Question

As per the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, what are one-sided agreements?

• A. Unfair trade practices
• B. Unilateral contracts
• C. Unconscionable
• D. Quasi contracts

Hint:

Consumer Protection Act, 2019 = Tougher on "One-Sidedness." If a contract puts the consumer at a massive, unfair disadvantage, the law calls it an "Unfair Trade Practice"!

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The Consumer Protection Act, 2019, expanded the definition of "Unfair Trade Practice" to include contracts that are heavily biased in favor of the service provider or seller at the expense of the consumer.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
- Section 2(47) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, defines "unfair trade practice." It explicitly includes agreements that contain "one-sided" terms, which cause significant detriment to the consumer, as a category of such practices.
- Such terms allow for unfair termination, lopsided liability, or unreasonable conditions.

Step 3: Final Answer:
One-sided agreements are classified as unfair trade practices. Option (A) is correct.

Answer 2

Each option in this question names a distinct legal concept, so the clearest approach is to define each term precisely and check whether it is the specific label the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 attaches to one-sided agreements.

1. Option (A) - Unfair trade practices: Section 2(47) of the 2019 Act widened this definition to expressly cover contract terms that are one-sided and cause significant detriment to the consumer, such as terms allowing unfair termination or imposing lopsided liability. This is the precise statutory category the Act uses for one-sided agreements.
2. Option (B) - Unilateral contracts: A unilateral contract is a classical contract-law concept describing an arrangement where one party makes a promise in exchange for an act rather than a matching promise, such as a reward offer. It has nothing to do with terms being skewed against a consumer, so it does not describe what a one-sided agreement means in this context.
3. Option (C) - Unconscionable: This is a general equitable label used across contract law for bargains that are harsh or oppressive due to unequal bargaining power, but it is not the specific statutory term the 2019 Act uses when defining one-sided agreements as a form of unfair trade practice.
4. Option (D) - Quasi contracts: A quasi contract is an obligation the law imposes even though no real agreement exists between the parties, used to prevent unjust enrichment. Since a one-sided agreement is an actual, existing contract with skewed terms rather than an obligation arising in the absence of any contract, this label does not fit.

Matching each term's precise legal meaning against the statutory language shows that only unfair trade practice is the category the Act itself uses for one-sided agreements.

Therefore, the correct answer is Unfair trade practices.