Question

Is there a good way to reduce the amount of paperwork involved in online contracts? My agreements are generally very simple and go out to overseas suppliers and vendors. Setting up a new vendor can cost us close to a hundred dollars in courier fees to get the dcouments signed.

Answer

My suggestion is to use an online service where you can create your contract and collect a digital signature. Digital signatures can be as legally enforceable as pen and ink signauters and they greatly reduce the amount of time and resources required for physical documents.

There are several pay services available if you require a high level of detail in your document’s language, but most of our transactions are less than paragraph in length. We use the free service at signatureconfirm.com to create a semi-formal record with our vendors that detail things like order quantities, shipping methods, and terms of sale.

Please note: This article is intended for informational purposes only and is not specific legal advice. As an importer, it is your responsibility to meet all the legal requirements for importing goods.