A. It shall be unlawful for any extended service contract provider to offer, advertise, or execute or cause to be executed by the purchaser any extended service contract for a consumer product in this Commonwealth unless the obligor at the time of the solicitation, offer, advertisement, sale, or execution of a contract has been properly registered with the Commissioner. The registration shall (i) disclose the address, ownership, and nature of business of the obligor; (ii) be renewed annually on July 1; and (iii) be accompanied by a fee of $300 per registration and annual renewal. A registration application or registration renewal will not be considered filed until all required information and fees are received by the Commissioner. Any obligor who fails to register prior to the sale of an extended service contract shall pay a late filing fee of $100 for each 30-day period, or portion thereof, that the registration is late. An obligor who fails to timely renew its registration shall pay a late fee of $50 for each 30-day period, or portion thereof, that the annual renewal filing is late. The late fees authorized by this subsection shall be in addition to all other penalties authorized by law.

Terms Used In Virginia Code 59.1-436

  • Commissioner: means the Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services or his designee. See Virginia Code 59.1-435
  • Consumer product: means tangible personal property primarily used for personal, family, or household purposes. See Virginia Code 59.1-435
  • contract: means a written contract or agreement for a specific duration in return for the payment of a segregated charge by the purchaser to perform the repair or replacement of any consumer product, including a motor vehicle, or indemnification for repair or replacement, for the operational or structural failure of any consumer product, including a motor vehicle, due to a defect in materials, workmanship, inherent defect, or normal wear and tear, with or without additional provisions for incidental payment of indemnity under limited circumstances, including, but not limited to, towing, rental, and emergency road service and road hazard protection. See Virginia Code 59.1-435
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Obligor: means the person who is contractually obligated to the purchaser to provide services under the extended service contract and who is (i) the original manufacturer or seller of the merchandise covered by the extended service contract, (ii) acting through or with the written consent of the original manufacturer, seller or purchaser of the merchandise covered by the extended service contract, or (iii) acting through or with the written consent of a manufacturer or seller of merchandise similar to the merchandise covered by the extended service contract. See Virginia Code 59.1-435
  • provider: means any person or entity other than a public service corporation supervised by the State Corporation Commission, who is the original manufacturer or seller and who solicits, offers, advertises, or executes extended service contracts. See Virginia Code 59.1-435
  • Purchaser: means a person who enters into an extended service contract with an extended service contract provider. See Virginia Code 59.1-435
  • State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-245

B. All fees shall be remitted to the State Treasurer and shall be placed to the credit and special fund of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to be used in the administration of this chapter.

C. Any matter subject to the insurance regulatory authority of the State Corporation Commission pursuant to Title 38.2 shall not be subject to the provisions of this chapter.

D. Licensed or registered motor vehicle dealers, as defined in § 46.2-1500, shall not be subject to the provisions of this chapter.

E. Extended service contract providers who comply with this section and the employees of such providers who market, sell or offer to sell extended service contracts on behalf of the provider shall not be subject to the provisions of Title 38.2.

F. Providers of a home service contract, as those terms are defined in § 59.1-434.1, that are registered and regulated pursuant to Chapter 33.1 (§ 59.1-434.1 et seq.) shall not be subject to the provisions of this chapter.

1991, c. 654; 1996, c. 966; 1997, c. 30; 2005, c. 407; 2017, c. 727.