Mississippi sales calls act interim rules

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MISSISSIPPI SALES CALLS ACT

INTERIM RULES

Promulgated

Pursuant to the

Mississippi Telephonic Sales Calls Act

 

 

 

                       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                        Jim Hood

Attorney General

State of Mississippi

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Table of Contents

Article 1  - General Provisions

                               101 . . . Scope

                               103 . . . Definitions

                               105 . . . Filling Materials

                               107 . . . Application Forms

                               109 . . . Variances from the Rules

                               111 . . . Inquiries Concerning Interpretations

                               113 . . . Validity of Rules

                               115 . . . Variance Between Rules and Statutes

            Article 2  - Commercial Telephone Seller

                              201 . . . Application

                              203 . . . Salespersons

                              205 . . . Withdrawal of Application

                              207 . . . Surety Bond

                              209 . . . Exceptions

                              211 . . . Renewal

                              213 . . . Incomplete Applications

                              215 . . . Notification of Customers

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ARTICLE ONE

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Preamble:          The following Rules are hereby adopted by the Attorney General by the

authority granted him by Chapter 538 General Laws of Mississippi, 1993, (hereinafter “the Act”). 

The Attorney General has been vested with the authority to regulate businesses engaged in

commercial telephone solicitation by Chapter 538, 1993 General Laws of Mississippi to promote

the general welfare of the public and the integrity of the telemarketing industry.  These rules

implement and make specific the provisions of that chapter and establish regulations, procedures,

and requirements for commercial telephone sellers and salespersons doing business in the State

of Mississippi.  These Rules are intended to supplement the statutory provisions concerning

filings, registrations, applications, or any other requirement contained therein.

101 Scope

       In implementing the Act, the scope of these rules is the regulation of any person who:

       (1) By manual means, or by the use of an automated dialing machine, establishes, or               

             attempts to establish, contact with a purchaser by means of an unsolicited telephone call   

             for the purpose of soliciting a sale of any consumer goods or services, or for the purpose   

            of soliciting an extension of credit for consumer goods or services, or for the purpose of    

            obtaining information or an extension of credit for these purposes, or

       (2) Through a written or oral notification or advertisement offers a gift, award, or prize to a    

             purchaser who has not previously purchased from the person initiating the                         

             communication, or

       (3) Provides a written or oral notification or advertisement in which a telephone call               

             response is invited and which is followed by a telephone call in which the salesperson      

             intends to complete a sale or enter into an agreement to purchase during the course of the 

             call, or

       (4) Provides a written or oral notification or advertisement where the notice or advertisement 

             represents the price, quality, or availability of consumer goods or services, and  

             (a) Which notice or advertisement invites a response by telephone, which is followed by   

                  a telephone call to the person by the sales person, or

             (b) Which is followed by a telephone call to the person by the salesperson, or 

             

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        (5) For the purpose of this rule chapter, a “gift, award, or prize” does not include

              (a) A de minimus offering of goods such as a soft drink, a cup of coffee or tea, a snack,   

                   or a similar offering, or

              (b) Additional goods of like kind as the goods being offered for sale.

         (6) For the purpose of this rule “written or oral notification or advertisement” shall mean an 

               advertisement specifically sent or addressed by the commercial telephone seller or          

               salesperson to the person by mail or by other similar means of physical delivery, or         

              made by telephone call or facsimile transmission.  The phrase includes items addressed   

              to “occupant”, “residents”, and similar names, but does not include misdirected mail or   

               misdialed telephone or facsimile numbers, or a notification or advertisement directed to  

               the general public and made by means of television, radio, yellow pages, newspapers,     

               or similar kinds of notification or advertisement.          .

103 DEFINITIONS

       The definitions contained in the Act are applicable to these rules.

105 FILING MATERIALS

       All papers, forms, or information required to be filed with the Office of the Attorney General  

       may be filed through the mails or otherwise.  The date on which papers, forms, or other            

      documents are actually received by the Office of the Attorney General shall be the date of         

      filing thereof.  An application is not considered complete and will not be further processed       

      until all required documentation has been received by the Office of the Attorney General.

107 APPLICATION FORMS

       All applications for a certificate of registration shall be submitted on forms authorized by the   

       Office of the Attorney General.  All information requested in such forms is essential and          

       must be furnished.  Additional documentation not specifically called for by the form, but         

       which is essential to a full disclosure by the applicant of all information, shall be furnished      

       to the Attorney General’s Office and properly identified.  All forms and documentation            

       furnished to the Office of the Attorney General become part of the records of this office and    

       are not returnable.

 

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109 VARIANCES FROM THE RULES

       The Office of the Attorney General may grant in writing variances from these Rules if it can    

       be determined that:

       (a) Application of the Rules from which the variance is granted would, in the particular case,   

             be unnecessarily burdensome, and

       (b) Such variance would not be inconsistent with the public policy purposes of the Act.

