2021 Oregon Revised Statutes
Chapter 646 - Trade Practices and Antitrust Regulation
Section 646.551 - Definitions for ORS 646.551 to 646.557.


(1)(a) "Business opportunity" means a commercial arrangement in which:
(A) A seller solicits a prospective purchaser to enter into a new business or to buy ancillary services within 60 days after entering into a new business;
(B) The prospective purchaser makes a payment or agrees to be obligated to make a payment required for the business or services; and
(C) The seller, expressly or by implication, and orally or in writing, represents that the seller or a designated person will:
(i) Provide an outlet, account or customers, by means of the Internet or otherwise, for the purchaser’s goods or services; or
(ii) Buy back goods or services that the purchaser makes, produces, fabricates, grows, breeds, modifies or provides, including but not limited to paying for services such as stuffing envelopes at the purchaser’s residence.
(b) "Business opportunity" does not include:
(A) A sale of all or substantially all of the assets of an ongoing business if the owner of the business intends to sell and sells the assets as one opportunity;
(B) A sale of sales demonstration equipment, materials or samples for a total price of $500 or less and not for profit; or
(C) A sale of a franchise, as defined 16 C.F.R. 436.1, unless the franchise is exempted from the definition because:
(i) The total of the required payments the franchisee pays or commits to pay to a franchisor or an affiliate is less than $500 at any time before or within six months after the purchaser begins business as a franchisee; or
(ii) No written document exists that describes any material term or aspect of the franchise arrangement.
(2) "Telephone solicitation" means telephonic contact made under any of the following circumstances:
(a) A person has telephonic contact with a prospective purchaser and solicits the prospective purchaser to purchase a business opportunity;
(b) A person initiates telephonic contact with a prospective purchaser and represents or implies any of the following:
(A) That a prospective purchaser who buys a unit of a good or service will receive additional units, whether or not of the same type as the purchaser bought, without further cost. As used in this subparagraph, "further cost" does not include actual postage or common carrier delivery charges, if any.
(B) That a prospective purchaser will receive a prize or gift if the prospective purchaser does either of the following:
(i) Purchases or rents goods or services; or
(ii) Pays any money including, but not limited to, a delivery or handling charge.
(C) That a prospective purchaser who buys goods or services because of some unusual event or imminent price increase will be able to buy the goods or services at prices that are below the prices that usually are charged, or the prices that will be charged in the future, for the goods or services.
(D) That the seller is a person other than the actual seller.
(E) That goods or services are manufactured or supplied by a person other than the actual manufacturer or supplier.
(F) That the goods that the person is selling are gold, silver or other precious metals, diamonds, rubies, sapphires or other precious stones or any interest in oil, gas or mineral fields, wells or exploration sites; or
(c) The person makes the telephonic contact in response to inquiries from prospective purchasers prompted by advertisements on behalf of the person, and the person conducts a solicitation as described in paragraph (b) of this subsection.
(3)(a) "Telephonic seller" means a person who, on the person’s own behalf, or on behalf of another person, causes or attempts a telephone solicitation.
(b) "Telephonic seller" does not include any of the following:
(A) A person that sells a security as defined in ORS 59.015, or securities that are exempt under ORS 59.025.
(B) A person that is licensed pursuant to ORS chapter 696 if the solicited transaction is governed under ORS chapter 696.
(C) A person that is licensed pursuant to ORS 701.021 if the solicited transaction is governed under ORS chapter 701.
(D) A person that is licensed pursuant to ORS chapter 744 if the solicited transaction is governed under the Insurance Code.
(E) A person that solicits the sale of a franchise if the solicited transaction is governed under ORS 650.005 to 650.100.
(F) A person that primarily solicits a subscription to or advertising in a newspaper of general circulation.
(G) A person that primarily solicits a subscription to a magazine or periodical, or a sale of a contractual plan, including a book or record club:
(i) Under which the seller provides the means by which the consumer may instruct the seller not to ship the offered merchandise, and which is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission trade regulation concerning "Use of Negative Option Plans by Sellers in Commerce"; or
(ii) Using arrangements such as continuity plans, subscription arrangements, standing order arrangements, supplements and series arrangements under which the seller periodically ships merchandise to a consumer who has consented in advance to receive the merchandise on a periodic basis.
(H) A person that solicits business from prospective purchasers who have previously purchased from the business enterprise for which the person is calling, unless the person solicits a business opportunity.
(I) A person that solicits without the intent to complete and who does not complete a sales presentation during the telephone solicitation and who only completes the sales presentation at a later face-to-face meeting between the solicitor and the prospective purchaser, unless at the later meeting the solicitor collects or attempts to collect payment to deliver items purchased.
(J) Any supervised financial institution or parent, subsidiary, or affiliate of a supervised financial institution. As used in this subparagraph, "supervised financial institution" means any financial institution or trust company, as those terms are defined in ORS 706.008, or any personal property broker, consumer finance lender, commercial finance lender or insurer that is subject to regulation by an official or agency of this state or the United States.
(K) A person that solicits the sale of funeral or burial services regulated by ORS chapter 692.
(L) A person that solicits the sale of services that a cable television system provides under authority of a franchise or permit issued by a governmental agency of this state or a subdivision of a governmental agency of this state.
(M) A person or affiliate of a person whose business is regulated by the Public Utility Commission, or a telecommunications utility with access lines of 15,000 or less or a cooperative telephone association.
(N) A person that solicits the sale of a farm product, as defined in ORS 79.0102, if the solicitation does not result in a sale that costs the purchaser more than $100.
(O) An issuer or a subsidiary of an issuer that has a class of securities that is subject to section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and that is either registered or exempt from registration under paragraph (A), (B), (C), (E), (F), (G) or (H) of subsection (g) of that section.
(P) A person that solicits exclusively the sale of telephone answering services that the person or the person’s employer provides.
(Q) A person registered under the Charitable Solicitations Act. [1989 c.622 §2; 1997 c.249 §196; 1997 c.631 §513; 1999 c.59 §188; 1999 c.402 §5; 2001 c.445 §177; 2007 c.661 §27; 2007 c.836 §47; 2015 c.199 §1]

