wednesday

Contracts

Task 1:

Listen to a talk and take notes of seven key points and supporting details. Compare your notes with a partner. 

Before you consider signing a contract ...  - make sure you shop around: comparing  prices, guarantees, and warranties, the duration of contract, any terms or conditions that are important  ask 3 companies to compare before signing for services -know who you are dealing with: research this company to see its reputation. world of mouse or reference -never feel pressure to sign the contract right away: offer once a life time special deal and they won't offer it again.

When signing a contract ...   - always get it in writing, never rely on verbal promise: don’t hesitate to cross out some parts of agreement that you don’t agree with. Make sure any of these changes  are initialed of all parties before you sign. also fill in any blank spaces so other detail can't be added without your permission or your knowledge  - read the fine print: if you don't understand any of terms or conditions, ask questions.  - if or how you can get out of contract: cooling off period, check the consumer service act -keep a copy of the contract that you sign

Task 2:

Listen again and answer the questions. 

1.    What can prevent you from getting the best possible service and price?

people don't do the research enough 

2.    What are the potential consequences of not performing due diligence?

- you may cost more money than you should or spent more time
-put yourself in risk and deal with the bad reputation

3.    What signals should you be wary of when a contract is involved?

- sales put pressure on consumers.

4.    What can help prevent misunderstandings or fraud when you sign a contract?

- people has to do some research about this company or service in order to see their reputation or get a reference letter if it was referred from your friends or family members. 
-clarify the terms and conditions in the contract

5.    What is contained in “the fine print” and what are the consequences of not reading it?

- some terms or conditions of the contract

- the contract can't be changed or broken unless you and your parties both agree with the new terms. 

6.    What points does the speaker make about the language of contracts?

Plain language in published communication this means language that the average person understands rather than the complex legal and technical jargon that has been traditionally used. More and more business are slowly coming on board, so we are moving in the right direction 

7.    Explain the term direct agreement and give an example of a personal development service agreement.What do both of these agreements have in common?

direct agreement:  door to door selling situation. 

a personal development service agreement: gym membership contract 

both of them have a cooling off period in 10 days

8.    What are the potential consequences of cancelling a contract?

if people cancel the contract over time, both parties have to agree with it otherwise, you will be charge in most of the time. Or they will spend more money and time to hire a lawyer even going to the court. 

9.    What will help protect you if there is a breach of contract?
 - keep a copy of writing contract 

Task 3:

Fill in the following table and add any new idioms/vocabulary that you have picked from the talk.

Key vocabulary	Meaning	Sentences
party	group or person that involved in the contract
offer	provide something
acceptance	agree with something
consideration	small payment
terms	specific details that have been agreed upon by the parties,
conditions	a requirement stated in a contract which must be met in order to oblige the other party to fulfill his/her obligations
disclaimer	a statement that denies something, especially responsibility
cooling-off period	the period that you can think about to accept something or refuse
regulated sectors	a non-governmental orgainization that regulates the activities of companies in an industry for the government
small claims court	in charge of 25000or less
estimate	to say what you think an amount or value will be
recourse	look for someone or a thing for help
buyer’s remorse	the sense of regret after having made a purchase.
arbitration	the official process of trying to settle a disagreement between two people or groups by considering all the facts and opinions
retainer fee	an upfront cost incurred by an individual in order to ensure the services of a consultant, freelancer, etc
Verbs and verb collocations
to be bound by	to be tied
to be subject to	may request to do
to breach	to break
to sue	to accuse someone
to file a complaint	to submit a somplaint
to resolve	to find
to perform due
diligence	the investigation done before purchasing another company so let’s start there. to be very careful
to disclose	to uncover
information	facts or knowlege
be liable for	be legal for situation
to reserve the right	to keep the right to do somthing if you later think it is necessary