譯文（字數 2812）

消費者合同條例 1999年中的不公平條款的應用

消費者的不公平條款合同條例

自1995年以來，消費者合同條例中的不公平條款已經生效。自那時以來，公平交易辦公室認為超過7600例的合同報告潛在違反條例。

2002年10月2日，公平貿易局宣布，它認為，很多My Travel Group plc 標準條款和條件在其宣傳冊和預訂表單是不公平的，違反消費者的利益。公平貿易局公布后My Travel股價暴跌。2003年2月28日，競爭委員會宣布它正在調查市場對消費品的延長保修。委員會表示在一些保修條款明顯使用不公平合約條款。受這次調查的大型電器零售商似乎在進行保衛動作，在某些情況下共計50%左右的利潤業務，消費者合同中的不公平條款似乎遍布所有經濟部門的業務。作者經常發現在停車場、洗車、包含在保險和金融服務的文件中，無疑違反規定的銷售合同中的標準條款。

外文原文（字符數 9555）

THE APPLICATION OF THE UNFAIR TERMS IN CONSUMER CONTRACTS REGULATIONS 1999

J Elvin

The Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations

The Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations have been in force since 1995. Since then the Office of Fair Trading have considered over 7600 cases of contracts reported to them as being potentially in breach of the regulations.

The complaints continue unabated and an adverse finding can have significant effects on a business.

On the 2nd October 2002, the OFT announced that it considered many of My Travel Group plc’s standard terms and conditions in its brochures and booking forms to be  unfair and contrary to the interests of consumers. Upon the OFT announcement the shares in My Travel slumped. On the 28th February 2003, the Competition Commission announced that it was investigating the market for extended warranties for consumer goods. The Commission expressed concern about the apparent use of unfair contract terms in some of these warranties. The large electrical retailers affected by this investigation appear to be fighting a rearguard action to protect a business that in some cases amounts to around 50% of its profits, Unfair terms in consumer contracts appear to be widespread throughout all sectors of the economy. The author regularly comes across examples on notice boards in car parks, car washes, contained within insurance and financial services documents and within standard terms in sale contracts which undoubtedly breach the regulations.