Article 21

What it means when you sign

This article forbids a provider from including any term in a contract with a consumer that would cause the consumer harm. It also says that any term in a contract, an invoice or elsewhere is void if it would exempt the provider from any of the obligations set out in this Law. The detailed controls on which terms are harmful to the consumer are left to the Executive Regulation of the Law.

When you are about to sign a consumer contract, this article means that a clause is not safe simply because it sits in the signed contract or is printed on an invoice. A term that excuses the provider from its duties under this Law, such as a blanket disclaimer or an exclusion of responsibility, may be void. A term that harms the consumer may also be prohibited, subject to the Executive Regulation. Clauses to read closely include exclusions of liability, no-refund wording, waivers and the small print on invoices or receipts, since the article covers terms wherever they appear.