Rhode Island § 5-61-3 - Telephone Sales Solicitation Act

§ 5-61-3. Registration.

(a) Not less than ten (10) days prior to doing business in this state, a telephone sales solicitation operation or telephonic seller shall register with the department by filing with the consumer protection unit of the department the information required by § 5-61-4 and a filing fee of one hundred dollars ($100). A seller is deemed to do business in this state if the seller solicits prospective purchasers from locations in this state or solicits prospective purchasers who are located in this state. The information required by § 5-61-4 shall be submitted on a form provided by the attorney general. The information shall be verified by a declaration signed by each principal of the telephone sales solicitation operation under penalty of perjury. The declaration shall specify the date and location of signing. Information submitted pursuant to § 5-61-4(10) or (11) shall be clearly identified and appended to the filing.

(b) Registration of a telephone sales solicitation business shall be valid for one year from its effective date and may be annually renewed by making the filing required by § 5-61-4 and paying a filing fee of one hundred dollars ($100), which shall be deposited into the general fund as general revenue.

(c) Whenever, prior to expiration of a seller’s annual registration, there is a material change in the information required by § 5-61-4, the seller, within ten (10) days, shall file an addendum updating the information with the consumer protection unit of the department. Changes in salespersons soliciting on behalf of the seller shall be updated by addendums filed, if necessary, in quarterly intervals computed from the effective date of registration.

(d) Upon receipt of a filing and filing fee pursuant to subsection (a) or (b) of this section, the department shall send the telephonic seller a written confirmation of receipt of the filing no later than ten (10) business days. If the seller has more than one business location, the written confirmation shall be sent to the principal business location identified in the seller’s filing and the seller may make copies so that the seller has one for each business location. The seller shall post the confirmation of receipt of filing, within ten (10) days of receipt, in a conspicuous place at each of the seller’s business locations. The seller shall not commence any telephone solicitations until the time that the written confirmation is received.

(e) The consumer protection unit of the department of attorney general may delay, reject, or revoke a registration upon review of the information contained in the filing of the registration form, or as a result of information relating to the conduct of the business operation.