[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Manitowish Waters
as §§ 12.04 and 12.10 of the 2001 Code. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
No direct seller shall engage in direct sales within the Town without
being registered for that purpose as provided herein.
For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases shall
be defined as indicated:
Includes any benevolent, philanthropic, patriotic or eleemosynary
person or entity or one purporting to be.
The Town Clerk/Treasurer.
Any individual who, for himself or for a partnership, association
or corporation, sells goods or takes sales orders for the later delivery of
goods at any location other than the permanent business place or residence
of such individual, partnership, association or corporation, and shall include,
but not be limited to, peddlers, solicitors and transient merchants. The sale
of goods includes donations required by the direct seller for the retention
of goods by a donor or prospective customer.
Includes personal property of any kind and goods provided incidental
to services offered or sold.
A direct seller who, for at least one year prior to the consideration
of the application of this chapter to such merchant, has continuously operated
an established place of business in the Town, or has continuously resided
in the Town and now does business from his residence.
One who engages in the sale of merchandise at any place in the Town
temporarily, and shall include the sale of fruit and vegetable products.
The following shall be exempt from all provisions of this chapter:
A.
Any person delivering newspapers, fuel, dairy products
or bakery goods to regular customers on established routes.
B.
Any person selling goods at wholesale to dealers in such
goods.
C.
Any person selling agricultural products which such person
has grown in the Town.
D.
Any permanent merchant or employee thereof who takes
orders away from the established place of business for goods regularly offered
for sale by such merchant within this county and who delivers such goods in
his regular course of business.
E.
Any person who has an established place of business where
the goods being sold are offered for sale on a regular basis, and in which
the buyer has initiated contact with and specifically requested a home visit
by such person.
F.
Any person who has had, or one who represents a company
which has had, a prior business transaction, such as a prior sale or credit
arrangement, with the prospective customer.
G.
Any person selling or offering for sale a service unconnected
with the sale or offering for sale of goods.
H.
Any person holding a sale required by statute or by order
of any court and any person conducting a bona fide auction sale pursuant to
law.
I.
Any employee, officer or agent of a charitable organization
who engages in direct sales for or on behalf of such organization, provided
that there is submitted to the Clerk/Treasurer proof that such charitable
organization is registered under § 440.42, Wis. Stats. Any charitable
organization not registered under § 440.42, Wis Stats., or which
is exempt from that statute's registration requirements, shall be required
to register under this chapter.
J.
Any person who claims to be a permanent merchant but
against whom complaint has been made to the Clerk/Treasurer that such person
is a transient merchant; provided that there is submitted to the Clerk/Treasurer
proof that such person has leased for at least one year, or purchased, the
premises from which he is conducting business, or proof that such person has
conducted such business in the Town for at least one year prior to the date
complaint was made.
A.
Applicants for registration shall complete and return
to the Clerk/Treasurer a registration form furnished by the Clerk/Treasurer
which shall require the following information:
(1)
Name, permanent address and telephone number and temporary
address, if any.
(2)
Age, height, weight, and color of hair and eyes.
(3)
Name, address and telephone number of the person, firm,
association or corporation that the direct seller represents or is employed
by, or whose merchandise is being sold.
(4)
Temporary address and telephone number from which business
shall be conducted, if any.
(5)
Nature of business to be conducted and a brief description
of the goods offered and any services offered.
(6)
Proposed method of delivery of goods, if applicable.
(7)
Make, model and license number of any vehicle to be used
by the applicant in the conduct of his business.
(8)
Last cities, villages, and towns, not to exceed three,
where the applicant conducted similar business.
(9)
Place where the applicant can be contacted for at least
seven days after leaving the Town.
(10)
Statement as to whether the applicant has been convicted
of any crime or ordinance violation related to the applicant's direct seller's
business within the last five years, the nature of the offense and the place
of conviction.
B.
Applicants shall present to the Clerk/Treasurer for examination:
(1)
A driver's license or some other proof of identity as
may be reasonably required.
(2)
A state certificate of examination and approval from
the Sealer of Weights and Measures where the applicant's business requires
use of weighing and measuring devices approved by state authorities.
(3)
A State Health Officer's certificate where the applicant's
business involves the handling of food or clothing and is required to be certified
under state law. Such certificate shall state that the applicant is apparently
free from any contagious or infectious disease, dated not more than 90 days
prior to the date the application for registration is made.[1]
C.
