An electronic signature will not be accepted if it has not been accomplished through a method that has been approved for specific purposes by us.

Except for auction bids of U.S. securities or unless otherwise agreed, a transaction request becomes effective at the moment we send a confirmation message. In no instance does a transaction request become effective before we actually receive the request.

For jurisdiction and venue purposes, the point of transaction for a transaction request handled pursuant to this subpart is Parkersburg, West Virginia, regardless of from where the transaction request is transmitted or where the transaction request is actually processed.

An electronic signature and any electronic message to which it is affixed or attached may not be denied legal effect, including legal effect as a signature, a writing, or an original, solely because the signature or record is in electronic form.

In asserting a digital signature against you in any civil litigation or dispute, extrinsic evidence of authenticity as a condition precedent of admissibility (such as testimony about the scientific validity of digital signatures) is not necessary to establish:

(a) That a digital signature corresponds to a specific public key pair, and;

(b) That an electronic message to which the digital signature is affixed has not been altered from its original form.

(a) General. If your failure to exercise ordinary care substantially contributes to the submission of a forged signature, then you cannot claim that the signature is a forgery. However, we cannot invoke this section against you if we cannot first establish that we were reasonable in relying upon the signature. If we can do so, you bear the burden of production and the burden of persuasion in establishing your exercise of ordinary care. If you cannot do so, then you cannot claim that the signature is a forgery.

(b) Exception. This section has no application in any dispute involving a debit authorization or credit card transaction.

In no instance does our liability extend beyond the amount of the transaction.