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Electronic Signatures: A Sign of the Times

Which is more futuristic, the fax machine or electronic signatures?

Despite seeming like an ugly relic from an 80's office, like asbestos or sexual harassment, the fax machine is the more modern of the two devices. A form of electronic signatures have been used via Morse code since the American Civil war. So why is it that electronic signatures are not more prominent nowadays? We are still seeing print, sign and scan being used which seems so cumbersome and manipulatable. Why do we risk having a stranger verify that the idiosyncratic claws and furls of our signature match an original, written probably years previously?

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Is there an issue with trust and legitimacy? Do we see electronic signatures as dangerous and somehow less binding than a pen and ink signature? This is a notion that we are trying to erode as electronic signatures are the best method of getting signed rental agreements and other important documents in a quick and safe way. They keep the document secure from any risk of malevolent third parties, and provide a quick, legal way to get documents signed by people that may be thousands of miles away.

Rental agreements signed by your guests will legally protect you from liability in the wake of any damage. They give your guests a guarantee of what they can expect from your property and their rights as a customer. They are legally binding and the most effective way to ensure security for you and the guests booking your properties. But, if your guests are sent a document that they have to print, sign and then scan or fax this adds numerous steps and delays in which your customers could opt for a simpler option. Electronic signatures allow you to have this layer of insurance without having to cause your customers unnecessary difficulty.
Here are three of the main advantages of using electronic signatures for your vacation rental business:

Safe and Secure
When implemented properly electronic signatures are of the safest and most secure ways to deal with sensitive information. They are binding and legally enforceable in almost every legal system in the world. They comply with legislation passed by the US and the EU that applies the legality of digitally signed documents. The information is encrypted and guarded with the same technology that banks protect their information with. Reading about the stringency of electronic signatures makes pen and paper transactions seem wilfully prosaic and alarmingly open to abuse.

Quick and Simple
The process works at any time, from any location and on any device. You simply send the document to the email address of your guest, via a specially secured channel. Your guests then choose a unique signature and confirm. The process is safe, easy and only takes a minute or two. It allows you to streamline your business without making any sacrifices or concessions to security.

Speed Up the Booking Process

In the frantic and distracting world of the Internet, any delay or reason to click on other sites is an opportunity for your customer to find another, simpler site. Electronic signatures removes this diversion and lets your guests book quickly without compromising the security of the transaction or the security of having a signed rental agreement.

Kigo will be implementing its eSignatures feature very soon, using the technology of Docusign to provide the safest and most effective process for using digital signatures. As paper transactions are eventually replaced, business are going to need to have this technology to stay competitive.

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