111 INQUIRIES CONCERNING INTERPRETATIONS

       The staff of the Office of the Attorney General may respond to inquiries concerning                 

       interpretations of the Act of the rules promulgated thereunder, provided sufficient relevant       

       facts are given and the situation is not hypothetical.  Such inquiry may be referred to an            

      attorney assigned to the Office of Consumer Protection who may also, at his/her election,         

      refuse to respond to an inquiry.

113 VALIDITY OF RULES

       If any one or more of these rules is found to be invalid by any court of competent                      

      jurisdiction, such finding shall not affect the validity of any other of these rules.

115 VARIANCE BETWEEN RULES AND STATUTES

       If there is any variance between these rules and the statutes regulating telephone solicitation,   

       the statutes shall govern.

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ARTICLE TWO

COMMERCIAL TELEPHONE SOLICITOR

201 APPLICATION

       No person may act as a commercial telephone solicitor without first obtaining a Certificate      

      of Registration to conduct such activity.  

       (a) All applications for a Certificate of Registration shall be in writing on a form as provided   

            herein, verified by the applicant, and accompanied by the appropriate documents.

       (b) The commercial telephone solicitor shall utilize the form prescribed by the Office of the     

             Attorney General as hereby adopted and incorporated by reference.  Prospective                 

             applicants can acquire an application packet (consisting of the application form, a copy      

             of the Act and a copy of these rules) by oral or written request to the Office of Consumer   

             Protection, 802 N. State Street, P.  O.  Box 22947, Jackson, MS 39225-2947, Telephone    

             Number [phone].

203 SALESPERSONS

       The commercial telephone solicitor shall list all employees hired to function as a salesperson   

       within the application for a Certificate of Registration.  The termination and hiring of               

       salespersons subsequent to obtaining a Certificate of Registration shall be reported to the         

       Office of the Attorney General by amendment within 10 days of such action.

205 WITHDRAWAL OF APPLICATION

       An applicant can withdraw an application prior to the issuance of a Certificate of                      

       Registration by submitting a written request that the application be withdrawn. 

207 SURETY BOND

       (A) The applicant for a Certificate of Registration shall provide to the Attorney General an      

             original surety bond, issued by a corporate surety licensed to do business, and                     

             authorized to transact insurance in Mississippi.  Through June 30, 1994 the bond shall       

             be in the principal amount of $50,000; after June 30, 1994 the bond shall be in the              

             principal amount of $75,000.  The condition of the bond shall be the faithful                       

             performance of all duties and responsibilities of the commercial telephone solicitor and      

             shall provide indemnification of any person suffering loss as the result of any violation      

             of this Act.

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       (B) In lieu of a surety bond, the applicant for a Certificate of Registration as a commercial       

             telephone solicitor shall provide to the Attorney General cash, a certificate of deposit, or    

             government bonds in the amount of $50,000 until June 30, 1994 and in the amount of        

             $75,000 after July 1, 1994.  Such deposit is subject to the same terms and conditions as      

             are provided for in the surety bond required herein.  Any interest or earnings on such          

             deposits are payable to the depositor.  

209 EXCEPTIONS

       Those exceptions and/or exclusions contained in the Act will be used to determine those          

       organizations to which the requirement to obtain a Certificate of Registration does not apply.   

       An attorney designated to work with the Office of Consumer Protection will make such           

       determination and arrange proper notification to parties concerned.

211 RENEWAL

       Each Certificate of Registration shall be in force for a one year period computed from the        

       date of issue of the Certificate of Registration.

       (a) The commercial telephone seller having a Certificate of Registration in force shall notify    

             the Attorney General of all material changes in the information submitted in the original    

             application, including the original application, or any application for renewal occurring      

             prior to renewal within 10 days of the change.  Forms provided by the Office of the            

             Attorney General will be utilized. 

       (b) The commercial telephone seller shall attach a photocopy of the original information          

            which was submitted as a condition of initial or renewal of the Certificate of Registration    

            and the photocopy shall be noted and conspicuously identified.

213 INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS

       Documents submitted to the Office of the Attorney General which do not meet the                   

       requirements of this rule may be deemed an incomplete application package and applicant       

       will be notified.  A Certificate of Registration will only be issued upon the receipt of a             

       complete application and supporting documents.

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215 NOTIFICATION OF CUSTOMERS

       Telecommunications Companies doing business in Mississippi will inform their customers      

       of the provisions of the governing act (Chapter 538 1993 General Laws of Mississippi).  The   

       notification may be made by both:

       (a) Annual inserts in the billing statements mailed to customer; and 

       (b) Conspicuous publication of the notice in the consumer information pages of the local         

             telephone directories.

                                               

       

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