Consumer contracts

You need to provide certain information to a consumer before entering into a contract. This must be on a 'durable' medium, such as a letter, CD/DVD, email, text or by personal account on a website.

In general, the following pieces of information need to be provided:

• the main characteristics of the goods or services
• your identity including address and contact details
• the total price of the goods or services including taxes (or how the price is calculated)
• any additional delivery charges, or advice that charges may be payable
• any arrangements for payment, delivery, performance, and the time by which you will deliver the goods or perform the service
• details of any complaint handling policy
• in the case of a sales contract, a reminder that (as the trader) you are under a legal duty to supply goods under the contract
• the existence and the conditions of any after-sales services and commercial guarantees
• details of any duration of the contract, or conditions for terminating the contract if it will be automatically renewed
• details of functionality if you are supplying digital content
• compatibility details for digital content with hardware and software

These rules apply to on-premises sales. However, for low cost day-to-day transactions where the consumer is very familiar with the goods or service, on-premises traders are exempt from many of the information requirements. For example - buying a newspaper, a cup of coffee or groceries. Information such as price and main characteristics must still be given.

Off-premises trade

Extra information needs to be provided before a contract is made with a consumer buying goods off-premises. This includes online, by mail order, by telephone or a similar distance sale. See off-premises consumer contracts.