Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/WVCODE/Code.cfm?chap=46A&art=6
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 06:25:55+00:00

Document:
ARTICLE 2. CONSUMER CREDIT PROTECTION.
ARTICLE 2A. BREACH OF SECURITY OF CONSUMER INFORMATION.
ARTICLE 3. FINANCE CHARGES AND RELATED PROVISIONS.
ARTICLE 4. REGULATED CONSUMER LENDERS.
ARTICLE 5. CIVIL LIABILITY AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES.
ARTICLE 6. GENERAL CONSUMER PROTECTION.
§46A-6-101. Legislative declarations; statutory construction.
§46A-6-104. Unlawful acts or practices.
§46A-6-106. Private causes of action.
§46A-6-107. Disclaimer of warranties and remedies prohibited.
§46A-6-108. Breach of warranty; privity abolished.
§46A-6-109. The use of plain language in consumer transactions.
§46A-6-110. Solicitation or cashing of postdated checks; penalties.
ARTICLE 6A. CONSUMER PROTECTION--NEW MOTOR VEHICLE WARRANTIES.
ARTICLE 6B. CONSUMER PROTECTION--AUTOMOTIVE CRASH PARTS.
ARTICLE 6C. CREDIT SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS.
ARTICLE 6D. PRIZES AND GIFTS.
ARTICLE 6E. CONSUMER PROTECTION -- ASSISTIVE DEVICES.
ARTICLE 6G. ELECTRONIC MAIL PROTECTION ACT.
ARTICLE 6H. TRANSFERS OF RIGHT TO RECEIVE FUTURE PAYMENTS.
ARTICLE 6I. CONSUMER PROTECTIONS IN ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS.
ARTICLE 6J. PROTECTION OF CONSUMERS FROM PRICE GOUGING AND UNFAIR PRICING PRACTICES DURING AND SHORTLY AFTER A STATE OF EMERGENCY.
ARTICLE 6K. GOOD FUNDS SETTLEMENT ACT.
ARTICLE 6L. THEFT OF CONSUMER IDENTITY PROTECTIONS.
ARTICLE 6M. STORM SCAMMER CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT.
ARTICLE 8. OPERATIVE DATE AND PROVISIONS FOR TRANSITION.
(1) The Legislature hereby declares that the purpose of this article is to complement the body of federal law governing unfair competition and unfair, deceptive and fraudulent acts or practices in order to protect the public and foster fair and honest competition. It is the intent of the Legislature that, in construing this article, the courts be guided by the policies of the Federal Trade Commission and interpretations given by the Federal Trade Commission and the federal courts to Section 5(a)(1) of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U. S. C. § 45(a)(1)), as from time to time amended, and to the various other federal statutes dealing with the same or similar matters. To this end, this article shall be liberally construed so that its beneficial purposes may be served.
(2) It is, however, the further intent of the Legislature that this article not be construed to prohibit acts or practices which are reasonable in relation to the development and preservation of business or which are not injurious to the public interest, nor does this article repeal by implication the provisions of articles eleven, eleven-a and eleven-b, chapter forty-seven of this code.
(1) "Advertisement" means the publication, dissemination or circulation of any matter, oral or written, including labeling, which tends to induce, directly or indirectly, any person to enter into any obligation, sign any contract or acquire any title or interest in any goods or services and includes every word device to disguise any form of business solicitation by using such terms as "renewal", "invoice", "bill", "statement" or "reminder" to create an impression of existing obligation when there is none or other language to mislead any person in relation to any sought-after commercial transaction.
(2) "Consumer" means a natural person to whom a sale or lease is made in a consumer transaction and a "consumer transaction" means a sale or lease to a natural person or persons for a personal, family, household or agricultural purpose.
(3) "Cure offer" means a written offer of one or more things of value, including, but not limited to, the payment of money, that is made by a merchant or seller and that is delivered by certified mail to a person claiming to have suffered a loss as a result of a transaction or to the attorney for such person.
