2022 Indiana Code
Title 24. Trade Regulation
Article 5. Consumer Sales
Chapter 0.5. Deceptive Consumer Sales
24-5-0.5-2. Definitions

Sec. 2. (a) As used in this chapter:

(1) "Consumer transaction" means a sale, lease, assignment, award by chance, or other disposition of an item of personal property, real property, a service, or an intangible, except securities and policies or contracts of insurance issued by corporations authorized to transact an insurance business under the laws of the state of Indiana, with or without an extension of credit, to a person for purposes that are primarily personal, familial, charitable, agricultural, or household, or a solicitation to supply any of these things. However, the term includes the following:

(A) A transfer of structured settlement payment rights under IC 34-50-2.

(B) An unsolicited advertisement sent to a person by telephone facsimile machine offering a sale, lease, assignment, award by chance, or other disposition of an item of personal property, real property, a service, or an intangible.

(C) The collection of or attempt to collect a debt by a debt collector.

(2) "Person" means an individual, corporation, the state of Indiana or its subdivisions or agencies, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, nonprofit corporation or organization, or cooperative or any other legal entity.

(3) "Supplier" means the following:

(A) A seller, lessor, assignor, or other person who regularly engages in or solicits consumer transactions, including soliciting a consumer transaction by using a telephone facsimile machine to transmit an unsolicited advertisement. The term includes a manufacturer, wholesaler, or retailer, whether or not the person deals directly with the consumer.

(B) A debt collector.

(4) "Subject of a consumer transaction" means the personal property, real property, services, or intangibles offered or furnished in a consumer transaction.

(5) "Cure" as applied to a deceptive act, means either:

(A) to offer in writing to adjust or modify the consumer transaction to which the act relates to conform to the reasonable expectations of the consumer generated by such deceptive act and to perform such offer if accepted by the consumer; or

(B) to offer in writing to rescind such consumer transaction and to perform such offer if accepted by the consumer.

The term includes an offer in writing of one (1) or more items of value, including monetary compensation, that the supplier delivers to a consumer or a representative of the consumer if accepted by the consumer.

(6) "Offer to cure" as applied to a deceptive act is a cure that:

(A) is reasonably calculated to remedy a loss claimed by the consumer; and

(B) includes a minimum additional amount that is the greater of:

(i) ten percent (10%) of the value of the remedy under clause (A), but not more than four thousand dollars ($4,000); or

(ii) five hundred dollars ($500);

as compensation for attorney's fees, expenses, and other costs that a consumer may incur in relation to the deceptive act.

(7) "Uncured deceptive act" means a deceptive act:

(A) with respect to which a consumer who has been damaged by such act has given notice to the supplier under section 5(a) of this chapter; and

(B) either:

(i) no offer to cure has been made to such consumer within thirty (30) days after such notice; or

(ii) the act has not been cured as to such consumer within a reasonable time after the consumer's acceptance of the offer to cure.

(8) "Incurable deceptive act" means a deceptive act done by a supplier as part of a scheme, artifice, or device with intent to defraud or mislead. The term includes a failure of a transferee of structured settlement payment rights to timely provide a true and complete disclosure statement to a payee as provided under IC 34-50-2 in connection with a direct or indirect transfer of structured settlement payment rights.

(9) "Senior consumer" means an individual who is at least sixty (60) years of age.

(10) "Telephone facsimile machine" means equipment that has the capacity to transcribe text or images, or both, from:

(A) paper into an electronic signal and to transmit that signal over a regular telephone line; or

(B) an electronic signal received over a regular telephone line onto paper.

(11) "Unsolicited advertisement" means material advertising the commercial availability or quality of:

(A) property;

(B) goods; or

(C) services;

that is transmitted to a person without the person's prior express invitation or permission, in writing or otherwise.

(12) "Debt" has the meaning set forth in 15 U.S.C. 1692(a)(5).

(13) "Debt collector" has the meaning set forth in 15 U.S.C. 1692(a)(6). The term does not include a person admitted to the practice of law in Indiana if the person is acting within the course and scope of the person's practice as an attorney. The term includes a debt buyer (as defined in IC 24-5-15.5).

(b) As used in section 3(b)(15) and 3(b)(16) of this chapter:

(1) "Directory assistance" means the disclosure of telephone number information in connection with an identified telephone service subscriber by means of a live operator or automated service.

(2) "Local telephone directory" refers to a telephone classified advertising directory or the business section of a telephone directory that is distributed by a telephone company or directory publisher to subscribers located in the local exchanges contained in the directory. The term includes a directory that includes listings of more than one (1) telephone company.

(3) "Local telephone number" refers to a telephone number that has the three (3) number prefix used by the provider of telephone service for telephones physically located within the area covered by the local telephone directory in which the number is listed. The term does not include long distance numbers or 800-, 888-, or 900- exchange numbers listed in a local telephone directory.

Formerly: Acts 1971, P.L.367, SEC.1. As amended by Acts 1982, P.L.152, SEC.1; P.L.12-1986, SEC.4; P.L.24-1989, SEC.10; P.L.233-1995, SEC.1; P.L.174-1997, SEC.1; P.L.18-1997, SEC.3; P.L.219-2001, SEC.1; P.L.165-2005, SEC.6; P.L.85-2006, SEC.2; P.L.1-2007, SEC.165; P.L.226-2011, SEC.13; P.L.250-2013, SEC.2; P.L.65-2014, SEC.6; P.L.105-2017, SEC.1; P.L.280-2019, SEC.4.