Title 6, Title 6 Law — General Regulatory Provisions

No credit bureau doing business in this state shall use all or part of a consumer’s social security number as the sole factor when determining whether a credit report in its files matches the identity of a person who is the subject of a credit inquiry from a user of credit report…

It is the intent of the legislature that in construing §§ 6-13.1-1 and 6-13.1-2 due consideration and great weight shall be given to the interpretations of the Federal Trade Commission and the federal courts relating to § 5(a) of the Federal Trade Commission Act. 15 U.S.C. § 45(a…

It shall be a deceptive trade practice in violation of this chapter for any retail establishment offering goods or services for sale to discriminate against a prospective customer by requiring the use of credit for purchase of goods or services. All retail establishments shall ac…

(a) Nothing in this chapter shall apply to actions or transactions permitted under laws administered by the department of business regulation or other regulatory body or officer acting under statutory authority of this state or the United States. (b) For actions brought by the at…

(a) Whenever the attorney general has reason to believe that any person is using, has used, or is about to use any method, act, or practice declared to be unlawful by § 6-13.1-2, and that proceedings would be in the public interest, the attorney general may bring an action in the…

When a receiver is appointed by the court pursuant to this chapter, he or she shall have the power to sue for, collect, receive, and take into his or her possession all the goods and chattels, rights and credits, moneys and effects, lands and tenements, books, records, documents,…

(a) Any person who purchases or leases goods or services primarily for personal, family, or household purposes and thereby suffers any ascertainable loss of money or property, real or personal, as a result of the use or employment by another person of a method, act, or practice d…

In the administration of this chapter, the attorney general may accept an assurance of voluntary compliance with respect to any method, act, or practice deemed to be a violation of the chapter from any person who has engaged or was about to engage in any method, act, or practice.…

(a) When it appears to the attorney general that a person has engaged in, is engaging in, or is about to engage in, any act or practice declared to be unlawful by this chapter, or when the attorney general believes it to be in the public interest that an investigation should be m…

Any person who violates the provisions of this chapter shall forfeit and pay to the state a civil penalty of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per violation. The attorney general, acting in the name of the state, may petition for recovery of civil penalties.

Upon petition by the attorney general, the superior court may, in its discretion, order the dissolution or suspension or forfeiture of franchise of any corporation that violates the terms of an injunction issued under § 6-13.1-5.

(a) Price comparison advertising is a form of advertising commonly used in the sale or offering for sale of precious metals and stones whereby current prices are compared with former or future prices or other stated values to demonstrate price reductions or cost savings. While pr…

The following words as used in this chapter, unless a different meaning is required by the context or is specifically prescribed, shall have the following meanings: (1) “Advertisement” means any oral, written, or graphic statement or representation made in connection with the sol…

Any seller advertising products or services in Rhode Island for the purpose of soliciting a consumer in this state in which these advertisements contain representations of statements as to any type of saving claims, including reduced price claims and comparative value claims, sha…

(a) It shall be an unfair or deceptive act or practice for a seller to make any price comparison: (1) Based upon a price other than one at which the consumer property was either sold or offered for sale by the seller or a competitor, or will be sold or offered for sale by the sel…

It shall be an unfair or deceptive act or practice for a seller to advertise or make any price comparison: (1) Based upon a price at which consumer property was sold by the seller unless: (i) The price is a price at which the consumer property was actually sold in substantial qua…

It shall be an unfair or deceptive act or practice for a seller to make any price comparison: (1) Based upon a competitor’s price unless: (i) The competitor’s price is either a price at which the competitor sold or advertised consumer property for sale at any time within the nine…

A price label or tag permanently imprinted on or affixed to consumer property or its container by the manufacturer or supplier (“preticketed price”) and not under control of the retail seller or instigated by him or her or that is required to be attached to consumer property unde…

Whoever violates the provisions of this chapter may be enjoined from doing so by an action brought by the attorney general, or any aggrieved party, and shall be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) for each separate advertised infraction.

