11614
. No lessor-retailer licensed under this chapter may do any of
the following in connection with any activity for which this license
is required:
(a) Make or disseminate, or cause to be made or disseminated,
before the public in this state, in any newspaper or other
publication, or any advertising device, or by oral representation, or
in any other manner or means whatever, any statement that is untrue
or misleading and that is known, or which by the exercise of
reasonable care should be known, to be untrue or misleading; or make
or disseminate, or cause to be made or disseminated, any statement as
part of a plan or scheme with the intent not to sell any vehicle, or
service so advertised, at the price stated therein, or as so
advertised.
(b) Advertise, or offer for sale in any manner, any vehicle not
actually for sale at the premises of the lessor-retailer or available
within a reasonable time to the lessor-retailer at the time of the
advertisement or offer.
(c) Fail within 48 hours to give, in writing, notification to
withdraw any advertisement of a vehicle that has been sold or
withdrawn from sale.
(d) Advertise any specific vehicle for sale without identifying
the vehicle by its model, model year, and either its license number
or that portion of the vehicle identification number that
distinguishes the vehicle from all other vehicles of the same make,
model, and model-year. Model-year is not required to be advertised
for current model-year vehicles. Year models are no longer current
when ensuing year models are available for purchase at retail in
California.
(e) Advertise the total price of a vehicle without including all
costs to the purchaser at the time of delivery at the lessor-retailer'
s premises, except sales tax, vehicle registration fees, finance
charges, certificate of compliance or noncompliance fees not
exceeding thirty-five dollars ($35) pursuant to any statute, and any
dealer documentary preparation charge. The dealer documentary charge
shall not exceed thirty-five dollars ($35).
(f) (1) Fail to disclose, in an advertisement of a vehicle for
sale, that there will be added to the advertised total price, at the
time of sale, charges for sales tax, vehicle registration fees, the
fee charged by the state for the issuance of any certificate of
compliance or noncompliance pursuant to any statute, finance charges,
or any dealer documentary preparation charge.
(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), "advertisement" means any
advertisement in a newspaper, magazine, direct mail publication, or
handbill that is two or more columns in width or one column in width
and more than seven inches in length, or on any Web page of a
lessor-retailer's Web site that displays the price of a vehicle
offered for sale on the Internet, as that term is defined in
paragraph (6) of subdivision (e) of Section 17538 of the Business and
Professions Code.
(g) Advertise or otherwise represent, or knowingly allow to be
advertised or represented on the lessor-retailer's behalf or at the
lessor-retailer's place of business, that no downpayment is required
in connection with the sale of a vehicle when a downpayment is in
fact required and the buyer is advised or induced to finance the
downpayment by a loan in addition to any other loan financing the
remainder of the purchase price of the vehicle. The terms "no
downpayment," "zero down delivers," or similar terms shall not be
advertised unless the vehicle will be sold to any qualified purchaser
without a prior payment of any kind or trade-in.
(h) Refuse to sell a vehicle to any person at the advertised total
price, exclusive of sales tax, vehicle registration fees, finance
charges, certificate of compliance or noncompliance pursuant to any
statute, and any dealer documentary preparation charge, which charges
shall not exceed thirty-five dollars ($35) for the documentary
preparation charge and thirty-five dollars ($35) for the certificate
of compliance or noncompliance pursuant to any statute, while the
vehicle remains unsold or unleased, unless the advertisement states
the advertised total price is good only for a specified time and the
time has elapsed.
(i) Engage in the business for which the licensee is licensed
without having in force and effect a bond required by Section 11612.
(j) Engage in the business for which the lessor-retailer is
licensed without at all times maintaining a principal place of
business and any branch office location required by this chapter.
(k) Permit the use of the lessor-retailer license, supplies, or
books by any other person for the purpose of permitting that person
to engage in the sale of vehicles required to be registered under
this code, or to permit the use of the lessor-retailer license,
supplies, or books to operate a branch office location to be used by
any other person, if, in either situation, the licensee has no
financial or equitable interest or investment in the vehicles sold
by, or the business of, or branch office location used by, the
person, or has no interest or investment other than commissions,
compensations, fees, or any other thing of value received for the use
of the lessor-retailer license, supplies, or books to engage in the
sale of vehicles.
(l) Violate any provision of Article 10 (commencing with Section
28050) of Chapter 5 of Division 12.
(m) Represent the dealer documentary preparation charge, or
certificate of compliance or noncompliance fee, as a governmental
fee.
(n) Advertise free merchandise, gifts, or services provided by a
lessor-retailer contingent on the purchase of a vehicle. "Free"
includes merchandise or services offered for sale at a price less
than the lessor-retailer's cost of the merchandise or services.
(o) Advertise vehicles and related goods or services with the
intent not to supply reasonably expectable demand, unless the
advertisement discloses a limitation of quantity.
(p) Use the term "rebate" or similar words such as "cash back" in
advertising the sale of a vehicle.
(q) Require a person to pay a higher price for a vehicle and
related goods or services for receiving advertised credit terms than
the cash price the same person would have to pay to purchase the same
vehicle and related goods or services. For the purpose of this
subdivision, "cash price" has the meaning as defined in subdivision
(e) of Section 2981 of the Civil Code.
(r) Misrepresent the authority of a representative or agent to
negotiate the final terms of a transaction.
(s) Violate any law prohibiting bait and switch advertising,
including, but not limited to, the guides against bait advertising
set forth in Part 238 of Title 16 of the Code of Federal Regulations,
as those regulations read on January 1, 1988.
(t) Make any untrue or misleading statement indicating that a
vehicle is equipped with all the factory installed optional equipment
the manufacturer offers, including, but not limited to, a false
statement that a vehicle is "fully factory equipped."
(u) Advertise any underselling claim, such as "we have the lowest
prices" or "we will beat any dealer's price," unless the
lessor-retailer has conducted a recent survey showing that the
lessor-retailer sells its vehicles at lower prices than any other
licensee in its trade area and maintains records to adequately
substantiate the claim. The substantiating records shall be made
available to the department upon request.
(v) To display or offer for sale any used vehicle unless there is
affixed to the vehicle the Federal Trade Commission's Buyer's Guide
as required by Part 455 of Title 16 of the Code of Federal
Regulations.
(w) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2001.