940 CMR 3.14
Subscription and Mail Orders
(1) Misrepresentation of Books or Services. It is unfair trade practice to make or publish, or
cause to be made or published, directly or indirectly, any false, misleading, or deceptive
statement or misrepresentation, whether in the form of advertisement, testimonial, endorsement,
illustration, or other form of representation however disseminated or published concerning the
grade, quality, material, size, contents, use, value, price, origin, preparation, manufacturer, or
date of publication or copyright of any book, or the current or up to date character thereof or
concerning the grade, quality, substance, size, manufacture, or the value of the binding thereof
or the lettering thereon, or concerning any service offered in connection therewith, or in any other
material respect.
(2) Misrepresentation of Books Being Free. In the sale or offering for sale of books, it is an
unfair trade practice to represent, through advertising or otherwise, that such books are given free
and that payments required in connection therewith are for supplements thereto or for extension,
revision, continuation, yearbook, or other similar services or for services to be rendered by a
research or other bureau, when such is not the fact; or that a certain number of books have been
reserved to be given away free of cost to selected persons as a means of advertising, or that a
certain number of persons in a community have been designated to receive a book or books or
any form of service free of cost, when such is not the fact.
(3) Misrepresentation as to the Nature of Business. It is unfair trade practice for a seller:
(a) To use, or cause to be used, any representation or inference
1. That such seller is an association or organization of educators, teachers, engineers,
or scientists, or of persons having other professional or technical qualifications when
such is not in fact true; or
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2. That the business of such seller is other than a private business enterprise operated
for profit when such is not the fact; or
3. That such seller is a book publisher or a representative or distributor for a book
publisher when such is not the fact; or
(b) To misrepresent in any manner the character, extent or type of business of such seller.
(4) Misrepresentation as to Connection with Educational Institution. It is an unfair trade
practice for any seller to represent through advertising or otherwise, that it or its sales
representatives are connected in any manner with any school, college, university, or other
educational institution, or with any board or committee thereof, or with any other organization,
or that any book or service sold or offered by it is required, endorsed or approved by any such
institution, board, committee, or organization when such is not the fact.