ELE 3717 Consumer Rights

APPLIES TO ACADEMIC YEAR 2012/2013

ELE 3717 Consumer Rights

Responsible for the course
Ingvild S Ericson

Department
Department of Accounting - Auditing and Law

Term
According to study plan

ECTS Credits
7,5

Language of instruction
Norwegian

Introduction
This course in consumer rights focuses directly on the duties that the business community has towards consumers. Several sets of regulations have been formulated with the aim of protecting consumers as a group with appurtenant dispute resolution bodies. However, it turns out that the business community has little knowledge of these rules and therefore risks getting involved in expensive conflicts that could have been avoided if they had been more knowledgeable about consumer rights. It will be both cost-effective for each enterprise and socio-economically worthwhile to improve the knowledge level on consumer rights. The business community must be aware of the rules on consumer rights in order to fulfil their own duties formulated in various regulations.

Learning outcome
Acquired knowledge
The students shall gain a good understanding of the particular requirements laid down by legislation when a consumer is party to a contract or the recipient of advertising. They shall be aware of the special considerations that have to be taken into account regarding interpretations of contracts or formulation of standard contracts aimed at consumers. They shall also gain an insight into the rules on breaches of contracts and claims in the consumer sales act, as well as an understanding of the rules in the craftsmen services act and other services. The students shall also learn about the systems for conflict resolution associated with consumer disputes.

Acquired skills
The students shall be able to account for the main consumer rights and be able to handle consumer issues in practice. They shall be able to identify topical problems within the law of sales disputes and give legally valid advice to consumers in a dispute situation.

Reflection
The students shall have a conscious attitude to the ethical dilemmas of consumer disputes.

Prerequisites
JUR 3420 Marketing Law or JUR 3430 Business Law.

Compulsory reading
Books:
Giertsen, Johan. 2012. Avtaler. 2. utg. Universitetsforlaget
Langfeldt, Sverre Faafeng og Tore Bråthen. Lov og rett for næringslivet. Siste utg. Universitetsforlaget : Focus forlag. Kap 2 (Markedsføringsloven), Pkt 6.3 (Angrerettloven) og pkt 6.4 (Kjøp av tjenester)
Martinussen, Roald. 2010. Forbrukerkjøp. 2. utg. Cappelen akademisk

Other:
Det vil bli utdelt kopier av relevante artikler i undervisningen


Recommended reading

Course outline

  • The entering into and interpretation of contracts when one contracting party is a consumer
  • Enabling rules
  • The duties of the business community as regards the consumer sales act, the craftsmen services act and other services
  • Complaint rules and dispute resolution bodies
  • The rules on consumers’ right of cancellation
  • The rules on marketing aimed at consumers

Computer-based tools
No particular computer-based tools are required.

Learning process and workload
The duration of the course is 45 hours, allocated to cover the various topics in the syllabus. The lecture plan will show what topics will be covered. As part of the teaching programme the students will be divided into smaller discussion groups to work on assignments linked to the various topics. The assignments will be discussed in class after the work in the discussion groups.

The lecture form of teaching requires that the students have studied the syllabus and the rules of law for the topic in question before each lecture. The students are required to bring the code of laws and other study resources to the lectures and become familiar with them while studying the various topics. Parts of the syllabus must be studied through self-tuition.

Recommended workload for the students:
Activity
Hours
Participation in lectures
34
Discussion of group work supervised by the lecturer
11
Preparations for lectures
45
Self-tuition / reading syllabus
45
Work on assignments
60
Examination
5
Total recommended use of hours
200


    Examination
    A five-hour individual written examination concludes the course.

    Examination code(s)
    ELE 37171 Written examination that accounts for 100 % of the grade in the course ELE 3717.

    Examination support materials
    The Norwegian code of laws or another printed compilation of laws, regulations and draft laws. Students are required to buy and use the latest edition of relevant laws and regulations.

    Re-sit examination
    A re-sit examination is held in connection with the next scheduled examination in the course.

    Additional information

    Semester

    Oversettelser