At the time the registration is returned, the fee as set by the Town Board shall be paid to the Clerk/Treasurer to cover the cost of processing such registration, and the applicant shall sign a statement appointing the Clerk/Treasurer his agent to accept service of process in any civil action brought against the applicant arising out of any sale or service performed by the applicant in connection with the direct sales activities of the applicant, if the applicant cannot, after reasonable effort, be served personally. Upon payment of the fee and the signing of the statement, the Clerk/Treasurer shall register the applicant as a direct seller and date the entry. Such registration shall be valid for a period of one year from the date of entry, subject to subsequent refusal as provided in § 187-5B below.[2]
A.
Upon receipt of each application, the Clerk/Treasurer
may refer it immediately to the Town Constable who may make and complete an
investigation of the statements made in such registration.
B.
The Clerk/Treasurer shall refuse to register the applicant if it is determined, pursuant to the investigation above, that the application contains any material omission or materially inaccurate statement; complaints of a material nature have been received against the applicant by authorities in the last cities, villages and towns, not exceeding three, in which the applicant conducted similar business; the applicant was convicted of a crime, statutory violation or ordinance violation within the last five years, the nature of which is directly related to the applicant's fitness to engage in direct selling; or the applicant failed to comply with any applicable provision of § 187-4B above.
Any person denied registration may appeal the denial through the appeal
procedure provided by Ch. 68, Wis. Stats.
A.
Prohibited practices.
(1)
A direct seller shall be prohibited from calling at any
dwelling or other place between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m., except
by appointment; calling at any dwelling or other place where a sign is displayed
bearing the words "No Peddlers," "No Solicitors" or words of similar meaning;
calling at the rear door of any dwelling place; or remaining on any premises
after being asked to leave by the owner, occupant or other person having authority
over such premises.
(2)
A direct seller shall not misrepresent or make false,
deceptive or misleading statements concerning the quality, quantity or character
of any goods offered for sale, the purpose of his visit, his identity or the
identity of the organization he represents. A charitable organization direct
seller shall specifically disclose what portion of the sale price of goods
being offered shall actually be used for the charitable purpose for which
the organization is soliciting. Such portion shall be expressed as a percentage
of the sale price of the goods.
(3)
No direct seller shall impede the free use of sidewalks
and streets by pedestrians and vehicles. Where sales are made from vehicles,
all traffic and parking regulations shall be observed.
(4)
No direct seller shall make any loud noises or use any
sound-amplifying device to attract customers if the noise produced is capable
of being plainly heard outside a one-hundred-foot radius of the source.
(5)
No direct seller shall allow rubbish or litter to accumulate
in or around the area in which he is conducting business.
(6)
All persons selling fruit or vegetable products in the
Town must raise such products that are offered for sale on land either owned
or rented by them. Proof of such ownership or rental of property shall be
filed with the Town Clerk/Treasurer at the time the application for such registration
is filed. Any person selling fruit or vegetable products at a location on
a public highway adjacent to any property not owned or rented by him shall
file with the Town Clerk/Treasurer, at the time the application for the registration
is filed, written permission from the owner of such land permitting such sales
to take place.[1]
B.
Disclosure requirements.
(1)
After the initial greeting, and before any other statement
is made to a prospective customer, a direct seller shall expressly disclose
his name, the name of the company or organization he is affiliated with, if
any, and the identity of goods or services he offers to sell.
(2)
If any sale of goods is made by a direct seller, or any
sales order for the later delivery of goods is taken by the seller, the buyer
shall have the right to cancel the transaction if it involves the extension
of credit or is a cash transaction or more than $25, in accordance with the
procedure as set forth in § 423.203, Wis. Stats.; the seller shall
give the buyer two copies of a typed or printed notice of that fact. Such
notice shall conform to the requirements of § 423.203(1)(a), (b)
and (c), (2) and (3), Wis. Stats.
(3)
If the direct seller takes a sales order for the later
delivery of goods, he shall, at the time the order is taken, provide the buyer
with a written statement containing the terms of the agreement, the amount
paid in advance, whether full, partial or no advance payment is made, the
name, address and telephone number of the seller, the delivery or performance
date and whether a guarantee or warranty is provided and, if so, the terms
thereof.
The Town Constable shall report to the Clerk/Treasurer all convictions
for violation of this chapter, and the Clerk/Treasurer shall note any such
violation on the record of the registrant convicted.
A.
Registration may be revoked by the Town Board after notice
and hearing, if the registrant made any material omission or materially inaccurate
statement in the application for registration; made any fraudulent, false,
deceptive or misleading statement or representation in the course of engaging
in direct sales; violated any provision of this chapter; or was convicted
of any crime or ordinance or statutory violation which is directly related
to the registrant's fitness to engage in direct selling.
B.
Written notice of the hearing shall be served personally
on the registrant at least 72 hours prior to the time set for the hearing;
such notice shall contain the time and place of the hearing and a statement
of the acts upon which the hearing will be based.
