nathanael Jones]

Thanks @The Resolver - VERY good info there & a few points I hadn't thought of.