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Does Anyone Read the Fine Print? Consumer Attention to Standard-Form Contracts

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  • Yannis Bakos
  • Florencia Marotta-Wurgler
  • David R. Trossen

Abstract

A cornerstone of the law and economics approach to standard-form contracts is the informed-minority hypothesis: in competitive markets, a minority of term-conscious buyers is sufficient to discipline sellers from using unfavorable boilerplate terms. This argument is often invoked to limit intervention or regulate consumer transactions, but there has been little empirical investigation of its validity. We track the Internet browsing behavior of 48,154 monthly visitors to the Web sites of 90 online software companies to study the extent to which potential buyers access the end-user license agreement. We find that only one or two of every 1,000 retail software shoppers access the license agreement and that most of those who do access it read no more than a small portion. Since the cost of comparison shopping online is so low, the limiting factor in becoming informed thus seems not to be the cost of accessing license terms but reading and comprehending them.

Suggested Citation

  • Yannis Bakos & Florencia Marotta-Wurgler & David R. Trossen, 2014. "Does Anyone Read the Fine Print? Consumer Attention to Standard-Form Contracts," The Journal of Legal Studies, University of Chicago Press, vol. 43(1), pages 1-35.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jlstud:doi:10.1086/674424
    DOI: 10.1086/674424
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    3. Sophie Bienenstock & Claudine Desrieux, 2022. "Abusive contract terms: Is unenforceability a deterrent sanction?," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 54(2), pages 187-216, October.
    4. Stefan Bechtold & Catherine Tucker, 2014. "Trademarks, Triggers, and Online Search," Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 11(4), pages 718-750, December.
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    6. Gregor Dorfleitner & Lars Hornuf & Julia Kreppmeier, 2023. "Promise not fulfilled: FinTech, data privacy, and the GDPR," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 33(1), pages 1-29, December.
    7. O. Seizov & A. J. Wulf & J. Luzak, 2019. "The Transparent Trap: A Multidisciplinary Perspective on the Design of Transparent Online Disclosures in the EU," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 42(1), pages 149-173, March.
    8. LL. M. Fabrizio Esposito, 2017. "A Dismal Reality: Behavioural Analysis and Consumer Policy," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 40(2), pages 193-216, June.
    9. Carolina Guerini & Donato Masciandaro, 2023. "Financial Education between Market and State: Private Commitment, Conflicts of Interest and Public Certification," BAFFI CAREFIN Working Papers 23213, BAFFI CAREFIN, Centre for Applied Research on International Markets Banking Finance and Regulation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.
    10. Hans-Bernd Schäfer & Alexander J. Wulf, 2022. "Premature repayment of fixed interest mortgage loans without compensation, a case of misguided consumer protection in the EU," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 53(2), pages 175-208, April.
    11. Robert Powell & Anh Do & Denise Gengatharen & Jaime Yong & Rasiah Gengatharen, 2023. "The relationship between responsible financial behaviours and financial wellbeing: The case of buy‐now‐pay‐later," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(4), pages 4431-4451, December.
    12. Bernhard Ganglmair & Julia Krämer & Jacopo Gambato, 2024. "Regulatory Compliance with Limited Enforceability: Evidence from Privacy Policies," CRC TR 224 Discussion Paper Series crctr224_2024_547v2, University of Bonn and University of Mannheim, Germany, revised Sep 2024.
    13. Belli, Luca & Venturini, Jamila, 2016. "Private ordering and the rise of terms of service as cyber-regulation," Internet Policy Review: Journal on Internet Regulation, Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG), Berlin, vol. 5(4), pages 1-17.
    14. Alexander J. Wulf & Ognyan Seizov, 2023. "How to improve consumers’ understanding of online legal information: insights from a behavioral experiment," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 56(3), pages 559-584, December.
    15. J. Luzak & A. J. Wulf & O. Seizov & M. B. M. Loos & M. Junuzović, 2023. "ABC of Online Consumer Disclosure Duties: Improving Transparency and Legal Certainty in Europe," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 46(3), pages 307-333, September.
    16. Petrikaitė, Vaiva, 2022. "Escaping search when buying," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
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    19. Gregor Dorfleitner & Lars Hornuf & Julia Kreppmeier, 2021. "Promise not Fulfilled: FinTech Data Privacy, and the GDPR," CESifo Working Paper Series 9359, CESifo.

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