Spooky T&Cs: Clauses That Might Haunt Your Business

Not all things that go bump in the night are found in haunted houses - some are hiding in your business contracts.

Your terms and conditions (T&Cs) should protect your business and set clear expectations, but if they’ve been copied, cobbled together, or left to gather dust, they could be hiding some seriously spooky surprises.

Here are a few of the most haunting clauses we’ve come across and how to stop them from keeping you up at night:

The Disappearing Obligation

Sometimes, a contract sets out what you’ll do, but not when, how, or even who’s responsible.

When key obligations vanish into thin air, you’re left wide open to misunderstandings, delays, and disputes. The cure? Make sure your contracts clearly spell out each party’s responsibilities, deadlines, and deliverables. No guesswork, no ghosts.

The Zombie Renewal

This is the contract that just won’t die.

Many agreements include auto-renewal clauses that quietly roll on unless you cancel in a specific way or within a tiny window of time. If you don’t diarise renewal dates, you could find yourself trapped in a deal you thought had ended or paying for a service you no longer need.

Always check what your contract says about termination and renewal, and make sure your diary is better than Dracula’s.

The Cursed Liability Clause

Liability clauses can be tricky and sometimes downright terrifying.

Clauses that limit the other party’s liability (or expand yours) can turn a simple deal into a financial horror story. For example, if the clause excludes their responsibility for losses but caps yours at a high level, the risk balance is completely off.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions or challenge unfair wording. A well-drafted clause protects both sides, not just one.

The Poltergeist Clause

You’ve seen them before: strange, ghostly clauses that no one can explain.

They often appear in recycled templates or borrowed T&Cs - legal phrases that sound impressive but don’t actually fit your business. They add confusion, not clarity.

If you can’t understand what a clause means, your customers won’t either. Simplify, clarify, and banish the jargon.

The Phantom Price Clause

A classic trick - pricing terms that look simple but hide a nasty surprise.

Maybe the clause allows for price increases without notice or makes discounts dependent on fine print you didn’t notice. When challenged, the supplier insists it was “in the terms all along”.

Avoid the fright: be crystal clear about price, payment schedules, and what triggers a change. Transparency now avoids arguments later.

Keep the Treats, Ditch the Tricks

Your contracts and T&Cs shouldn’t be scary - they should be tools that protect your business and build trust with customers and suppliers.

A little legal housekeeping goes a long way:

• Review your contracts regularly (especially old or template ones)

• Use clear, plain English so everyone knows where they stand

• Check renewal, liability, and payment terms carefully

• Get help before you sign, not after things go wrong

At Lawpoint, we help businesses exorcise the confusion from their contracts. We’ll review your terms, explain them in plain English, and make sure they reflect how your business actually works.

Don’t let spooky T&Cs haunt your business. Call 01202 729 444 or email info@law-point.co.uk and we’ll help you swap the tricks for treats.