Montana Code Annotated 2023

TITLE 30. TRADE AND COMMERCE

CHAPTER 14. UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES AND CONSUMER PROTECTION

Part 14. Montana Telemarketing Registration and Fraud Prevention Act

Definitions

30-14-1403. Definitions. As used in this part, the following definitions apply:

(1) "Consumer" means a person who is or may be required to pay for goods or services offered by a seller or telemarketer through telemarketing.

(2) "Department" means the department of justice created in 2-15-2001.

(3) "Goods or services" means any real property, any tangible or intangible personal property, or services of any kind provided or offered to a person.

(4) "Material aspect" means any factor likely to affect a person's choice of or conduct regarding goods or services. The term includes currency values and comparative expressions of value, including but not limited to percentages or multiples.

(5) "Person" means a natural person, corporation, trust, partnership, incorporated or unincorporated association, or other legal entity.

(6) "Prize" means anything offered, purportedly offered, given, or purportedly given to a person by chance.

(7) "Prize promotion" means a sweepstakes or other game of chance or an oral or written representation, express or implied, that a person has won, has been selected to receive, or is eligible to receive a prize or purported prize.

(8) "Seller" means a person who, in connection with a telemarketing transaction, provides, offers to provide, or arranges for others to provide goods or services to the consumer in exchange for consideration.

(9) "Solicitation" means a written or oral notification or advertisement that:

(a) is transmitted by or on behalf of a seller or telemarketer by any printed, audio, video, cinematic, telephonic, or electronic means to a consumer; and

(b) in the case of a notification or advertisement other than by telephone, either of the following conditions is met:

(i) the notification or advertisement is followed by a telephone call from a seller or telemarketer; or

(ii) the notification or advertisement induces a response by telephone and, through that response, a seller or telemarketer attempts to make a sale of goods or services.

(10) "Supervised financial organization" means any bank, trust company, savings and loan association, mutual savings bank, credit union, industrial loan company, consumer finance lender, commercial finance lender, or insurer, provided that the organization is subject to supervision by an agency of this or any other state of the United States or an agency, bureau, or department of government of the United States.

(11) "Telemarketer" means a person, located within or outside of this state, who in connection with telemarketing initiates or receives telephone calls to or from a consumer in this state. The term includes a seller directly engaged in telemarketing on the seller's own behalf or a person engaged in telemarketing at the direction of a seller.

(12) "Telemarketing" means a plan, program, or campaign that is conducted by telephone to induce the purchase of goods or services and that involves more than one telephone call to a consumer.

History: En. Sec. 3, Ch. 342, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 68, Ch. 483, L. 2001; amd. Sec. 10, Ch. 280, L. 2005.