(4) "Merchantable" means, in addition to the qualities prescribed in section three hundred fourteen, article two, chapter forty-six of this code, that the goods conform in all material respects to applicable state and federal statutes and regulations establishing standards of quality and safety of goods and, in the case of goods with mechanical, electrical or thermal components, that the goods are in good working order and will operate properly in normal usage for a reasonable period of time.
(5) "Sale" includes any sale, offer for sale or attempt to sell any goods for cash or credit or any services or offer for services for cash or credit.
(6) "Trade" or "commerce" means the advertising, offering for sale, sale or distribution of any goods or services and shall include any trade or commerce, directly or indirectly, affecting the people of this state.
(P) Violating any provision or requirement of article six-b of this chapter.
(8) "Warranty" means express and implied warranties described and defined in sections three hundred thirteen, three hundred fourteen and three hundred fifteen, article two, chapter forty-six of this code and expressions or actions of a merchant which assure the consumer that the goods have described qualities or will perform in a described manner.
The Attorney General of the State of West Virginia may make rules and regulations interpreting and defining the provisions of section one hundred two of this article. Such rules and regulations shall conform as nearly as practicable with the rules, regulations and decisions of the federal trade commission and the federal courts in interpreting the provisions of the "Federal Trade Commission Act," as from time to time amended.
This article does not apply to acts done by the publisher, owner, agent or employee of a newspaper, periodical or radio or television station in the publication or dissemination of an advertisement, when the owner, agent or employee did not have knowledge of the false, misleading or deceptive character of the advertisement, did not prepare the advertisement and did not have a direct financial interest in the sale or distribution of the advertised goods or services.
(a) Subject to subsections (b) and (c) of this section, any person who purchases or leases goods or services and thereby suffers an 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 prohibited or declared to be unlawful by the provisions of this article may bring an action in the circuit court of the county in which the seller or lessor resides or has his or her principal place of business or is doing business, or as provided for in sections one and two, article one, chapter fifty-six of this code, to recover actual damages or $200, whichever is greater. The court may, in its discretion, provide such equitable relief it considers necessary or proper. Any party to an action for damages under this subsection has the right to demand a jury trial.
(b) No award of damages in an action pursuant to subsection (a) may be made without proof that the person seeking damages suffered an actual out-of-pocket loss that was proximately caused by a violation of this article. If a person seeking to recover damages for a violation of this article alleges that an affirmative misrepresentation is the basis for his or her claim then he or she must prove that the deceptive act or practice caused him or her to enter into the transaction that resulted in his or her damages. If a person seeking to recover damages for a violation of this article alleges that the concealment or omission of information is the basis for his or her claim, then he or she must prove that the person's loss was proximately caused by the concealment or omission.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section, no action, counterclaim, cross-claim or third-party claim may be brought pursuant to the provisions of this section until the person has informed the seller or lessor in writing and by certified mail, return receipt requested, of the alleged violation and provided the seller or lessor twenty days from receipt of the notice of violation but ten days in the case a cause of action has already been filed to make a cure offer: Provided, That the person shall have ten days from receipt of the cure offer to accept the cure offer or it is deemed refused and withdrawn.
(d) If a cure offer is accepted, the seller or lessor has ten days to begin effectuating the agreed upon cure and the cure must be completed within a reasonable time.
(e) Any applicable statute of limitations is tolled for the twenty-day period set forth in subsection (c) of this section or for the period the effectuation of the cure offer is being performed, whichever is longer.
(f) Nothing in this section prevents a person that has accepted a cure offer from bringing a civil action against a seller or lessor for failing to timely effect the cure offer.
(g) Any permanent injunction, judgment or order of the court under section one hundred eight, article seven of this chapter for a violation of section one hundred four of this article is prima facie evidence in an action brought pursuant to the provisions of this section that the respondent used or employed a method, act or practice declared unlawful by section one hundred four of this article.
(h) Where an action is brought pursuant to the provisions of this section, it is a complete defense that a cure offer was made, accepted and the agreed upon cure was performed. If the finder of fact determines that the cure offer was accepted and the agreed upon cure performed, the seller or lessor is entitled to reasonable attorney's fees and costs attendant to defending the action.
