ELE 3717 Consumer Rights

ELE 3717 Consumer Rights

Course code: 
ELE 3717
Department: 
Law and Governance
Credits: 
7.5
Course coordinator: 
Ingvild Schiøll Ericson
Course name in Norwegian: 
Forbrukerrettigheter
Product category: 
Bachelor
Portfolio: 
Bachelor - Electives
Semester: 
2018 Spring
Active status: 
Active
Teaching language: 
Norwegian
Course type: 
One semester
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 outcomes - 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.

Learning outcomes - 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.

Learning Outcome - Reflection

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

Course content
  • The entering into and interpretation of contracts when one contracting party is a consumer
  • 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
Learning process and requirements to students

The duration of the course is 39 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. Two voluntary hand-in exercises will be set and graded by the lecturer, and the students will be given individual feedback. 

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.

Software tools
No specified computer-based tools are required.
Additional information

For electives re-sit is normally offered at the next scheduled course. If an elective is discontinued or is not initiated in the semester it is offered, re-sit will be offered in the electives ordinary semester.

Qualifications

Higher Education Entrance Qualification.

Required prerequisite knowledge

JUR 3420 Business Law or JUR 3631 Marketing Law and ethics.

Assessments
Assessments
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Written submission
Invigilation
Weight: 
100
Grouping: 
Individual
Support materials: 
  • Laws and regulations, including offprints of laws and law drafts
Duration: 
5 Hour(s)
Exam code: 
ELE37171
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Resit: 
Examination when next scheduled course
Exam organisation: 
Ordinary examination
Total weight: 
100
Student workload
ActivityDurationComment
Teaching
39 Hour(s)
Prepare for teaching
45 Hour(s)
Student's own work with learning resources
45 Hour(s)
Group work / Assignments
66 Hour(s)
Examination
5 Hour(s)
Sum workload: 
200

A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 7,5 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of at least 200 hours.