Structure 2021 Oregon Revised Statutes

2021 Oregon Revised Statutes

Volume : 16 - Trade Practices, Labor and Employment

Chapter 646 - Trade Practices and Antitrust Regulation

Section 646.020 - Definitions and explanations.

Section 646.040 - Price discrimination prohibited; price differentials.

Section 646.140 - Enjoining violations; treble damages; attorney fees; limitation on commencement of actions.

Section 646.461 - Definitions for ORS 646.461 to 646.475.

Section 646.463 - Enjoining misappropriation; payment of royalties; affirmative acts.

Section 646.465 - Damages for misappropriation.

Section 646.467 - Attorney fees.

Section 646.473 - Conflicting tort, restitution or other law providing civil remedies; exclusions for certain other remedies; limited immunity for public bodies and officers, employees and agents.

Section 646.475 - Application and construction of ORS 646.461 to 646.475; short title; effect of invalidity.

Section 646.515 - Definitions for ORS 646.515 to 646.545.

Section 646.535 - Unfair trade practices prohibited; exception.

Section 646.545 - Remedy for unfair trade practices; attorney fees.

Section 646.551 - Definitions for ORS 646.551 to 646.557.

Section 646.553 - Registration of telephonic sellers; fee; Attorney General as attorney for service of process; rules.

Section 646.557 - Required disclosures by telephonic seller.

Section 646.561 - Definitions for ORS 646.561 to 646.565.

Section 646.565 - Notice of provisions of ORS 646.561 and 646.563; rulemaking by Public Utility Commission.

Section 646.567 - Definitions for ORS 646.567 to 646.578.

Section 646.568 - Findings and purpose.

Section 646.569 - Prohibition on telephone solicitation of party whose name is included on list described in ORS 646.574 or on federal registry designated under ORS 646.572.

Section 646.572 - Administration of telephone solicitation program through contract or by designation of federal registry; contract provisions; duty of Attorney General.

Section 646.574 - List of persons who do not wish to receive telephone solicitations; fee; disclosure of list; complaints.

Section 646.578 - Notice of provisions of ORS 646.567 to 646.578; rulemaking by Public Utility Commission.

Section 646.605 - Definitions for ORS 336.184 and 646.605 to 646.652.

Section 646.607 - Unlawful business, trade practices.

Section 646.608 - Additional unlawful business, trade practices; proof; rules.

Section 646.611 - Information required to be given by telephone or door to door seller to potential customer.

