Comment: No response is just bad form

I looked through the results of a study of Internet retailers recently, and was concerned - but unsurprised - at the number of sites that breach laws such as the Data Protection Act. The study, carried out by law firm Browne Jacobson, highlighted problems such as sites failing to provide appropriate consent forms for the use of personal data, and not offering clear contact details and company information.

Given the wealth of laws relating to the Web that firms must contend with, I'd find it stranger if all sites were managing to comply. I can imagine for smaller dot-coms, the onus of wading through the legislation or hiring a law firm for this task could prove too complex or too costly. Although all online retailers probably have some awareness of the requirements of the Data Protection Act, for example, I'm sure many firms could use advice to draw up an appropriate consent form. So I'd argue that much of the present non-compliance stems from a lack of real awareness or understanding, as opposed to an intention to deliberately misuse data.

But there is another topic relating to firms' use of data that I am much less forgiving about, and this is the ignored online form or email request. Obviously, I wouldn't appreciate a site retaining my personal details and sharing them with other firms for marketing purposes, without my knowledge or consent. But it can be just as frustrating when I spend time filling out an online information request form only to never hear back from the company.

A recent example is my experience with estate agent Douglas Allen Spiro. On its site, there is a link to a "How much is my house worth" section. Since valuations are a key part of the property business, I was impressed by its initiative and expected to find perhaps a rough pricing table for location and house size.

However, on following the link I was disappointed to be taken straight to a form requesting details such as my postal address, house type and contact information. But I took the trouble to fill out the requested details, encouraged by the guarantee posted under the form - "You will be contacted by one of our sales advisers within 24 hours".

Perhaps naively, I expected that a firm making this type of promise would make an effort to fulfil it. After all, if the estate agent had failed to respond to my request without the 24-hour contact guarantee, I would have filed the matter away as just another case of a site ignoring client emails. But owing to the promise, I made a point of watching out for the response and the lack of one stuck in my mind.

Obviously, it is important that companies take the time to familiarise themselves with the legal requirements of running a Web site, to protect their business and their clients. But the issue of customer requests is also a subject that firms should be taking seriously, though many sites, including Douglas Allen Spiro, are falling short.

Companies asking customers to submit online forms or send emails need to ensure that the technology and staff are in place to deal with these communications. Firms that do not have adequate resources at present might be wise to rethink their strategy, perhaps offering customers a more realistic response time, or reverting to the old-fashioned method of a telephone number or postal address.