The Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999

Made: 22nd July 1999

Laid before Parliament: 22nd July 1999

Coming into force: 1st October 1999

Now, the Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by section 2(2) of that Act, hereby makes the following Regulations:–

Citation and commencement

1

These Regulations may be cited as the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 and shall come into force on 1st October 1999.

Revocation

2

The Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1994[^f00003] are hereby revoked.

Interpretation

3

• (1) In these Regulations–

• “the CMA” means the Competition and Markets Authority;

• “the Community” means the European Community;

• “complaint” means a complaint that any contract term drawn up for general use is unfair;

• “consumer” means any natural person who, in contracts covered by these Regulations, is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business or profession;

• “court” in relation to England and Wales and Northern Ireland means a county court or the High Court, and in relation to Scotland, the Sheriff or the Court of Session;

• “DETINI” means the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland;

• ...

• “EEA Agreement” means the Agreement on the European Economic Area signed at Oporto on 2nd May 1992 as adjusted by the protocol signed at Brussels on 17th March 1993[^f00004];

• “a local weights and measures authority” means a local weights and measures authority in Great Britain (within the meaning of section 69 of the Weights and Measures Act 1985);

• “Member State” means a State which is a contracting party to the EEA Agreement;

• “notified” means notified in writing;

• “qualifying body” means a person specified in Schedule 1;

• “seller or supplier” means any natural or legal person who, in contracts covered by these Regulations, is acting for purposes relating to his trade, business or profession, whether publicly owned or privately owned;

• “unfair terms” means the contractual terms referred to in regulation 5.

• (1A) The references—

• (a) in regulation 4(1) to a seller or a supplier, and

• (b) in regulation 8(1) to a seller or supplier,

include references to a distance supplier and to an intermediary.

• (1B) In paragraph (1A) and regulation 5(6)—

“distance supplier” means—

• (a) a supplier under a distance contract within the meaning of the Financial Services (Distance Marketing) Regulations 2004, or

• (b) a supplier of unsolicited financial services within regulation 15 of those Regulations; and

“intermediary” has the same meaning as in those Regulations.

• (2) In the application of these Regulations to Scotland for references to an “injunction” or an “interim injunction” there shall be substituted references to an “interdict” or “interim interdict” respectively.

Terms to which these Regulations apply

4

• (1) These Regulations apply in relation to unfair terms in contracts concluded between a seller or a supplier and a consumer.

• (2) These Regulations do not apply to contractual terms which reflect–

• (a) mandatory statutory or regulatory provisions (including such provisions under the law of any Member State or in Community legislation having effect in the United Kingdom without further enactment);

• (b) the provisions or principles of international conventions to which the Member States or the Community are party.

Unfair Terms

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• (1) A contractual term which has not been individually negotiated shall be regarded as unfair if, contrary to the requirement of good faith, it causes a significant imbalance in the parties' rights and obligations arising under the contract, to the detriment of the consumer.

• (2) A term shall always be regarded as not having been individually negotiated where it has been drafted in advance and the consumer has therefore not been able to influence the substance of the term.

• (3) Notwithstanding that a specific term or certain aspects of it in a contract has been individually negotiated, these Regulations shall apply to the rest of a contract if an overall assessment of it indicates that it is a pre-formulated standard contract.

• (4) It shall be for any seller or supplier who claims that a term was individually negotiated to show that it was.

• (5) Schedule 2 to these Regulations contains an indicative and non-exhaustive list of the terms which may be regarded as unfair.

• (6) Any contractual term providing that a consumer bears the burden of proof in respect of showing whether a distance supplier or an intermediary complied with any or all of the obligations placed upon him resulting from the Directive and any rule or enactment implementing it shall always be regarded as unfair.

• (7) In paragraph (6)—

“the Directive” means Directive 2002/65/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2002 concerning the distance marketing of consumer financial services and amending Council Directive 90/619/EEC and Directives 97/7/EC and 98/27/EC; and

“rule” means a rule made by the Financial Conduct Authority or the Prudential Regulation Authority under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 or by a designated professional body within the meaning of section 326(2) of that Act.

Assessment of unfair terms

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• (1) Without prejudice to regulation 12, the unfairness of a contractual term shall be assessed, taking into account the nature of the goods or services for which the contract was concluded and by referring, at the time of conclusion of the contract, to all the circumstances attending the conclusion of the contract and to all the other terms of the contract or of another contract on which it is dependent.

