Not too long ago, business deals might have been made by phone, with contracts, payments and agreements needing to be mailed or faxed. There is no denying that technology has changed the face of today's business dealings. Now, individuals can conduct business without ever meeting face-to-face or even having spoken by phone. While the ease of business increased, so did the risks. That's one reason DOTmed.com created the DOTmed certified program.

Although online marketplaces existed prior to DOTmed, medical equipment was largely overlooked or grouped in with other products. Realizing this, Phil Jacobus, CEO of DOTmed, founded the company in 1999 to link sellers of medical equipment with buyers. The site isn't muddied by non-medical listings and this allowed buyers to quickly locate what they need.

DOTmed users have the ability to leave feedback for buyers and sellers. This feedback helps lend some assurance to those wishing to do business with each other. Companies and individuals who sell on DOTmed also have the option to become DOTmed Certified. The certification was created as a good-will service gesture. To become certified, a seller must agree to abide by a code of ethics, agree to arbitration in the case of a dispute and provide three written letters of recommendation from people who have done business with them for more than a year.



Created in mid-November 2003, DOTmed Certified currently has roughly 360 people enjoying this elevated recognition. While DOTmed Certified does not necessarily signify that one person or company is better than another, it does serve as an introduction of sorts. No matter if a buyer is trying to locate a thousand dollar or million dollar piece of equipment, he or she wants to work with someone reputable. Certification is one way business people can benefit from a healthy reputation.

DOTmed.com also actively polices seller listings and has established a "Blacklist" of companies it will not allow to do business on the site. This Blacklist is available for all users to see, offering further protection for users. Even with these features, it is a good idea when doing business with a new company to ask for references. An easy way to ask for references is to post a request on the "Honest/Dishonest Forum" located on the DOTmed.com web site. This forum, DOTmed Certification, user feedback and the Blacklist are just some of the tools used to ensure a beneficial experience for all users.

Even though those business lunches and face-to-face meetings may not occur as much as they had in the past, DOTmed helps to provide familiarity between buyers and sellers and will continue to do so as long as business needs to be done.

Read more about ethics on DOTmed here.

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