The Transition from Mobility Ownership to Mobility Usership: Is EU Consumer Law Pushing the Brakes?

List of abbreviations and translations v

1 Introduction 1
1.1 Redefining mobility: from ownership to usership 1
1.2 Operationalisation 3
1.2.1 Exclusive use 6
1.2.2 Shared use 7
1.3 Research question and design 10
1.4 Research methods and limitations 13
1.4.1 Territorial selection 14
1.4.2 Selection of legal framework 16
1.4.3 Doctrinal analysis 19
1.4.4 Empirical analysis 20
1.4.5 Evaluative analysis 21
1.5 Outline 21

2 Ratione personae scope 23
2.1 Introduction 23
2.2 EU consumer policy 23
2.3 From consumer policy to legislation 26
2.3.1 High level of protection 27
2.3.2 Internal market 29
2.3.3 Legal certainty 31
2.3.4 Consumer confidence 31
2.3.5 Consumer awareness and knowledge 33
2.3.6 Balance between parties 34
2.3.7 Should the same policy considerations underly the usership consumer’s protection? 35
2.4 Contract parties in mobility usership 36
2.4.1 Figure 1: Capacity of the private company 37
2.4.2 Figure 2: Capacity of the cooperative 38
2.4.3 Figure 3: Capacity of the individual 39
2.5 Ratione personae scope: Who qualifies as a professional party? 40
2.5.1 Private company 42
2.5.2 Cooperative 43
2.5.3 Individual provider 48
2.6 Ratione personae scope: Who qualifies as a consumer? 68
2.6.1 Individual user 69
2.6.2 Private company and cooperative 71
2.7 Conclusion 79

3 Ratione materiae scope 81
3.1 Introduction 81
3.2 The sales contract in the Consumer Sales Directive 81
3.2.1 The sales contract in the national law of the Member States 82
3.3 The credit agreement in the Consumer Credit Directive 83
3.3.1 The credit agreement in national laws of the Member States 85
3.4 ‘Any contract’ in the Consumer Rights Directive 87
3.4.1 ‘Any contract’ in national law of the Member States 91
3.5 Commercial practices in the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive 96
3.5.1 Commercial practices in national law of the Member States 98
3.6 Contracts concluded between a seller or supplier and a consumer in the Unfair Contract Terms Directive 99
3.6.1 B2C contracts in national law of the Member States 100
3.7 Conclusion 101

4 Non-applicable substantive rights to mobility usership 103
4.1 Introduction 103
4.2 Mobility usership case studies 106
4.3 Application of the Consumer Sales Directive 109
4.3.1 Lack of conformity 110
4.3.2 Remedies for non-conformity 119
4.3.3 Commercial guarantees 130
4.3.4 Consumer information 134
4.4 Application of the Consumer Credit Directive 134
4.4.1 Precontractual information and practices 135
4.4.2 Obligation to assess the creditworthiness of the consumer 145
4.4.3 Database access 147
4.4.4 Contractual information and rights 148
4.4.5 Other consumer rights 154
4.5 Application of sales contract-specific rights in the Consumer Rights Directive 157
4.5.1 Delivery 157
4.5.2 Passing of risk 160
4.6 Conclusion 161

5 Applicable substantive rights to mobility usership 163
5.1 Introduction 163
5.2 Substantive rights: Consumer Rights Directive 165
5.2.1 Consumer information 166
5.2.2 Right of withdrawal in distance contracts and off-premises contracts 173
5.2.3 Formal requirements 180
5.2.4 Other consumer rights 183
5.3 Substantive rights: Unfair Commercial Practices Directive 183
5.3.1 The prohibition of unfair commercial practices 184
5.3.2 Codes of conduct 191
5.3.3 Consequences of an unfair commercial practice 192
5.4 Substantive rights: Unfair Contract Terms Directive 193
5.4.1 Unfairness assessment and transparency requirements 194
5.4.2 Non-binding character of unfair contract terms 199
5.5 De facto inequalities in the legislative framework 201
5.5.1 The right to be informed 201
5.5.2 Right to change your mind 205
5.5.3 Right to conformity 208
5.5.4 Consumer rights and commercial guarantees 209
5.6 Conclusion 210

