Both negative option and continuity plans are structured to cashadvanceamerica.net are loan apps safe give consumers the opportunity to buy a series of products over time. The cost of the plan as a whole is determined by the number and type of items the consumer decides to accept in the series, and at the time of the initial sales offer, neither the seller nor the consumer necessarily knows how much product the consumer will purchase, or the total cost of the products.
To comply with the TSR, a seller or telemarketer offering a negative option or a continuity plan must disclose the total costs and quantity of goods or services that are part of the initial offer; the total quantity of additional goods or services that a consumer must purchase over the duration of the plan; and the cost, or range of costs, to purchase each additional good or service separately. In addition, some negative option plans are subject to the FTC’s Negative Option Rule (16 C.F.R. Part 426).
Cost and Quantity Disclosure in the Marketing of Credit Products: If sellers and telemarketers are offering credit products subject to the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) or Regulation Z, compliance with the credit disclosure requirements and the timing of the disclosures mandated by TILA or Regulation Z constitute compliance with the total cost and quantity disclosure requirements of the TSR with respect to the credit instrument. Nevertheless, the cost and quantity of any goods or services purchased with that credit also must be disclosed.
2. Material Restrictions, Limitations, or Conditions
The TSR requires sellers and telemarketers to disclose all material restrictions, limitations, or conditions to purchase, receive, or use goods or services that they are offering to the consumer. Material information is information that a consumer needs to make an informed purchasing decision. A material restriction, limitation, or condition is one that, if known to the consumer, would likely affect the decision to purchase the goods or services offered; to purchase them at the offered price; to purchase them from that particular seller; or to make a charitable contribution. Examples of material information that must be disclosed include:
- in the case of an offer of a credit card, a requirement that a consumer make a deposit in order to receive and use the card (that is, that the credit card is a secured card).
- in the case of a vacation certificate, a restriction, limitation, or condition that prevents a purchaser from using the certificate during the summer; or that requires a purchaser to make reservations a year in advance to travel using the certificate; or that requires the consumer to incur expenses beyond the price of the certificate to redeem the certificate for a vacation.
- the underlying illegality of goods or services, such as the illegality of foreign lottery chances.
Sellers and telemarketers may disclose orally or in writing information about material restrictions, limitations, or conditions to purchase, receive, or use the goods or services being offered, as long as the information is clear and conspicuous and disclosed before the consumer pays.
3. No-Refund Policy
If there’s a policy of honoring requests for refunds, cancellations of sales or orders, exchanges, or re-purchases, sellers and telemarketers must disclose information about the policy only if they make a statement about the policy during the sales presentation. If the sales presentation includes a statement about such a policy, it also must include a clear and conspicuous disclosure of all terms and conditions of the policy that are likely to affect a consumer’s decision on whether to buy the goods or services offered.