As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 2001, c. 324, §12 (NEW).] 1. Consumer. "Consumer" means any person who purchases or contracts for the purchase of merchandise for any purpose except resale in the ordinary course of trade or business. [PL 2001, c. 324, §12 (NEW).] 2. Department. "Department" means the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation. [PL 2001, c. 324, §12 (NEW).] 3. Employee. "Employee" means any independent contractor, agent or person working for a salary or commission. [PL 2001, c. 324, §12 (NEW).] 4. Merchandise. "Merchandise" includes any objects, wares, goods, promises, commodities, intangibles, services or other things of value but does not include food or technical or vocational schools located outside of the State that are registered pursuant to Title 20-A, section 9501. "Merchandise" does not include securities that are registered or exempt from registration pursuant to chapter 135, the Maine Uniform Securities Act and rules adopted pursuant to that Act or insurance products that are regulated under Title 24-A. [PL 2005, c. 347, Pt. E, §1 (AMD).] 5. Permanent place of business. "Permanent place of business" means any building or other permanently affixed structure, including a home residence, that is owned or held under a 12-month lease or rental agreement at the time business is commenced and is used in whole or in part for the purpose of engaging in sales of consumer merchandise. [PL 2001, c. 324, §12 (NEW).] 6. Person. "Person" includes natural persons, corporations, trusts, partnerships, incorporated or unincorporated associations and any other legal entities. [PL 2001, c. 324, §12 (NEW).] 7. Sale. "Sale" includes any sale, transfer, exchange or barter, offer for sale, promise to sell or attempt to sell, or advertisement for sale, of any merchandise for cash or for credit. [PL 2001, c. 324, §12 (NEW).] 8. Transient seller of consumer merchandise or transient seller. "Transient seller of consumer merchandise" or "transient seller" means any person who engages in the business of selling merchandise to consumers by means of personal contact or telephone contact, whether or not the seller is present in the State at the time of the contact or the time of sale, and who does not have, for the purposes of carrying on such business, any permanent place of business within this State. "Transient seller of consumer merchandise" does not include a person who sells at public fairs, expositions or bazaars or a member selling on behalf of public service organizations. "Transient seller of consumer merchandise" does not include a person who sells exclusively by mail contact, except for a person who offers merchandise or money prizes as free of charge, such as contest prizes or gifts for answering a survey, but who requires the recipient to pay something of value in order to participate in this offer, including, but not limited to, entrance fees, processing fees or handling charges. A "transient seller of consumer merchandise" does not include a supervised lender as defined in Title 9-A, section 1-301, subsection 39. [PL 2001, c. 324, §12 (NEW).]
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