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Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977

This is civil law. The Act aims to prevent traders from ducking out of their responsibilities to consumers. Traders cannot deny your rights under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 with notices such as ‘No refunds given’. Nor can they escape liability for personal injury or death resulting from their negligence by adding statements to a contract such as ‘We accept no responsibility for loss or damage however caused’. Such terms are void and cannot be enforced.

Other exclusion clauses which do not relate to the Sale of Goods Act, or to injury or death through negligence, are permissible provided they are reasonable. The courts ultimately decide what is reasonable in the circumstances.