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PDFWAC 308-420-220

Advertisements.

(1) No camping resort operator or salesperson shall use advertisements or sales promotion literature that are deceptive, false, or misleading.
(2) Advertisements or sales promotion literature that offer any gift, prize, award, sweepstakes, premium, free items, or item of value as an inducement to the recipient to buy a camping resort membership, visit a camping resort property, complete a tour of a camping resort property, receive a sales presentation, or contact salespersons shall be subject to the following provisions:
(a) The name of the operator providing the services which are the subject of the advertisement or sales promotion shall appear on the front or first page of the offer. If the offer is made by an agent or independent contractor employed or authorized by the operator, or is made under a name other than the registered name of the operator, the name of the operator shall be more prominently and conspicuously displayed than the name of the agent, independent contractor, or other name.
(b) No item or promotion may be labeled gift, prize, award, sweepstakes, premium, free, or the like if the intended recipient is required to purchase a camping resort contract or expend any sum of money other than travel costs to attend a sales presentation or pay any shipping and handling charges to receive or redeem the item.
(c) The use of any printing styles, graphics, lay-outs, text, colors, or formats on envelopes or on the offer which implies, creates an appearance, or would lead a reasonable person to believe, that the offer originates from or is issued by or on behalf of a government or public agency, public utility, public organization, insurance company, credit reporting agency, bill collecting company or law firm, unless the same is true, is prohibited.
(d) All references to the size, quantity, identity, value, or quality of any incentive must be accurate and correct.
(e) All references to the odds of receiving any particular incentive must be accurate and correct.
(f) References that represent directly or by implication that the number of participants has been significantly limited or that any person has been selected to receive a particular incentive unless fact are prohibited.
(g) No offer shall be labeled a notice of termination or notice of cancellation.
(h) The offer, plan, program or the affiliation, connection, association, or contractual relationship between the person making the offer and the operator may not be represented if they are not the same.
(i) The advertisement or sales promotion literature shall identify each item and its retail fair market value. To determine the retail fair market value, the following methods may be used:
(i) Approximate retail sales price of the item in the trade area in which the offer is made; or
(ii) Approximate retail sales price in the trade area of similar items of comparable quality if the item is not available in the trade area in which the offer is made;
(iii) Appraisals adjusted to local retail fair market value;
(iv) Only if local retail fair market value cannot be determined by the methods set forth above then it may be established by multiplying by three the operator's actual cost of the item.
(j) If the item is one or more of a larger group, and if offered or given on a random basis, the advertisement or sales promotion literature must disclose the actual odds of receiving each item. The odds shall be stated in Arabic numerals in ratio form and if the odds are not printed on the front or first page of the offer, then the location of the odds must be disclosed on the front or first page in a type size that is equal to or larger than standard text type used on the front or first page of the offer.
(k) If receipt of the advertised item is contingent upon certain restrictions or qualifications which the recipient must meet, then a clear and complete disclosure of those restrictions and whether they apply to receipt of the gift or acceptability to buy into the program, must be made in the offer. Restrictions that must be disclosed include, but are not limited to the following:
(i) The deadline by which the recipient must buy a camping resort membership, visit a camping resort property, complete a tour of a camping resort property, receive a sales presentation, or contact a salesperson in order to receive an item, if any such deadline exists;
(ii) The days and hours during which visits may be made, tours may be taken, or sales presentations received and the approximate length in hours of such visits, tours or sales presentations if any visit, tour, or sales presentation is necessary in order for the recipient to receive the item; and
(iii) Any requirement such as age, marital status, financial qualifications, or that both husband and wife must be present.
(l) No camping resort operator or salesperson shall make any offer of an item when the operator or salesperson knows or has reason to know that the item is not readily available;
(m) Any restriction or requirement that time, money or effort must be expended by the recipient of an item in order for the recipient to use the item must be disclosed in the advertisement or sales promotion literature. Examples of such restrictions or requirements include any items that require assembly by the recipient, travel or other entertainment gifts or prizes for which there are limitations on the dates or times when the recipient may use the item, or which require nonrefundable reservation deposits or additional travel costs in order for the recipient to use the travel or other entertainment gift or prize.
(n) Provisions explaining any conditions to qualify for a gift, prize, award, sweepstakes, premium, free item, or any item of value must be in type at least equal to or larger than the average type size on the face page of the advertisement or sales promotion literature.
(3) Whenever one or more items are offered to a recipient as an inducement to buy a camping resort membership, visit a camping resort property, receive a sales presentation, or contact a salesperson such items shall be identified specifically and discussed as a group whenever mentioned.
(4) Nothing in this section shall affect the remedies of the director, attorney general, or any other person responding to advertisements or sales promotions if such advertisements or promotions are deceptive, false or misleading or otherwise in violation of chapter 19.105 RCW.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 19.105.130. WSR 91-01-082, ยง 308-420-220, filed 12/17/90, effective 1/17/91. Formerly WAC 460-90A-140.]
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