• (2) In so far as it is in plain intelligible language, the assessment of fairness of a term shall not relate–

• (a) to the definition of the main subject matter of the contract, or

• (b) to the adequacy of the price or remuneration, as against the goods or services supplied in exchange.

Written contracts

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• (1) A seller or supplier shall ensure that any written term of a contract is expressed in plain, intelligible language.

• (2) If there is doubt about the meaning of a written term, the interpretation which is most favourable to the consumer shall prevail but this rule shall not apply in proceedings brought under regulation 12.

Effect of unfair term

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• (1) An unfair term in a contract concluded with a consumer by a seller or supplier shall not be binding on the consumer.

• (2) The contract shall continue to bind the parties if it is capable of continuing in existence without the unfair term.

• (3) This regulation does not apply to anything that is governed by Article 6 of Regulation (EU) No 181/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 concerning the rights of passengers in bus and coach transport and amending Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004.

Choice of law clauses

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These Regulations shall apply notwithstanding any contract term which applies or purports to apply the law of a non-Member State, if the contract has a close connection with the territory of the Member States.

Complaints – consideration by Director

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• (1) The following bodies may consider complaints—

• (a) the CMA;

• (b) a qualifying body.

• (2) Where the CMA agrees to consider a complaint, it shall be under a duty to consider that complaint.

• (3) Where a qualifying body agrees to consider a complaint, it shall—

• (a) be under a duty to consider that complaint; and

• (b) notify the CMA of its agreement to consider that complaint.

• (4) The CMA, or as the case may be, a qualifying body shall give reasons for its decision to apply or not to apply for an injunction under regulation 12 in relation to any complaints which these Regulations require it to consider.

• (5) In deciding whether or not to apply for an injunction in respect of a term which the CMA or a qualifying body considers to be unfair, the CMA or the qualifying body may, if it considers it appropriate to do so, have regard to any undertakings given to it by or on behalf of any person as to the continued use of such a term in contracts concluded with consumers.

Complaints – consideration by qualifying bodies

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Injunctions to prevent continued use of unfair terms

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• (1) The CMA or, subject to paragraph (2), any qualifying body may apply for an injunction (including an interim injunction) against any person appearing to the CMA or that body to be using, or recommending use of, an unfair term drawn up for general use in contracts concluded with consumers.

• (2) A qualifying body may apply for an injunction only where–

• (a) it has notified the CMA of its intention to apply at least fourteen days before the date on which the application is made, beginning with the date on which the notification was given; or

• (b) the CMA consents to the application being made within a shorter period.

• (3) The court on an application under this regulation may grant an injunction on such terms as it thinks fit.

• (4) An injunction may relate not only to use of a particular contract term drawn up for general use but to any similar term, or a term having like effect, used or recommended for use by any person.

Powers of the Director and qualifying bodies to obtain documents and information

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• (1) The CMA , a local weights and measures authority or DETINI may exercise the power conferred by this regulation for the purpose of–

• (a) facilitating its consideration of a complaint ...; or

• (b) ascertaining whether a person has complied with an undertaking or court order as to the continued use, or recommendation for use, of a term in contracts concluded with consumers.

• (2) A qualifying body specified in Part One of Schedule 1 (other than a local weights and measures authority or DETINI), may exercise the power conferred by this regulation for the purpose of–

• (a) facilitating its consideration of a complaint ...; or

• (b) ascertaining whether a person has complied with–

• (i) an undertaking given to it or to the court following an application by that body, or

• (ii) a court order made on an application by that body,

as to the continued use, or recommendation for use, of a term in contracts concluded with consumers.

• (3) The CMA may require any person to supply to it, and a qualifying body specified in Part One of Schedule 1 may require any person to supply to it–

• (a) a copy of any document which that person has used or recommended for use, at the time the notice referred to in paragraph (4) below is given, as a pre-formulated standard contract in dealings with consumers;

• (b) information about the use, or recommendation for use, by that person of that document or any other such document in dealings with consumers.

• (4) The power conferred by this regulation is to be exercised by a notice in writing which may–

• (a) specify the way in which and the time within which it is to be complied with; and

• (b) be varied or revoked by a subsequent notice.

• (5) Nothing in this regulation compels a person to supply any document or information which he would be entitled to refuse to produce or give in civil proceedings before the court.

• (6) If a person makes default in complying with a notice under this regulation, the court may, on the application of the CMA or of the qualifying body, make such order as the court thinks fit for requiring the default to be made good, and any such order may provide that all the costs or expenses of and incidental to the application shall be borne by the person in default or by any officers of a company or other association who are responsible for its default.

