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<section article="gcl" article_name="Commercial Law" number="14-2201" title_number="14" title_name="Miscellaneous Consumer Protection Provisions" subtitle_number="22" subtitle_name="Maryland Telephone Solicitations Act">
  <level label="a">
    <text>In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>“Consumer” means an actual or prospective purchaser, lessee, or recipient of consumer goods, consumer services, or consumer realty.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>“Consumer goods”, “consumer realty”, and “consumer services” mean, respectively, goods, real property, and services which are primarily for personal, household, family, or agricultural purposes.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, “consumer services” does not include financial services or securities sales.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>“Consumer services” includes any solicitation offering credit services where:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>The consumer is required to call a telephone number;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>The consumer is charged a separate toll fee for the call; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>The person making the solicitation receives any portion of the separate telephone toll fee paid by the consumer.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>“Credit services” means providing or offering to provide any service in return for the payment of money or other consideration, where the service is held out to provide assistance to a consumer with regard to:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Improving the consumer’s credit history, credit rating, or credit record; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Obtaining an extension of credit for the consumer.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>“Merchant” means a person who, directly or indirectly, offers or makes available to consumers any consumer goods, consumer services, or consumer realty.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Merchant” does not include a person who is exempt under § 13-104 of this article.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>“Telephone solicitation” means the attempt by a merchant to sell or lease consumer goods, services, or realty to a consumer located in this State that is:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Made entirely by telephone; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Initiated by the merchant.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
