Anyone using Echosign?

Anyone using Echosign?

Didn't find your answer?

I've looked at this as an option to get clients to sign letters of engagement, accounts and tax return online rather than posting them or scanning and emailing.

Does anyone here actually use it, and if so how have you found it?

Replies (15)

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Universe
By SteveOH
01st Jun 2010 23:00

Just about to start using it

I looked into it a couple of weeks ago and tried the test that was on their website. I also emailed them regarding my concerns about the legal standing of the online signatures. They answered my queries adequately so I will start to use Echosign straightaway.

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Adrian Pearson
By Adrian Pearson
02nd Jun 2010 12:43

Yes - it's so much quicker

I have used Echosign and found it really easy to use.  Wouldn't do it any other way now.

Adrian Pearson

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By AGTinney
02nd Jun 2010 14:29

Yes I have been using it since August 2008

I initially only used it for self assessment tax returns for y/e 05/04/08.

Then I extended it to P35's and P11D's and P11D(b)'s for y/e 05/04/09 and from this January I have used it for both statutory accounts and CT600's (spurred on by a client who is now in the Ukraine and could not get post back to UK in time for filing deadline).

I have found it to be very useful in providing a speedy turnaround.

I have had a glitch with using Internet Explorer in viewing PDF's of the signed document. This was solved by using Mozilla Firefox for Echo Sign.

I certainly recommend it.

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By DocuSign
06th Jun 2010 18:50

Interested in Electronic Signature with Workflow?

My name is An and I saw you asked a question about electronic signature tools, to see if you can use them to get signed documents from your clients. 

Take a look at electronic signature from DocuSign - we enable you to send, sign and manage your documents to shorten sales / approval processes with your clients or prospective clients. We also offer a 30 day free eSignature trial, which offers you full functionality, so you can use it without risk. 

Hope that helps!

 

-- An Bui DocuSign Social Media http://www.docusign.com/blog

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By GarethHughesFCCA
07th Jun 2010 00:00

To Adrian
Hi Adrian

Are you on the $40 PCM plan where you can customise with corporate logo? I'm thinking of upgrading for that reason.

Also, do you send your covering letter by email then say the email will be followed by the accounts via echosign?

Just interested as to how other people operate!

Gareth

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By chatman
25th Aug 2010 03:40

How would you produce your evidence in court?

With an old-fashioned physical signature, you could simply produce the signed paper document in court as evidence. What would you produce as evidence in the case of an electronic signature?

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By happy
25th Aug 2010 07:16

Electronic signatures

Chatman this should answer your question -

www.echosign.com/static/AboutE-Signatures.pdf

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By chatman
28th Aug 2010 04:01

Digital signatures as evidence in court

Thanks Happy; I had a look but could not see anything. My point  is this: what if I am in court, claiming someone signed a document with Echosign and the judge said "prove it". I could show them a document with the computer font signature that Echosign puts on it, but what if they say "it looks like you did that yourself". How can I prove that I didn't?

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By happy
28th Aug 2010 11:08

Echosign

Chatman - re-read the help sheet I pointed you to it is very clear if you read it.  Any further concerns I suggest you contact EchoSign direct they are very helpful.

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By chatman
28th Aug 2010 18:25

Sorry for being stupid

Thanks Happy, I appreciate the help you have given me, so I do not expect you to respond again as you might feel you are banging your head against a brick wall. I think I am being really dumb, as I have searched the document you pointed me to, and cannot find any reference to how evidence of an electronic signature would be produced in court. I have even done a search of the document on the word "court" to no avail. I appreciate that an electronic signature is legally binding (as is an oral contract), and the document is very clear on that score. However, my question relates not to that, but to how it would be evidenced in court.

If anyone else can copy and paste the text from that document which explains how the evidence of an electronic signature would be produced in court, I would be very grateful.

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By chatman
30th Aug 2010 22:35

Response from Echosign

I have had the following response from Echosign:

"The most effective option would be to Share the document from the manage tab with some court appointed asset.  This will provide a link to the authoritative original on our system.  Anything else could be argued to be a 'copy' or somehow fabricated document in the eyes of highly sceptical parties." 

It does not, therefore, appear to be that easy. I think if I needed to provide evidence in court of an Echosign signature, I would take along a laptop with an internet connection, and an expert witness and to explain to the court what was happening on the screen. However,  for a small-value case, I do not know whether it would be worth it.

Having said that, my own procedures for evidencing a client's agreement consist only of a series of emails and/or a scan of a signed page, both of which are at least equally open to allegations of fabrication.

Maybe when digital signatures are more common and the courts have seen more cases involving them they will be easier to use in court.  Having said that, I have absolutely no idea how often they arise currently in court cases; maybe they are commonplace and judges know all about Echosign and Docusign. Would be good to have have the opinions of David Winch and Charles Verrier on this.

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By cassandra
05th Oct 2010 14:49

I have found SignatureSense.com to be even better

 Hi All,

Someone recommend I look into SignatureSense.com, and after some research into other companies such as Co-Sign I decided to go with SignatureSense as they had a much simpler signing process as well as secure storage of all documents sent and came in cheaper in price; my document recipients also found the signing process very simple.  I did some due-diligence and very happy with their service.  Here is a link to their site if interested www.signaturesense.com.  So far I have seen a reduction in the costs and time taken to dispatch my contracts and have them signed buy all parties, so I shall definitely be using them in the future.

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By chatman
05th Oct 2010 21:10

Does SignatureSense have any way of evidencing signatures in cou

Hi cassandra - Do you know if SignatureSense has any way easy of evidencing signatures in court. It appears that Echosign does not (see above).

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By cassandra
06th Oct 2010 09:36

Audit trail

 Hello, well I did the free trail which is available and ran through the whole process which was incredibly simple and received the final PDF where it demonstrated how it captured at the beginning of the document a signature log (an audit trail) of the date agreed, logged IP address, a time stamp and signature reference and a statement which verifies the document execution.  I did some due-diligence and found this to be exceptable, they also store all the doc's on their Rack-space server which is very reputable - works for me. 

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By chatman
06th Oct 2010 12:03

Thanks

I will give the free trial a go. 

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