Section 646.612 - Application of ORS 646.607 and 646.608.

Section 646.618 - Investigative demand; petition to modify.

Section 646.622 - Method of serving investigative demand.

Section 646.626 - Effect of failure to obey investigative demand.

Section 646.632 - Enjoining unlawful trade practices; assurance of voluntary compliance; attorney fees.

Section 646.633 - Action by prosecuting attorney prohibited without request of Director of Department of Consumer and Business Services.

Section 646.638 - Civil action by private party; damages; attorney fees; effect of prior injunction; time for commencing action; counterclaim; class actions.

Section 646.639 - Unlawful collection practices.

Section 646.641 - Civil action for unlawful collection practice; damages; attorney fees; time for commencing action.

Section 646.642 - Civil penalties.

Section 646.644 - Free offer; required disclosures; limitations on financial obligation incurred by consumer; enforcement; exception.

Section 646.647 - Unlawful use of recording group name; exceptions.

Section 646.648 - Unlawful practice by manufactured dwelling dealer.

Section 646.705 - Definitions for ORS 136.617 and 646.705 to 646.805.

Section 646.715 - Declaration of purpose.

Section 646.735 - Exemption for coordinated care organizations; state action immunity; permitted activities.

Section 646.736 - Public policy; certain cooperative activities not unlawful.

Section 646.737 - Exemption for negotiations governing sale price of Oregon blackberries; supervision by Director of Agriculture; rules; fees.

Section 646.738 - Exemption for negotiations governing price for sale of grass seed; supervision by Director of Agriculture; rules; fees.

Section 646.739 - Exemption for negotiations governing season starting price for sale of Oregon seafood; supervision by Director of Agriculture; rules; fees.

Section 646.740 - Permitted activities.

Section 646.745 - Joint operation of Memorial Coliseum and Arena in Portland; definitions; legislative findings and goals; state supervision.

Section 646.750 - Investigative demand by Attorney General; petition to modify.

Section 646.760 - Civil penalties; attorney fees; mitigation.

Section 646.770 - Equitable remedies; attorney fees.

Section 646.775 - Actions by Attorney General; damages; attorney fees.

Section 646.780 - Recovery of treble damages; exception; recovery of fees and costs; action under federal law as bar; action parens patriae by Attorney General.

Section 646.800 - Time of commencing action.

Section 646.805 - Effect of prior final judgment or decree.

Section 646.815 - Criminal prosecutions; compromise of criminal charges; effect of prior action seeking civil penalties.

Section 646.826 - Counsel for persons testifying; grounds for refusing to answer questions; compelling testimony; exclusion of spectators.

Section 646.836 - Confidential status of investigative material; permitted disclosures; use of information in other proceedings; return of investigative material.

Section 646.881 - Definitions for ORS 646.881 to 646.885.

Section 646.883 - Price comparison in advertisement prohibited; exceptions.

Section 646.885 - Use of terms in advertisement containing price comparison.

Section 646.905 - Definitions for ORS 646.910 to 646.923.

Section 646.910 - Sale of gasoline blended with alcohol prohibited unless mixture meets federal specifications or requirements.

Section 646.913 - Limitations on gasoline sales; requirements for ethanol content in gasoline; rules.

Section 646.922 - Limitations on sale of diesel fuel; requirements for biodiesel content; exception for certain additives and for certain sellers and users; certificate of analysis; rules.

Section 646.923 - Retention of certificate of analysis; powers of Director of Agriculture; biodiesel testing; rules.

Section 646.930 - Motor vehicle fuel prices; requirements for display.

Section 646.932 - Requirement to post amount per gallon of gasoline that is federal, state and local tax; option to disclose cost per gallon of low carbon fuel standard; information from Department of Transportation and State Department of Agricultur...

Section 646.935 - Diesel fuel sales; price discrimination.

Section 646.945 - Definitions for ORS 646.947 to 646.963.

Section 646.947 - Prohibited activities.

Section 646.949 - Signs identifying octane rating.

Section 646.951 - Testing of motor vehicle fuel.

Section 646.953 - Orders of Director of Agriculture.

Section 646.955 - Records required.

Section 646.957 - Rules.

Section 646.959 - Annual fee for metering instrument or device.

Section 646.963 - Civil penalties.

Section 646.990 - Penalties.