(1) It is the public policy of the state that environmental marketing claims, whether explicit or implied, must be substantiated by competent and reliable evidence so as not to deceive or mislead consumers about the environmental impact of products and packages. (2) Accurate and …

It is unlawful for any person, in the course of that person’s business, vocation or occupation, to make any untruthful, deceptive, or misleading environmental marketing claims about a product or package sold or offered for sale in this state. For the purposes of this chapter, “pe…

(a) If the attorney general has probable cause to believe that a person is violating or has violated § 6-13.3-2, the attorney general may bring suit in the name of Rhode Island in the appropriate court to restrain that person from further violations of that section. (b) Before fi…

It shall be a defense to any suit brought under this chapter that the person’s environmental marketing claims conform to the standards or are consistent with the examples contained in the guides for use of environmental marketing claims published by the Federal Trade Commission J…

For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply: (1) “ACH”, also known as the Automated Clearing House Network, means the electronic funds-transfer system comprised of a network of associated institutions that process computer-based electronic financial transa…

In the event a borrower defaults under the terms of a plan, the credit card lender may, if the borrower’s account is referred to an attorney (not a regularly salaried employee of the credit card lender) or to a third party for collection and if the agreement governing the credit …

(a) Unless the agreement governing a credit card plan otherwise provides, a credit card lender may at any time and from time to time amend the agreement in any respect, whether or not the amendment or the subject of the amendment was originally contemplated or addressed by the pa…

All terms, conditions and other provisions of and relating to a credit card plan as contained in this chapter or any other applicable chapter, or in the agreement governing the plan (other than those which are interest under this chapter,) including, without limitation, provision…

An agreement governing a credit card plan shall be governed by the laws of the state of Rhode Island, and any other law of this state limiting the rate or amount of interest, discounts, points, finance charges, service charges or other charges or fees shall not apply to extension…

Any credit card lender may, subject to any limitations on lending authorities contained in its charter or otherwise imposed by law, offer and extend credit to a borrower and in connection with the credit may charge and collect interest, interest fees, and charges, and other charg…

If the agreement governing a credit card plan so provides, the periodic percentage rate or rates of interest under the plan may vary in accordance with a schedule or formula. The periodic rate or rates may vary from time to time as the rate determined in accordance with the sched…

A credit card lender may charge and collect interest under a credit card plan on outstanding unpaid indebtedness in the borrower’s account under the plan at any daily, weekly, monthly, annual, or other periodic percentage rate or rates that the agreement governing the plan provid…

(a) In addition to, or in lieu of, interest at a periodic percentage rate or rates as provided in § 6-26.1-4, a credit card lender may, if the agreement governing the credit card plan so provides, charge and collect, as interest, in any manner or form that the plan may provide, o…

If credit under a credit card plan is offered and extended in connection with a demand deposit account or other transaction account maintained by the borrower pursuant to an agreement or arrangement whereby the holder of the deposit account agrees to honor checks, drafts or other…

A credit card lender may at any time and from time to time unilaterally extend to a borrower under a credit card plan the option of omitting monthly installments.

(a) A credit card lender may request but not require an individual borrower to be insured in respect of a credit card plan under a life, health, accident, health and accident or other credit or other permissible insurance policy or program, whether group or individual. (b) In the…

(a) If the agreement governing a credit card plan so provides, a credit card lender may impose, as interest, a late or delinquency charge upon any outstanding unpaid installment payments or portions of it under the plan that are in default; provided, however, that no more than on…

This chapter may be cited as the “Unfair Home Improvement Loans for Senior Citizens Act.”

(a) “Consumer” means an individual who seeks or acquires, by purchase or lease, any goods or services for personal, family, or household purposes. (b) “Disabled person” means any person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activ…

(a) The following unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices undertaken by any person in a transaction intended to result or which results in the sale or lease of goods or services to any consumer are unlawful: The home solicitation of a consumer who …

Anyone who violates any provision of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Any person, firm, or corporation, who or that has been found guilty, as previously stated, or any person, firm, or corporation acquiring derivative rights from someone found guilty shall be prohib…

(a) If a contract is principally for the construction or repair of improvements to real property located in Rhode Island and the contract contains a provision that makes the contract or any conflict arising under it subject to the law of another state; to litigation in the courts…

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Senior Savings Protection Act”.

It is unlawful for any person engaged in the sale of goods or services to charge any fee to any person who is sixty-five (65) years of age or older, for a hard-copy paper bill, statement, or invoice.

Any person who violates the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed to have committed a deceptive trade practice and is subject to the penalty set forth in § 6-13.1-14.

(a) Rhode Island is striving to build an entrepreneurial- and knowledge-based economy. Attracting and nurturing internet technology (“IT”) and other knowledge-based companies is an important part of this effort and will be beneficial to Rhode Island’s future. (b) Patents are esse…

As used in this chapter: (1) “Demand letter” means a letter, e-mail, or other communication asserting or claiming that the target has engaged in patent infringement; (2) “Person” means any natural person or the estate of any natural person, or trust or association of persons, whe…