试题出自试卷《辽宁大学2017年考博英语真题》

In any commercial transaction a consumer must have confidence that the business whose product they are about to purchase is reliable and that the product being offered is worth the price that is paid. The importance in gaining and maintaining is especially true when the consumer and business do not share commonalities of geography, culture and/or legal framework. The best companies always understand this expectation and continually strive to exceed it. Other companies —including many newer online merchants—may have good intentions, but lack the skills or experience to turn the consumer’s expectation into a reality. A few companies will intentionally seek to exploit this consumer’s expectation.
How to separate these companies in a virtual world is not always easy, and has been the subject of intensive discussion by consumer groups, businesses and governments. Moreover, policing the companies in the virtual market place is perceived to a daunting challenge. These discussions have generally focused on three key ideas.
Codes of Conduct for On-line Business: Individual corporations, business associations and/or governments around the world have worked to develop Codes of Conduct, Guidelines. Principles, or Best Practice, etc. for on-line businesses. They describe the actions that a Company should take to protect a consumer’s rights. They may be included on the company’s website and a consumer can review them before making a purchase.
Trademark: To increase consumer’s confidence that a company will act in accordance with a code of conduct or best practices, a third party “Trustmark” is often used. The concept is that by displaying “Trustmark”. The company represents that it is subject to external oversight. The company would not be allowed to display the third party mark if the company’s action were inconsistent with what is contained in the “Code of Conduct” or similar document. Trustmark’s are most useful when they have strong brand recognition and credibility among customers.
Dispute Resolution: Consumer’s confidence relies on the belief that any dispute will be settled quickly and fairly either by the company directly or through some other means. In the bricks and mortar world a consumer usually has the ability to inspect product before purchasing it and—if it is defective—return it for a refund, repair or replacement. Most of companies see this form of dispute resolution as their own best interest and an extension of their customer relation programs. While the same holds true in the world of on-line transactions, the critical difference is that a consumer can’t inspect the product before purchasing, and instead has to rely on the merchant’s photos or descriptions of the product. In both the traditional and on-line world, when dispute cannot be resolved directly between the consumer and the company, the merchant and the consumer must resort to other means. These often include appeals to consumer protection agencies, recourse to the courts, or use of alternative dispute resolution systems.
41. The topic of the article is_______.
42. When there exist differences in culture, legal framework and geography between consumers and businesses, what appear(s) more important?
43. What are the three focuses discussed and considered important in market place?
44. In which case is Trustmark most influential?
45. What are other ways to resolve disputes besides refund, repair and replacement?