Service Agreements and Consumer Rights in the UK
What UK businesses should know when a service agreement is made with a consumer, including reasonable care and skill and unfair contract terms.
Consumer service contracts carry statutory rights
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a trader supplying a service to a consumer must perform it with reasonable care and skill.
Time and price can be implied
Where a relevant price or time has not been fixed, consumer law can imply a reasonable price and performance within a reasonable time.
Terms must be fair and transparent
The CMA says consumer contract terms and notices must be fair and transparent. Unfair terms may be unenforceable and enforcement action is possible.
Liability cannot simply be signed away
A service agreement should not attempt to exclude rights that the law protects. Liability and cancellation clauses need particular care.
B2B contracts are different
Business-to-business agreements operate under a different fairness framework and generally allow more freedom, but some exclusions remain prohibited or subject to a reasonableness test.
Create your service agreement
Use the free browser-based builder to enter the parties, services, fees and core terms, then review the document before printing or saving as PDF.
Open the Service Agreement builderRelated service agreement guides
Guidance checked: GOV.UK / Competition and Markets Authority guidance on consumer and business contract terms, the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and GOV.UK/HMRC guidance on contractors and employment status. This page is general information, not legal advice.