Louisiana Revised Statutes 45:831 – Written contract required; cancellation
Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes 45:831
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Department: means the Department of Justice. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 45:822
- Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
- Items: means any goods and services, and includes coupon books which are to be used with businesses other than the seller's business. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 45:822
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- Salesperson: means any individual employed, appointed, or authorized by a telephonic seller, whether referred to by the telephonic seller as an agent, representative, or independent contractor, who attempts to solicit or solicits a sale on behalf of the telephonic seller. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 45:822
- seller: means a person who, on his or her own behalf or through salespersons, causes a telephone solicitation or attempted telephone solicitation to occur in which either the telephonic seller or the purchaser, or both, are located in Louisiana and which meets the following criteria:
(a) A telephone solicitation or attempted telephone solicitation wherein the telephonic seller initiates telephonic contact with a prospective purchaser and represents or implies one or more of the following:
(i) That a prospective purchaser who buys one or more items will also receive additional or other items, whether or not of the same type as purchased, without further cost. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 45:822
A. The purchase of items pursuant to a solicitation made by a telephonic seller or salesperson shall be final only upon receipt by the seller of a written contract which is signed by the purchaser and which meets the requirements of this Section. Such contract shall contain the following:
(1) A description of any item purchased which matches the description of such item principally used in the telephone solicitation.
(2) The value or worth of any item purchased and the basis for such valuation.
(3) All terms and conditions which the purchaser must satisfy in order to receive any item purchased.
(4) The odds, if ascertainable, for a given purchaser to receive any gift, prize, or other item.
(5) If a purchaser is to receive fewer than all gifts, prizes, or items described by the seller, either of the following:
(a) The manner in which the telephonic seller decides which such items a given purchaser is to receive.
(b) The odds, if ascertainable, for a given purchaser to receive each such item.
(6) An explanation of the rights of the purchaser with respect to cancellation of the contract and a statement indicating when notice of cancellation is to be sent.
(7) The following statement, printed in at least twelve-point type, immediately preceding the signature line:
“YOU ARE NOT OBLIGATED TO PAY ANY MONEY UNLESS YOU SIGN THIS CONTRACT AND RETURN IT TO THE TELEPHONIC SELLER.”
B. No contract made pursuant to this Section shall exclude from its terms any oral or written representation made by a telephonic seller or salesperson to the purchaser in connection with the purchase.
C. A telephonic seller who makes or engages a salesperson to make a telephone solicitation shall not seek or receive compensation of any nature from a purchaser, including submitting a charge to a credit card account of a purchaser, until the telephonic seller receives the signed contract required by this Section from the purchaser.
D. Upon receipt of the signed contract required by this Section, the telephonic seller shall send written confirmation of the sale to the purchaser.
E. The purchaser shall have the right to cancel any contract with a telephonic seller within three business days after the purchaser receives the confirmation required by this Section. Notice of such cancellation shall be written but need not take a particular form and shall be sufficient if it indicates, by any form of written expression, the name and address of the purchaser and the stated intention of the purchaser not to be bound by the contract. Such notice shall be sent to the telephonic seller by certified mail, return receipt requested, and shall be effective when mailed by the purchaser. If the telephonic seller has not provided an address for receipt of such notice, cancellation shall be effective upon mailing the notice to the consumer protection section of the Department of Justice.
F.(1) If a telephonic seller violates any provision of this Chapter in making a sale or fails to deliver any item purchased within thirty calendar days of receipt of the confirmation, the purchaser may cancel the contract. Any consideration paid to the telephonic seller shall be returned to the purchaser within fourteen days of giving notice of such cancellation to the seller. Notice of such cancellation, which may be written or oral, need not take a particular form but shall be sufficient if it indicates the stated intention of the purchaser not to be bound by the contract.
(2) Upon receipt by the purchaser of any consideration paid to the telephonic seller, the purchaser shall return any items received by him to the telephonic seller. The cost of returning such items shall be borne by the telephonic seller by providing or guaranteeing payment for return shipping. However, if such payment is not provided or guaranteed by the telephonic seller, the purchaser shall have the right to keep the items received without further obligation or payment.
G. The provisions of this Section shall not apply to either of the following:
(1) A sale in which a telephonic seller gives a full refund to the purchaser for the return of undamaged and unused items within seven days after receipt of the items by the purchaser if the telephonic seller processes the refund within thirty days after his receipt of the returned items.
(2) A sale in which a purchaser gives notice of cancellation of services to the telephonic seller within seven days after receipt of the items by the purchaser if the telephonic seller processes the refund within thirty days after his receipt of the returned items.
Acts 1995, No. 679, §1.