Session of 1998
                   
HOUSE BILL No. 2745
         
By Representative O'Neal
         
1-29
            9             AN ACT concerning consumer protection; relating to door-to-door sales;
10             amending K.S.A. 50-640 and repealing the existing section.
11            
12       Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
13           Section 1. K.S.A. 50-640 is hereby amended to read as follows: 50-
14       640. (a) Except as provided in subsection (c)(1)(C), in addition to any
15       right otherwise to revoke, a consumer has the right to cancel a door-to-
16       door sale made within this state until midnight of the third business day
17       after the day on which the consumer signs an agreement or offer to pur-
18       chase which includes the disclosures required by this section.
19           (b) In connection with any door-to-door sale made within this state,
20       it constitutes an unfair and deceptive act or practice within the meaning
21       of K.S.A. 50-626, and amendments thereto, for any supplier to:
22           (1) Fail to furnish the consumer with a fully completed receipt or
23       copy of any contract pertaining to such sale at the time of its execution,
24       which is in the same language, Spanish for example, as that principally
25       used in the oral sales presentation and which shows the date of the trans-
26       action and contains the name and address of the supplier, and in imme-
27       diate proximity to the space reserved in the contract for the signature of
28       the consumer or on the front page of the receipt if a contract is not used
29       and in boldface type of a minimum size of 10 points, a statement in
30       substantially the following form:
31           ``YOU THE BUYER, MAY CANCEL THIS TRANSACTION AT ANY
32       TIME PRIOR TO MIDNIGHT OF THE THIRD BUSINESS DAY AF-
33       TER THE DATE OF THIS TRANSACTION. SEE THE ATTACHED
34       NOTICE OF CANCELLATION FORM FOR AN EXPLANATION OF
35       THIS RIGHT.'' For purposes of the required notices under this section,
36       the term ``buyer'' shall have the same meaning as the term ``consumer.''
37           (2) Fail to furnish each consumer, at the time the consumer signs the
38       door-to-door sales contract or otherwise agrees to buy consumer property
39       or services from the supplier, a completed form in duplicate, captioned
40       ``NOTICE OF CANCELLATION,'' which shall be attached to the con-
41       tract or receipt and be easily detachable, and which shall contain in 10-
42       point boldface type the following information and statements in the same
43       language, Spanish for example, as that used in the contract:

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  1      
NOTICE OF CANCELLATION
  2      
(Enter date of transaction)

  3      
________________

  4       YOU MAY CANCEL THIS TRANSACTION, WITHOUT ANY PENALTY OR OBLI-
  5       GATION, WITHIN THREE BUSINESS DAYS FROM THE ABOVE DATE.
  6           IF YOU CANCEL, ANY PROPERTY TRADED IN, ANY PAYMENTS MADE BY YOU
  7       UNDER THE CONTRACT OR SALE, AND ANY NEGOTIABLE INSTRUMENT EX-
  8       ECUTED BY YOU WILL BE RETURNED WITHIN 10 BUSINESS DAYS FOLLOW-
  9       ING RECEIPT BY THE SELLER OF YOUR CANCELLATION NOTICE, AND ANY
10       SECURITY INTEREST ARISING OUT OF THE TRANSACTION WILL BE CAN-
11       CELED.
12           IF YOU CANCEL, YOU MUST MAKE AVAILABLE TO THE SELLER AT YOUR
13       RESIDENCE, IN SUBSTANTIALLY AS GOOD CONDITION AS WHEN RECEIVED,
14       ANY PROPERTY DELIVERED TO YOU UNDER THIS CONTRACT OR SALE; OR
15       YOU MAY, IF YOU WISH, COMPLY WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE SELLER
16       REGARDING THE RETURN SHIPMENT OF THE PROPERTY AT THE SELLER'S
17       EXPENSE AND RISK.
18           IF YOU DO MAKE THE PROPERTY AVAILABLE TO THE SELLER, AND IF THE
19       SELLER DOES NOT PICK SUCH PROPERTY UP WITHIN 20 DAYS OF THE DATE
20       OF YOUR NOTICE OF CANCELLATION, YOU MAY RETAIN OR DISPOSE OF THE
21       PROPERTY WITHOUT ANY FURTHER OBLIGATION. IF YOU FAIL TO MAKE
22       THE PROPERTY AVAILABLE TO THE SELLER, OR IF YOU AGREE TO RETURN
23       THE PROPERTY TO THE SELLER AND FAIL TO DO SO, THEN YOU REMAIN
24       LIABLE FOR PERFORMANCE OF ALL OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE CONTRACT.
25           TO CANCEL THIS TRANSACTION, MAIL OR DELIVER A SIGNED AND DATED
26       COPY OF THIS CANCELLATION NOTICE OR ANY OTHER WRITTEN NOTICE,
27       OR SEND A TELEGRAM, TO