(i) No cure offer is admissible in any proceeding initiated pursuant to the provisions of this article unless the cure offer is delivered by a seller or lessor to the person claiming loss or to any attorney representing such person prior to the filing of the seller or lessee's initial responsive pleading in such proceeding. If the cure offer is timely delivered by the seller or lessor, then the seller or lessee may introduce the cure offer into evidence at trial. The seller or lessor is not liable for the person's attorney's fees and court costs incurred following delivery of the cure offer unless the actual damages found to have been sustained and awarded, without consideration of attorney's fees and court costs, exceed the value of the cure offer.
(2) Exclude, modify or attempt to limit any remedy provided by law, including the measure of damages available, for a breach of warranty, express, or implied.
(7) Is signed by both the consumer and the merchant before the sales contract is executed.
For purposes of this subsection, “used manufactured home” means a manufactured home, as defined in §21-9-2 of this code, that is more than four years old from its date of production and has previously been occupied, used, or sold for purposes other than resale.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, no action by a consumer for breach of warranty or for negligence with respect to goods subject to a consumer transaction shall fail because of a lack of privity between the consumer and the party against whom the claim is made. An action against any person for breach of warranty or for negligence with respect to goods subject to a consumer transaction shall not of itself constitute a bar to the bringing of an action against another person.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary with respect to goods which are the subject of or intended to become the subject of a consumer transaction, no manufacturer may fail to honor a manufacturer's warranty if the consumer has complied with applicable warranty registration provisions but the merchant from whom such goods were purchased has not complied with or registered the warranty, and in such case the manufacturer shall honor the warranty.
(c) When a merchant or manufacturer has failed to honor a warranty which is valid under the laws of this state and which the manufacturer is bound to honor, if the goods have been replaced or repaired by the merchant or a repairperson, as the case may be, such merchant, repairperson or consumer, in addition to any other remedy provided by law, shall have a cause of action against the manufacturer for the reasonable cost of such replacement or repair.
(a) Every written agreement entered into by a consumer after April 1, one thousand nine hundred eighty-two, for the purchase or lease of goods or services in consumer transactions, whether for the rental of space to be occupied for residential purposes or for the sale of goods or services for personal, family, household or agricultural purposes, must: (1) Be written in a clear and coherent manner, using words with common and everyday meanings; (2) use type of an easily readable size and ink which adequately contrasts with the paper; and (3) be appropriately organized and captioned by its various sections to be easily understood.
(b) A violation of the provisions of this section shall not render any agreement void or voidable: Provided, That if a consumer at the time of entering into a consumer transaction or anytime thereafter, requests of the other party thereto that the agreement evidencing the consumer transaction be changed or written in a manner to conform with this section, and that request is refused, then a consumer shall have a cause of action to require a consumer agreement not in conformity with the provisions of this section to be reformed. This section shall not be construed to prohibit the use of words or phrases specifically required or specifically permitted by state or federal law, rule or regulation. This section shall not be construed to preclude a consumer from asserting a claim or defense which would have been available to the consumer if this provision were not in effect. A consumer may not waive the rights provided by this section, and any attempted waiver shall be void.
(2) Represent in any manner that postdating a check will prevent its payment from the account of the maker of the check prior to the date listed on the check; and either (A) present the check or cause the check to be presented for payment before the date on the check either intentionally, or (B) in the case of a payee that is an organization, present the check or cause the check to be presented without reasonable procedures to prevent such presentment.
(b) When a check is presented for payment from the account of the maker before the date of the check, no payee who knowingly accepted a postdated check may refuse, upon request of the maker of the postdated check, to immediately return the funds to the maker of the postdated check, to pay the fees and other costs incurred by the maker as a result of the early presentment of the check.
(c) If a person has violated the provisions of subsection (a) or (b) of this section, the maker has a cause of action to recover from that person the amount of the check, any fees or costs incurred and, in addition, a civil penalty, in an amount determined by the court, of not less than one hundred nor more than $1,000.

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