134.49 Renewals and extensions of business contracts.

1,271 words·~6 min read·/wi/chapter-134/134-49-4

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

(1)Definitions. In this section:

(a)“Business contract” means a contract that is entered into for the lease of business equipment, if any of the business equipment is used primarily in this state, or for providing business services, but only if the contract is for the direct benefit of the end user of the business equipment or business services. “Business contract” does not include any of the following:

1. A contract in which a customer agrees to purchase from a seller an undetermined amount of business services or lease from the seller an undetermined amount of business equipment, and agrees to pay the seller based on the amount of business services received or business equipment leased, subject to a predetermined minimum payment in a 12-month period specified in the contract, if the predetermined minimum payment is $250,000 or more.

2. A contract for the lease or purchase of real property.

3. A contract for the lease of a vehicle for which a certificate of title has been issued under ch. 342 .

4. A contract for the lease of medical equipment.

5. A contract derived from a tariff issued by an energy utility, as defined in s. 196.027

(c).

6. A contract for the lease of equipment that is for personal, family, or household purposes.

7. A contract for the purchase of services that are for personal, family, or household purposes.

8. A contract for the lease or purchase of access service, as defined in s. 196.01

(1b).

9. An interconnection agreement, as defined in s. 196.01

(3b), or a contract or agreement offered by a telecommunications utility, as defined in s. 196.01

(10), to meet obligations imposed on the telecommunications utility under 47 USC 151 to 276 .

10. A contract for the lease or purchase of telecommunications service, as defined in s. 196.01

(9m), including commercial mobile service, as defined in s. 196.01

(2i), if the contract is derived from a tariff issued by a telecommunications provider, as defined in s. 196.01

(8p), or if the contract permits the lessee or purchaser to terminate the contract after an automatic renewal by giving written notice, permits the termination to take effect not more than one month after receipt of the written notice, and permits a termination without liability for fees or penalties other than a payment for services or equipment used during the period before the termination takes effect, if the amount of the payment is one of the following:

a. The amount of the periodic payment due under the contract multiplied by the number of periods during which the services or equipment are provided before the termination takes effect.

b. If the contract does not provide for periodic payments, a portion of the amount due under the contract that is proportional to the portion of the renewed contract term that elapsed before the termination takes effect.

11. A contract that permits a customer to terminate an automatically renewed or extended contract period by giving the seller notice of the customer’s intention to terminate the contract period, if the contract does not require the customer to give notice to the seller more than one month before the date of the customer’s intended termination.

12. A contract to which a federal, state, or local government entity is a party.

13. A contract between a cooperative association organized under ch. 185 and a member of the cooperative, or a contract under which a cooperative association organized under ch. 185 is a seller.

14. A contract for the lease, maintenance, repair, service, or inspection of elevator or escalator systems, including mechanical and electrical components of such systems when built into real property.

15. A contract for the supply of industrial, medical, or other gases in any form, including for the lease, service, or use of cylinders, tanks, hard goods, or other related equipment involved in supplying the gases.

(b)“Customer” means a person who conducts business in this state and who is the lessee under a business contract that is entered into for the lease of business equipment or the purchaser under a business contract that is entered into for the purchase of business services.

(c)“Seller” means the provider of a business service or the lessor of business equipment under a business contract.

(2)Disclosure required.

(a)Subject to par.

(d), if a business contract that is entered into, modified, or renewed after May 1, 2011, provides that the contract will be automatically renewed or extended for an additional period unless the customer declines renewal or extension, and the duration of the additional period is more than one month, the seller shall do one of the following:

1. At the time the customer enters into the contract, present to the customer a copy of a form including the disclosures required under par.

(b)and obtain the customer’s signature on the form.

2. Include the disclosures required under par.

(b)in the contract in a conspicuous manner and obtain the customer’s initials on the contract on a page on which a disclosure appears.

(b)A disclosure required under par.

(a)shall contain all of the following:

1. A statement that the contract will be renewed or extended unless the customer declines renewal or extension.

2. A statement indicating the duration of the additional contract period that would result from an automatic renewal or extension period.

3. A statement indicating whether an increase in charges to the customer will apply upon an automatic renewal or extension.

4. A description of action the customer must take to decline renewal or extension.

5. The date of the deadline for the customer to decline renewal or extension.

(c)If a seller fails to comply with par.

(a), an automatic renewal or extension provision in the contract is not enforceable, and the contract terminates at the end of the current contract term.

(d)Paragraph

(a)does not apply to a contract in effect on May 1, 2011, or to subsequent renewals of such a contract.

(3)Notice required. If a business contract that has an initial term of more than one year provides that the contract will be automatically renewed or extended for an additional term of more than one year, unless the customer declines renewal or extension, and the deadline for the customer to decline renewal or extension of the contract is more than 60 days after May 1, 2011, the provision is not enforceable against the customer and the contract will terminate at the end of the current contract term unless the seller provides to the customer, at least 15 days but not more than 60 days before the deadline for the customer to decline renewal or extension, a written notice containing all of the following:

(a)A statement that the contract will be renewed or extended unless the customer declines renewal or extension.

(b)The deadline for the customer to decline renewal or extension.

(c)A description of any increase in charges to the customer that will apply after renewal or extension.

(d)A description of action that the customer must take to decline extension or renewal.

(4)Manner of giving notice. A seller or a person acting on behalf of the seller shall give the written notice required under sub.

(3)by any of the following methods:

(a)By mailing a copy of the notice by regular U.S. mail to the customer at the customer’s last-known business address, unless the contract requires the customer to notify the seller by certified mail of the customer’s intent to cancel.