6 Study of the general terms and conditions according to sector conduct of exclusive mobility providers 213
6.1 Introduction 213
6.2 Choice of method 214
6.2.1 Empirical research method 214
6.2.2 A qualitative document analysis 214
6.2.3 Limitations 217
6.3 Application of method 218
6.3.1 Document selection 218
6.3.2 Method of analysis 226
6.4 Results on exclusive mobility usership providers of cars and two-wheelers 227
6.4.1 The right to be informed 232
6.4.1.1 Precontractual information obligations and practices 233
6.4.1.2 Contractual information obligations 246
6.4.1.3 Interim conclusion 258
6.4.2 The right to change your mind 262
6.4.2.1 The right of withdrawal 262
6.4.2.2 Right to early termination 268
6.4.2.3 Interim conclusion 272
6.4.3 The right to conformity 275
6.4.3.1 Remedy: Repair 275
6.4.3.2 Remedy: Replacement 281
6.4.3.3 Remedy: Price reduction 287
6.4.3.4 Remedy: Right to terminate 288
6.4.3.5 Maintenance 289
6.4.3.6 Roadside assistance 293
6.4.3.7 Interim conclusion 295
6.4.4 Consumer rights and commercial guarantees 298
6.4.4.1 Commercial guarantees 298
6.4.4.2 Other consumer rights 299
6.4.4.3 Interim conclusion 304
6.5 Conclusion 306

7 Study of the general terms and conditions according to sector conduct of shared mobility 309
7.1 Introduction 309
7.2 Results on shared mobility usership providers of cars and two-wheelers 310
7.2.1 The right to be informed 314
7.2.1.1 Precontractual information obligations and practices 315
7.2.1.2 Contractual information obligations 327
7.2.1.3 Interim conclusion 335
7.2.2 The right to change your mind 338
7.2.2.1 The right of withdrawal 338
7.2.2.2 Right to early termination 341
7.2.2.3 Interim conclusion 343
7.2.3 The right to conformity 345
7.2.3.1 Remedies: Repair and replacement 345
7.2.3.2 Remedies: Price reduction and the right to terminate 352
7.2.3.3 Maintenance 354
7.2.3.4 Roadside assistance 354
7.2.3.5 Interim conclusion 356
7.2.4 Consumer rights and commercial guarantees 359
7.2.4.1 Commercial guarantees 359
7.2.4.2 Other consumer rights 360
7.2.4.3 Interim conclusion 364
7.3 Results on collaborative mobility sharing 366
7.3.1 The right to be informed 370
7.3.1.1 Precontractual information obligations and practices 370
7.3.1.2 Contractual information obligations 378
7.3.1.3 Interim conclusion 381
7.3.2 The right to change your mind 383
7.3.2.1 The right of withdrawal 384
7.3.2.2 Right to early termination 385
7.3.2.3 Interim conclusion 386
7.3.3 The right to conformity 387
7.3.3.1 Remedies: Repair and replacement 388
7.3.3.2 Remedies: Price reduction and right to terminate 391
7.3.3.3 Maintenance 391
7.3.3.4 Roadside assistance 392
7.3.3.5 Interim conclusion 394
7.3.4 Consumer rights and commercial guarantees 396
7.3.4.1 Commercial guarantees 396
7.3.4.2 Other consumer rights 397
7.3.4.3 Interim conclusion 399
7.4 Conclusion 400

8 Key improvements for equivalent protection and its accessibility through regulation 403
8.1 Introduction 403
8.2 Right to be informed 405
8.2.1 Information on an early repayment 405
8.2.2 Information on the existence or absence of the right of withdrawal 406
8.2.3 Information on the procedure to terminate 406
8.2.4 Information on changes in the borrowing rate 407
8.2.5 Information on the standardised information form 408
8.2.6 Information on the cost structure 409
8.2.7 Information on the database consultation 410
8.2.8 Right to a copy of the draft agreement 410
8.2.9 Other consumer information rights 411
8.3 Right to change your mind 411
8.4 The right to conformity 412
8.5 Other consumer rights and commercial guarantees 415
8.5.1 The consumer’s entitlement to an early repayment 415
8.5.2 Creditworthiness assessment 417
8.6 Implementation of key improvements: Government or self-regulation? 419
8.6.1 Self-regulation and government regulation 422
8.6.2 A trade-off: Regulation by the legislator or the mobility usership sector? 423
8.7 Conclusion 428

9 Summary and conclusion 431
9.1 Equivalent consumer protection for mobility usership in the EU 431
9.2 Ratione personae scope: Who is who? 433
9.3 Ratione materiae scope: How does the mobility usership agreement qualify? 434
9.4 De facto inequivalences in legislative framework 435
9.5 An empirical approach to regulation of the mobility usership sector in the EU 438
9.5.1 Exclusive mobility use 439
9.5.2 Shared mobility use 440
9.6 Law or self-regulation? 442
9.7 Further research and remarks 443
9.8 Final 444

10 Bibliography 445
10.1 Literature 445
10.2 Policy and legislative documents 469
10.3 Case law 473
10.4 Webpages 476

11 Appendices 479

List of Tables 491
List of Images 493