Idaho

MLM Law: Idaho Pyramid and Sales Referral Statutes

Idaho Unlawful Sales Referral Practices: The State of Idaho Legislative Code contains a prohibition against unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of trade or business. One such "unlawful practice" listed in the Idaho Consumer Protection Act is the practice of "referral selling." Idaho law defines this unlawful practice as follows:

48-603. UNFAIR METHODS AND PRACTICES

(15) Promising or offering to pay, … any compensation or reward in consideration of his giving to the seller or lessor the names of prospective purchasers or lessees, or otherwise aiding the seller or lessor in making a sale or lease to another person, if the earning of the rebate, discount or other value is contingent upon the occurrence of an event subsequent to the time the buyer or lessee agrees to buy or lease…

Idaho Pyramid Statute

TITLE 18
CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS
CHAPTER 31
FALSE PRETENSES, CHEATS AND MISREPRESENTATIONS
18-3101. PYRAMID PROMOTIONAL SCHEMES PROHIBITED -- PENALTIES -- SALE OF INTEREST VOIDABLE -- SCOPE OF REMEDY.

(1) It is illegal and prohibited for any person, or any agent or employee thereof, to establish, promote, offer, operate, advertise or grant participation in any pyramid promotional scheme.

(2) As used in this section:

(a) "Appropriate inventory repurchase program" means a program by which a plan or operation repurchases, upon request at the termination of a participant's business relationship with the plan or operation and based upon commercially reasonable terms, current and marketable inventory purchased and maintained by the participant for resale, use or consumption, provided such plan or operation clearly describes the program in its recruiting literature, sales manual, or contracts with participants, including the manner in which the repurchase is exercised and disclosure of any inventory that is not eligible for repurchase under the program.
(b) "Commercially reasonable terms" means the repurchase of current and marketable inventory within twelve (12) months from the date of original purchase at not less than ninety percent (90%) of the original net cost to the participant, less appropriate set-offs and legal claims, if any. In the case of service products, the repurchase of such service products shall be on a pro rata basis, unless clearly disclosed otherwise to the participant, in order to qualify as "commercially reasonable terms."
(c) "Compensation" means a payment of any money, thing of value, or financial benefit.
(d) "Consideration" means a payment of any money, or the purchase of goods, services, or intangible property but shall not include:

1. The purchase of goods or services furnished at cost to be used in making sales and not for resale.
2. Time and effort spent in pursuit of sales or recruiting activities.

(e) "Current and marketable" includes inventory that, in the case of consumable or durable goods, is unopened, unused and within its commercially reasonable use of shelf-life period. In the case of services and intangible property, including internet sites, "current and marketable" means the unexpired portion of any contract or agreement. The term "current and marketable" does not include inventory that has been clearly described to the participant prior to purchase as a seasonal, discontinued, or special promotion product not subject to the plan or operation's inventory repurchase program.
(f) "Inventory" includes both goods and services, including company-produced promotional materials, sales aids and sales kits that the plan or operation requires independent salespersons to purchase.
(g) "Inventory loading" means that the plan or operation requires or encourages its independent salespersons to purchase inventory in an amount that unreasonably exceeds that which the salesperson can expect to resell for ultimate consumption, or to use or consume, in a reasonable time period.
(h) "Participant" means a natural person who joins a plan or operation.
(i) "Person" means a natural person, partnership, corporation, trust, estate, business trust, joint venture, unincorporated association, or any other legal or commercial entity.
(j) "Promote" means to contrive, prepare, establish, plan, operate, advertise or otherwise induce or attempt to induce another person to be a participant.
(k) "Pyramid promotional scheme" means any plan or operation in which a participant gives consideration for the right to receive compensation that is derived primarily from the recruitment of other persons as participants in the plan or operation rather than from the sales of goods, services or intangible property to participants or by participants to others.

(3) A limitation as to the number of persons who may participate, or the presence of additional conditions affecting eligibility, or upon payment of anything of value by a person whereby the person obtains any other property in addition to the right to receive consideration, does not change the identity of the scheme as a pyramid promotional scheme.

(4) Any person, or any agent or employee thereof who willfully and knowingly promotes, offers, advertises, or grants participation in a pyramid promotional scheme shall be guilty of a felony.

(5) All pyramid promotional schemes offered by the same person, or agents or employees thereof, or any person controlled by or affiliated with such person, for the same type of consideration, at substantially the same period of time and for the same general purpose, shall be deemed to be one (1) integrated pyramid promotional scheme, even though such pyramid promotional schemes may be given different names or other designations.

(6) Nothing in this section or in any rule promulgated pursuant to this section shall be construed to prohibit a plan or operation, or to define such plan or operation as a pyramid promotional scheme, based upon the fact that participants in the plan or operation give consideration in return for the right to receive compensation based upon purchases of goods, services or intangible property by participants for personal use, consumption or resale, provided the plan or operation implements an appropriate inventory repurchase program and does not promote inventory loading.

(7) Any violation of this section shall also be deemed an unfair and deceptive practice in violation of the Idaho consumer protection act. Any person aggrieved by a violation of this section can recover monetary damages pursuant to the Idaho consumer protection act.

(8) The rights and remedies that are granted under the provisions of this section to purchasers in pyramid promotional schemes are independent of and in addition to any other right or remedy available to them in law or equity, and nothing contained herein shall be construed to diminish or abrogate any such right or remedy.

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