Updated Services Terms and New Sale of Goods Terms

This month we are publishing a substantial update to our Business-to-Consumer Terms and Conditions of Service. Whilst technically an update, in that this document replaces one which we have offered for many years, this is an all-new template, written from the ground up in terms that have been designed to be as consumer-friendly as possible.

No longer are the terms and conditions couched in heavy business and legal terms. They have not lost any of their legal and business effectiveness, but can now be easily read and interpreted by an average consumer.

The updated Terms and Conditions of Service are suitable for use with a wide range of services and can thus be applied to most every-day service contracts.

Key Legal Points

There are a number of important legal points to be aware of when contracting with consumers. In service contracts, the most important laws to be aware of are:

- The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, prohibiting misleading or aggressive sales practices;
- The Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982, requiring that, among other things, goods and services are provided to consumers with reasonable care and skill;
- The Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977, prohibiting terms that excessively limit or exclude the seller’s liability;
- The Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999, providing further protection for consumers by, for example, ensuring good faith and avoiding significant imbalance in the rights of the parties.

It is important for all service providers to be aware of their obligations and the rights of their customers. The new Terms and Conditions of Service have been written with these laws in mind.

New Business-to-Consumer Sale of Goods Terms & Conditions for Bespoke Goods

A new addition to the Business portfolio this month is a variant of last month’s newly-written Sale of Goods Terms and Conditions designed for sellers offering bespoke goods – whether those made entirely to the customer’s specifications or merely altered. These new terms and conditions can also be used by sellers offering both bespoke and non-bespoke goods.