Study on consumers’ attitudes towards Terms and Conditions (T&Cs): Final Report
Elshout, M; Elsen, M; Leenheer, J; et al.Loos, M; Luzak, J
Date: 22 September 2016
Publisher
Publications Office of the European Union
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Abstract
Previous research has shown that when buying products and services online, the vast
majority of consumers accept Terms and Conditions (T&Cs) without even reading them.
The current research examined effects of interventions aimed at making consumers
aware of the quality of such T&Cs. This was done by 1) shortening and simplifying
the ...
Previous research has shown that when buying products and services online, the vast
majority of consumers accept Terms and Conditions (T&Cs) without even reading them.
The current research examined effects of interventions aimed at making consumers
aware of the quality of such T&Cs. This was done by 1) shortening and simplifying
the T&Cs and 2) adding a quality cue to an online store, such as the presence of a
logo of a national consumer organisation accompanied by the statement “these terms
and conditions are fair”. The main study consisted of three experiments and was
conducted in 12 Member States with 1000 respondents in each Member State. In each
experiment, consumers visited an online store and went through all the steps of an
ordering process. One of these steps was accepting the T&Cs. Key findings are that
shortening and simplifying the terms and conditions results in improved readership of the
T&Cs, a slightly better understanding of the T&Cs, and a more positive attitude towards
the T&Cs. Moreover, adding a quality cue to an online store increases trust and purchase
intentions. Which quality cue is trusted the most depends on what type of online store
consumers are visiting. For domestic online stores, a quality cue by a national consumer
organisation is trusted most; for foreign online stores, a quality cue by a European
consumer organisation is trusted most. The patterns were similar across Member States.
Law School
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
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