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Djursjukvård till varje pris? - Om konsumenters rättigheter vid fastställandet av priset för behandling av djur

Mc Dowell, Freja LU (2017) JURM02 20171
Department of Law
Abstract (Swedish)
Under de senaste åren har en debatt rörande ökade kostnader för veterinärvård eskalerat. Denna uppsats syftar till att utreda konsumenters rättigheter vid fastställandet av priset för veterinärmedicinska behandlingar. Den primära lagen beträffande avtal om tjänster är Konsumenttjänstlagen (1985:716) (KtjL). Behandling av levande djur är emellertid undantaget från lagens tillämpningsområde. Lagen kan dock vara tillämplig analogt. Genom användning av en rättsdogmatisk metod utreds rättsläget kring veterinärvårdsavtal, med inriktning på frågor om priset. Materialet kompletteras av intervjuer där veterinärklinikers rutiner och synpunkter presenteras samt av forskning om veterinäretik och priskommunikation.

Uppsatsen redogör för flertalet... (More)
Under de senaste åren har en debatt rörande ökade kostnader för veterinärvård eskalerat. Denna uppsats syftar till att utreda konsumenters rättigheter vid fastställandet av priset för veterinärmedicinska behandlingar. Den primära lagen beträffande avtal om tjänster är Konsumenttjänstlagen (1985:716) (KtjL). Behandling av levande djur är emellertid undantaget från lagens tillämpningsområde. Lagen kan dock vara tillämplig analogt. Genom användning av en rättsdogmatisk metod utreds rättsläget kring veterinärvårdsavtal, med inriktning på frågor om priset. Materialet kompletteras av intervjuer där veterinärklinikers rutiner och synpunkter presenteras samt av forskning om veterinäretik och priskommunikation.

Uppsatsen redogör för flertalet regler som skyddar konsumenten i avtalsförhållandet. Bl.a. innehåller KtjL regler om näringsidkarens skyldighet att avråda och underrätta konsumenten. Den pågående debatten ger intryck av att dessa skyldigheter inte alltid efterföljs. Det är även ett problem att plikterna, vid en analog tillämpning, får en dispositiv karaktär och kan avtalas bort. I framställningen konstateras att det är svårt att avtala om ett fast pris för många veterinärmedicinska behandlingar. Därmed blir bestämmelsen om skäligt pris ofta viktig. Skälighetsbedömningen påverkas av gängse pris för tjänsten samt tjänstens art och beskaffenhet.

I framställningen hänvisas till flera källor som stöd för en analog tillämpning av de aktuella reglerna i KtjL på veterinärmedicinska tjänster. Slutsatsen är att de regler som uppsatsen berör bör vara lämpliga att tillämpa analogt. Analogislut ska dock alltid föranledas av en individuell prövning och det kan därför inte konstateras klarlagt att reglerna alltid är tillämpliga på behandling av djur. Detta är en grundläggande problematik med analogier som per automatik leder till ett oklart rättsläge. Uppsatsen har dessutom uppmärksammat problem rörande priskommunikationen mellan veterinärkliniken och konsumenten. Detta kan medföra att KtjL:s regler, om de bedöms tillämpliga analogt, inte i praktiken följs av veterinärkliniker. För att förhindra framtida konflikter föreslås därför tydligare riktlinjer och ett ökat arbete för att förbättra kontakten mellan konsumenten och veterinärkliniken. Uppsatsen visar att det är osäkert vilka rättigheter en konsument har ifråga om fastställandet av priset för behandling av djur. Konsumentens skydd försämras när reglerna enbart är tillämpliga analogt och därmed får en dispositiv karaktär. Mot bakgrund av det oklara rättsläget och de senaste årens debatt blir uppsatsens viktigaste slutsats att det finns ett behov av lagstiftning på området. (Less)
Abstract
During the last couple of years, a debate about increased costs for veterinary care has escalated. This paper aims to assess consumers’ rights when determining the price for a veterinary treatment. The Consumers Services Act is the primary law concerning contracts between consumers and traders. Treatment of animals is derogated from the Consumers Services Act. However, the law can be applicable analogously. By using a legal dogmatic method, the legal position of veterinary care contracts, with focus on questions about the price, is examined. The material is complemented by interviews where veterinary clinics’ routines and views are presented as well as by research on veterinary ethics and price communication.