28      
(Name of Seller)

29       AT

30      
(Address of Seller's Place of Business)
31       NOT LATER THAN MIDNIGHT OF ________.
32      
(Date)

33       I HEREBY CANCEL THIS TRANSACTION.
34      

35                   (Date)                                                     (Buyer's Signature)   
36           (3) Fail, before furnishing copies of the ``notice of cancellation'' to
37       the consumer, to complete both copies by entering the name of the sup-
38       plier, the address of the supplier's place of business, the date of the trans-
39       action, and the date, not earlier than the third business day following the
40       date of the transaction, by which the consumer may give notice of can-
41       cellation.
42           (4) Include in any door-to-door sale contract or receipt any confession
43       of judgment or any waiver of any of the rights to which the consumer is

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  1       entitled under this section including specifically such consumer's right to
  2       cancel the sale in accordance with the provisions of this section.
  3           (5) Fail to inform each consumer orally, at the time such consumer
  4       signs the contract or purchases the property or services, of such con-
  5       sumer's right to cancel.
  6           (6) Misrepresent in any manner the consumer's right to cancel.
  7           (7) Fail or refuse to honor any valid notice of cancellation by a con-
  8       sumer and within 10 business days after the receipt of such notice, to (i)
  9       refund all payments made under the contract or sale; (ii) return any prop-
10       erty traded in, in substantially as good condition as when received by the
11       supplier; (iii) cancel and return any negotiable instrument executed by
12       the consumer in connection with the contract or sale and take any action
13       necessary or appropriate to terminate promptly any security interest cre-
14       ated in the transaction.
15           (8) Negotiate, transfer, sell, or assign any note or other evidence of
16       indebtedness to a finance company or other third party prior to midnight
17       of the fifth business day following the day the contract was signed or the
18       property or services were purchased.
19           (9) Fail, within 10 business days of receipt of the consumer's notice
20       of cancellation, to notify the consumer whether the supplier intends to
21       repossess or to abandon any shipped or delivered property.
22           (c) For the purposes of this section the following definitions shall
23       apply:
24           (1) ``Door-to-door sale'' means a sale, lease or rental of consumer
25       property or services with a purchase price of $25 or more, whether under
26       single or multiple consumer transactions, in which the supplier or the
27       supplier's representative personally solicits the sale, including those in
28       response to or following an invitation by the consumer, and the con-
29       sumer's agreement or offer to purchase is made at a place other than the
30       place of business of the supplier. The term ``door-to-door sale'' does not
31       include a transaction:
32           (A) Made pursuant to prior negotiations in the course of a visit by
33       the consumer to a retail business establishment having a fixed permanent
34       location where the property is exhibited or the services are offered for
35       sale on a continuing basis; or
36           (B) in which the consumer is accorded the right of rescission by the
37       provisions of the consumer credit protection act (15 USCS 1635) or reg-
38       ulations issued pursuant thereto; or
39           (C) in which the consumer has initiated the consumer transaction and
40       the property or services are needed to meet a bona fide immediate per-
41       sonal emergency of the consumer, and the consumer furnishes the sup-
42       plier with a separate dated and signed personal statement in the con-
43       sumer's handwriting describing the situation requiring immediate remedy

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  1       and expressly acknowledging and waiving the right to cancel the sale
  2       within three business days; or
  3           (D) conducted and consummated entirely by mail or telephone; and
  4       without any other contact between the consumer and the supplier or its
  5       representative prior to delivery of the property or performance of the
  6       services; or
  7           (E) in which the consumer has initiated the transaction and specifi-
  8       cally requested the supplier to visit the consumer's home for the purpose
  9       of repairing or performing maintenance upon the consumer's real or per-
10       sonal property. If in the course of such a visit, the supplier sells the
11       consumer the right to receive additional services or property other than
12       replacement parts necessarily used in performing the maintenance or in
13       making the repairs, the sale of the additional property or services would
14       not fall within this exclusion; or
15           (F) pertaining to the sale or rental of real property, to the sale of
16       insurance or to the sale of securities or commodities by a broker-dealer
17       registered with the securities and exchange commission; or
18           (G) that occurs on the state fairgrounds during the annual Kansas
19       state fair between a consumer and a vendor who has been authorized by
20       the state fair management to do business on the state fairgrounds.
21           (2) ``Place of business'' means the main or permanent branch office
22       of a supplier.
23           (3) ``Purchase price'' means the total price paid or to be paid for the
24       consumer property or services, including all interest and service charges.
25           (4) ``Business day'' means any calendar day except Sunday, or any
26       legal holiday as defined by K.S.A. 60-206 and amendments thereto.
27           Sec. 2. K.S.A. 50-640 is hereby repealed.
28           Sec. 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
29       publication in the statute book.
30      
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