Consumer Sales
Consumer sales refers to 1) sale of goods (also goods containing digital elements), or 2) sale of digital content or digital service between a trader as the seller and a consumer as the buyer. The provisions regarding consumer sales are mandatory in consumer’ favor. This means that all contract terms, which derogate from the provisions of the law to the detriment of the buyer, are considered void. However, it is possible to apply contract terms, which provide better rights for the buyer than those provided by the law. The provisions of Chapter 5 and 5a of the Finnish Consumer Protection Act and certain provisions of the Finnish Sale of Goods Act (Finnish Consumer Protection Act, Chapter 5, Section 29)are applicable to the consumer sales concluded after 1st of January 2022. In case of online sales or other form of distance selling, and in case of door-to-door selling, the provisions of Chapter 6 of the Finnish Consumer Protection Act must be considered.
The regulation of services, which are provided by traders to consumers, vary depending on the nature of the service in question. The Finnish Consumer Protection Act includes provisions, for example, regarding services that include work or other performance relating to movables, buildings or real estate, construction contracts as well as financial services. However, the following articles cover only aspects relating to the consumer sales.