The paper narrates several... (More)
During the last couple of years, a debate about increased costs for veterinary care has escalated. This paper aims to assess consumers’ rights when determining the price for a veterinary treatment. The Consumers Services Act is the primary law concerning contracts between consumers and traders. Treatment of animals is derogated from the Consumers Services Act. However, the law can be applicable analogously. By using a legal dogmatic method, the legal position of veterinary care contracts, with focus on questions about the price, is examined. The material is complemented by interviews where veterinary clinics’ routines and views are presented as well as by research on veterinary ethics and price communication.

The paper narrates several rules that protect consumers in the contractual relationship. For example, the Consumers Services Act contains provisions on traders’ obligation to dissuade and notify consumers. The ongoing debate gives the impression that traders don’t always comply with the obligations. It is also a problem that the duties are not compulsory when applied analogously and can therefore be omitted by a contract. The essay also states that it is difficult to contract a fixed price for many veterinary treatments. Consequently, the rule on reasonable price often becomes crucial. The reasonable price assessment is affected by the determination of a current price for the service and the service’s type and nature.

The paper refers to several sources as support for an analogous application of the mentioned rules in the Consumers Services Act on veterinary care. The conclusion is that the rules should be appropriate to apply analogously. However, since there should always be an individual evaluation, it cannot be stated that the rules are always applicable on veterinary care. Consequently, analogies bring a fundamental problem that leads to an ambiguous legal position. The paper has also identified problems regarding the price communication between the veterinary clinic and the costumer. This can lead to a breach of the rules set up in the Consumers Services Act, given that they are applicable. To prevent future conflicts, clearer guidelines and further work on improving the communication between veterinary clinics and consumers are suggested. The paper shows that it is not clear what rights a consumer has when determining a price for veterinary care. The consumer’s protection is impaired when the regulations only are applicable analogously. This ambiguity, in combination with the last years’ debate, results in that the paper’s most important conclusion is a need for legislation for veterinary care. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Mc Dowell, Freja LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
Veterinary care at any cost? - Consumers' rights when determining the price for a veterinary treatment
course
JURM02 20171
year
type
H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
subject
keywords
avtalsrätt, förmögenhetsrätt, konsumenträtt, rättsvetenskap
language
Swedish
id
8909179
date added to LUP
2017-06-13 09:29:26
date last changed
2017-06-13 09:29:26
@misc{8909179,
  abstract     = {{During the last couple of years, a debate about increased costs for veterinary care has escalated. This paper aims to assess consumers’ rights when determining the price for a veterinary treatment. The Consumers Services Act is the primary law concerning contracts between consumers and traders. Treatment of animals is derogated from the Consumers Services Act. However, the law can be applicable analogously. By using a legal dogmatic method, the legal position of veterinary care contracts, with focus on questions about the price, is examined. The material is complemented by interviews where veterinary clinics’ routines and views are presented as well as by research on veterinary ethics and price communication. 

The paper narrates several rules that protect consumers in the contractual relationship. For example, the Consumers Services Act contains provisions on traders’ obligation to dissuade and notify consumers. The ongoing debate gives the impression that traders don’t always comply with the obligations. It is also a problem that the duties are not compulsory when applied analogously and can therefore be omitted by a contract. The essay also states that it is difficult to contract a fixed price for many veterinary treatments. Consequently, the rule on reasonable price often becomes crucial. The reasonable price assessment is affected by the determination of a current price for the service and the service’s type and nature. 

The paper refers to several sources as support for an analogous application of the mentioned rules in the Consumers Services Act on veterinary care. The conclusion is that the rules should be appropriate to apply analogously. However, since there should always be an individual evaluation, it cannot be stated that the rules are always applicable on veterinary care. Consequently, analogies bring a fundamental problem that leads to an ambiguous legal position. The paper has also identified problems regarding the price communication between the veterinary clinic and the costumer. This can lead to a breach of the rules set up in the Consumers Services Act, given that they are applicable. To prevent future conflicts, clearer guidelines and further work on improving the communication between veterinary clinics and consumers are suggested. The paper shows that it is not clear what rights a consumer has when determining a price for veterinary care. The consumer’s protection is impaired when the regulations only are applicable analogously. This ambiguity, in combination with the last years’ debate, results in that the paper’s most important conclusion is a need for legislation for veterinary care.}},
  author       = {{Mc Dowell, Freja}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Djursjukvård till varje pris? - Om konsumenters rättigheter vid fastställandet av priset för behandling av djur}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}