Assuming Responsibility toward the Advertiser in Electronic Trade in Jordan Legislations: A Comparative Study

Abstract

This paper presents limitations, problems and hurdles in e‐commerce usage in Jordanian context, paving the way for further e-commerce studies in developing countries generally. Comparisons were made between countries, and the results could be valuable even at international level. Main limitations of e‐commerce from the viewpoints of company as service provider and also from the customers are elaborated. This study found six major limitations of e-commerce in Jordanian context as follows: security and trust; internet experience; enjoyment; language; legal issues; and technology acceptance (ease of use and usefulness). Clearly, these limitations are non-technical, and could be attributed to the lack of legislation on e-commerce. Also, the general directives of the Jordanian civil law appear inadequate in regulating the accountability of e-commerce service provider. Also, varied attitudes were found towards who should be accountable for the electronic trade advertiser in the legislations. The study enriches the relevant literature as it presents and discusses the limitations that may justify the viewpoints of customers concerning the advantages and disadvantages of e-commerce.