The Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999

[F1 Unfair Terms E+W+S

5.— (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.

[F2 (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 [F3 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.]]

Textual Amendments

F1 Regulations revoked (1.10.2015) by Consumer Rights Act 2015 (c. 15), s. 100(5), Sch. 4 para. 34; S.I. 2015/1630, art. 3(g) (with savings in art. 6(1))

F2 Reg. 5(6)(7) inserted (31.10.2004) by The Financial Services (Distance Marketing) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/2095), regs. 1, 24(3)

F3 Words in reg. 5(7) substituted (1.4.2013) by The Financial Services Act 2012 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/472), Sch. 2 para. 26(a)

Commencement Information

I1 Reg. 5 in force at 1.10.1999, see reg. 1