AOL, MICROSOFT, OTHERS TEAM TO SECURE ONLINE SALES

AOL, Microsoft and five other high-tech companies plan to unveil global guidelines for consumer protection in an effort to make Internet shoppers feel safer, the Washington Post reported Tuesday.

The seven-company coalition, which also includes AT&T, IBM and Dell Computer, is expected to announce the proposal at a two-day Federal Trade Commission workshop that begins today (6/6).

The plan would include an international system to resolve disputes over online purchases, according to the Post. The companies are responding to uncertainty for consumers and online merchants alike, Ron Plesser, a Washington lawyer who coordinated the effort, told the paper.

The plan calls for any company signing on to it to abide by a set of guidelines that include full disclosure of the terms of sale, an opportunity to review the transaction and discussion of all costs involved in the deal and shipping. The guidelines also call for standards for cancellation, return and refund policies, for packaging that will ensure products get to the buyer in one piece, and security for the customers' personal records. Companies should also disclose customer service and support policies, warranty information, and privacy policies. And, whenever possible, discourage late-night, drunk online purchases of the Pocket Fisherman.