Notification of undertakings and orders to the CMA

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A qualifying body shall notify the CMA–

• (a) of any undertaking given to it by or on behalf of any person as to the continued use of a term which that body considers to be unfair in contracts concluded with consumers;

• (b) of the outcome of any application made by it under regulation 12, and of the terms of any undertaking given to, or order made by, the court;

• (c) of the outcome of any application made by it to enforce a previous order of the court.

Publication, information and advice

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• (1) The CMA shall arrange for the publication in such form and manner as it considers appropriate, of–

• (a) details of any undertaking or order notified to it under regulation 14;

• (b) details of any undertaking given to it by or on behalf of any person as to the continued use of a term which the CMA considers to be unfair in contracts concluded with consumers;

• (c) details of any application made by it under regulation 12, and of the terms of any undertaking given to, or order made by, the court;

• (d) details of any application made by the CMA to enforce a previous order of the court.

• (2) The CMA shall inform any person on request whether a particular term to which these Regulations apply has been–

• (a) the subject of an undertaking given to the CMA or notified to it by a qualifying body; or

• (b) the subject of an order of the court made upon application by it or notified to it by a qualifying body;

and shall give that person details of the undertaking or a copy of the order, as the case may be, together with a copy of any amendments which the person giving the undertaking has agreed to make to the term in question.

• (3) The CMA may arrange for the dissemination in such form and manner as it considers appropriate of such information and advice concerning the operation of these Regulations as may appear to it to be expedient to give to the public and to all persons likely to be affected by these Regulations.

SCHEDULE 1 — QUALIFYING BODIES

PART ONE

1

The Information Commissioner.

2

The Gas and Electricity Markets Authority.

3

The Director General of Electricity Supply for Northern Ireland.

4

The Director General of Gas for Northern Ireland.

5

The Office of Communications.

6

The Water Services Regulation Authority.

7

The Rail Regulator.

8

Every weights and measures authority in Great Britain.

9

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland.

10

The Financial Conduct Authority.

PART TWO

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Consumers' Association.

SCHEDULE 2 — INDICATIVE AND NON-EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF TERMS WHICH MAY BE REGARDED AS UNFAIR

1

Terms which have the object or effect of–

• (a) excluding or limiting the legal liability of a seller or supplier in the event of the death of a consumer or personal injury to the latter resulting from an act or omission of that seller or supplier;

• (b) inappropriately excluding or limiting the legal rights of the consumer vis-à-vis the seller or supplier or another party in the event of total or partial non-performance or inadequate performance by the seller or supplier of any of the contractual obligations, including the option of offsetting a debt owed to the seller or supplier against any claim which the consumer may have against him;

• (c) making an agreement binding on the consumer whereas provision of services by the seller or supplier is subject to a condition whose realisation depends on his own will alone;

• (d) permitting the seller or supplier to retain sums paid by the consumer where the latter decides not to conclude or perform the contract, without providing for the consumer to receive compensation of an equivalent amount from the seller or supplier where the latter is the party cancelling the contract;

• (e) requiring any consumer who fails to fulfil his obligation to pay a disproportionately high sum in compensation;

• (f) authorising the seller or supplier to dissolve the contract on a discretionary basis where the same facility is not granted to the consumer, or permitting the seller or supplier to retain the sums paid for services not yet supplied by him where it is the seller or supplier himself who dissolves the contract;

• (g) enabling the seller or supplier to terminate a contract of indeterminate duration without reasonable notice except where there are serious grounds for doing so;

• (h) automatically extending a contract of fixed duration where the consumer does not indicate otherwise, when the deadline fixed for the consumer to express his desire not to extend the contract is unreasonably early;

• (i) irrevocably binding the consumer to terms with which he had no real opportunity of becoming acquainted before the conclusion of the contract;

• (j) enabling the seller or supplier to alter the terms of the contract unilaterally without a valid reason which is specified in the contract;

• (k) enabling the seller or supplier to alter unilaterally without a valid reason any characteristics of the product or service to be provided;

• (l) providing for the price of goods to be determined at the time of delivery or allowing a seller of goods or supplier of services to increase their price without in both cases giving the consumer the corresponding right to cancel the contract if the final price is too high in relation to the price agreed when the contract was concluded;

• (m) giving the seller or supplier the right to determine whether the goods or services supplied are in conformity with the contract, or giving him the exclusive right to interpret any term of the contract;