DEC. 2012

No.77

LIVING GUIDE MORIOKA
MORIOKA INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ASSOCIATION
e-mail moriintl@nifty.com〒 020-8531 MORIOKA-SHI WAKAZONO-CHO 2-18
TEL 019-626-7524

http://www.e-morioka.com/~moriintl/top.html

Do you know about Cooling-Off Rule?
There might be a time when you thoughtlessly signed a door-to-door or telemarketing sales contract, but later realize that you
want to cancel the contract. In this case you can get a full refund because of the cooling-off rule.

What is the cooling-off rule?
When you make a contract for the purchase of goods orlike door-to-door sales, etc. sometimes consumers would

services through door-to-door or telemarketing sales, etc.,

enter into a contract because of their not being able tothe contract can be canceled unconditionally within 8

judge a situation calmly by the salespersons' solicitation.

days (20 days in the case of multilevel marketing scheme,

Therefore under the cooling-off rule, consumers are givenetc.) including the day of signing the contract under thethe opportunity to reconsider and can cancel the contract

cooling-off rule.

without penalty as long as certain conditions are met.

In principle, a contract should be observed. But in cases

Cases to which the cooling-off rule is applicable▼Since salespersons' sudden visits and trained▼The contract can be canceled unconditionally within 8solicitations place consumers at a disadvantage, thedays, 20 days in the cases of job offer inducement sales

consumers' rights should be protected by the cooling-off(side jobs, product test responder), multilevel marketing

rule.

scheme, etc. ( * ) including the day of signing theEven when you made a contract at the seller's business

contract.

location, the rule is applicable to the service contracts▼Even after the cooling-off period has expired, thefor beauty salons, foreign language classes, private

cancellation of a contract might be possible in some

preparatory schools, tutors, personal computer classes,

cases. So be sure to contact Morioka Consumer Affairs

marriage partner introduction.

Center.

* Multi-level marketing plansand profitable job at home" or "You can make more money

Be cautious not to be involved in the network marketing.

than you pay for this product." In the end you might have toSome distributors would ask you, "Why don't you buy

pay for expensive educational materials, or for the products

this product first, and then sell our goods to your friends?

which you are forced to buy as essential tools for the job andYou will surely gain a profit." These distributors may

the registration fee, etc. Work-at-home ads usually don't pay

encourage you to become a distributor. These plans, oftenoff.

called "multilevel marketing plans," sometimes promise

There are other sales methods to sell "opportunities" with acommissions or rewards that will never materialize. Itproduct. The distributors might say, "If you buy this productcreates lots of problems in relationships and your family orand be a product test responder, you will get paid for it.",friends might get into trouble. There is not a way to make"You only have to write reports or return the questionnaire."money quickly.

If you make a contract with them, you risk losing your* Job offer inducement sales (side jobs, product testmoney and wasting a lot of time and energy, what's worse,responder)

being in debt.

Be aware of Job offer type of solicitations such as "easyProviding written notice of cancellation

Notice of Cancellation of Contract

For the cancellation of the contract, you should provide written notice

Date of Contract: MM / DD / YYYY(postcard) to avoid future troubles. Oral notice is not recommended. It

Name of item: ××××××

is important to keep evidence, therefore documents should be sent by

Contract Amount: ××××× yen

acceptance-recorded mail. And you should photocopy both sides of theI hereby cancel the contract above.

postcard and keep them.

I demand a full refund of ×××××yen paid

If you paid for your purchase with a credit card, you should notify theby me under the contract, and collection ofcredit card company that you want to cancel the purchase.

the item by you or your representative.

• Paid cash is refunded in full.

Date: MM / DD / YYYY• It is not necessary to pay compensation for damage or penalty.

Address of purchaser: ×××××××• The seller should bear the cost for retrieving the item.

Name of purchaser: ×××××

Seal↑≪ Description example ≫Cases to which the cooling-off rule is not applicable
The cooling-off-rule only applies to cases defined by law. Be aware that there are cases where the cooling-off rule doesn't
apply.
For example,

bear the sending-back cost but can get a refund of the▼When you purchased a product that cost less than 3,000product.)

yen and paid the full amount in cash at the same time

▼When you have consumed part of a consumable product,▼When the product is an automobile

such as cosmetics or detergents. (If sellers didn't let you▼When the products were purchased by mail order (Someknow their return policies in written form, you can write

stores have return policies. In this case the consumer should

your own cancellation notice.)

When you don't want to buy, you should decline
fi rmly. Let's say to the seller, "I don't need it.
I don't buy it." You should tell him/her in no
uncertain terms. If you say "I i desu." in Japanese
when you want to decline, it might be difficult fora seller to understand your intention. He/she may
take it as "OK, I will buy." because "ii" can beinterpreted "good" depending on the situation.

This product isexcellent in thispoint! You are theonly person who
can get this attoday's special
price! It's only
today!

Buy Now!
Buy Now!

I don'tneed it.
I don'tbuy it.

In case you get into trouble, be sure to consult an expert advisor.
If you become a victim of vicious business practices, immediately consult an expert advisor.
<Consultation Desk>■Morioka Consumer Affairs Center: 2F, Morioka City Sakana-cho Branch Office (in Japanese language only)■Public-interest Corporation Iwate International Association: Aiina 5F, Iwate Prefecture Citizen's Cultural
Exchange Center• Specialist Consultation (Fixed time)Third Wednesday of each month, 15:00~18:00, (Prior booking essential)*Providing confidential counseling, Free of charge• Consultation in Foreign Languages
English and Spanish: Saturday and Sunday, 9：00 ～ 16：00
Chinese: Monday through Friday (every other week), 17：30 ～ 21：30
Korean: Monday through Friday (every other week), 17：30 ～ 21：30, Saturday and Sunday, 16：30 ～ 21：30*In case that the consultant or support personnel are absent, the service is not available.