UNFAIR TERMS IN CONSUMER CONTRACTS

Abstract

The article deals with the concepts and signs of unfair terms in contracts with the participation of consumers. National legislation contains a warning that the seller (performer, manufacturer) has no right to offer in the contract and include unfair terms. In the European Union, such relationships are governed by Council Directive 93/13/EEC of 5 April 1993 On Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts,which is horizontal in scope and applies to contracts to which the consumer and the seller/supplier are parties. The Directive states that an unfair term is recognized as a condition of a contract that was not individually negotiated, if, for breach of the requirement of good faith, it causes significant discrepancies in the rights and obligations of the parties arising from the contract, to the detriment of the consumer. Unlike national legislation, the Directive contains an exhaustive list of unfair terms. For example,conditions having a purpose or intention: a) to exclude or limit the legal liability of the seller or supplier in the event of death or injury to the consumer because of the activity or inaction of such a seller or supplier. b) to conclude an agreement that will oblige the consumer, according to which the provision of services by the seller or supplier will depend on the personal desire of the latter. c) automatically extend the contract of the specified duration, when the consumer does not show the opposite desire, if the specified deadline for the expression of the consumer’s desire is unreasonably short, etc. Such a list of conditions that may be considered unfair is inexhaustible. A study of national legislation shows that unfair terms of the contract violate the principle of good faith and lead to a significant imbalance of contractual rights and obligations and cause harm to the consumer. The presence of these conditions is the basis for their recognition as invalid, and in some cases invalidation of the contract as a whole.