Reading a contract before you sign

A phone plan, a gym membership, a tenancy, a laptop on monthly payments: once you live on your own, you will sign more contracts in a year than in your whole life so far. Ten calm minutes with the small print before you sign can save you months of payments you did not expect.

Why the small print matters

• A contract is legally binding once you agree, whether you sign on paper, tick a box online or agree out loud. Citizens Advice notes you may have a contract even if there is nothing in writing, for example after accepting a quote or paying a deposit.
• Citizens Advice says that if you want to leave a gym membership early you will 'normally have to pay the full cost of your contract'. Simply changing your mind is generally not enough to get out.
• Sales staff are paid to get a signature, not to point out the cancellation clause. It is your job to find it, and it is completely normal to ask for time to read.
• Never sign something you have not read, and never sign a blank or half-completed form. Ask for a copy of everything you sign and keep it.

A 10-point checklist before you sign

• Total cost: multiply the monthly price by the number of months and add any joining, set-up or admin fees. AED 199 a month for 12 months plus a AED 300 joining fee is AED 2,688, not 'AED 199'.
• Length: how long is the minimum term, and does the price change after an introductory period?
• Renewal: does it renew automatically, and how much notice do you need to give to stop it?
• Cancellation: what does it cost to leave early, and how do you cancel (email, letter, app, in person)?
• Notice period: Citizens Advice says that even where you can cancel, you are likely to have to give a notice period, for example 30 days.
• Changes: can the business change prices or facilities during the contract?
• Moving away: what happens if you move city or country for university? Some contracts allow you to leave with proof; many do not.

Cooling-off periods: your chance to change your mind (UK example)

• In England, Citizens Advice says you get a 14-day cooling-off period for services arranged online, by phone or by mail order, and you can cancel for any reason in that time.
• The same right applies if a business approached you somewhere other than its premises, such as at your door, and the service costs £42 or more.
• The 14 days start the day after you enter the contract, and 14 days is a minimum: some contracts give longer.
• There is no cooling-off period if you arranged the service in the business's own shop or premises, or for things like accommodation, vehicle rental, or catering and leisure activities booked for specific dates.
• If you asked the service to start during the 14 days and then cancel, you can expect to pay for the service already provided.
• Other countries have different rules, and the UAE consumer protection page on u.ae does not describe a general cooling-off period. Outside the UK, assume you have no automatic right to change your mind unless the contract says so.

Red flags in a contract

• Citizens Advice lists warning signs in gym contracts: terms that automatically renew without your permission, a minimum term longer than one year, and terms that let the business change facilities or prices significantly mid-contract.
• In the UK, Citizens Advice says unfair terms like these might not be legally binding.
• In the UAE, u.ae states that contract clauses that harm consumers, or that exempt suppliers from their legal obligations, are void.
• Pressure to 'sign today only' is a reason to slow down, not speed up. A genuine offer will usually still be there tomorrow, and if it is not, you have lost nothing.

What to say when you want more time

• Script: 'Thanks, this looks good. I don't sign anything on the same day, so please email me the full terms and I'll come back to you by Thursday.'
• Script for a question: 'Can you show me in the contract where it says how I cancel, and what it costs if I leave after three months?'
• If the answer is spoken but not written, ask: 'Could you add that to the contract or confirm it by email?' A spoken promise is hard to prove later.
• Ask a parent or trusted adult to read anything that commits you to more than a few months of payments, especially tenancies and finance agreements.