2023 Tennessee Code › Title 47 - COMMERCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND TRANSACTIONS (§§ 47-1-101 — 47-50-121) › Chapter 18 - CONSUMER PROTECTION (§§ 47-18-101 — 47-18-5706) › Part 1 - CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT OF 1977 (§§ 47-18-101 — 47-18-135) › Section 47-18-103 - Part definitions

As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires:
(1)
"Attorney general" means the attorney general and reporter, or the attorney general and reporter's designee;
(2)
"Automatic renewal" means a plan or arrangement in which a paid subscription or purchasing agreement is automatically renewed at the end of a definite term for a subsequent term;
(3)
"Automatic renewal offer terms" means the following clear and conspicuous disclosures:
(A)
That the subscription or purchasing agreement will continue until the consumer cancels;
(B)
The description of the cancellation policy that applies to the offer;
(C)
The recurring charges that will be charged to the consumer's credit or debit card or payment account with a third party as part of the automatic renewal plan or arrangement, and that the amount of the charge may change, if that is the case, and the amount to which the charge will change, if known;
(D)
The length of the automatic renewal term or that the service is continuous, unless the length of the term is chosen by the consumer; and
(E)
The minimum purchase obligation, if any;
(4)
"Bait and switch" or "switch" means advertising items to lure consumers, then inducing the consumers to buy different and more expensive items by failing to make available the goods or services advertised, or by disparaging the less expensive product. Provision of accurate factual information shall not be considered disparagement;
(5)
"Clear and conspicuous" means in larger type than the surrounding text, or in contrasting type, font, or color to the surrounding text of the same size, or set off from the surrounding text of the same size by symbols or other marks, in a manner that clearly calls attention to the language. In the case of an audio disclosure, "clear and conspicuous" and "clearly and conspicuously" means in a volume and cadence sufficient to be readily audible and understandable;
(6)
"Consumer" means any natural person who seeks or acquires by purchase, rent, lease, assignment, award by chance, or other disposition, any goods, services, or property, tangible or intangible, real, personal or mixed, and any other article, commodity, or thing of value wherever situated or any person who purchases or to whom is offered for sale a franchise or distributorship agreement or any similar type of business opportunity;
(7)
"Continuous service" means a plan or arrangement in which a subscription or purchasing agreement continues until the consumer cancels the service;
(8)
"Contract for home improvement services" means a contractual agreement, written or oral, between a person performing home improvement services and a residential owner, and includes all labor, services and materials to be furnished and performed under such agreement;
(9)
"Covered file-sharing program" means a computer program, application, or software that enables the computer on which such program, application, or software is installed to designate files as available for searching by and copying to one (1) or more other computers, to transmit such designated files directly to one (1) or more other computers, and to request the transmission of such designated files directly from one (1) or more other computers. "Covered file-sharing program" does not mean a program, application, or software designed primarily to operate as a server that is accessible over the Internet using the Internet domain name system, to transmit or receive email messages, instant messaging, real-time audio or video communications, or real-time voice communications, or to provide network or computer security, network management, hosting and backup services, maintenance, diagnostics, technical support or repair, or to detect or prevent fraudulent activities;
(10)
[Deleted by 2019 amendment.]
(11)
"Documentary material" means the original or copy of any book, record, memorandum, paper, communication, tabulation, map, chart, photograph, mechanical transcription, or other tangible document or recording, wherever situated;
(12)
"Goods" means any tangible chattels leased, bought, or otherwise obtained for use by an individual primarily for personal, family, or household purposes or a franchise, distributorship agreement, or similar business opportunity;
(13)
"Home improvement services" means the repair, replacement, remodeling, alteration, conversion, modernization, improvement, or addition to any residential property, and includes but is not limited to, the repair, replacement, remodeling, alteration, conversion, modernization, improvement, or addition to driveways, swimming pools, porches, garages, landscaping, fences, fall-out shelters, and roofing;
(14)
"Home improvement services provider" means any person or entity, whether or not licensed pursuant to title 62, chapter 6, who undertakes to, attempts to, or submits a price or bid or offers to construct, supervise, superintend, oversee, schedule, direct, or in any manner assume charge of the home improvement service for a fee. "Home improvement services provider" specifically includes but is not limited to a "residential contractor" as defined in §
62-6-102
when performing home improvement services and a "home improvement contractor" as defined in §
62-6-501
;
(15)
"Knowingly" or "knowing" means actual awareness of the falsity or deception, but actual awareness may be inferred where objective manifestations indicate that a reasonable person would have known or would have had reason to know of the falsity or deception;
(16)
"Local telephone directory" means a telephone directory that is distributed by a telephone company or directory publisher, or provided as a service to subscribers located in the local exchanges contained in the directory. "Local telephone directory" includes:
(A)
A classified advertising directory, commonly referred to as the yellow pages;
(B)
A directory of individual telephone listings, commonly referred to as the white pages, whether identified as "business listings" or combined in listings of residences and businesses in a directory that does not have separate residence and business listings;
(C)
A directory that includes listings of more than one (1) telephone company; or
(D)
A directory assistance database or similar service, commonly used by dialing "411" and speaking with a live person or through an automated system;
(17)
"Local telephone number" means 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. "Local telephone number" does not include long distance numbers or 800, 888, or 900 exchange numbers listed in a local telephone directory;
(18)
"Person" means a natural person, individual, governmental agency, partnership, corporation, trust, estate, incorporated or unincorporated association, and any other legal or commercial entity however organized;
(19)
"Physical address" means the mailing address, including a zip code, which details the actual location of a person or entity, but does not include a post office box;
(20)
"Possession" means actual care, custody, control, or management of residential property, but shall not include occupancy of residential property through a lease or rental agreement;
(21)
"Residential owner" means a person who has possession of residential real property, including any person authorized by such residential owner to act on the residential owner's behalf;
(22)
"Residential property" means the building structure where a person abides, lodges, resides or establishes a living accommodation or where a residential owner intends to abide, lodge, reside or establish a living accommodation following the completion of home improvement services made pursuant to a contract for home improvement services and includes the land on or adjacent to such building structure;
(23)
"Services" means any work, labor, or services including services furnished in connection with the sale or repair of goods or real property or improvements thereto; and
(24)
"Trade," "commerce," or "consumer transaction" means the advertising, offering for sale, lease or rental, or distribution of any goods, services, or property, tangible or intangible, real, personal, or mixed, and other articles, commodities, or things of value wherever situated.
Amended by 2022 Tenn. Acts, ch. 803, s 3, eff. 1/1/2023.
Amended by 2019 Tenn. Acts, ch. 459, s 2, eff. 9/30/2019.
Acts 1977, ch. 438, § 3; 1986, ch. 860, § 1; 1988, ch. 974, § 1; 1999, ch. 473, § 1; 2008 , ch. 873, § 1; 2010 , ch. 779, § 1; 2010 , ch. 1055, § 2.