9323275 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA In the Matter of GATEWAY 2000, INC., a corporation. DOCKET NO. C-3844 DECISION AND ORDER The Federal Trade Commission having initiated an investigation of certain acts and practices of the respondent named in the caption hereof, and the respondent having been furnished thereafter with a copy of a draft of complaint which the Cleveland Regional Office proposed to present to the Commission for its consideration and which, if issued by the Commission, would charge the respondent with violation of Section 5 of The Federal Trade Commission Act ("FTC Act"); the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act ("Warranty Act") and two Rules promulgated thereunder: the Rule concerning the Disclosure of Written Consumer Product Warranty Terms and Conditions ("Disclosure Rule"); and the Rule concerning the Pre-Sale Availability of Written Warranty Terms ("Pre-Sale Rule"). Under Section 110(b) of the Warranty Act, 15 U.S.C. § 2310(b), violations of the Warranty Act or its Rules are also violations of Section 5 of the FTC Act; and The respondent, its attorneys, and counsel for the Commission having thereafter executed an agreement containing a consent order, an admission by the respondent of all the jurisdictional facts set forth in the aforesaid draft of complaint, a statement that the signing of said agreement is for settlement purposes only and does not constitute an admission by the respondent that the law has been violated as alleged in such complaint, and waivers and other provisions as required by the Commission’s Rules; and The Commission having thereafter considered the matter and having determined that it had reason to believe that the respondent has violated the said Acts, and that a complaint should issue stating its charges in that respect, and having thereupon accepted the executed consent agreement and placed such agreement on the public record for a period of sixty (60) days, now in further conformity with the procedure prescribed in § 2.34 of its Rules, the Commission hereby issues its Complaint, makes the following jurisdictional findings and enters the following Order:
ORDER DEFINITIONS
I. IT IS ORDERED that respondent Gateway 2000, Inc., a corporation, its successors and assigns, and its officers, representatives, agents and employees, directly or through any corporation, subsidiary, division or other device, in connection with the sale or offering for sale of any consumer product for which the respondent offers a written warranty, do forthwith cease and desist from:
II. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent, its successors and assigns, and its officers, representatives, agents and employees, directly or through any corporation, subsidiary, division or other device, in connection with the sale or offering for sale of any consumer product, do hereby cease and desist from failing to provide a full refund of the purchase price of a product, including any shipping costs, insurance, handling or any other fee or charge paid by the consumer, within seven (7) business days of the respondent's acceptance, after a reasonable opportunity for inspection, of the merchandise returned by the consumer for a refund pursuant to any money-back guarantee offer made by respondent; provided, however, that respondent may deduct a service charge or other fees such as shipping and handling costs only if respondent has disclosed that such deductions will be made, clearly and conspicuously and in close proximity to the money-back guarantee offer made by respondent. III. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent, its successors and assigns, shall pay to the Federal Trade Commission, by cashier's check or certified check made payable to the U.S. Treasury and delivered to Commission counsel, Cleveland Regional Office, 1111 Superior Avenue, Suite #200, Cleveland, OH 44114, the sum of Two Hundred Eighty Nine Thousand Four Hundred Twenty Nine and 05/100 ($289,429.05) Dollars. Respondent shall make this payment on or before the tenth day following the date of service of the Order. In the event of any default on any obligation to make payment under this section, interest, computed pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1961(a), shall accrue from the date of default to the date of payment. No portion of the respondent's payment shall be deemed payment of any fine, penalty, or punitive assessment. IV. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent, its successors and assigns, and its officers, representatives, agents and employees, directly or through any corporation, subsidiary, division or other device, in connection with the sale or offering for sale of any consumer product, do forthwith cease and desist from representing, in any manner, directly, or by implication, that it shall provide On- Site Service unless respondent discloses, clearly and conspicuously and in close proximity to the representation, any material limitations on obtaining On-Site Service. V. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent, its successors and assigns, and its officers, representatives, agents and employees, directly or through any corporation, subsidiary, division or other device, in connection with the sale or offering for sale of any consumer product, for which the respondent offers a written warranty, do forthwith cease and desist from misrepresenting a consumer's remedies under its warranties for claims based upon incidental or consequential damages. VI. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent shall, within thirty (30) days of the date of service of this order, deliver to each of the respondent's current directors and officers, and to all managing employees, agents, and representatives having any sales, advertising, customer service, or policy responsibility with respect to the subject matter of this order, a copy of this order to cease and desist. For a period of three (3) years thereafter, respondent shall distribute the same to all future directors and officers, and to all future managing employees, agents, and representatives within thirty (30) days after the inception of their affiliation with respondent. VII. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent shall, within thirty (30) days of the date of service of this order, provide written instructions to all current managing employees, agents, and representatives having any sales, advertising, customer service, or policy responsibility on behalf of respondent as to respondent's specific obligations and duties under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. § 2301, et seq.), including, but not limited to, Section 108 (15 U.S.C. § 2308), thereof, and Rules 701 and 702, 16 C.F.R. Parts 701 ("the Disclosure Rule") and 702 ("the Pre-Sale Availability Rule"), promulgated thereunder, and this order. For a period of three (3) years thereafter, respondent shall provide said instructions to all future such managing employees, agents, and representatives within thirty (30) days after the inception of their affiliation with respondent. VIII. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent shall, for a period of not less than five (5) years from the date of service of the order, maintain and upon request make available to the Federal Trade Commission for inspection and copying (i) copies of all written instructions provided by respondent to its supervising employees, agents, and representatives having any sales, advertising, customer service, or policy responsibility on behalf of respondent pursuant to Part VII., above; (ii) all warranties on consumer products costing more than $15 for which the respondent is the warrantor; and (iii) exemplars of all advertising by the respondent. IX. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent and its successors and assigns shall notify the Commission at least thirty (30) days prior to any change in the corporate entity that may affect compliance obligations arising under this order, including but not limited to a dissolution, assignment, sale, merger, or other action that would result in the emergence of a successor corporation; the creation or dissolution of a subsidiary, parent, or affiliate that engages in any acts or practices subject to this order; the proposed filing of a bankruptcy petition; or a change in the corporate name or address. Provided, however, that, with respect to any proposed change in the corporation about which respondent learns less than thirty (30) days prior to the date such action is to take place, respondent shall notify the Commission as soon as is practicable after obtaining such knowledge. All notices required by this Part shall be sent by certified mail to the Associate Director, Division of Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D.C. 20580. X. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this order will terminate on December 22, 2018, or twenty years from the most recent date that the United States or the Federal Trade Commission files a complaint (with or without an accompanying consent decree) in federal court alleging any violation of the order, whichever comes later; provided, however, that the filing of such a complaint will not affect the duration of:
Provided further, that if such complaint is dismissed or a federal court rules that the respondent did not violate any provision of the order, and the dismissal or ruling is either not appealed or upheld on appeal, then the order will terminate according to this paragraph as though the complaint was never filed, except that the order will not terminate between the date such complaint is filed and the later of the deadline for appealing such dismissal or ruling and the date such dismissal or ruling is upheld on appeal. XI. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent shall, within sixty (60) days after service of this order on it, file with the Commission a report in writing, setting forth in detail the manner and form in which it has complied with this order. By the Commission, Commissioner Anthony recused. Benjamin I. Berman ISSUED: December 22, 1998 |